God’s Church
i beseech you therefore, Brethren, by the Mercies of God, that you present your bodies a Living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, Will of God (Rom. 12:1–2).
The first evidence of real Christian life is consecration to God and transformation from the world. This is not an outside mechanical action, but an inward perpetual renewing of the mind, a seeking for, the doing of, the Will of God.
In this consecration, the Holy Spirit through Paul demands of the Believer that we “present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” Then he tells us that this is our “reasonable service.”
How is this to be done?
Whenever the word “sacrifice” is mentioned in the Bible, as it refers to the Lord, always, and without exception, it goes back to the Cross. The only way that one can present one’s physical body as a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” which, incidentally, is the only thing acceptable to God, is, as we have repeatedly stated, by the Believer placing his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work. The Holy Spirit will then do that which is necessary in the heart and life of such a Believer, which will make the Believer what he ought to be.
If anything else is presented to God, and I speak of any manner or way other than the Cross, it is totally unacceptable to God.
“So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8).
When the Believer attempts to function outside of the Cross, the situation becomes impossible. Sin and failure are the constant results, no matter how hard one may try otherwise. However, when the Believer places his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work, i.e., “the Cross,” the Holy Spirit then does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and the situation then becomes easy. In other words, that which the Lord requires becomes a “reasonable service.”
That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take My yoke upon you (the “yoke” of the “Cross” [Lk. 9:23]), and learn of Me (learn of His Sacrifice [Rom. 6:3–5]); for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls (the soul can find rest only in the Cross).
“For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (what He requires of us is very little, just to have Faith in Him, and His Sacrificial Atoning Work [Mat. 11:28–30]).
Then, and only then, can such a Believer present his physical body as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” He will then find that what God demands is a “reasonable service.”
~JSM
THE BIBLE USES DIFFERENT metaphors to describe the spiritual connection Christians have one with another.
In John, Jesus refers to believers as branches, with Himself as the vine, and God the Father as the husbandman (Jn. 15:1-2). Paul talked about the believing Gentiles being grafted in (Rom. 11:17). The church is referred to as a building that is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets with Jesus Christ being the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). Peter added, “You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house” (I Pet. 2:5). And there’s more. Today, I want us to look at the church as being the body of Christ!
NOT ALL IN A CHURCH ARE PART OF THE CHURCH
Let me first of all state that not all that attend church are part of the church. Sitting in a burger joint, no matter how fancy that restaurant is, does not make you a burger. Sitting in church, even participating in services, does not make you a Christian. To be part of the body of Christ, you have to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead” (Rom. 10:9). Only those who have placed their faith in the completed work of Calvary are part of the spiritual body of Christ.
Paul talked often of the body of Christ. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (I Cor. 12:27). In Paul’s discussion on the purpose of the five-fold ministerial gifts, he said it was “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Clearly the church is the body of Christ.
DIFFERENT PARTS, DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS
Just as in the natural, the body of Christ has different parts with different functions. “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” (I Cor. 12:14-15). We can’t all be evangelists. We cannot all be preachers. We can’t all travel the world spreading the Message of the Cross, but we can all do our part. We can help finance those who go. We can purchase the Expositors Study Bibles that are being sent around the world. The body moving in a well-orchestrated fashion can be instrumental in reaching the world for Christ.
EVERY BODY HAS A HEAD
Every living body has a head. Although man often attempts to usurp His authority, Jesus Christ is clearly the head of the body of Christ. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body” (Eph 5:23). As the head, Jesus coordinates and instructs the individual members of the church. “And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18). We are, therefore, His physical representation on earth.
WHAT DOES THE WORLD SEE?
How well is the church representing Christ? We have to acknowledge that what is being presented as Christianity is a poor reflection of true Christianity. The prosperity gospel, the seeker sensitive movement, Kingdom Now, the Emerging Church movement, and much more do not reflect Christ. As we preach the Word, share the Word, and live the Word of God, Jesus will be lifted up. “If I be lifted up … I will draw all men unto me” (Jn. 12:32).
By Mike Muzzerall
We mean by the Rapture (Resurrection) of the Church, the catching up of all true Believers in Christ to meet the Lord in the air. This event is simply and clearly predicted in Luke 21:34–36; John 14:1–3; I Corinthians 15:23, 51–58; Philippians 3:20–21; Colossians 3:4; I Thessalonians 4:13–17.
If one carefully reads I Thessalonians 4:16–17, there is no room for misunderstanding. So it is obvious that if one does not believe in the Rapture (Resurrection) it is because he does not believe the Bible. In fact, if one believes in the Resurrection, one must believe in the Rapture, for they are one and the same.
THE COMING OF THE LORD
The Rapture of the Church is called the “Coming of the Lord” but never the Second Coming of Christ. At the Rapture, Christ does not appear visibly to those on the Earth, but He comes in the air above the Earth to catch up or Rapture the dead and living Saints who rise together to meet Him in the air.
There are many different ideas about these two Comings of Christ, which have made it difficult to distinguish one Coming from the other. There are so many Scriptures that have been misapplied to the one or the other Coming that one might readily see why many have found themselves involved in difficulties from which they are unable to clear themselves.
The Rapture is purely a New Testament Doctrine and was first revealed to Paul as a special revelation (I Cor. 15:51–58), while the Second Coming of Christ is not only a New Testament Doctrine, but is one of the chief themes of the Old Testament as well.
THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE CHURCH
The Old Testament Prophets never saw the New Testament Church, much less the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture should never be called the Second Coming or Second Advent of Christ, for He does not come to the Earth at that time. Also, it should never be referred to as one stage or phase of the Second Coming of Christ for the two will be separated by at least seven years, and possibly longer.
The Rapture is a distinct Coming in itself, not to the Earth, but in the air where Christ meets the Saints and then takes them back to Heaven to present them blameless before God (Jn. 14:1–3; I Thess. 3:13; 4:16–17).
THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO COMINGS
1. The Rapture takes place several years before the literal Advent of Christ to the Earth.
2. The Saints are in Heaven before God, from the time of the Rapture to their coming again with Christ to reign as kings and priests (Zech. 14:5; Jude vs. 14; Rev. 19:14). This seems clear from the facts that the Saints are judged, are given their rewards, and partake of the Marriage Supper in Heaven, immediately before the Second Coming (II Cor. 5:9–10; Rev. 19:1–10).
3. At the Rapture Christ comes for the Saints (I Thess. 4:16–17); at the Second Coming, He comes back to Earth with the Saints (Jude vs. 14; Zech. 14:5).
4. At the Rapture, the Lord comes from Heaven as far as the air above the Earth, and the Saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air. At the Second Coming, the Saints are already in Heaven, and will come back with the Lord to the Earth together.
5. The Rapture (Resurrection) takes place before the coming Great Tribulation, whereas the Second Advent takes place after the coming Great Tribulation.
6. The Rapture could occur at any moment. The Second Advent cannot occur until certain things happen such as the rise of the Antichrist, etc. (II Thess. Chpt. 2).
1 Corinthians 15:24
(24) “THEN COMETH THE END, WHEN HE SHALL HAVE DELIVERED UP THE KINGDOM TO GOD, EVEN THE FATHER; WHEN HE SHALL HAVE PUT DOWN ALL RULE AND ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER.”
The phrase, “Then cometh the end,” does not refer to the time immediately following the Rapture or even the Second Coming, but when all satanic rule, authority, and power will have been put down, which will take place at the conclusion of the Millennial Reign (Rev. Chpt. 20). The final conclusion will actually be Satan loosed out of his prison for a short period of time, which will take place at the end of the Millennial Reign, when the Lord will make short order of this last attempt by the Evil One, with him being “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone … and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:7–10).
The phrase, “When He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father,” tells us what happens when the “end” comes.
END OF WHAT?
The phrase, “When He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power,” refers to every last vestige of evil and wickedness under the auspices of Satan and his minions, which actually began with Satan’s rebellion against God and is described by both Isaiah and Ezekiel (Isa. 14:12–15; Ezek. 28:11–19). This began long before the episode in the Garden of Eden.
As a result of this rebellion, in which a third of the angels threw in their lot with Lucifer (Rev. 12:4), untold sorrow and heartache have come to the Earth, with possibly much more elsewhere.
JESUS THE VICTOR
It is Jesus Who will “deliver up the Kingdom to God,” a Kingdom incidentally, that will then be free of all Satanic “rule,” “authority,” and “power.”
Jesus defeated Satan at Calvary and the Resurrection.
The idea is, that the Lord Jesus has received or been entrusted with an important power or office as Mediator; that He has executed the purpose implied in that trust or commission; and, that He is now rendering that to God (or will in that day) the Office and Authority which He had received at God’s Hands.
As the work has been accomplished which had been contemplated in His Design; as there would be no further necessity for mediation when Redemption should have been made, and His Church recovered from sin and brought to Glory, there would be no further need for that peculiar arrangement which had been implied in the Work of Redemption, and, of course, all the entrustment of Power involved in that which will now be restored to the Hands of God.
~J. Swaggart Ministry 1 Corinthians 15
By: F. Swaggart
Acts 5:29 – “Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
“We ought to obey God rather than men” – no truer words have ever been spoken, for He is the “King of kings and Lord of lords!” When the requests of men and the requests of God do not agree, it is the Higher Authority to Whom we must answer – even when it means we must rebel against the lesser. If any human authority says “no” to God, we can say “no” to that authority. We are not slaves of man, but slaves of God. And ultimately, every human authority will also have to answer to the One True Lord!
SATAN’S MINISTERS
We live in a day and time when the Evil One (Satan) is doing everything within his power to silence the Mouth of God, namely by silencing the mouths of God’s People. Satan’s “ministers” come into the church “transformed” as“ministers of righteousness” (II Cor.11:15), and they indoctrinate people to think that it is somehow righteous to obey men rather than God! God’s People are being trained that it is His Will to be obedient to human leadership no matter what! Now, of course, we respect civil government, and we believe in obeying the laws of this great country. Any American who truly loves God and country will believe and respect the laws laid down by our government – that is, as long as the government does not infringe upon our right to worship and serve God! But, today, our nation has come to a point where we, as Believers, are going to have to take a stand. We can’t live on the heroism of our forefathers any longer. We will have to become heroes of Faith (and of country) for ourselves. We will have to be willing to face the persecution of other men. There are laws being activated now that will indeed force Christians to choose: “will I ‘obey God and His Word’ or will I ‘obey man’?” We must once again become men and women of God who will obey Him no matter the cost!
OBEY?
The brainwashing to “obey our leaders” extends to both church and civil government, and many are failing to see the victory the enemy is gaining through this deception. People have come to believe that obedience to evil is Biblical and rebellion is wrong, even rebellion against blatant heresy! Amazingly, this lie of the enemy has made compromise and fear appear to be godly. Never mind the Church of Jesus Christ was actually born in rebellion. As well, this great nation of America was birthed in rebellion! Thomas Jefferson stated, “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God,” and that is true whether we are speaking of civil tyrants or religious tyrants. The reformers had to rebel against the established church. “All powers” are not ordained of God. And those that are not, we have to resist. We must not bow before the feet of Baal! Yes, even Christianity itself was birthed in rebellion, and so I have to reiterate the question once again: “Is it wrong to disobey those in leadership over us?” Again, the answer is “no,”not when hierarchical leadership is disobeying the Word of God! The motto of the true Church of Jesus Christ must once again ring loud and clear, “. . . let God be true, but every man a liar . . .” (Rom 3:4).
DOMINION?
The modern church has succumbed to a few other lies of “Satan’s ministers” as well, lies which distract Believers from taking the stand that both our country and church need right now for its very survival. For instance, instead of standing for freedom from all civil and religious dictatorship, the modern church has become too busy trying to take“dominion” for themselves. Modern “dominionist” theology promises Believers they will hold positions of power and authority in society, if they will just climb the ranks of leadership. But, of course, you can’t climb their ranks and stand against their unbiblical teachings at the same time. Modern Believers have also become too busy expecting to be treated like kings and queens themselves. Joel Osteen has said, “. . . I’ve come to expect to be treated differently. I’ve learned to expect people to want to help me. My attitude is: I’m a Child of the Most High God. My Father created the whole universe. He has crowned me with favor, therefore, I can expect preferential treatment. I can expect people to go out of their way to want to help me.”[1] No wonder we do not see many Believers being willing to face the possible consequences of standing for Truth and Freedom in this country! They are expecting“preferential treatment” rather than recognizing what they should be willing to endure for Christ. Jesus said, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord” (Mat 10:24).
DESPISED AND REJECTED
Christ Himself was despised and rejected for His Stand. His Disciples were also hated. Why do we believe we will not also be? Why do we believe we are only here to be blessed by God without ever having to take a stand for Him? “Prosperity preachers” meet “persecution!” What if the only reward for obedience is harassment and hatred? Will you still consider yourself blessed? Will you still obey God rather than men? The Word of God says, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (I Jn. 3:13). When you obey God, other men will not be pleased! This is not to say that God does not bless His Children, because He most certainly does, even materially, but sometimes a Spiritual Blessing is far greater in the Eyes of God. “Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My Sake” (Mat 5:11).
WAS IT RIGHT?
I was reading an article over the weekend, which gives credit to Dr. Brook Stockton for the following statements made about resisting ungodly authority:
“Was it right for Joseph to disobey his boss’ wife? (Gen. 39). Was it right for Moses’ parents to disobey the civil authority over them and not kill their baby? (Ex. 1). Was it right for the Hebrew midwives to disobey the Egyptian government and save the babies? (Ex. 1).
“Was it right for Rahab to disobey the king of Jericho? (Josh. 2). Was it right for Ruth to disobey her mother-in-law? (Ruth 1). Was it right for the judges in the Book of Judges to take up the sword, organize an army, and overthrow wicked governments?
“Was it right for Sampson to disobey the Philistine government officials? (Judg. 16). Was it right for David to disobey his older brothers and not go home as ordered? (I Sam. 17). Was it right for Jonathan to disobey his Father and not deliver David to Saul? (I Sam. 20). Was it right for David not to surrender himself to the will of the king who wanted him dead and destroyed? (I Sam. 19-30). Was it right for the younger prophet to disobey the older prophet? (I Ki. 13).
“Was it right for Naboth to refuse the offer of King Ahab to purchase his property? (I Ki. 21). Was it right for Elijah not to obey the summons of king Ahaziah? (II Ki. 1). Was it right for Elisha to disobey Elijah and not ‘Stay here’? (II Ki. 2).
“Was it right for Israel to submit to her idolatrous kings? (II Ki. 17). Wasn’t Israel sent into captivity because they obeyed their idolatrous kings? (II Ki. 17). Wasn’t Israel chided by God for obeying the laws of King Omri? (Mic. 6:16). Was it right for Jehoiada the priest to resist the de facto queen and over throw her rule? (II Ki. 11).
“Was it right for the three Hebrews to remain standing after the king’s order to bow? (Dan. 3). Was it right for Daniel to pray after an executive order forbidding prayer to any God but the king? (Dan. 6). Was it right for Habakkuk and Zechariah to encourage Israel to disobey the Persian king and revive the building of the temple after they were ordered to stop? (Ezra 4 & 5).
“Was it right for Peter to keep on preaching Christ after Israel’s government ordered him to stop preaching? (Acts 5). Was it right for Martin Luther to disobey the Pope? (15th Century). Was John Huss wrong for resisting the hierarchy of the Catholic Church? (14th Century). Was it right for John Bunyan to refuse to take a government license to preach the gospel—something that cost him years in prison? (16th Century).
“Was it right for the Pilgrims not to submit to the King of England (1620)? Was it right for John Hancock, George Washington, and Patrick Henry to declare independence from rebellious King George because of taxation and other reasons (Declaration of Independence)?
“Was it right for the Germans at the concentration camps to obey their wicked, elected officials and kill Jews? Was it right for the French underground to disobey the German authorities and to smuggle Jews out of France?
“Was it right for General Robert E. Lee to teach his slaves how to read and write so they could earn a living upon their release when the laws of Virginia forbid him to do so? Was it right for General Robert E. Lee to resist the federal forces marching into Virginia, to take up arms, and resist the order of President Lincoln?
“Was it right for Bostonians to trespass on private property and to dump tea in the Boston Harbor to protest a tea tax? Should Christians in the 1850’s have obeyed the Fugitive Slave Laws and sent runaway slaves back to their owners?”
If we are to take the stands necessary in these final and trying days, we will need the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit! We will need the supernatural strength of the Lord working in us to “obey God rather than men.” We received a Word from the Lord not too long ago that is proving itself more and more crucial everyday: “Church, read the Book of Acts, and get ready!”
As we discussed in last month’s article, the church has moved away from all forms and exercises of Biblical discernment and righteous judgment. Therefore, it should not surprise us to see that, from the outside, the modern “church” appears to be a super-kind and loving place where no one is ever criticized and where all variance of opinion can be accepted through friendly dialogue. Happy church-goers rest in fleshly affirmations from their leaders, as these leaders receive all their creative ideas, philosophies, and sciences, throwing them all into one big melting pot. Yet, in this all-encompassing and seemingly tolerant witches’ brew of spiritual heresy, there are overlying goals and plans to which all members are blindly conforming. In fact, as we will see, Christians are being specially bred to further these goals. Through leadership training, primarily designed for church growth, the church has embarked upon this new spiritual breeding project. By sporting slogans, such as “every believer a leader,” we have recently seen a widespread movement in the church world to incorporate programs like “mentoring,” “discipling,” “fathering,” “shepherding,” “coaching,” etc. In each of these, we find that believers are quickly taught to obey leaders, slyly grabbing hold of their obedience to the Holy Spirit. This is why Biblical discernment does not seem to be necessary to believers in such churches. Why would believers be concerned with correct doctrine when they are being trained like foot soldiers? It is not the soldier’s job to worry about the ideologies behind the war; he simply executes the streamlined protocols of his commanding officers. But what is even more chilling is that not only does this leadership training give someone bodily governance over others in his church, it actually causes a spiritual change in him as well.
MAD SCIENTISTS?
It seems as though mad scientists have entered the church today. We hear them speaking of “spiritual DNA” which must be spread through believers and multiplied in their churches. There is a kind of religious eugenics plan taking place in which the next evolutionary advancement depends on having the right DNA. This special breeding process, which occurs through principles of leadership, often begins within small groups, frequently called “cells.” Rick Warren gives us a great example with his “Purpose-Driven DNA.” In an on-line article explaining which churches should receive “Purpose Driven Health Awards,” Warren states, “They form small groups on purpose: Purpose Driven DNA is implanted in every cell (group) of the congregation. Each small group helps the members fulfill each of the five purposes in their lives. The goal is to help every believer live a purpose driven life.” The DNA implementation process is basically the same in all churches; it is just that particular churches have particular brands such as “purpose-driven,” “G-12,” etc. The process closely resembles a multi-level marketing pyramid and may go something like this: “Identify, select and ‘mentor’ a core group of young men… Send out these core leaders in designated directions, like arrows shot into the culture… Assist them in ‘replicating their DNA’ by creating downline networked systems of transitioning churches that follow their particular rendition of the overall model… Now let’s suppose that there were four major directions that the core group leadership of Emergent/emerging took as they were sent out. Each stream would only differ on the externals and nonessentials, but the main agenda would still be emergent transformation.” The plan is to entirely transform the Christian Church!
One ministry purports: “When the people of God begin to realize that the purpose of Jesus on the earth was to birth a new breed of people who would carry the DNA of God within them and bring heaven to earth daily, we will begin to live with purpose. When the people of God begin to realize their identity as the very offspring of God and that as He is right now, so are we in this world, the church will begin to shake the nations with the power of God.” Some have even tried to say that this model began with Jesus and His Disciples: “This follows the model of Jesus and his disciples, or Paul and the men he mentored during the days recorded in Acts. Those men went deep into relationships to make a radical change in their identities and their spiritual DNA.” The idea is that God used “deep relationship” to make “radical change in their identities” is blasphemous. It is Faith in Christ alone which can change the heart of man. Furthermore, we readily find that small group relationships are actually a control tactic used in cults and secret societies. This is precisely where new “spiritual DNA” may be implanted to exert a spiritual control upon a person. In fact, the entire cell multiplication system is motivated by a cult-like spirit! Unfortunately, this only produces a phony Christian who tries to sell Christianity rather than preach the Gospel. Social psychology uses the term “social cohesion,” which has shown that people who see their group as exclusive and meet in relaxed settings become more loyal to one another. Members are, then, more likely to listen to each other and reach compromise when critical decisions are made.
THE NEW APOSTOLIC BREED
Thus, a new apostolic breed is coming, and make no mistake about it, anyone who fails to accept the new DNA will quickly be shunned from this elite “Christian” clique and uncover the stinging wrath which lies in wait within what otherwise seem to be extremely loving leaders. In fact, the idea has already been suggested that those who do not have the right DNA must be eliminated due to their “reptilian brain!” Doesn’t this sound a whole lot more like Darwinian atheists than preachers? And who are some of the gurus at the top of this unholy pyramid? Headed by Bob Buford, the Leadership Network has played a key role in building and training a generation of “pastoral” leaders. Not surprisingly, Buford himself had a mentor, a businessman named Peter Drucker. It also should not surprise us that these principles actually originated outside the church, and Drucker’s philosophies are particularly scary. Having been influenced by esoteric German philosophy during the 1800s, his ideas are actually the same ones that gave rise to the totalitarian governments of the Twentieth Century, which were utilitarian in nature, designed to manage people on earth. These governments required humans to perform under an oppressive system of accountability. Therefore, the Leadership Network spread, not Biblical principles, but Nazi-like disciplines. “…like leaven, the thoughts and ideas of Drucker have permeated throughout the evangelical world. Buford’s role has been to add sugar to the starter, making sure that the leaven could rapidly fill the whole lump.”
THE LEADERSHIP NETWORK
The Leadership Network is also connected with what is called the New Apostolic Reformation, headed by C. Peter Wagner. In a 1999 publication of the Leadership Network called Next, Wagner wrote an article entitled, “Another New Wineskin… The New Apostolic Reformation.” Connected with the New Apostolic Reformation we find more big wigs like Bill Hybels, Robert Schuller, and Rick Warren. Smaller congregations across the country model their own churches after the “successful” churches of these men. In his book, Churchquake: How the New Apostolic Reformation is Shaking up the Church as we Know It, Wagner identifies both Hybels and Warren as New Apostolic pastors. Wagner even oversaw Rick Warren’s doctrinal thesis at Fuller Theological Seminary, which later became his first book, The Purpose-Driven Church. Actually, Robert Schuller, who has been influenced by many New Age teachers as he promoted ideas like “positive thinking” and “unlimited human potential,” has played a large role in Warren’s, Hybels’, and Wagner’s lives. A September 8, 1989 “Christianity Today” showed a picture of Hybels with Dr. Robert Schuller and C. Peter Wagner at Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral. And, Schuller’s influence upon Rick Warren has been so obvious, Warren has been accused by plagiary. It is a fact that Warren did attend many of Schuller’s pastoral training courses before his own ministry took off.
MENTORING
Starting with the term “mentor,” let’s look at the original origins of some of these leadership terms and practices. Like Buford’s leadership principles, “mentoring” first became popular in today’s New Age business world. Over the past 25 years, business gurus and leadership training workshops have endorsed mentoring principles to build their businesses. Mentoring has spread throughout all aspects of society including the corporate world, education, social work, community clubs, various religions, etc., and somehow it has even become an integral part of pop culture, just as hip as personalized cyberspaces and café lattes. So, of course, worldly-minded “pastors” had to have a piece of this universally appealing pie to help grow their congregations. A movement known as Promise Keepers played a large role in this. True Biblical discipling means to teach the Word of God so that a person may grow in his personal relationship with Christ. But, mentoring brings forth the idea of role modeling so that others may imitate certain behaviors, attitudes, characteristics, etc. It has been said that “imitation is the highest form of flattery”, so it is obvious that this system idolizes men while taking the focus away from Jesus and His Word. The Church was not meant to be a place for cloning and copying one another. It is a place for entirely new creations in Christ to be grown and nurtured in the Ways of the Lord. Nonetheless, Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox (Issue #286) included several links to secular websites which give tons of helpful hints for the advancement of mentoring programs. Apparently, the modern church needs advice from the secular business world, since mentoring is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
SPIRIT GUIDE
Today “mentor” generally refers to a title or position. A mentor has the position of guiding or instructing another. However, in times past, “Mentor” was used as an actual name, both the name of a man and the name of a spirit! Yes, a channeled demonic spirit! An entranced medium may allow a “state possession” by “an invisible operator” also called a “guide” to “deliver direct or relayed messages.” So in the occult world, “mentor”< clearly denotes the idea of a “spirit guide,” often accessed through demonic possession. Seeing that mentorship is widely used from the occult to the modern commercial enterprises, there is clearly something captivating about the concept. So, the question must be asked: just exactly what spirit or spirits is the modern church passing down to the next generation? A famous psychic medium named Stainton Moses was “the charge [ channeler, ed.] of an organized band of 49 spirits” who asserted “that a missionary effort to uplift the human race was being made in the spirit realms.” “Mentor,” in fact, was said to be the name of one of these 49 spirits. Remember, Adolf Hitler also had a plan to “uplift” the human race and produce a special breed of men; he wanted to spawn a supreme Arian race. Now, if a man does indeed pass-on or “impart” (another leadership buzzword to watch out for) a spirit to another man it is not the Holy Spirit, but another spirit. This includes all thoughts of passing on one’s own spirit, a spiritual gift, a spiritual anointing, or in worst case scenario, a disembodied spirit which may temporarily possess a man.
IMPARTATION
“Impartation” can be defined as the transmission of information or communication by means of transmitted signals. The spiritual impartation used in churches today follows this exactly thought, but the information transferred is spiritual in nature. One pastor of a cell-group oriented church recently told his congregation: “Today, I want to talk about what it means to be spiritually reproducing yourself or to multiply the Christ in you over into another person… spiritual reproduction is the impartation and transfer of one’s own values and skills to another person or generation.” But, neither the Holy Spirit nor any part of the Holy Spirit can be passed from one person to another. The Holy Spirit is a Person Himself: He is God. HE does not separate and distribute Himself through humanity. Any Work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life can only be generated through that individual’s Faith in Christ and Him Crucified. In this way alone can the person of Christ live within a man. Any other “life” imparted is dead while it lives; it is demonic.
GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Concerning his name as a human personality, Mentor was actually a character in Greek mythology. When he left for the Trojan War, Odysseus left Mentor to protect and teach his son, Telemachus. The first recorded modern use of the term in 1699, comes from a book entitled, “Les Adventures de Telemaque”, by French mystic, religious writer and educator, Francois Fenelon. Here is a quote from page 136 in this book: “Oh happy Telemachus! You will never be bewildered as I have been bewildered as I have been bewildered, while you have such a guide and instructor! Mentor, you are the master!” Interestingly, the Bible warns of the philosophy and wisdom of the Greeks. Perhaps the biggest problem here is the simple fact that a person may learn to rely on a mentor rather than Christ. Sure, the mentor will often claim that he points to Christ, but when the student has a question, who does he run to first – his mentor or Jesus? Slowly but surely, a mentor can become a living idol, an all-knowing spiritual advisor and trusted friend. Even after a mentor dies, one could find himself seeking his mentor’s advice as he, perhaps even subconsciously, invokes his mentor’s spirit to comfort and counsel him along life’s perplexing path. “‘I’ve long since ceased trying to determine what thoughts are mine and which come from Peter,’ says Mr. Buford…” The Devil’s tricks are often very subtle. Jesus is the trusted Friend and Counselor you need. Satan will try to substitute many in His place.
“The best of them is a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of your watchmen and your visitation comes; now shall be their perplexity. Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lies in your bosom. For the son dishonours the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me” (Mic. 7:4-7).
“…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
~F. Swaggart
“That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There has not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man” (Judg. 16:17).
Samson’s remarkable strength came as a direct result of his consecration to the Lord. The term “Nazarite” comes from the Hebrew word “nazir” meaning “consecrated” or “separated.” The Nazarite Vow required a man or woman not to cut one’s hair, to abstain from the fruit of the vine (wine), and not to touch a dead body (as death portrayed the Fall of man, while the Nazarite was to epitomize Life). In such, the Lord made it clear how important separation from the world would be for those He would use in the Works and Callings of His Kingdom. John the Baptist was also a Nazarite: “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Lk. 1:15).
Samson kept the Nazarite Vow until he found a part of the world upon which he began to set his affections. His love for Delilah (Delilah being a type of the world) caused Samson to relinquish his Vow of Separation to God. The cutting of his hair was the outward sign of his heart’s betrayal. As a result, he lost his strength! The Philistines overtook him; they even took his sight. This should be a tremendous lesson to Believers today. The Lord views affection toward the world as spiritual adultery committed against Him. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (I Jn. 2:15). Under the New Covenant, however, Believers do not need to take the Nazarite Vow, because we rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit to separate and distinguish us from the world.
SEPARATION
Separation is an inherent part of the very purpose of the Church, her purpose being the proclamation of the Gospel! It is a vital part of our witness/our testimony to demonstrate that we have been Saved and changed! One renowned preacher, G. Campbell Morgan, said, “. . . the Church of God needs to remember that fellowship with God necessitates separation from all who fail to fulfill the responsibilities of fellowship in light or in love.” The Lord requires separateness of Believers over and over again in the Scriptures – in both the Old and New Testaments. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (II Cor. 6:17). And notice this particular verse is speaking of separation from the apostate church as well. Just as there is no fellowship with the world, there is no fellowship with a backslidden church. Regarding what he referred to as “secondary separation,” Charles Spurgeon once said, “I have preached God’s truth, so far as I know it, and I have not been ashamed of its peculiarities. That I might not stultify my testimony, I have cut myself clear of those who err from the faith and even from those who associate with them.” [1]
SATAN
So, why is it so important to the Lord to have His People remain separate and distinct from the world? Why does this give the Lord glory? Because this present world is actually ruled by Satan. Since the Fall, Satan has been able to influence man in all his actions and endeavors, so the ways of unredeemed man actually reflect the will of the enemy, not the Lord’s. One pastor recently asked, “Is there any Scriptural directive calling us to renovate the Land of the Lost into a facade of faith so that it will appear to be Christian owned and operated when our Lord returns, even though it is clearly stated four times in Scripture that Satan is the ‘prince of this world’?”[2] You see, Biblical separation is separation from Satan and from the antichrist system he is presently establishing. Christians are considered foreigners in an evil kingdom, which is why it is so important for the Child of God to develop discernment as he grows. “But strong meat belongs to them who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:14). Satan will even disguise his followers as professing Believers to cause confusion. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I Jn. 4:1).
THE WAY OUT
God allows His people to remain in Satan’s territory for one purpose — to show others the Way out! This is the only reason we remain on Earth after we are Saved, so we must remain “in” it without being “of ” it! “No man who wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him Who has chosen him to be a soldier” (II Tim. 2:4). Of course, the Devil is not pleased with our inhabitance, and he will try everything in his power to pull us back into fellowship with his fellows! He even offered Christ the kingdoms of this Earth: “And the Devil, taking Him up into an high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the Devil said unto Him, All this power will I give You, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If You therefore will worship me, all shall be Yours. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (Lk. 4:5-8).
WEAK?
It is also interesting to note that during the time of Samson, men with long hair were viewed as weak, yet it was one of the requirements of the Nazarite Vow. Certainly it was a humbling position to be in, but it actually spoke volumes regarding the Source of Samson’s strength. It gave God the glory. It is the same today. Separation may put a Believer in a position of weakness in the eyes of the world. For instance, a particular Believer may refuse to partner in business with a nonbeliever, possibly lessening his/her potential to make a greater financial income. But, it is just such a Believer whom the Lord delights in strengthening and supplying by His Power! It is when a man humbles himself to the guiding of the Spirit that the Lord may use him the most mightily! “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (II Cor. 12:10). Likewise, the Church as a whole is always strengthened when she remains separate. Again, this is God’s way of demonstrating His Own Strength! When the Church intermingles with the world and/or takes on the methods and ways of the world, the Lord is not glorified as He should be. The Work Jesus did at Calvary is distinct and exclusive, and Faith in it always begins to distinguish you from the world. If you deny this separation, you deny the Cross!
UNITY?
Yet, this is the precise sin of the modern church. The modern church is preaching unity rather than separation! Preachers today seem to think there is “strength in numbers,” but this is a false strength that will ultimately break down in the face of adversity. It is the Lord’s Power Alone that can defeat the enemy’s schemes, which is why Satan constantly tries to get the Church to look for strength in anything other than Christ and Him Crucified! Believers must understand that the Lord wants His Church to be different! But, the modern church strives to appeal to, work with, and unify with the world and/or other apostate churches. Remember what happened when Samson chose to love Delilah in this manner? She eventually caused him to betray his First Love. But nonetheless, the modern church has invented a new “Do-Good Gospel.” In other words, they say in “doing-good” together and “loving” one another despite our differences, people will begin to “experience” God on an individual basis. While it is true that “good works” can produce a spiritual “experience,” the spirit felt is not necessarily the Lord. Rather “good works” produce a religious spirit (when done apart from proper Faith). This is quite disturbing because churches quickly fill up with religious people rather than Saved people. People who are simply religious cannot tell the difference in true and false doctrine, so their criteria for knowing about the Lord becomes “experience.” Some Protestants have even converted back to Roman Catholicism simply because of the spiritual “experiences” they have had with mystic Catholic rituals, no matter that these are completely unbiblical and ungodly. The Emergent Church is one of the greatest promoters of this road back to Rome as they emphasize and promote unbiblical spiritual attractions such as prayer stations, statues, incense, liturgy, candles, icons, and the sacraments including the Eucharist.
UNEQUALLY YOKED?
Another way the Lord admonishes Believers to remain separate is by requiring us not to be unequally yoked. “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has Righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has light with darkness? (II Cor. 6:14). The yoke is quite a powerful symbol in Scripture! It referred to the cattle yoke which bound animals to a plow so that they can work in unison. Old Testament law forbade even an ox and donkey to plow together (Deut. 22:10). The yoke was also used figuratively to refer to bondage and the burden born by slaves (Ex. 6:6-7; I Tim. 6:1). Jesus would later tell us, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Mat. 11:30). When a person is Saved, he has a newfound yoke with Jesus which has freed him from all the enslaving yokes of the enemy. So, while it is perfectly fine for Christians to participate in society, they should not join in common cause with it. Christ cannot be joined to a fallen world. Those who walk by Faith can never walk with those who walk by the flesh and self-will. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). God even forbade Israel from making international alliances for defensive and economic purposes — even though the practice was common among other nations (Ex. 23:32; Josh. 23:12). The primary reason for this was spiritual, seeing that treaty relationships would involve contact with pagan religions and, thereby, call for toleration of pagan practices. This is exactly what happened when Solomon got involved in international alliances. When Jehoshaphat made a trade alliance with Israel’s wicked king, Ahaziah, a prophet came to him and announced, “. . . Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has broken your works . . .”
(II Chron. 20:37).[3]
ALLIANCES
Sadly, these are just the types of alliances that are going on in the modern church. Pastors like Rick Warren are teaming-up with globalist/communist leaders to work toward common goals, but all this is really a guise for the Antichrist to bring about his one-world order. “Rick Warren was invited by the U.N. and accepted, to come to the U.N. Interfaith Prayer Meeting which was attended by leaders of Islam, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism and every other faith. Since most of these religions don’t believe in Christ, it is clear this was not a Christian prayer meeting but was a guise to have a globalist political conference. The U.N. believes that religions must be pacified and brought into its fold in order to have world peace. The U.N.’s plan is to synthesize all religions into one, and Rick Warren seems to be the point man to facilitate this. That is why Rick Warren said, ‘The man of peace can even be a Moslem.’” [4] False preachers try to impose a guilt trip on Christians if they will not sacrifice their personal needs for the needs of the community. But, remember the word “communism” actually comes from the word “community,” and ultimately the church will lose her freedom to a religious dictatorship if she refuses to remain separate from the governmental affairs of this world. This country has stood on the principle of the separation of church and state for a reason!
SEPARATION NOT ISOLATION
The point should also be made that in the Church some have confused the idea of separation with isolation. For instance, we have seen monks and/or nuns of many religions isolate themselves throughout history, but this is not what God meant by separation. Jesus ate with sinners without compromising. “Actually, Jesus contemplated that His people would have such intercourse with the world, and that in it they would do good. But in none of this is there to be any compromise of principle; in none to be any yielding to the opinions and practices that are contrary to the Word of God. As we have already stated, if we isolate ourselves, we cannot let our light shine. . . . As well, ‘separation’ must be that which is guided and directed by the Holy Spirit and not legalism.” “Nevertheless, having said that, one can be certain that the Holy Spirit is not going to place a seal of approval upon that which is obviously wrong.”5If the Holy Spirit is telling you to separate and be different in any area of your life, do it! Even if other professing Believers do not, you must obey for yourself, because what you are sensing is actually the beginnings of an eternal separation. Remember, only the Lord knows who is truly Saved and who is not. God’s Word tells us that “the wheat and the tares” will reside together, but that the Lord will separate them in the end (Mat., Chpt. 13). So Believer, rejoice and obey the Lord, because what you are sensing is simply His Spirit beginning this work in the hearts of those who are truly His! You are wheat, and it is your destiny to be separate from the tares!
~J. Swaggart Ministries
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
THE PLAN OF SALVATION
A long time ago, a Roman Jailer asked of the Apostle Paul the most important question that could ever be asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
Paul’s answer was immediate, to the point, clear, and concise. He said:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30–31.)
That’s how simple that it actually is.
A man named Nicodemus pretty much asked Jesus the same question. Jesus answered him by saying, “You must be born again” (Jn. 3:1–8).
ALL ARE SINNERS
The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.”
That means that all are sinners, actually born that way, in desperate need of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, there are no exceptions to this. That means you and me, and all others for that matter.
Paul also said in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death!”
So, that means that unless something is done about this terrible situation, that all will be eternally lost. However, God did not leave things there. He loves us, every one of us. It is His Desire that “Not any should perish, but that all should come unto repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
WHAT DID GOD DO ABOUT THIS SITUATION?
The Scripture plainly says, “And God so loved the world (so loved sinners, and that means you) that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).
What does that mean?
Man as a sinner could not save himself. In other words, such was and is impossible; consequently, God literally became man, came into this world born of the Virgin Mary, and then died on Calvary to pay the price for man’s Redemption. As should be obvious, the price was high. But thank God, it was everlastingly paid by Jesus Christ, that “WHOSOEVER WILL, MAY COME AND TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY” (Rev. 22:17).
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST?
Going back to the Scripture which we quoted in the Foreword of this booklet, Paul says:
“If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto Righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto Salvation” (Rom. 10:9–10).
To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is more than just giving mental assent that He is the Son of God. Millions do that and aren’t saved.
When the Scripture speaks of one believing, it simply means that one accepts Who Jesus is, which is the Son of God, and what He has done, which refers to Him dying on Calvary, in effect taking our place, in order that we might be saved.
It means to accept Him, and Him Alone as your Saviour, resolving to make Him the Lord of your life, and to follow Him with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength as long as you live.
SUBSTITUTION AND IDENTIFICATION
As we have already stated, man being eternally lost and helpless to save himself, God had to provide a means of Salvation whereby sinful man could be made righteous. He did that by providing His Own Son, Who gave His Life on Calvary, thereby paying the terrible price which we could not pay. That price was His Own Precious Shed Blood.
He became our Substitute.
What does that mean?
It means He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. There was a terrible sin debt owing due to man’s fallen condition. As stated, that refers to every single human being, none excepted. With no way to save ourselves, God had to provide a Saviour, which He did. It was done simply because He loves us so much (Jn. 3:16).
Jesus being the Substitute, if we identify with Him, which means to accept what He did at Calvary’s Cross on our behalf, we will be saved. It is that simple!
He became our Substitute, and upon our identification with Him, we are rewarded with Eternal Life (Rom. 6:23).
SUBSTITUTION AND IDENTIFICATION
As we have already stated, man being eternally lost and helpless to save himself, God had to provide a means of Salvation whereby sinful man could be made righteous. He did that by providing His Own Son, Who gave His Life on Calvary, thereby paying the terrible price which we could not pay. That price was His Own Precious Shed Blood.
He became our Substitute.
What does that mean?
It means He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. There was a terrible sin debt owing due to man’s fallen condition. As stated, that refers to every single human being, none excepted. With no way to save ourselves, God had to provide a Saviour, which He did. It was done simply because He loves us so much (Jn. 3:16).
Jesus being the Substitute, if we identify with Him, which means to accept what He did at Calvary’s Cross on our behalf, we will be saved. It is that simple!
He became our Substitute, and upon our identification with Him, we are rewarded with Eternal Life (Rom. 6:23).
FAITH AND NOT WORKS
The only thing required to obtain this glorious and wonderful Salvation is to simply believe on Christ, exactly as Paul said, which means to have Faith in Him.
What does that mean?
It is actually very simple. The Lord made it this way in order that all may have equal opportunity.
It simply means that you believe or have faith in what He did, and accept it for yourself on a personal basis. That’s all that God requires. But of course, to believe and have faith, even as we have already said, means to accept the Lord as your Saviour and, as well, to make Him the Lord of your life.
First of all, man must understand that he is a sinner. That includes all (Rom. 3:23). As such, he needs a Saviour. There is only one Saviour, only One Who has paid the price for man’s Redemption, and that Saviour is the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, if one does not accept Christ, one cannot be saved.
Millions attempt to earn their Salvation in many and varied ways other than accepting Christ. Or else they attempt to become saved by accepting Christ as well as adding other things to Christ.
The Scripture says: “FOR BY GRACE ARE YOU SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST” (Eph. 2:8–9).
That means the Church cannot save you, and neither can Water Baptism save you, or anything else for that matter, as important as those things may be in their own way. I have said this because millions think that they are saved by being baptized in water, or joining a Church, or performing good works, etc.
While those things may be important in their own right, they have absolutely nothing to do with one being saved. One is saved simply by trusting Jesus Christ, even as we have already said.
That means that one can be saved anywhere: in Church, on the street corner, watching a Christian Telecast, listening to a Christian Radio Program, or even reading this Booklet.
Where one is doesn’t matter. It is what one believes that really counts.
The moment that one confesses the Lord with one’s mouth, and believes in one’s heart, and does so truly, at that moment, and wherever you may be, you are saved. As we have stated several times, it is just that simple.
Incidently, when the Jailer asked Paul the question, “What must I do to be saved?”, he was actually at that time in the jail with Paul and Silas. Every evidence is that he at that moment, in that jail, believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and was instantly saved (Acts 16:27–34).
IT IS TIME NOW!
In fact, if you have not already given your heart and life to Jesus Christ, it is time that you do so, and actually it can be done this very moment.
I am going to ask you to read these words below, and actually say them out loud. As well, I am going to ask you to believe them with all of your heart, and if you will do so, you will be instantly saved. Please say them with me as you read:
“DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN, I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A LOST SINNER.”
“I AM ASKING YOU THAT YOU SAVE MY SOUL AND CLEANSE ME FROM ALL SIN.”
“I REALIZE IN MY HEART MY NEED OF SALVATION, WHICH CAN ONLY COME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.”
“I AM ACCEPTING CHRIST INTO MY HEART AND WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS IN ORDER TO PURCHASE MY REDEMPTION.”
“IN OBEDIENCE TO YOUR WORD, I CONFESS WITH MY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, AND BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.”
“YOU HAVE SAID IN YOUR WORD WHICH CANNOT LIE, ‘FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED’ (ROM. 10:13).”
“I HAVE CALLED UPON YOUR NAME EXACTLY AS YOU HAVE SAID, AND I BELIEVE THAT RIGHT NOW, I AM SAVED.”
If you have sincerely prayed these words, which I have written out for you, and believed in your heart upon the Lord Jesus Christ, you are at this moment saved, and your name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Congratulations!
~JSM
The Bible tells us that man’s purpose is to fear God and keep His Commandments! In fact, Scripture calls this “the whole duty of man.” Reading from the THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Having heard all that can be said in favor of trying to secure happiness in this life by the use of material agents, the conclusion is: It is impossible; the only happy life is one in fellowship with God and the Bible; such fellowship produces the ideal man; any other life is madness, because there is a day coming when every action, however hidden, will be brought into the unsparing light of the Throne of God and judged, unless cleansed and covered by the Blood [I Jn 1:7])” (Eccl. 12:13). God, having revealed Himself to man through His Commandments, explains that “the Commandments,” if kept, produce perfect moral character. “That the man of God may be perfect (refers to maturity), throughly furnished unto all good works (properly understands the Word, which then produces ‘good works,’ i.e., ‘Godly lives’)” (II Tim. 3:17).
HOLINESS
You see, it is not an action, duty, or function that the Lord wants from a Believer. It is Holiness! This is the “good work”He desires from man! If we seek this state, which is pleasing to God and brings Him glory, we are automatically fulfilling our purpose as Believers. Holiness testifies of a Holy God! Holiness is Godliness! If we are not living holy lives, we are not fulfilling God’s Purpose no matter how many religious functions we fulfill. You see, servanthood may be performed with or without the Lord. Therefore, servanthood in and of itself is not a definitive witness to the world. Holiness, on the other hand, demonstrates a miraculous change! It shows that a fallen sinner has been made a Saint. It shows that the curse has been reversed! Hallelujah! And this will inevitably point people to Calvary because they will ask themselves how this new and miraculous Life has come into a once sinful man!
RELATIONSHIP
We must grasp this concept as Believers that Scripture encourages us to “seek first the Kingdom of God” and His Righteousness (Lk. 12:31). The Believer is to pursue a relationship with God rather than function. A Believer’s function will occur naturally out of correct relationship with God, but correct relationship must come first! Notice, this immediately discounts any non-believer from fulfilling any true purpose of God since he is not yet in relationship with God. A call from God is revealed to an individual by the Holy Spirit at the Lord’s Will. If a person does not know the Spirit of God, he cannot know the Spirit’s desire for his life. Also no one, whether Saved or unsaved, can cause God to reveal anything through a program, method, or “forty days of purpose”! God does not answer man-made agendas, nor will He answer to man’s clock! God is sovereign over all. He speaks at His Own Will and in His Own Time.
THE HEART OF MAN
One does not find that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob emphasized “pursuit of purpose” to these Fathers of Faith, but, if we look closely, we can see that this pursuit is actually a very basic instinct within the natural heart of man. This is why we must never forget the warnings in Scripture regarding the heart. The Bible says the heart of man is evil and deceitfully wicked, so we must be cautious of anything that originates there! “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (God knows the hopeless corruption of the natural heart, and so He said to Nicodemus that no one, however cultured and moral, can either see or enter into the Kingdom of God. There must be a new birth)” (Jer. 17:9). Our own hearts will deceive us! It is their very nature to deceive us! Believer, you must trust the Truth of the Word before you trust yourself! You must use the “Sword of the Spirit” to guard against your own devious heart. We are also told in the Book of Romans the true state of man’s heart, even religious man: “As it is written (Ps.14:1-3), There is none righteous, no, not one (addresses the complaint of the Jews and clinches the argument with the Scriptures, which the Jews could not deny): There is none who understands (proclaims total depravity), there is none who seek after God (man left on his own will not seek God and, in fact, cannot seek God; he is spiritually dead). They are all gone out of the Way (speaks of the lost condition of all men; the ‘Way’ is God’s Way), they are together become unprofitable (refers to the terrible loss in every capacity of wayward man); there is none who does good, no, not one (the Greek Text says, ‘useless!’)” (Rom. 3:10-12). This is one reason why pursuing “purpose” is dangerous! It appeals to a prideful heart, it is self-focused.
RELIGIOUS PRIDE
Also, “purpose” can quickly become an obsession, which automatically becomes an idol, a false god in your life. Purpose can become more important than Christ, and this is precisely what we are seeing in the Church world today! People are bent toward finding purposes for their life rather than finding God’s Will for their life. Some feel that if they are serving a “good” purpose in the world, they are automatically serving God. This is not true. God’s Will and a “good” will are not the same thing! A person’s desire for purpose can even control him, sometimes to the point of forsaking loved ones or even his own health. See, someone searching for purpose inevitably discovers something that drives, hence, the idea of the “purpose-driven life.” It must be noted here that the True God of the Bible never forces anyone to obey Him. God gave man free will! “Purpose,” however, can be turned into a type of religious pride (somewhat like asceticism) where the person believes they are “dying to self” in order to fulfill a higher calling or mission from God. But, any function or purpose that is truly from the Lord will only begin within an individual who loves God enough to want to follow Him. No truly God-given Purpose will make you feel that your “sacrifice” is earning favor with God.
TROJAN HORSE
“Self-actualization,” which is the process of reaching one’s highest potential and purpose, has always been at the heart of paganism. It has actually been part of the very core of New Age theology and occult practices for thousands of years. This spirituality/god is said to unite the world while true “Christianity, doctrine, and theology” is said to divide us. The pagan community strives to develop the idea of “wholeness,” which is, in essence, the teaching that a person, both individually and corporately can be regenerated or “saved” through a more thorough and complete understanding of “self.” Alice Bailey (practicing occultist) says that this is “the process for gods and for men . . . it is the hidden mystery of mind and of its place in evolution.” In other words, this is specifically the false salvation process of the occult! Let’s see how the Apostle Paul addressed the people he met at Mars Hill in Athens: “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ Hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious (in this one sentence, he debunks all of their philosophies; they are guided by superstition, which is no way to live). For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions (has reference to their objects of worship), I found an Altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD (by addressing the situation in this way, he could not be accused of preaching a foreign god to them). Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you (refers to them acknowledging that maybe they did not have the last word on gods! actually, they did not have any word at all). God Who made the world and all things therein (presents God as the Creator), seeing that He is Lord of Heaven and Earth (proclaims Him not only as Creator, but the constant Manager of all that He has created as well), dwells not in Temples made with hands (He is bigger than that!); Neither is worshipped with men’s hands (the Second Commandment forbids the making of any graven image of God, or the worship of any type of statue, etc.), as though He needed anything (God needs nothing!), seeing He gives to all life, and breath, and all things (presents His Creation needing what He provides, which is provided by no other source); And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth (proclaims all having their origin in Adam), and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation (pertains to particular parts of the world, and those who occupy these areas; however, the statement, ‘one blood all nations of men,’ eliminates any type of racial superiority); That they should seek the Lord (presents the chief end of all God’s dealings with men [I Pet. 2:24; II Pet. 3:9; Jn. 3:15-20; Rev. 22:17]), if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him (Paul is appealing to the action of logic and common sense in trying to address these Pagans), though He be not far from every one of us: (speaks of the Creator being very close to His Creation)” (Acts 17:22-27). Indeed, ancient Gnosticism has infiltrated the Church,“purpose” being its “Trojan horse!” It has now permeated the modern church and masquerades as true Christianity.
SIN!
And through this infiltration, Christianity has been reduced to merely curing the world’s social problems. New Age proponents are able to teach believable distortions of the Bible to back up their philosophy as they give Biblical words and names (such as Jesus, spirit, Heaven, creation, Adam and Eve, etc.) radical new meanings. Because key words sound familiar, myths and mysticisms seem normal as well as exciting to Believers. Besides, who doesn’t want to help mankind? Who doesn’t want to cure the world of sickness and disease, to end poverty and war? Who doesn’t want to tackle the giants of this world and see them defeated? But this social gospel of “purpose” purports that man can do it without addressing the real problem, which is sin! So instead of focusing on the real problem, the Church has been deceived and led astray to work on its symptoms. We are actually completely avoiding the root cause! How can we solve any problems when the real reason for the problems is overlooked? Instead of preaching Jesus Christ and Him Crucified as the only Way this world can be healed, we are told to partner and work with all kinds of people. But, if these so-called “people of faith” are not believers in the Biblical Faith, how will there ever be any unity? The Cross is the only foundation that proper unity can be built upon, but our modern leaders are telling the Church, which was established by Jesus Christ, to partner with other religions of this world and their unchristian beliefs. We are told to partner with homosexuals, Allah, Joseph Smith, Buddha, Madeline O’Hara, atheists, Hindus, Roman Catholics, and other non-Christians. We are told to care more about our own teachings, writings, and reading, than about preaching Jesus Christ and Him Crucified! We are taught to care more about man’s temporal needs than his eternal soul which will live either forever in Heaven or forever in Hell! Church, our priorities are being completely scrambled right before our eyes!
MATERIAL HELP?
This modern false gospel is not demonstrating the Love of a shepherd whatsoever! Man will choose where he spends his eternity, and our mandate from God is to go into all the world and preach the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the only way mankind will realize they have such a crucial choice to make! Of course, this does not mean that we ignore human suffering. The Word of the Lord does say, “But whoso has this world’s goods (refers to the necessities of life), and sees his brother have need (it is seeing a Christian in need of the necessities of life over a long period), and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him (presents the individual who has the means to truly help, but refuses to do so), how dwells the Love of God in him? (His actions proclaim the fact that despite his profession, there is actually no love of God in him.)” (I Jn. 3:17). Jesus does lead us at times to provide material help to those in need, but this is not to be our focus. Did Jesus enter into Jerusalem or any other place to work with either the Roman government or the Jewish religious establishment to eradicate the city’s poverty, disease, and illiteracy? Did he go to Pilate and say, “Let’s work together to eliminate poverty?” No! Did He say to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Let’s join hands although we don’t agree on everything to defeat illiteracy?” Again, no! Although Jesus cared deeply for those who were suffering, He did not join hands with unbelievers. He said in Matthew 26:11: “For you have the poor always with you; but Me ye have not always.” What about the Apostles, did they enter into cities to work with pagans and unbelievers to care for the sick and educate the next generation? Of course not! They went, instead, to bring the greatest “help” afforded to any man, “the Gospel of Jesus Christ!”
“After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia (represented an area east of the Ephesus area): but the Spirit suffered them not (proclaims the door being closed to this area as well!).
“And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas (this area would be closed for the time being also).
“And a Vision appeared to Paul in the night (proclaims the Holy Spirit now telling the Apostle exactly where He wanted him to go); there stood a man of Macedonia (the northern part of modern Greece, from the Adriatic to the Hebrus River), and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us (thus, was ushered in the most momentous event in the history of the world, the going forth of Paul to take the Gospel to the nations of the West).
“And after he had seen the Vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia (by the use of the pronoun ‘we,’ we know that Luke, the writer of this Book of Acts, now joins Paul here at Troas), assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the Gospel unto them (they knew they now had the Mind of the Lord).
“Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis (this would be the very first presentation of the Gospel on European soil, which would have such a bearing on what is presently referred to as ‘Western Civilization’)” (Acts 16:7-11).
This was their message, and the spreading of their Message was God’s Purpose for their lives! The Message was their Good Work!
The Bible tells us that man’s purpose is to fear God and keep His Commandments! In fact, Scripture calls this “the whole duty of man.” Reading from the THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Having heard all that can be said in favor of trying to secure happiness in this life by the use of material agents, the conclusion is: It is impossible; the only happy life is one in fellowship with God and the Bible; such fellowship produces the ideal man; any other life is madness, because there is a day coming when every action, however hidden, will be brought into the unsparing light of the Throne of God and judged, unless cleansed and covered by the Blood [I Jn 1:7])” (Eccl. 12:13). God, having revealed Himself to man through His Commandments, explains that “the Commandments,” if kept, produce perfect moral character. “That the man of God may be perfect (refers to maturity), throughly furnished unto all good works (properly understands the Word, which then produces ‘good works,’ i.e., ‘Godly lives’)” (II Tim. 3:17).
HOLINESS
You see, it is not an action, duty, or function that the Lord wants from a Believer. It is Holiness! This is the “good work”He desires from man! If we seek this state, which is pleasing to God and brings Him glory, we are automatically fulfilling our purpose as Believers. Holiness testifies of a Holy God! Holiness is Godliness! If we are not living holy lives, we are not fulfilling God’s Purpose no matter how many religious functions we fulfill. You see, servanthood may be performed with or without the Lord. Therefore, servanthood in and of itself is not a definitive witness to the world. Holiness, on the other hand, demonstrates a miraculous change! It shows that a fallen sinner has been made a Saint. It shows that the curse has been reversed! Hallelujah! And this will inevitably point people to Calvary because they will ask themselves how this new and miraculous Life has come into a once sinful man!
RELATIONSHIP
We must grasp this concept as Believers that Scripture encourages us to “seek first the Kingdom of God” and His Righteousness (Lk. 12:31). The Believer is to pursue a relationship with God rather than function. A Believer’s function will occur naturally out of correct relationship with God, but correct relationship must come first! Notice, this immediately discounts any non-believer from fulfilling any true purpose of God since he is not yet in relationship with God. A call from God is revealed to an individual by the Holy Spirit at the Lord’s Will. If a person does not know the Spirit of God, he cannot know the Spirit’s desire for his life. Also no one, whether Saved or unsaved, can cause God to reveal anything through a program, method, or “forty days of purpose”! God does not answer man-made agendas, nor will He answer to man’s clock! God is sovereign over all. He speaks at His Own Will and in His Own Time.
THE HEART OF MAN
One does not find that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob emphasized “pursuit of purpose” to these Fathers of Faith, but, if we look closely, we can see that this pursuit is actually a very basic instinct within the natural heart of man. This is why we must never forget the warnings in Scripture regarding the heart. The Bible says the heart of man is evil and deceitfully wicked, so we must be cautious of anything that originates there! “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (God knows the hopeless corruption of the natural heart, and so He said to Nicodemus that no one, however cultured and moral, can either see or enter into the Kingdom of God. There must be a new birth)” (Jer. 17:9). Our own hearts will deceive us! It is their very nature to deceive us! Believer, you must trust the Truth of the Word before you trust yourself! You must use the “Sword of the Spirit” to guard against your own devious heart. We are also told in the Book of Romans the true state of man’s heart, even religious man: “As it is written (Ps.14:1-3), There is none righteous, no, not one (addresses the complaint of the Jews and clinches the argument with the Scriptures, which the Jews could not deny): There is none who understands (proclaims total depravity), there is none who seek after God (man left on his own will not seek God and, in fact, cannot seek God; he is spiritually dead). They are all gone out of the Way (speaks of the lost condition of all men; the ‘Way’ is God’s Way), they are together become unprofitable (refers to the terrible loss in every capacity of wayward man); there is none who does good, no, not one (the Greek Text says, ‘useless!’)” (Rom. 3:10-12). This is one reason why pursuing “purpose” is dangerous! It appeals to a prideful heart, it is self-focused.
RELIGIOUS PRIDE
Also, “purpose” can quickly become an obsession, which automatically becomes an idol, a false god in your life. Purpose can become more important than Christ, and this is precisely what we are seeing in the Church world today! People are bent toward finding purposes for their life rather than finding God’s Will for their life. Some feel that if they are serving a “good” purpose in the world, they are automatically serving God. This is not true. God’s Will and a “good” will are not the same thing! A person’s desire for purpose can even control him, sometimes to the point of forsaking loved ones or even his own health. See, someone searching for purpose inevitably discovers something that drives, hence, the idea of the “purpose-driven life.” It must be noted here that the True God of the Bible never forces anyone to obey Him. God gave man free will! “Purpose,” however, can be turned into a type of religious pride (somewhat like asceticism) where the person believes they are “dying to self” in order to fulfill a higher calling or mission from God. But, any function or purpose that is truly from the Lord will only begin within an individual who loves God enough to want to follow Him. No truly God-given Purpose will make you feel that your “sacrifice” is earning favor with God.
TROJAN HORSE
“Self-actualization,” which is the process of reaching one’s highest potential and purpose, has always been at the heart of paganism. It has actually been part of the very core of New Age theology and occult practices for thousands of years. This spirituality/god is said to unite the world while true “Christianity, doctrine, and theology” is said to divide us. The pagan community strives to develop the idea of “wholeness,” which is, in essence, the teaching that a person, both individually and corporately can be regenerated or “saved” through a more thorough and complete understanding of “self.” Alice Bailey (practicing occultist) says that this is “the process for gods and for men . . . it is the hidden mystery of mind and of its place in evolution.” In other words, this is specifically the false salvation process of the occult! Let’s see how the Apostle Paul addressed the people he met at Mars Hill in Athens: “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ Hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious (in this one sentence, he debunks all of their philosophies; they are guided by superstition, which is no way to live). For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions (has reference to their objects of worship), I found an Altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD (by addressing the situation in this way, he could not be accused of preaching a foreign god to them). Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you (refers to them acknowledging that maybe they did not have the last word on gods! actually, they did not have any word at all). God Who made the world and all things therein (presents God as the Creator), seeing that He is Lord of Heaven and Earth (proclaims Him not only as Creator, but the constant Manager of all that He has created as well), dwells not in Temples made with hands (He is bigger than that!); Neither is worshipped with men’s hands (the Second Commandment forbids the making of any graven image of God, or the worship of any type of statue, etc.), as though He needed anything (God needs nothing!), seeing He gives to all life, and breath, and all things (presents His Creation needing what He provides, which is provided by no other source); And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth (proclaims all having their origin in Adam), and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation (pertains to particular parts of the world, and those who occupy these areas; however, the statement, ‘one blood all nations of men,’ eliminates any type of racial superiority); That they should seek the Lord (presents the chief end of all God’s dealings with men [I Pet. 2:24; II Pet. 3:9; Jn. 3:15-20; Rev. 22:17]), if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him (Paul is appealing to the action of logic and common sense in trying to address these Pagans), though He be not far from every one of us: (speaks of the Creator being very close to His Creation)” (Acts 17:22-27). Indeed, ancient Gnosticism has infiltrated the Church,“purpose” being its “Trojan horse!” It has now permeated the modern church and masquerades as true Christianity.
SIN!
And through this infiltration, Christianity has been reduced to merely curing the world’s social problems. New Age proponents are able to teach believable distortions of the Bible to back up their philosophy as they give Biblical words and names (such as Jesus, spirit, Heaven, creation, Adam and Eve, etc.) radical new meanings. Because key words sound familiar, myths and mysticisms seem normal as well as exciting to Believers. Besides, who doesn’t want to help mankind? Who doesn’t want to cure the world of sickness and disease, to end poverty and war? Who doesn’t want to tackle the giants of this world and see them defeated? But this social gospel of “purpose” purports that man can do it without addressing the real problem, which is sin! So instead of focusing on the real problem, the Church has been deceived and led astray to work on its symptoms. We are actually completely avoiding the root cause! How can we solve any problems when the real reason for the problems is overlooked? Instead of preaching Jesus Christ and Him Crucified as the only Way this world can be healed, we are told to partner and work with all kinds of people. But, if these so-called “people of faith” are not believers in the Biblical Faith, how will there ever be any unity? The Cross is the only foundation that proper unity can be built upon, but our modern leaders are telling the Church, which was established by Jesus Christ, to partner with other religions of this world and their unchristian beliefs. We are told to partner with homosexuals, Allah, Joseph Smith, Buddha, Madeline O’Hara, atheists, Hindus, Roman Catholics, and other non-Christians. We are told to care more about our own teachings, writings, and reading, than about preaching Jesus Christ and Him Crucified! We are taught to care more about man’s temporal needs than his eternal soul which will live either forever in Heaven or forever in Hell! Church, our priorities are being completely scrambled right before our eyes!
MATERIAL HELP?
This modern false gospel is not demonstrating the Love of a shepherd whatsoever! Man will choose where he spends his eternity, and our mandate from God is to go into all the world and preach the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the only way mankind will realize they have such a crucial choice to make! Of course, this does not mean that we ignore human suffering. The Word of the Lord does say, “But whoso has this world’s goods (refers to the necessities of life), and sees his brother have need (it is seeing a Christian in need of the necessities of life over a long period), and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him (presents the individual who has the means to truly help, but refuses to do so), how dwells the Love of God in him? (His actions proclaim the fact that despite his profession, there is actually no love of God in him.)” (I Jn. 3:17). Jesus does lead us at times to provide material help to those in need, but this is not to be our focus. Did Jesus enter into Jerusalem or any other place to work with either the Roman government or the Jewish religious establishment to eradicate the city’s poverty, disease, and illiteracy? Did he go to Pilate and say, “Let’s work together to eliminate poverty?” No! Did He say to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Let’s join hands although we don’t agree on everything to defeat illiteracy?” Again, no! Although Jesus cared deeply for those who were suffering, He did not join hands with unbelievers. He said in Matthew 26:11: “For you have the poor always with you; but Me ye have not always.” What about the Apostles, did they enter into cities to work with pagans and unbelievers to care for the sick and educate the next generation? Of course not! They went, instead, to bring the greatest “help” afforded to any man, “the Gospel of Jesus Christ!”
“After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia (represented an area east of the Ephesus area): but the Spirit suffered them not (proclaims the door being closed to this area as well!).
“And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas (this area would be closed for the time being also).
“And a Vision appeared to Paul in the night (proclaims the Holy Spirit now telling the Apostle exactly where He wanted him to go); there stood a man of Macedonia (the northern part of modern Greece, from the Adriatic to the Hebrus River), and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us (thus, was ushered in the most momentous event in the history of the world, the going forth of Paul to take the Gospel to the nations of the West).
“And after he had seen the Vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia (by the use of the pronoun ‘we,’ we know that Luke, the writer of this Book of Acts, now joins Paul here at Troas), assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the Gospel unto them (they knew they now had the Mind of the Lord).
“Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis (this would be the very first presentation of the Gospel on European soil, which would have such a bearing on what is presently referred to as ‘Western Civilization’)” (Acts 16:7-11).
This was their message, and the spreading of their Message was God’s Purpose for their lives! The Message was their Good Work!
~JSM
Romans 1:18-19
(18) “FOR THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MEN, WHO HOLD THE TRUTH IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.”
The phrase, “For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,” tells us several things:
1. As the Righteousness of God is revealed to those who have Faith in Christ, likewise, “The Wrath of God” is revealed against those who reject that Righteousness.
2. The “Wrath” or anger of God is here revealed, along with the purpose of the Revelation.
It is absolutely imperative that God hate evil, because if He did not do so, He could not love good. If there is to be one (to love good) of necessity, there must be two (to also hate evil). In other words, God must do both or neither.
The Greek word for “Wrath” is “Orge.” It is used of Jesus when, after healing the man with the withered hand, He observed the hardness of heart of the Pharisees, and looked upon them with anger (Mk. 3:5). “Orge” is an anger “Which Righteous men not merely may, but as they are Righteous, must feel; nor can there be a surer and sadder token of an utterly prostrate moral condition than the not being able to be angry with sin—and sinners.”
Vincent describes “Orge” as God’s personal emotion with regard to sin. It represents God’s abhorrence and hatred of sin.
3. These Passages tell us that inasmuch as God has revealed His Righteousness from Heaven to sinful men, if that Light is rejected, as it mostly is, the Wrath of God automatically follows. In fact, Paul said, “And the times of this ignorance (the world before Jesus came) God winked at; but now Commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30).
This tells us that the Judgment of God is even more severe now than it was in Old Testament times, which is the opposite of what most people believe. However, it should not be difficult to understand.
To where little Light of the Gospel was given, the Lord did not step in until there was absolutely no other choice. I speak of the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the proposed extermination of certain Tribes, the threat and ultimate destruction of Nineveh, plus others. As should be obvious, there was some Light before Christ, but it was ensconced almost altogether in Israel, who at times hindered its illumination.
Since Jesus came and died on Calvary, thereby paying the sin debt, and rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit now has much more access to the world and to men in general, thereby, providing much greater opportunity for acceptance of the Lord. In other words, considering the proliferation of the Gospel, ignorance is no longer an excuse.
I think the record will show, that inclement weather, wars, famines, disease, and pestilence is the judgment of God against “ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”
A man asked me once if I believed that AIDS was a judgment from God?
My answer is an unequivocal “Yes!”
I realize that many would say, and rightly so, that all sickness and disease originate with Satan. However, even though that is correct, the Lord is still in control of everything. In other words, Satan can only do what the Lord allows him to do (Job Chpt. 1). To not understand that, is to deny the Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God!
The phrase, “Who hold the Truth in unrighteousness,” does not represent here the Gospel, but the fact of a Supreme Being with Divine Attributes to Whom worship and obedience are due.
This “Truth” being seen by all men through their observation of the created Universe, thus demands a Creator to answer for its existence.
The human race, possessing this Truth which is overly obvious, yet holds it down in the sense of refusing to acknowledge its moral implications, continues on in its sin, despite the proliferation of “Light.”
The primary thrust of this particular Passage deals with evolution, which without a doubt has to be the biggest farce ever perpetrated upon gullible humanity. The promoters of this drivel, and drivel it is, claim to be scientific, which has no place for Faith, etc. The Truth is, it takes much more Faith to believe in evolution than it does the Biblical account of Creation.
The purveyors of this lie claim that all the evidence is available, with the exception of the “missing link.” The Truth is, the whole chain is missing.
It is amazing that educators will teach this fabrication, especially considering that there is not one single specimen of evolution in the world. The simple fact is, were the teaching of evolution correct, there would be hundreds of millions of beings who are half ape and half man, or any such combinations. The answer that it takes billions of years to produce such, is no answer at all.
Once again, the simple fact is, if through these millions or billions of years evolution has produced the human family from apes, if we now have the finished product, or even a stage toward the finished product, there would also be other stages in between. Of necessity, that is a must, that is if there is any truth to evolution!
However, in this of which the Holy Spirit says through Paul, the “Holding of the Truth in unrighteousness,” not only applies to evolution, but as well to psychology. It too is an insult to God.
As evolution denies the Creator, psychology denies the Saviour. It claims it holds the answer for the sin and aberrations of humanity. In other words, man can save or rehabilitate himself.
As I have stated many times, and will continue to do so, if man is able to do that, then Jesus wasted His time coming down to this sinful world. He should have read a few of the books written by modern Psychologists and saved Himself the trouble.
No! As evolution is a lie pure and simple, psychology (psychoanalysis) falls into the same category.
It is ironical that two of the standards of atheistic Communism are “evolution and psychology.”
And yet the modern Church, even the Pentecostal variety, has accepted and bought into this lie pretty much totally.
(19) “BECAUSE THAT WHICH MAY BE KNOWN OF GOD IS MANIFEST IN THEM; FOR GOD HATH SHEWED IT UNTO THEM.”
The phrase, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them,” simply means it can be known if so desired. It speaks of the universal objective knowledge of God as the Creator, which is, more or less, in all men.
The phrase, “For God hath shewed it unto them,” means that in Creation is His Signature.
As we have stated, the Gospel reveals a Righteousness from God on the principle of Faith, as opposed to merit. Those who reject this Righteousness are justly exposed to the Wrath of God not only because they are without Righteousness, but because they are wholly unrighteous and corrupt and desire to remain that way. As well, all humanity is declared here to be sunken in this corruption.
The heathen world then as now, debased the gift of reason, degraded God to “a creeping thing,” and conduct being determined by creed, they gave themselves to vile affections.
Twenty-four of these are particularized, to which we will address ourselves momentarily, all of them together proving fallen human nature to be sunken into an appalling abyss of moral putridity.
This true picture of sinful man is fiercely denied by modern thinkers, as energized by the evil author of ancient and modern thought.
The Greeks and Romans who were the Disciples of Philosophy, condemned the heathen. One of the greatest of the Greek Philosophers was Socrates, and one of the most celebrated of the Romans was the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. But these cultured Nations disobeyed, degraded, and corrupted the wisdom which they had, for while applauding virtue they practiced vice, and taught that man being impotent to do what was right was not to be condemned if he practiced what was wrong.
To the Hebrew people was granted by Divine Election the most precious of all gifts—Revelation. Since man is a creature it was reasonable that his Creator should have made a Revelation of Himself to him. But just as the Rationalists and the Philosophers degraded the Light given to them, so Israel corrupted the Law, and became proud and self-righteous.
Thus, all men are by voluntary action subject to the Wrath of God; and the Holy Spirit places this terrible Truth in the forefront of the Gospel in order that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith might be based upon the fact of universal guilt and condemnation, and so open wide the door of boundless Salvation.
For the Gospel can only be truly preached, or embraced, as being the Good News of Life and Pardon to all who are lost beyond recovery and know it.
So the first Foundation Doctrine of the Gospel which the Apostle preached (vs. 15) announced the Wrath of God (vs. 18). This dogma angers self-righteous man (Williams).
~JSM