How Salvation Happens

 I think many of the disagreements we have over theology comes down to a failure to understand the basics. Today, I want to take another opportunity to cover the basics, and I want to use Act chapter 2. Peter is preaching on the Day of Pentecost. Peter was speaking to a Jewish audience who understood sin. They understood the law because they were required to keep the Old Testament Covenant, so they understood they needed redeemed. Peter tells them that Jesus is the new sacrifie and takes away sins, and they understood that, but we will talk more about that in a little bit.

The gospel, being preached and heard was the mechanism the Holy Spirit used to convict the people, and Acts says they were cut to the heart. This is the moment of conviction, where they were illuminated for their need for salvation through Christ. They reply to the calling of the Holy Spirit and are saved. They recieve faith from hearing, as Paul writes in Romans 9, and they respond in the faith to the grace that is being given them.

When we are saved, this process is what happens. Sitting in a church service, a revival service, a Bible Study, we hear the message of faith and it cuts us to the heart. It isn't a situation where we think about it, or weigh the pros and cons. It's not rational, it is a supernatural work of God that happens in our hearts. As a result, we respond in faith. We are like a starving man who is given food, that man eats without thought or consequence, thankful for the opportunity to meet the deepest need.

Now, as modern individuals, we are not part of the Jewis law, so often we need to be told about sin. We need to be told that we have broken God's law and as a result, we are headed for eternal seperation from God. As a general rule, people don't believe they are bad. Everyone knows they mess up from time to time, but generally people think they are good and will go to heaven on their merit. Most people need to be told that the standard to enter heaven on personal merit is perfection, because sin and disobeying God's commands in treason againt God. We need to be told that bad news, that we deserve Hell, but the good news, the Gospel is that Jesus died and paid the price for our sin. We are go to Heaven, not on our merit, but on His. He paid the price is we give our lives to Him and make Him Lord and Savior of our lives. We then are adopted into the family of God, and recieve part of the inheritane of Christ.

Salvation happens when the Holy Spirit awakens a person to the message of unlimited grace. When we understand, when our eyes are open. Apart from the work and power of the Holy Spirit, no one is saved. Salvation is a work of God, the part that we contribute is insignificant. It is the same as the starving man, we did not choose the food, we did not gain the food, we didn't even ask for the food, we were given the food and began to eat out of desperation. Salvation is the begger getting bread.

Now, man has some responsibilities in salvation. First, those of us who are saved are to tell others. The Holy Spirit works through hearing the message, and so as beggers who found bread, we tell others where the bread is. We are to preach, teach, and tell. Those who are lost need to be in the place to hear. They need to be available to be told. Unfortunatly, some people will never truely hear. They may hear the message, but it never cut to the heart, the Holy Spirit never illuminates them, they are never able to accept the food. They cannot see or smell or taste what is offered. That is not a failure of the messanger, or a failure of the meal, just the inability to take and eat.

Remember, we dont' argue people to Jesus. We dont' beg or guilt people. We present the truth, and the Holy Spirit does the work. We pray for all people, we tell people, we know God does the work, and we hope that everyone will be saved. That is how salvation happens.

Unapologetic Apologetics

It is pretty clear that social media has changed society, and in most cases, not for the better. Today, people are very easily offended, and as a result, Christians have begun to apologize for their opinions. In a pluralistic society, there have been many topics where Christians have been silent, giving ground. It is not politically correct to say that Jesus is the exclusive and only way for a person to go to Heaven. We have stepped away from declaring the gospel as exclusive.

There are many voices on social media about theology, and many individuals want Christians to compromise, giving in to things held as fundamental doctrine. The Trinity is a prime example; there are many who say that we shouldn't promote the Trinity, yet the Trinity is a core doctrine in the orthodox Christian church. I have no problem saying that those who reject the doctrine of the Trinity, of one God in three distinct persons, are wrong. Modelists are wrong, those who reject the personhood of the Holy Spirit of the divine nature of Jesus are wrong. I will stand on what I believe, and I am unapologetic that this is orthodox faith, it is established in the scripture, and is accepted by the church fathers and the church for the last 2,000 years.

In many places, modern ideology has moved into a place where it has "discovered" new things about scripture. This is primarily the desire to change the truth of scripture to accommodate the passions and desires of modern America. As a Christian, I have no problem standing on truth, on saying that an exegesis of scripture establishes what things in the New Testament were part of ritual and customs unique to the Jews, which are binding to Christians today, and what the purpose of every law and commandment was. It is not enough to just decide what we like and what we don't, but to understand what commandment was given to the people and discern which were to keep us safe, make us holy, or were simply to avoid the pagan practices of the day.

The Bible is not random, and the laws and commandments have purpose. The nature of attributes of God that we are capable of understanding with our human level of thought is clearly seen in scripture. God reveals Himself, the nature of salvation, the plan for humanity, and the rules for holy and prosperous living. When we abandon those things because we think we know more than God, we are wrong. As a Christian, if someone teaches or believes falsehood, then I have no problem saying they are wrong. I hope they will do the same, and we can discuss where we disagree and come to an understanding. That is the way we grow, the apologetical nature that exists today is not a benifit to anyone!

The Power of Sin- The Unassuming Monster

 Sin is one of those words that has great meaning to some, and little to no meaning to others. To the believer, sin is that struggle of our flesh, the waiting death and corruption. It destroys our lives, relationships, peace, and joy. Sin is the enemy we struggle with every day. Sin is talked about throughout the New Testament, and we know verses about the cost of sin, the slavery to sin, and the destructive power of sin.

To a non-believer, sin is just a word. It may represent things you shouldn't do, but there is no real desire to avoid sin. For those who do not know Jesus as Savior, sin isn't a big deal and not worth even discussion. Everyone knows they do it, but not everyone really cares. The unregenerate person does not struggle to avoid or flee from sin. It is a distinct difference.

Sin is seen as a danger or not a big deal, but much of our culture really understands the power of sin. Sin holds those who are unbelievers in bondage. They are slaves to sin; they have no way to even combat the sin that holds them captive. Sin is more than just doing bad things, it becomes a lifestyle and a mindset. It becomes so ingrained that sin becomes a way of life. People are selfish, self-focused, and self-centered in the core of their being. Sin isn't something that they just do, but it really takes root as the core of the person. They are slaves, driven by the power, the longing, and the desire to sin. It sits like blinders on their eyes, unaware of their sin, unaware of the distance between them and God. They are blinded to His Holiness and Goodness, and they do not recognize their need for salvation. Sin has the power of control, the Holy Spirit is the only way to break free from sin.

In the lives of the believer, sin can become an addiction. It is not as controlling as it is in the life of the unsaved person, but it can become a trap or snare. A Christian can find themselves in sin and unable to find a way get free. They lose part of themselves as the sin separates them from God. It destroys life and peace and hope. A Christian who is mired in sin will slowly sink into its darkness.

There is hope for everyone. For the lost, the hope of faith in Jesus Christ. His death covers the sins of those who are in Christ. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, the penalty of sin is paid. A saved person can become right with God through the grace and forgiveness of Christ. For the Christian, the Holy Spirit, the power of God, the Bible, and the Church are the tools a Christian can use to pull themselves out of the depths of sin. The only hope any of us have is to repent, to turn from the sin in our lives and fully trust ourselves to Christ. That is where we find the abundant life that He promised to us all.

A New Way to Respond on Social Media

 I was convicted today as I was looking at social media. There was a post and it said something about sharing the gospel instead of attacking people we don't agree with online. I don't post hateful stuff, but I will argue with people online from time to time. I shouldn't. If someone posts something I don't agree with, I often attempt to correct them. It never works. This makes sense because it doesn't work for them when they attempt to correct me, either. I am not about to abandon my values, ideals, and principles because of the opinion of someone on social media.

This got me thinking about my reason for engaging. Why do I post things to engage with these individuals? Is my goal to change their mind? It won't happen. The people who agree with me will continue to agree with me, and the people who don't agree will continue to disagree. It just perpetuates tribalism and division. Nothing is solved. I can point out all the great things that my side does or says or believes, and all the evil things the other side says, does, or believes. No one will be convicted and convinced.

I believe that my arguments don't hold any power, but I believe the gospel does have power. I believe the Holy Spirit works through words and sharing. I believe in the power of the gospel. There is an obvious disconnect between what I do and what I believe. I don't believe my words have the power to convince someone to change their ways, but I believe in the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. If I am going to live what I believe, I should be sharing Christ more and arguing less.

I am challenged and convicted. I hope you will join me in fighting less and sharing Christ more.

Today We Remember What People Really Are

 I think most of us what to look for the good in people. We know that people are created in the image of God and therefore have a capacity for good. The capacity for good. That is different from people being good, because no one is good. Jesus said, "No one is good except God," in Mark 10:18. Humans are not good by nature. Take a toddler, they are naturally selfish. You don't teach that, you have to teach them to share. You teach them to be kind, you don't have to teach them to hit or bite or throw things.

As you get older, you learn patience, you learn to control your tongue, you learn to help others. It isn't natural. The natural person is not kind. The best place to learn to be good is from God, because God is good and only God is good. What happens in a society where God is removed? What happens when we as a group of people decide we don't believe, we don't have to listen to or believe or follow or trust? What happens when the Bible is discarded and faith is abandoned? People will not be better. People will not be happier or kinder or more supportive. People will love those who love them and hate everyone else. People will become slanderers, killers, thieves. People will abandon truth and embrace fantasy.

Does it sound familiar? It should. That is where this country is. Without revival, I am afraid we are doomed.

How Program Like SNAP Have Impacted the Church

 During the 1st century, Christians were persecuted by Rome, yet Christians still performed ministry, helping people at personal risk. This self sacrifice causes the church to grow rapidly, as people saw the love of God pouring out from His people. This continued to be the norm for the people of God, serving the poor, the orphan, the widow, the down and out. In modern times, we still get some of that, where I live there is a Gospel Mission doing this kind of work. Many churches have food pantries and clothing donations, and there are ministries going overseas. In the United States, the church is still standing in the gap; however, that role is very marginalized because of social programs. The government has stepped in and taken the role of the church, and many Christians defend this. This is a problem.

The problem is that the government is secular, and when people receive assistance from a secular government, they tend to be more secular themselves. The church has given away it's role, and stopped being the hands and feet of Jesus. As a result, the church has turned very inward and become very selfish. Now when churches talk about sacrificial giving, it is so they can buy land, build a building, buy a van, do others things to support and grow the church, very seldom is it to help the poor. The government does that.

Here is simple reality. The church has given the role of ministry to the federal government in the form of welfare, and the church has become largely irrelevant to the society at large. The government needs to step back and limit what it does, as the church needs to step up and take seriously the responsibility left by Jesus. If things continue, more people will worship at the feet of government and not at the feet of Jesus.

The Angry Atheist

 Have you ever met an angry atheist? You probably have, I have met more than my fair share. They don't like the Christian faith, they don't like Christian teachings, they don't like the church, the Bible, or people telling them that God loves them. They attempt to disrupt or belittle, they tells Christians they are waisting their lives, they refer to God in terms like "Sky Daddy" and they are generally unpleasant if you are a Christian.

Here are a few things that most militant atheists will not tell you and will never admit to. First, they are not really atheists. No one gets that angry over something they believe is false. I have never gone out of my way to attempt to humiliate a flat-earth believer. I don't believe in ghosts, but I don't attack people who do. I am not a big believer in most alien theories, but I never go out of my way to call individuals who believe these things rude names.

Militant Atheists are mad, and usually they are mad at God. Something in their lives went wrong, and they blame God. You can't really hurt God, so the next best thing is to attack individuals who believe in God, and try to get them to lose their faith. Now, many of them are convinced they don't believe in God, but you can't be angry at someone who doesn't exist. They can use the "it's not God that hurt me, it's Christians," but why focus on just the Christians who hurt you, when people from every faith, creed, culture, and ethnicity hurt people all the time? It doesn't make logical sense.

Now you can't tell them any of this, they are already angry. They are not going to listen to you, they have hard hearts. Remember, the religious leaders saw Jesus do miracles, and they still crucified Him. These people have the same spirit. You can pray for them, you can love them, you can serve them, but you cannot change their hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Simply care about them, don't argue with them, do not belittle them, and pray that God softens their heart. That is really all you can do.