Assurance of Salvation
BCD: Assurance of Salvation
Posted by: "Steve Amato" steveamato@comcast.net bcbsr2000
Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:16 pm (PST)
Assurance of SalvationThough a person is either saved or not saved (i.e.
"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have life." 1John 5:12), yet the Bible indicates that the feeling of
assurance associated with one's salvation is to be relative to the
degree to which they behave as a child of God should. This explains the
many verses which appear to question the salvation status of alleged
Christians. For example when Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians
concerning their deviant behavior, he exhorted them saying in 2Cor 13:5,
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you— unless,
of course, you fail the test?", which was intended to instill fear and
doubt as to their salvation status. Likewise in Heb 3:14 we read the
conditional statement "We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly
till the end the confidence we had at first.", which similar to Paul's
statement to the Corinthians, "I declare to you the gospel which I
preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by
which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to
you——unless you believed in vain." 1Cor 15:1,2 Thus John wrote of
those who fell away, "They went out from us, but they did not really
belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained
with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." 1John
2:19 In fact theme of the letter of 1John is How to Identify Those Born
of God, study guides of which are available at
http://www.bcbsr.com/books/1jn.html
Though once saved always saved, the Bible at times calls into question
whether the "once saved" ever even occurred. Thus various verses were
meant to instill fear within Christians for the purpose of causing us to
question one's salvation status. So "If we deliberately keep on sinning
after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins
is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire
that will consume the enemies of God." Hebrews 10:26-27 And "The acts
of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of
rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live
like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal 5:19-21
All such verses are based upon the idea that given that a Christian's
lifestyle is reflective of their faith and the effect of regeneration
(being born of God), one should be able to discern their salvation
status by their lifestyle. Problem is that "lifestyle" is a rather vague
concept which does not have clear boundaries. And as such, except in
more extreme cases there will always be some doubt. The doubt is not
with regards to the gospel, but with regards to the quality of one's own
belief, a faith which would qualify one for salvation. And secondly
"lifestyle" is not something that can be measured in a punctilinear
sense, that is, like snapshots, but rather like a movie - continuously
over a period of time. Thus Jesus spoke of his parable of the weeds in
Matthew 13 not to pull out the weeds while they are young for one may
mistake a young wheat plant for a weed. But when they had time to mature
the differences become obvious.
Thus for example when Paul first left the Thessalonian Christians after
having been with them a few months, he doubted their salvation status.
And so sent Timothy back to them to check on them. Paul wrote, "when I
could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was
afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our
efforts might have been useless." 1Th 3:5 But having heard back from
Timothy he wrote, "we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen
you." 1Th 1:4 He then spend the rest of chapter 1 listing the
observational evidence, based upon their behavior, that they were
genuinely of the faith.
One application of these concepts is to not give young "alleged"
Christians absolute assurance of their salvation status. In fact they
should be exhorted to examine themselves as to whether their faith is
genuine. In the parable of the sower Jesus taught, "Those on the rock
are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy but these have
no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation."
Lk 8:13 This had been Paul's concern for the Thessalonians.
Another application concerns alleged Christians who fall away into
living a lifestyle of sin. Paul warns the Corintians, "Do you not know
that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
1Cor 6:9,10 The Bible is clear that those living a lifestyle of sin are
not to be presumed to be saved, regardless of how confident they feel
they are saved or how confident other people feel that they had been
saved at some point. Though again I mention that the concept of
"lifestyle" does not have clear boundaries, but it does become clearer
the further one is living from the boundary.
The Boston Christian Bible Study Resources
Posted by: "Steve Amato" steveamato@comcast.net bcbsr2000
Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:16 pm (PST)
Assurance of SalvationThough a person is either saved or not saved (i.e.
"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have life." 1John 5:12), yet the Bible indicates that the feeling of
assurance associated with one's salvation is to be relative to the
degree to which they behave as a child of God should. This explains the
many verses which appear to question the salvation status of alleged
Christians. For example when Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians
concerning their deviant behavior, he exhorted them saying in 2Cor 13:5,
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you— unless,
of course, you fail the test?", which was intended to instill fear and
doubt as to their salvation status. Likewise in Heb 3:14 we read the
conditional statement "We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly
till the end the confidence we had at first.", which similar to Paul's
statement to the Corinthians, "I declare to you the gospel which I
preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by
which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to
you——unless you believed in vain." 1Cor 15:1,2 Thus John wrote of
those who fell away, "They went out from us, but they did not really
belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained
with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." 1John
2:19 In fact theme of the letter of 1John is How to Identify Those Born
of God, study guides of which are available at
http://www.bcbsr.com/books/1jn.html
Though once saved always saved, the Bible at times calls into question
whether the "once saved" ever even occurred. Thus various verses were
meant to instill fear within Christians for the purpose of causing us to
question one's salvation status. So "If we deliberately keep on sinning
after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins
is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire
that will consume the enemies of God." Hebrews 10:26-27 And "The acts
of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of
rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live
like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal 5:19-21
All such verses are based upon the idea that given that a Christian's
lifestyle is reflective of their faith and the effect of regeneration
(being born of God), one should be able to discern their salvation
status by their lifestyle. Problem is that "lifestyle" is a rather vague
concept which does not have clear boundaries. And as such, except in
more extreme cases there will always be some doubt. The doubt is not
with regards to the gospel, but with regards to the quality of one's own
belief, a faith which would qualify one for salvation. And secondly
"lifestyle" is not something that can be measured in a punctilinear
sense, that is, like snapshots, but rather like a movie - continuously
over a period of time. Thus Jesus spoke of his parable of the weeds in
Matthew 13 not to pull out the weeds while they are young for one may
mistake a young wheat plant for a weed. But when they had time to mature
the differences become obvious.
Thus for example when Paul first left the Thessalonian Christians after
having been with them a few months, he doubted their salvation status.
And so sent Timothy back to them to check on them. Paul wrote, "when I
could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was
afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our
efforts might have been useless." 1Th 3:5 But having heard back from
Timothy he wrote, "we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen
you." 1Th 1:4 He then spend the rest of chapter 1 listing the
observational evidence, based upon their behavior, that they were
genuinely of the faith.
One application of these concepts is to not give young "alleged"
Christians absolute assurance of their salvation status. In fact they
should be exhorted to examine themselves as to whether their faith is
genuine. In the parable of the sower Jesus taught, "Those on the rock
are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy but these have
no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation."
Lk 8:13 This had been Paul's concern for the Thessalonians.
Another application concerns alleged Christians who fall away into
living a lifestyle of sin. Paul warns the Corintians, "Do you not know
that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
1Cor 6:9,10 The Bible is clear that those living a lifestyle of sin are
not to be presumed to be saved, regardless of how confident they feel
they are saved or how confident other people feel that they had been
saved at some point. Though again I mention that the concept of
"lifestyle" does not have clear boundaries, but it does become clearer
the further one is living from the boundary.
The Boston Christian Bible Study Resources
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Art Fontaine on -
Well that Hebrews verse 10:26-27 is in direct relation to the Jews. That if you know you are saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone and then try to obtain righteousness by adhering to the Law then you will be condemned. As for the sexual imorality it is interesting that in another verse Paul said he can do whatever he wants without consequence to his salvation but with earthly consequence of sin mastering or controlling him. I thought you were saying salvation is permanent, which it is, however it can be argued as to when you are actually sealed in the spirit but after you are sealed you couldn't go to hell if you wanted to....but the point is why would you want to. This thread is going to just be one huge argument since we just went through all this not too long ago. Look through the past threads and that will save a lot of regurgetated nonsense and confusion. If you accept Jesus you will be in heaven! Remember Gods gifts and his call are irrevocable/ or without repentance (Romans 11:15?) Salvation is a free gift.
-
Permalink Reply by Robert D. Klimek on -
BDC: God's Holiness
Posted by: "Steve Amato" steveamato@comcast.net bcbsr2000
Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:21 pm (PST)
God's HolinessWhen faced with the presence of God, the most common
reaction is to his outstanding characteristic of holiness. In Isaiah 6
the seraphim cry out in His presence, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of
hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" So Isaiah says: "Woe is
me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts." The presence of God brings conviction of sin
because of His holiness, which is often underestimated.
God's holiness is that character trait by which he is reckoned separate,
especially in regards to that which is evil or untruthful. He is spoken
of as "dwelling in unapproachable light" 1Tim 6:16 God's holiness
expresses His intolerance of the presence of that which is sinful. And
thus to be in a right relationship with Him the issue of sin must be
dealt with.
Why is God invisible? Why is he spoken of as being in heaven? Because he
is holy. God also expresses his holiness in the Law. For God had Moses
build the ark of the covenant to represent his presence on earth and
place it in the tabernacle which he also instructed Moses to build. It
was placed in a special room in the tabernacle - the Most Holy Place,
which had a curtain in front of it. The high priest could only enter the
Most Holy Place once a year, and not without blood being offered. Those
who tried to approach God casually were killed. (1Sam 6:19) So also he
expresses his holiness through the Law in all the restrictions he places
on his chosen people as to what they were to eat, wear, and practically
every other area of life. In particular his restrictions concerning
keeping the Sabbath day holy reflected his extreme holiness. For he
commanded death to any of the people of Israel who even so much as
picked up sticks on the Sabbath.
God is holy and demands he be approached only on his terms.
The Boston Christian Bible Study Resources Delete Comment
-
Permalink Reply by Robert D. Klimek on
-
BCD: Fundamental Activity - Prayer - Part 1
Posted by: "Steve Amato" steveamato@comcast.net bcbsr2000
Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:35 pm (PST)
2. PRAYERActs 2:42 "They devoted themselves to the apostles'
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
As prayer is one of the most fundamental activities of the Christian,
the Bible speaks a great deal on the subject. This will only be a brief
overview. What is prayer?Prayer is communicating with God. As such,
even given this simple definition, Christian prayer may differ from the
idea of "prayer" found in other religions. For example as prayer
involves communication, it is not like that of Hindus who chant a mantra
or those who vainly repeat words or phrases in hope that they will be
heard for their many words. Jesus said, "when you pray, do not keep on
babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their
many words." Matt 6:7 Treating God like a divine vending machine in
which you just push the right buttons to get what you want is
disrespectful. God is our Father, and so as you should speak to your
father, in this way God should be spoken to.
Perhaps best to learn of prayer by those who prayed. The entire chapter
17 of John gives us an example of Jesus praying. So also we have many
examples of prayer throughout the Bible. What is the basic content of
prayer?One might categorize prayer according to the acronymn ACTS
Adoration - acknowledging the attributes of God
Confession - acknowledging sin
Thanksgiving - thanking God
Supplication - asking God for things
But I think also a very significant category of Supplication should be
mentioned - namely:
Intercession - asking God on behalf of others
Praying on behalf of others is the most common form of supplication in
the Bible.
A number of these categories of prayer can be found in the "Our Father"
of Matthew 6:9-15 (See also
http://www.bcbsr. com/topics/ pray_ourfather. html
for more analysis of
that section)
The Boston Christian Bible Study Resources
-
Permalink Reply by Jeff H on
-
Hello all,
Pease note the verse says "Examine Yourself" not examine others. Everyone has enough baggage in their own suitcase without having to check the contents of anybody elses.
Scripture teaches one must be "Born Again". Nicodemas asks the question can one be "unborn" and is told no, He then is told there is another birth that is necessary to enter the Kingdom of God, and that one of the Spirit.
Once Born the second time, by the Spirit, we can ask the same question again... Can one be "unborn". The answer still has to be no.
Thus the issue becomes; were they ever be born into the Kingdom of God the first time?
I have found under closer inspection that most of the others have been references to rewards.
Grace to you all in Christ,
Jeff
-
Permalink Reply by Art Fontaine on
-
Rob, can you participate in the conversation yourself without the propaganda pasting? Jeff is right. When you are saved it is forever. Look up the Greek for the verse that says we are sealed in the Spirit. The word they chose for sealed is significant because it is the type of seal placed on an edict by a King that can never be undone or removed, even by the one who placed it. They had other word they could have used for sealed but the message is clear in the Greek. Even God cannot remove your salvation for any reason.
Jeff made a good point about the question of when we are saved. Many go to church but never accepted Christ. Look at the Roman Catholic Church. It isn't teaching the salvation message nationwide, only in the select few good ones. (very few and far between) Legalism may cause condemnation though, there is a lot to factor into the equation, However Paul was specific when he said he could sin all he wanted without eternal consequence but he did point out that sin will enslave you so it is bad and should be avoided. Once you start to know God I really couldn't imagine someone deliberately trying to sin. I get so convicted I always repent within minutes. God has the loudest voice in the world....yet so many ignore him and teach salvation as a package you earn and get for free? Free is free! Romans 10:9-10 says if you believe in your heart and confess with you mouth you are saved (no list of other stuff too) Same thing with John 3:16 that ALL who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Yes I agree that Christians should produce good works as a byproduct of their faith, however it has no effect on their salvation. The Bible leads us to believe that if you believe there is rules involved then you better live up to them or you will be condemned because you rejected what Christ really did. Same thing with purgatory. It may exist only for those stupid enough to believe in it....especially since it took 1400yrs before it became church doctrine...that would lead me to believe it is made up and a lie since God said nothing more than what we have been revealed will be shown till Christ comes back. If people knew the Word well the mormons, Islam and the Jehovahs Witnesses would have never made it because it would have been spotted for the heresy that it is!
-
Permalink Reply by Disciple Mike on -
Give it a rest Art. Just because it took 1400yrs to be cannonized doesnt mean it wasnt there. I showed you repeatedly that it was there from the beginning. You just reject the writings of the church fathers. So dont spread lies by saying it wasnt there. You have decided to follow the ones who have picked and chose the books that they (feel) belong in the Bible.Period!! You and them have removed the (original) books that were put into the Bible. So yours and there version's are watered down,period!
And to use the RC as a measure of who is really saved or not is ignorant,Period! What authority do you have to make such a judgement?
Lets do us both a favor, dont drag the RC into your stance to preach. I wont reply to anything you say as long as you keep your personal judgements about the RC of your tongue. But if you insist on using them as your perverted measure of what not to do, then I will be on you like flies on dung...
Thank You...
-
Permalink Reply by Robert D. Klimek on
-
BCD: Fundamental Activity - Prayer - Part 2
Posted by: "Steve Amato" steveamato@comcast.net bcbsr2000
Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:51 pm (PST)
What are the prerequisites for prayer?The Bible indicates that God will
not listen to your prayers except under certain conditions.
Under what conditions will God not listen to you?
1. If you're living a lifestyle of sin
Isaiah 59:1-4 "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor
his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from
your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not
hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.
Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No
one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely
on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth
to evil."
2. If you cherish sin in your hearts
Ps 66:18 "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have
listened"
3. If you love to wander into sin without restraint.
Jer 14:10-12 This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly
love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not
accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for
their sins." Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being
of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry;
though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept
them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague."'
4. If you're chosing worldly lordship over that of the Lordship of
Christ.
1Sa 8:18 "You will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and
the LORD will not answer you in that day."
5. If you ask with selfish or vain motives
James 4:3 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong
motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
Matt 6:5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they
love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be
seen by men."
The Boston Christian Bible Study Resources
-
Permalink Reply by Rudy on -
Art,
I don't agree with Catholic doctrine myself, but saying that they (Catholics) wont be saved is too much, don't you think? Like Rom 14:4 says, "who are you to judge someone else's servant?". And calling them "stupid" is also too much. Please, I beg in Christ, quit attacking Catholics. We all know your stance, and I think the majority might agree with you, but please quit the attacks.
With much love in Christ,
Rudy.
-
Permalink Reply by Alma Galvan on -
CATHOLICS HAVE BEEN CHANGING A LOT THE WAY THEY DO THINGS, SO WHO KNOWS!! IF U REALLY STUDY WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT, AND HOW THEY CAME TO BE U'LL SEE SOMETHINGS DIFFERENTLY, AND WOW THAT IS A LOT YALL WROTE, IT TOOK ME LONG TO READ AND WHEN I FINALLY FINISHED, I HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT I FIRST READ!! ^_^ LOL!! SO YEA WE NEVER KNOW WHO'S GOING TO HEAVEN AND WHO'S GOING TO HELL, SO I SAY JUST REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO NEED US AND EVEN THOSE WHO DON'T, GRAB THEIR ATTENTION, I'M SURE THEY'LL LISTEN AND IF THEY DON'T, THEN ITS THEIR LOSS FOR NOT WANTING TO KNOW MY DAD IN HEAVEN!!
-
Permalink Reply by Robert D. Klimek on
-
"In many churches Christianity has been watered down until the solution is so weak that if it were poison it would not hurt anyone, and if it were medicine it would not cure anyone!" — I Talk Back to the Devil — A.W. Tozer.
What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The Knowledge of the Holy A.W. Tozer
"It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply." — Glorify his name! Root of the Righteous" — A. W. Tozer; Chapter 39.
"Faith is seeing the invisible, but not the non-existent." — A. W. Tozer.
"Our religious activities should be ordered in such a way as to leave plenty of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence." — A. W. Tozer, on the fast-paced modern church
"God wants us to worship Him. He doesn't need us, for He couldn't be a self-sufficient God and need anything or anybody, but He wants us. When Adam sinned it was not he who cried, 'God, where art Thou?' It was God who cried, 'Adam, where art thou?'" — Worship: The Missing Jewel, A. W. Tozer
"I have found God to be cordial and generous and in every way easy to live with." — A. W. Tozer, reflecting on his relationship with God
"here's a test to see if your mission in life is finished, if you're still alive it's not" — A.W. Tozer
"...if my fire is not large, it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame." — A. W. Tozer, foreword to The Pursuit of God
"Some of my friends good-humoredly – and some a little bit severely – have called me a 'mystic.' Well I'd like to say this about any mysticism I may suppose to have. If an arch-angel from heaven were to come, and were to start giving me, telling me, teaching me, and giving me instruction, I'd ask him for the text. I'd say, 'Where's it say that in the Bible? I want to know.' And I would insist that it was according to the scriptures, because I do not believe in any extra-scriptural teachings, nor any anti-scriptural teachings, or any sub-scriptural teachings. I think we ought to put the emphasis where God puts it, and continue to put it there, and to expound the scriptures, and stay by the scriptures. I wouldn't – no matter if I saw a light above the light of the sun, I'd keep my mouth shut about it 'til I'd checked with Daniel and Revelation and the rest of the scriptures to see if it had any basis in truth. And if it didn't, I'd think I'd just eaten something I shouldn't, and I wouldn't say anything about it. Because I don't believe in anything that is unscriptural or that is anti-scripture." — What Difference Does the Holy Spirit Make?, A. W. Tozer
"Historians will conclude that we of the 20th century had the genius to create a great civilization, But we lacked the moral wisdom to preserve it"" — A.W. Tozer
"I fear that we shall never see another Tozer. Men like him are not college-bred but Spirit-taught."[1] — Why Revival Tarries, Leonard Ravenhill
-
Permalink Reply by Robert D. Klimek on
-
The Bible is God''s word and it tells us what is right and wrong. To the degree that anyone disagrees with the truths of God''s word, to that same degree they are falling away from it. What, then, might be some of the signs of apostasy? I''ve compiled a representative list of issues. You may or may not agree with all of these, but I provide them as food for thought.
Denial of basic Christian doctrines such as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the deity of the Holy Spirit, salvation by grace, and moral absolutes as found in the Bible.
God''s word is true. Deviation from the basics of its truth is surely apostasy.
Countless denominational divisions that contradict John 13:35 and 1 Cor. 1:10.
Of course, there are bound to be divisions in the body of Christ and differences of opinions are permitted (Rom. 14:1-12). But, the amount of divisions in the Church is ridiculous and contrary to Col. 3:14.
Ordination of homosexuals
Homosexuality is clearly condemned in God''s word (Lev. 18:22; 1 Cor. 6:9). To ordain homosexuals into ministry is clearly contrary to biblical truth and clearly apostasy.
Women elders and pastors
Whether people like it or not in this politically correct environment, the Bible does not support women as elders or as pastors (1 Tim. 2:12-14; 3:2; Titus 1:5-7). Men are called to be leaders in the church. The fact that women elders and pastors exist is a sign that men are not doing their God-given job.
Also, if you believe in women pastors and elders, do not dismiss this article. you must always examine yourself to see if what you believe is biblical.
Not preaching the gospel per 1 Cor. 15:1-4.
The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our sins. It is not a message of convenience or embarrassment. Do not be ashamed of the gospel (Rom. 1:16).
Using the Lord''s name in vain, something a surprising number of Christians do.
God''s name and title are to be used only by Christians in a reverent and respectful manner, never in casual exclamation. Just because the sinners do it, does not mean it is okay for the Christians.
Not sending out or failing to support missionaries (or cutting back unnecessarily) in violation of Matt. 28:18-20.
Carrying out the Great Commission is the command of Jesus. Any church that is able to support missionary work and does not, is in direct violation of Christ''s command in the Great Commission.
Marketing and merchandising
Those in ministry should make a living from their labor. Churches should seek to spread the gospel best they can and selling things to do it is acceptable. But, how many trinkets and bobbles are offered in the name of Christ that do not honor God but are merely for the purpose of financial gain? Is the duty of the church business or the gospel? Remember how Jesus cleansed the temple?
Pastors who are more concerned with growing a church than preaching the truth.
Whoever and wherever they are, they need to repent. Pastors must stand on the truth of God''s word, even if it costs them financially and materially.
Pastors who don''t pray and seek God''s face
Of course, this should be rare. But, any pastor who does not seek God''s face in humility is seeking to do a job, not a ministry, under his own power.
Pastors who cave in to pressures from the church in contradiction to the word of God.
Any pastor who does this should repent now or step down from the pulpit. Pastors are to stand upon and for God''s word, no matter what the obstacles or the cost.
Pastors who fail to equip their congregations according to God''s word.
Pastors are called to equip the Christian for the work of the ministry in all aspects of life (Eph. 4:11): apologetics, evangelism, missionary work, prayer, service, love, etc. Far too many congregations are not being equipped with even the basics of Christianity and are instead being taught political correctness.
Pastors who don''t teach damnation.
We are not saying that you must preach fire and brimstone all the time. But the fact is, the gospel that offends no one is not the gospel of the Bible. the truth of the gospel is that people will face damnation. This is part of the Christian message and it should be part of Christian preaching.
Christians gathering teachers to themselves to make them feel good
Is comfort or truth the primary objective for the Christians? Are we divine in nature or sinners saved by grace? Do we deserve to be saved or are we saved by God''s free choice? Christians who want merely to be entertained and comforted from the pulpit are still children. They should be challenged to grow and take risks.
Evolution
Denominations that either adopt evolutionary principles or refuse to take a stand on evolution.
Apostasy is all around us in varying degrees. As Christians, we need to be very sure that we are clinging to the truth of God''s word and resisting the inclusion of liberalism, moral relativism, and the oncoming secularism that is all around us. We need to stand on the word of God and never be ashamed of the truth of the Gospel:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
12 Songs for a lukewarm church
1.Blest Be The Tie That Doesn't Cramp My Style
2.Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I'm Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. Take My Life and Let Me Be
7. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
8. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
9. He's Quite a Bit To Me
10. Oh, How I Like Jesus
11. Fill My Spoon, Lord
12. It Is My Secret What God Can Do
"Missing Link" Still Missing
Imaginations certainly took flight over Archaeoraptor Liaoningensis, a birdlike fossil with a meat-eater’s tail that was spirited out of northeastern China, ‘discovered’ at a Tucson, Arizona, gem and mineral show last year, and displayed at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. Some 110,000 visitors saw the exhibit, which closed January 17; millions more read about the find in November’s National Geographic. Now, paleontologists are eating crow. Instead of ‘a true missing link’ connecting dinosaurs to birds, the specimen appears to be a composite, its unusual appendage likely tacked on by a Chinese farmer, not evolution.
"Archaeoraptor is hardly the first ‘missing link’ to snap under scrutiny. In 1912, fossil remains of an ancient hominid were found in England’s Piltdown quarries and quickly dubbed man’s apelike ancestor. It took decades to reveal the hoax." U.S. News & World Report, February 14, 2000
"Darwin admitted that millions of ‘missing links,’ transitional life forms, would have to be discovered in the fossil record to prove the accuracy of his theory that all species had gradually evolved by chance mutation into new species. Unfortunately for his theory, despite hundreds of millions spent on searching for fossils worldwide for more than a century, the scientists have failed to locate a single missing link out of the millions that must exist if their theory of evolution is to be vindicated." Grant R. Jeffery, The Signature of God
"There are gaps in the fossil graveyard, places where there should be intermediate forms, but where there is nothing whatsoever instead. No paleontologist . . . denies that this is so. It is simply a fact. Darwin’s theory and the fossil record are in conflict." David Berlinsky
"Scientists concede that their most cherished theories are based on embarrassingly few fossil fragments and that huge gaps exist in the fossil record." Time magazine, Nov. 7, 1977
"The evolutionists seem to know everything about the missing link except the fact that it is missing." G. K. Chesterton
I’m convinced that the carnal, cunning, conniving, crooked crooks that Jesus drove out of the Temple are still among us today. These modern day moneychangers are forever devising new and deceptive doctrines to defraud God’s people out of His/their money. These masters of deceit have now set up their changing tables throughout the Christian television industry.
I’m absolutely certain that if Jesus returned today He would walk into the vast majority of these television studios and overthrow the cameras, lights, monitors, and soundboards. He would unplug the microphones and scatter the makeup colors around as He went about destroying the stages and backdrops.
Several years ago now, a nationally know prophetic voice was told by the Lord, “I’m sick and tired of the prosperity message”. If that was true then, how much more today. As far back as 1986, the top seven media evangelists took in over 750 million dollars. Now with the increased manipulation of ‘seed faith teaching’ that amount has no doubt been dwarfed by comparison.
Only a few days ago I was appalled as I watched and listened as Pastor Steve__________ zealously twisted and distorted the Scriptures to his own advantage. This ‘brother’ dared to distort the most sacred truth of all Scripture. He used The Day Of Atonement, that day when Jesus Christ the Lamb of God shed His blood for the sins of the world, to teach that how we give financially determines how God will respond to us throughout the coming year. My blood boiled as I listened. This ‘brother’ had finally crossed the line and was now on the verge of blaspheming the atoning work of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not to mention lining his own pockets with the proceeds. He might as well have been selling indulgences by inferring that God’s favor toward us was based on our giving rather than God’s unmerited grace and forgiveness through the gift of His Son. What made matters worse was that this same ‘charlatan’ was the guest of one of the nation’s best known charismatic personalities. Within a day or so he was teaching the same message on a local Christian telethon. Neither the evangelist nor the network sought to correct his aberrant teaching – after all, the show must go on and that takes money, so how you raise it doesn’t seem to matter anymore.
Why does almost every single Christian program have to end with some type of ‘seed faith teaching’? If these men and women of faith really believed what they taught, they would practice what they preach and teach; after all what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Imagine how shocked you would be if your favorite televangelist and covenant partner were to send you a check in their next mailing for the amount of $1,000.00 with a personal note telling you he/she just wanted to sow into your life. Perhaps then I could believe that these men/women really believe and practice what they teach. Not only that, but they would never have to appeal for money again as God’s return to them would result in a hundredfold increase. At least that’s what they would have us to believe.
On a recent ministry trip to the Northwest, I was told by a pastor friend that his church had received a call from a well known and anointed teacher in the Body of Christ. The caller was asking them for a contribution towards the purchase of a jet for their ministry. What a far cry from what the Apostle Paul taught when he prefaced his teaching on ‘sowing and reaping’ with these words; “For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality.” (II Cor. 8:13-14) Many pastors measure their success in terms of numbers –the larger the church the more successful their ministry. Itinerant ministries, not being able to brag about size, seem to fall for the notion that having one’s own jet is how success is determined. (Once it was the Rolex watch) By the way, if you love and appreciate this fine teacher, pray that he won’t get the desires of his heart - it will only lead to the leanness of his soul.
This is one man’s attempt to appeal to the Body of Christ. Stop pandering to these moneychangers. These men and women live like kings while spending your money to buy mansions and jets for themselves. They dine in the finest restaurants, wear the latest designer fashions and then have the audacity to tell you that you can live the same way as long as you give to their ministry.
I opened my Bible the other day to Zechariah’s wonderful prophecy concerning the first coming of Jesus, our great and glorious King. Listen to his words; ‘Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt the foal of a donkey.’( Zechariah 9:9 ) What a far cry from the televangelist who comes high and mighty and traveling on his own jet!
If you are as sick and tired as I am about this waste of God’s money, then for heaven’s sake STOP SUPPORTING THESE PEOPLE. Give your money to your local church. There are tens of thousands of needy missionaries who barely have enough support to keep themselves alive. They are laboring long and hard under some of the most difficult and trying conditions. They would rejoice at the thought of an extra $10-30 dollars a month support. These are the real heroes of whom the world is not worthy. Help put these MONEY LOVING TELEVANGELISTS OUT OF BUSINESS and SAVE ANOTHER MISSIONARY FROM EXTINCTION.
-
-
Art,
We know you find the Roman Catholic Church to be offensive. Let me rephrase, to be succient. WE KNOW!!!
Speaking for myself only, I am tired of every conversation going that direction. I don't really care if anyone else says anything, because on this on I think I have God with me, and I have scriptures to back it up.
Mark 9:40 "For he who is not against us is for us." The disciple were outraged that this non-disciple was working in Jesus' name. He said leave him alone.
I would respectfully submit that you start a dicussion titled "Enter at your own risk- The Dogma Zone" Anyone interested could bounce in and throw blows, but you wouldn't be dragging every conversation into an us vs. them Roman vs. Protestant debate.
The main issue in live is who is Jesus. Protestents say God in Flesh, RC say God in Flesh. Protestants say the fount of our salvation, RC say the fount of our Salvation. That's good enough for me.
I read some doctrine in the Catholic Encyclopedia online that I felt was really wrong, but Its trivial next to getting people to find Christ, wherever their pew may be.
If you have to address a difference in doctrine, please confine your comments to your beliefs and the supporting scriptures instead of attacking the opposition, unless the opposition is lying in their conversation, as I ran into in debate with a Mormon lately.
I double dog dare you to try something. Print out the "Fruit of the Spirit" and put it next to your computer. If you read one of your own post, and it doesn't hit more fruit then it misses, don't hit "send".
Would you try that for me brother, please, for the glory of God.
Grace and Peace,
Jeff
© 2010 Created by yousef
