Month July 2020

6 more SIMPLE OBJECTIONS pt1

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Nice ways to say you're wrong in English - The London School of ...

 

6 more SIMPLE OBJECTIONS pt1.

These are called simple objections because they could have been easily answered by the questioner through a casual reading of the text. In some cases, the objection has a mocking tone and aren’t very serious. Even then, with the application of a bit of reason they are easily answered.

God has said, “Come now, and let us reason together,” [Isaiah 1:18]

Faith in God is not blind. There is a preponderance of evidence that we may reason & consider. [Heb 11:1,6]

These simple objections are presented with this in mind, Let’s Reason Together.

 

SIMPLE OBJECTION #1; Was Saul (later called Paul) saved on the road to Damascus?”

This objection sounds like this; “Saul (later called Paul) saved when he fell off his horse on the road to Damascus.”

The Objection may be answered this way: Not everyone mentions a horse, but when they do you should recognize that this person either hasn’t read the passage or isn’t handling it aright. A casual reading of [Acts 9:1-9; 22:1-16; 26:12-20] will show that no horse is ever mentioned. This is a clear example of someone ADDING to God’s word.

This is an important first defense to many objections, are they accurately portraying what the text actually says? By going to the text, many misunderstandings could be readily cleared with a careful reading of scripture.

Here are 4 more answers to this simple objection:

If Paul was saved on the road to Damascus then why was he SAD, SCARED & SIGHTLESS for 3 days? For a saved person, he is the saddest saved person on record. Everyone else is rejoicing for their salvation. [Acts 9:6; 18; 22:10-16; cr Acts 8:39]

He was told to ARISE and go into Damascus to be told what to do. If he was saved on the road, he was saved without his knowledge of the gospel or the things he must do. ANANIAS had to tell him what to do. [Acts 9:6; 22:10].

His sins were yet UNWASHED. If he was saved on the way to Damascus, he was still in his sins. Ananias said, “arise and be baptized, washing away your sins.” [Acts 22:16] Can anyone assert that salvation occurs with one’s sins? This doesn’t make any sense.

Saul still needed to LEARN what he must do. Jesus didn’t tell him he was saved. For 3 days he waited Sightless & Afraid, deep in prayer and fasting. Why? Because he, as do we all, needed to hear the words of eternal life. Just as Cornelius in Acts 10:6, 22, 33. Romans 10:14, which Paul (previously Saul of whom we’re speaking about) wrote, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Instead of telling him what to do to be saved, Jesus sent him to Damascus where a preacher, Ananias, would tell him the words on how to be saved.

“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

[1Cor 1:21 emph. mine seb]

No, Saul was not saved on the road to Damascus. He was saved when he obeyed the Gospel. The message hasn’t changed for us today. [Rom 6:3-4]

We must Hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, Believe it, Repent of our sins, Confess that Jesus is the Christ and be Baptized for the remission (removal) of our sins. We are then to live faithfully until death. It was the same for Saul, it is the same for us, it is the same for everyone. God is no respecter of person.

 

–Spencer

OBJECTIONS to the GOSPEL pt7

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almost objection meme | Vladyboy1337 | Flickr

OBJECTIONS #10; Salvation by Grace ALONE, through Faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE.

This objection sounds like this; “We are saved by Grace ALONE, through Faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE. That’s what Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches. We who are chosen by God are gifted with salvation, nothing, not baptism nor faithfulness has anything to do with our salvation.”

In case you’re unfamiliar, this erroneous viewpoint has its foundation in Calvinism. Calvinism is the error that God chooses before hand each individual that will be saved and each individual that will be lost. If God hasn’t chosen you, there is zero way for you to be saved regardless how much you try to obey Him. Conversely, if He has chosen you, there is no amount of rejection you can do to prevent it. Eventually you will have your heart changed by the Holy Spirit (even if against your will) and submit to God.

HOW CAN WE RESPOND?

Grace is a GIFT; it is unmerited favor. It is God’s part of our salvation in the demonstration of His love by giving His Son. Rom 5:8-10.

When people point at Eph 2:8-9 to prove that baptism is useless, we should remind them what Paul taught the Ephesians when he first encountered them in Acts 19:1-5. He taught them to be IMMERSED in water (baptized) in the name of Jesus Christ.

Next, you can show them that FAITH is man’s part of salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “through FAITH.” Grace is God’s gift; FAITH is our response to His gift of Grace. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing.” In Romans 10:16 the Holy Spirit uses faith & obedience interchangeably. “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?””

“Through faith” is our part, it’s our trust in God’s working when we’re baptized. “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” [Colossians 2:12]

Jesus points out that belief is a work we are to do [John 6:29; cr. 1Thess 1:3; 1John 3:23]. This evidence demonstrates that man has a work to receive the grace of God, which brings us to the next point…

Verse 10 shows that we’re given a TASK to do from God. This work (Eph 2:10) is prepared by God that we should walk in them. This verse is not rejecting any work, just the work that man invents. There are two kinds of work.

1) Works that mankind invents, in which they can boast.

2) Works of God that God commands us to obey, through which God works. [Col 2:12]

“buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” [Col 2:12] (emph. mine seb)

Baptism is that kind of work. Obeying the Gospel is a work of faith on our part, fully trusting in God’s promise to save. None of us has the power to wash away our sins, God does that. None of us can die & take ourselves to heaven, God can.

Our job is to do His works, through our faith.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” [Heb 11:6]

–Spencer

Objections pt6 #9 I don’t want to ARGUE

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Overcoming Client Objections to Increasing PPC Budgets

OBJECTIONS #9; No Arguing, No Debating.

This objection sounds like this; “Christians aren’t supposed to argue or debate. “Do all things without protests and arguments; [Phil 2:14](BBE)”

While it certainly is true that we’re not to argue over vain things, [1Tim 6:20] it is NOT true that we’re not to debate or ‘contend’ for the faith [Jude 1:3].

“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” [2Tim 2:24-26]

We do need to be careful, for if we continue to push, they’ll redirect their objection toward you saying, “You’re ARROGANT, or unloving.

What we must recognize is they’ve REACHED the end of their ability to defend their error. When a person is still resistant but no longer has a defense, they become embarrassed & or angry. Otherwise they would continue talking. They’re stopping you because they’ve GOTTEN you on a technicality.

There are a few things that may be going on. They may be UNINTERESTED in the truth [2Thess 2:10-12]. They might be UNCERTAIN but not ready, like Festus [Acts 26:24]. Maybe they’re UNCONVINCED [Acts 26:28]. In any case, be careful, they may become UNHINGED [Acts 7:54].

The gospel always works in inducing an EMOTIONAL response. It could be anger, apathy or acceptance in Godly sorrow. So, what do we do when it’s turning towards anger? Hear this Proverb…

“A soft answer turneth away wrath:” [Prov 15:1]

Here are 4 steps to gving a SOFT answer:

STAY calm & don’t respond in kind. Never allow yourself to get angry or upset at any objection. Never allow a conversation to escalate into an emotional argument. We must always stay on the essential topics and not argue ‘vain babblings.’ “… be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” [Jas 1:19].

Stop talking, no longer OPEN your mouth with new information. It’s clear they want to stop. Let them alone. [Mat 15:14].

A huge part of evangelism is patience & FORBEARANCE. To endure the continual barrage of rejections. But we must remember, they’re not necessarily rejecting you, they’re ultimately rejecting God [1Sam 8:7].

Lastly, TAKE off your shoes and shake the dust off (figuratively speaking). When the disciples were rejected, Jesus told them to shake the dust off their feet. “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” [Mat 10:14] Don’t take it personally nor let rejection prevent you from spreading the gospel to others. Some will, some won’t, so what, keep trying. We keep trying because…

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;” 2Cor 5:11

–Spencer

Objections pt5

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Objection PNG and Objection Transparent Clipart Free Download ...

 

OBJECTIONS #8; Appeal to the Old Testament for doctrine.

This objection sounds like this; “David used a harp and wrote about it in Psalms.”

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Col 2:14

I met a person once that was starting a new denomination based on all the feast days in the Old Testament Law of Moses. This is just one example of many where people look to the Old Testament to find doctrine or practices today. It becomes a buffet of picking and choosing based on personal taste, or in this case, a BBQ buffet.

How come nobody ever goes back and brings forward stoning of the disobedient? (there was one guy that wrote a book about trying to live under the Law of Moses. He carried small pebbles around and flicked them at folks.) Yet, they’ll go back and grab any number of things from the Old Testament.

The easy answer is in Galatians chapter 5:1-4; “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

As you can see, the Law of Moses has been fulfilled and if you intend to appeal to any part of it then you’re obligated to keep the entirety of it. This drops you from Christ.

Here are a few more points about why we don’t appeal to the Old Testament for authority, doctrine or practices today.

First, the Old was, well… OLD. Hebrews 8:13 speaks about the better New covenant in Christ rendering the first old.

Next, the OT was given because of TRANSGRESSIONS, “till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.” [Gal 3:19] Once the one promised came, fulfilling the Old Law, why would you go back and bring anything forward?

We should then note that the OT was LIMITED in that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. [Heb 10:4]. Christ’s sacrifice did what the Law of Moses only foreshadowed [Heb 9:12]. The New Testament writers also calls it, ‘faulty’ [Heb 8:7], and ‘weak’ [Gal 4:9].

Continuing on, we find the Law of Moses was ABOLISHED at the death of Christ. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” [Col 2:14]. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:15; “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;”

Finally, the Holy Spirit says that the Law of Moses WAS A SHADOW of good things to come [Heb 10:1]. If there was something good coming, and the real thing is in life of Jesus, why would you want to go back to the shadow?

There are several places in the New Testament that explain the shadows from the Old Testament and their application to Christ;

  • 1COR 10:11 EXAMPLES.
  • Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come;
  • Hagar, Ishmael, Sarah, Isaac; GAL 4:22-31.
  • Moses; Deut 18:15; Acts 3:22; Heb 3

We find our authority in Jesus. God said, “Hear ye Him.” [Mark 9:7]. The Hebrew writer opens the book with; “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” [Heb 1:1-2]

We find our authority from those who were given the revelation of the Lord’s will and wrote it for us in the New Testament writings. “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” [1Cor 14:37]

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.)” [Eph 3:1-4]

 

–Spencer