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Where does bible say ask Jesus into your heart?

The Preacher 1 Comment

Other ways of asking this question are;

Is “ask Jesus into your heart” biblical? What are the verses supporting ask Jesus into your heart.

I’ve believed all of my believing life that in order to be saved a person needed was to “ask Jesus into their hearts.” That all a person had to do to be saved was believe. I believed in salvation by faith alone until I met Spencer. He asked a simple question, “Where do you find that in the scriptures?” [This is just a summary of the many hours we spent together in Bible reading.]

He and I looked and looked through the scriptures. We’ve never found that phrase or ones similar. We have found verses, if cherry picked, that may lead people to that belief. When you examine those scriptures you’ll find that the entirety of the passage teaches the opposite.

For example, in Acts 16:25-34 we read of the Philippian Jailor. In verse 30 & 31 he asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Then Paul answers, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

The rest of the story is that during the night, the prison bars were open and in fear he was about to take his own life. Paul tells him to do himself no harm, for we are all here. Then the jailor asks his questions and receives Paul’s answer, but note the REST OF THE STORY…..

Ac 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

When we read “….all the counsel of God.” Ac 20:27, we are able to learn the whole truth. The Jailor didn’t know anything about Jesus, therefore, he needed to believe. Before you can or will do anything, you first must believe. Then they “spake unto him the word of the Lord”. A person needs to hear about that which he is required to believe.

Ro 10:14 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?

Based on this story, what did the jailor do upon hearing the “word of the Lord”? He repented, washing their stripes, and was baptized. These actions show that he was convinced, a believer.

Does the Bible teach that we ask Jesus into our hearts?

Yeah, sort of. Turn and look at John 14:23-24.

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

This is the closest passage to having Jesus come into your heart, but when you look carefully, you’ll see that there’s no ASKING, there’s OBEYING!!!

This message is consistent with the teaching of Jesus,

Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This message is also consistent with the teaching of the Apostles,

Ro 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Ro 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Ga 3:1 ¶ O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

2Th 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

The scriptures go on and on talking about obedience, to do works. Not works of man, rather the works of God…

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Daniel Surges

If you want to ask me more about this, I’m usually at Braum’s in Borger Texas most days.

Do we need AUTHORITY?

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Authority, having permission, should be of primary concern for us in the church. We recognize the need for it in other areas of our lives, ie, work, police, government. Imagine if our children acted toward us at home as we do towards the Lord in the church. If there are no guidelines, then anything goes, so to in the church.

GOD REQUIRES IT

  1. Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
  2. 1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
  3. Ac 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
  4. A DIFFICULT VERSE – Mt 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
    1. NOTICE: These are believers, doing things “in His name” but obviously without His permission. vs 23

 IS SINCERITY ENOUGH? –

  1. IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE – Ac 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
    1. Mr 12:24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
    2. Ho 4:6 ¶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
    3. Pr 14:12 ¶ There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. [Gen 6:5; Jer 10:23]

CANNOT GO BEYOND HIS WORD –

  1. DO NOT ADD OR REMOVE – De 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. [Rev 22:18, 19]
  2. TO DO GOOD OR BAD – Nu 24:13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
  3. EXAMPLES OF DISOBEDIENCE – Ro 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
    1. Nadab & Abihu – Le 10:1-2
    2. Moving the Ark – 1Sam 6:3, 4, 6, 7

THE WORD OF GOD SAVES –

  1. 2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
  2. Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
  3. REJECTING AUTHORITY – Jude 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

According to scriptures, the Word of God, we need permissions for our actions. Permission or Authority to do things, whether they be in the church or out. As Colossians 3:17 says; “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.“

Gay Marriage & the Christian

The Preacher 1 Comment

Free to marry or Free to speak?
Today, The Supreme Court has found a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, striking down bans in 14 states. Christians have been wrestling with this issue. Not because of the Biblical truth, rather, we have been branded as haters, bullied into silence when we preach the Biblical truth. This issue is not about whether homosexuality is sinful, or that it is a worse sin, i.e., “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” Galatians 5:19-21, but it’s about the freedom to preach on Biblical topics.

CHRISTIAN SHARIA?
Am I advocating for a form of a Christian Sharia Law? Certainly not. I have no interest or authority from Scripture to compel people into compliance with the Law of Christ [Galatians 6:2]. Folks are to comply with Him willfully, not out of compulsion [1Co 9:17; 2Co 9:7]. What then is the problem? The problem is that the court ruling has now given the anti-God crowd more strength in condemning the Bible, and to continue to push God out of our society.

They do this by belittling our beliefs, chiding us, calling us ignorant. A statement made by Jesse Ventura sums up what is happening to Christians, “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.”

How is a Christian to respond to gay marriage?
The way we respond to all sin. Homosexuality is a sin [Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Jude 1:7]. Yet, it is no worse a sin than any other sin. All sin will keep a person out of heaven, separating us from God [Mt 7:23; 1Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21, 1John 1:5-10].

When we encounter folks walking in sin, homosexuality being just one of those, we need to do what the Bible has taught us to do; preach Jesus. When Paul met the philosophers on Mars Hill, he didn’t condemn them for their false religious beliefs, rather he taught them the truth about the One True God [Acts 17:22-34]. He let the word of Truth prick their hearts and their hearts convicted them, and some believed.

If we go around convincing folks to quit sinning, all we’ve done is made the lost well-behaved. Surely that could make life more pleasant, but if they don’t know Jesus, we’ve accomplished nothing. Remember also, we too are dealing with sin, [1John 1:8].

The only remedy for sin
Sin is cured by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ [Mat 26:28]. People, in order to be cured, have to hear about the Gospel and obey it [Rom 10:14-17]. They have to come to fully believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God [Mat 16:16; Acts 8:37]. They must “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins” [Acts 2:38; Romans 6:4; Gal 3:27]. Then each person must continue in the doctrine of Christ, remaining faithful until death [Mat 28:18-20; Rev 2:10]

Stay off the bandwagon
The desire to fit in, or to jump on the bandwagon so as to avoid ridicule is to approve of sin, in this case homosexuality. Let us remain faithful, Jesus DID speak on gay marriage when He told us that marriage is between a man and a woman.

“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” [Matthew 19:4-5]

By specifying who is to be married, male and female, He prohibited every other combination. This is a foundational principle of logic and reasoning, let alone Biblical authority. That which is stated is to the exclusion of all other options.

If we accept this sin, or any other, we become guilty of that sin. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” [Romans 1:32-2:5; 2Jo 1:11]

What is True Love
They said that this case was about love. No, not even close. True love is telling people about Jesus Christ. [1Co 9:22; 1Ti 4:16] True love is desiring that people be saved, that is why we preach. [Mark 16:16]

“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” [1Corinthians 9:16]

Let us preach the truth about Jesus Christ, which will include the truth about sin. It will include the truth about His plan of salvation which includes baptism. When we do, let us preach it in Love, let our words be seasoned with salt, let us pray so we may know how to answer each one. [Colossians 4:6]

“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” [Ephesians 4:15]

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

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I’ve recently been asked “why do we care so much about the name Church of Christ?” I’ve had this before and have a response, but then I actually came across a religious group that pride themselves on having no name.

This is a problem folks. It’s already disappointing to have denominations calling themselves after the names of men, but to go so far as to not have a name at all just takes the cake!

Why is this such a problem you ask? Because God did supply names from the very beginning. God sent the animals He created to Adam to “see what he would call them” [Gen 2:19]. God also found it important to change Abrams name to Abraham, [Ge 17:5]. Moses also needed to know God’s name, and God gave one, [Ex 3:14] which Jesus called Himself and was convicted of Blasphemy by the Jews [Joh 8:58, Mr 14:62-63].

The Psalms also proclaim the name of God, [Ps 83:18]. His name is to be revered, and not blasphemed, [Ex 20:7; De 5:11; 28:58; Ps 111:9; Mic 4:5; 1Ti 6:1]

The names of the Old Testament often had meaning. Hosea was commanded by God to give his children certain names which had meaning, [Ho 1:3,4,6,9; 2:1]

Names were given in prophecy as a proof of their fulfillment, i.e., Josiah [1Ki 13:2].Then there are the prophecies about Jesus, including His name! [Isa 7:14, Mat 1:23]. Isaiah also prophesied about a new name for God’s people, “And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. [Isa 62:2]

Is this enough to show that names are important? I believe so, but let’s continue our study.

The chief priests sought for a name from Jesus for the things that He said and did, [Mt 21:23]. The Samaritan Woman knew what the Savior would be called, [Joh 4:25]. His parents “called His NAME Jesus”, [Mt 1:25, Lu 2:21]

As we continue to study, we find that the Holy Spirit found it important to reveal a name for God’s people under the new covenant, “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Ac 11:26

NAMES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

So, all of this leads us to the questions, what should His church be called? Should there be a name, is there a name given in the scriptures? Let’s turn to the word of God in the New Testament….

Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” [Mt 16:18] Peter had just given the confession in vs 16 “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This shows upon what His church would be built. A careful examination shows that it’s NOT Peter, he has the keys. It’s NOT Christ Himself, He’s doing the building. Upon what is Christ building His church? The confession that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God. HIS NAME.

We see this confession being professed by the Ethiopian, [Ac 8:37]. There are multiple passages about confessing and believing in the name of Jesus the Christ. [1Jo 4:15; 5:5, 13]

Looking to the letters to the churches, we find the authors using names for the New Testament Church… church of God [Ac 20:28, 1Co 1:2]. Church of the living God, [1Ti 3:15]. Church of the firstborn, [Heb 12:23]. We find letters addressed to a particular city, “church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ:” [1Th 1:1] Paul ended his letter to the Roman Christians with the salutation, “The churches of Christ salute you.” [Ro 16:16]  Body of Christ, [Eph 4:12].

With all of these names, which one are we to use? Let’s consider some things about Jesus the Christ. He said He would build His church, [Mat 16:17]. He, Jesus the Christ, commanded that the Apostles “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” [Mt 28:20]. Which is His doctrine, [2Jo 1:9]. His, Jesus the Christ’s, blood was shed for us, [Mt 26:28, Mr 14:24]. He, Jesus the Christ, is the head of the church, which is His body, and is the savior of the body, which He gave Himself for it. [Eph 1:22-23, 5:23-25]. And we are often reproached for His name, [1Pe 4:14].

Space prevents me from including other “____ of Christ” writings. Doctrine, partakers, gospel, servant, word, mystery, minister, cross, faith, knowledge, work, kingdom, obedience, grace, members and of course the day of Christ.

An honest study of the Word of God reveals that the church belongs to Jesus the Christ, it is the church of Christ. What we fail to find is denominational names, too many to even list. What’s in a name? Ownership, that’s what. [1Co 6:15, 19] Who owns you, is it Jesus the Christ or someone else? [Joh 8:44]

Spencer Preaches and Teaches at the Franklin St. Church of Christ in Borger, Tx

3 BIBLE VERSES TO HELP YOU WHEN YOU’RE DOWN

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My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Jas 1:2

 

The novice my think that God is just wrong in this verse. How could one possibly find trouble / temptations joyful?

 

If you will read the rest of the passage it says, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Jas 1:3, 4

 

We need, nay, must trust God and continue to be joyful in spite of our sorrows. I find this difficult to observe, but if we will trust God and ask for wisdom, He will help us. [Look at vs 5]

 

We tend to think negatively first and most. We’ve got to remember that the righteous have never been forsaken or begging bread. [Ps 37:25]

 

And the LORD said unto him, Go, 1Ki 19:15

Elijah was down. He was being chased by that evil Jezebel for she wanted to have him dead. [vs2]

 

Elijah hid in a cave and was praying that he would die. [vs5] But God had a better idea. God always has better ideas. God told Elijah to “go”.

 

That’s what He wants for all of us. He wants us to go, get up and keep on keeping on. We can never do anything about the past, but we can ALWAYS do something about today.

 

As the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. God has spoken to us today. Just as He told Elijah to get busy, He’s told us the very same thing.

 

He’s told us what to do, serve him, work hard, act honorably, love, visit folks and to spread His word. [Among other things]

This brings me to another passage…….

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Ps 37:3-5

Sometimes we don’t know what to do when things fail to go our way. True, it is hard to know what to do next, but God has never left us without any instructions. When life gets difficult, when it seems like nothing is going your way, that’s a perfect time to check your alignment.

He said to “commit thy way unto the Lord”. This does not mean that we take our ideas and commit them, rather, it means we make sure our ideas are in alignment with His ideals, then commit yourself to the Lord. He added to “trust also in Him”.

So often we focus on how to get the things we want, overlooking the way to live.  Verse 3 said, “Trust in the Lord, and do good.” If we will just do this. I tell folks that don’t know what to do with their lives to just be the best you can be. For if you will focus on being the best you can be, doors of opportunity will open.

Unfortunately, we focus on (not)ty words. I can’t, they won’t, I’m not, are all words that have the wrong focus. It’s shameful, for it speaks against God your personal value. He loves you, so much that He gave His only begotten son. [John 3:16] He gave your abilities [Matthew 25:15], and He places you in a valued position in His church, when you obey the Gospel [Romans 12:6-8]. Let us respect God in our person, using our God given abilities to the best of our efforts.

By Spencer

 

What about the thief on the cross?

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How Would You Answer?

Imagine you’re speaking to someone about Jesus and you bring up the subject of baptism. Just as Philip did in Acts 8. You say something like, “The Bible says that one must be baptized in order to be saved.” They immediately shake their head and say, “What about the thief on the cross?” [Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.]

It’s not really that hard to imagine. This exchange occurs nearly every single time I speak with a person about Jesus, salvation or the bible. I’m sure you’ve had the same experience.

Before you respond, let me remind you of a proper attitude you must maintain while giving an answer; Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

This verse needs to be memorized by every Christian.

We need to give an answer with love and compassion. If they get upset let it be with God’s word rather than your attitude.

So, HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THEM? In order to provide the answer, I need to point out a few things that are wrong with their questions.

FIRST, their question is steeped in a misunderstanding on how to determine scriptural authority. [Invite them to the “Are you certain?” Classes.]

Most denominations have no concept of how to determine God’s will. They think that if it’s in the Bible, that makes it scriptural. They misunderstand that in order for something to be scriptural, it must be determined by context, audience and speaker. There are some clear “rules” for determining scriptural authority. Not difficult ones, nor are they unique to Bible interpretation only. These rules are shown to us in scripture, but we use them automatically in our secular lives. One answer I use is to introduce them to this concept and invite them to study with me about How to determine Scriptural Authority [Permissions].

SECOND, your prospect is giving a proof text without context. One way to correct their error is by asking them, “Under what system of Law were Jesus and the thief living?”

Now that you understand where their error lies, we can look at several answers, all of which are united with each other in Truth…

ONE – While on earth, Jesus had the authority to forgive sins. We see this with the paralytic Luke 5:18-26, and the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50. With the thief, Jesus clearly offered him salvation.

TWO – This thief was saved BEFORE the command to be baptized was given. Matthew 28:18-20 shows the command to be baptized was given AFTER Christ had risen from the dead. Additionally, we are baptized into His death, Romans 6:3-4.

The thief was never subject to baptism for it was commanded after his death. Just like Abraham, Noah, Moses etc. The thief never had a baptism command to obey. There was John’s baptism, but we can read the answer to that in Acts 19:4-5.

THREE – The thief lived, died and was saved BEFORE the new covenant began. Deuteronomy 5:2-3 shows the Old Covenant, which came to an end when Jesus died on the cross. [Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:14] Then in Hebrews 8:6-7, 13 we see that the first covenant was done away, and we now live under a New Covenant.

I hope this helps you as you to give answer for the hope that is in you. 1Peter 3:15

Spencer

Click here for an updated 5 part answer to this objection.

Ferguson, Deflategate & Johnny Depp

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The country has been on fire as of late, literally. Cities being burned because folks are angry, protesting the supposed abuse by police among African American communities. We’ve tolerated the looting and destruction by calling it a protest. We’ve also tolerated some authorities to be above the law they’re sworn to protect!

In another story, a lot of folks are commenting on the “deflategate” scandal that has rocked the football world. Most are suggesting that this is no big deal. Making comparisons to the many sports figures receiving lighter punishments, that have beaten their wives or girlfriends, they suggest that this is a non-issue.

Then this morning I heard a story about Johnny Depp. It’s alleged that he smuggled his Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo into Australia, skirting the law that requires them to be quarantined to be certain they are rabies free.

How these stories are related you ask? Simple, it’s a growing trend in our culture that allows people to be above the law if: they’re famous, rich, or angry. In all of these examples we will hear; “the facts don’t matter”, “It doesn’t change the results” or “what’s the big deal.” This is very troubling.  If facts don’t matter, or the end justifies the means, or it’s no big deal, then how is our society to function?

Ferguson – Tom Brady – Johnny Depp

The driving attitude behind all of these stories is ARROGANCE. Arrogant is defined as; having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities. In each example, the parties involved believed that they are above the laws that govern the rest of us.

The abusive officer is above the law because he’s got a gun or is an authority figure. It’s ARROGANCE. The offending character is above the law because he’s poor, or black. It’s ARROGANCE. The protestors are above the law because they feel abused or pushed down. It’s ARROGANCE. Tom Brady is above the law (rules of the game) because he’s a great quarterback. It’s ARROGANCE. Johnny Depp is above the law because he’s rich and famous. It’s ARROGANCE.

We’re all becoming more arrogant and it’s sinful. The Bible, God’s word, talks about this;

“A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,” [Pr 6:17]

God is very clear about arrogance and pride, He hates it!

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” [Pr 8:13]

When Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth, he condemned their arrogance in overlooking sin; “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.” [1Corinthians 5:2] The problem is that they thought they were more important than the commands of God! When we ignore His commands, ignore His will for our lives, ignore what He thinks is right, we’re ignoring Him, THE CREATOR. We’re really saying, “the facts don’t matter”, “It doesn’t change the results” or “what’s the big deal.”

If we ignore God, we miss all the blessings He’s promised, we miss the lessons that help us to avoid trouble in our lives, and we miss the mark. If we continue to ignore God, thinking more of ourselves, we miss heaven! We miss heaven because when we ignore God, we also ignore Jesus, the Christ….

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” [John 12:48-49]

If we fail to learn the lessons about arrogance, continuing to think more of our own importance, we’ll never learn to obey God. We see it already in our homes, disobedient children [Ro 1:30], and in our work places [Ephesians 6:5], and we see it in our country [Romans 13:1-6].

There’s only one reason when we’re permitted to disobey man’s law,

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” [Ac 5:29](KJV)

Spencer Blackwelder, is an Evangelist in Borger, TX and has been working to recover from his own swollen head.

Better than the Golden Rule

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You’ve heard of the ‘Golden Rule’, it’s taken from the passage in Matthew 7:12;

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”

That is a great rule, hence why it’s been called Golden, but there is another rule I like to call the ‘Platinum Rule’.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. [Philippians 2:3]

The word ‘esteem’ is the same word translated as ‘count’ in other passages i.e., Phil 3:7. In that passage, Paul has ‘counted’ all things as loss. Compare that usage to ‘esteem’ and you now have an instruction on how we ought to interact with each other.

Regarding stuff, count it as loss. Regarding people, especially those in the household of faith [Ga 6:10], count them as better than self.

What would it look like if we obeyed the command of our Lord in BOTH of these passages? If you were to ask me how I would describe a Christian, I would begin with these two passages, and perhaps a third;

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [Joh 13:34]

 – Spencer

Unconditional Love?

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by Terry Benton

That God’s love is “unconditional” means one thing to one person and a different thing to someone else. The Bible does not use the expression “unconditional love” but does imply it. God “so loved” the world (John 3:16). That would mean that love is what moved Him to give His Son for the sinful world. Paul said that he loved us “while we were yet sinners” (Rom. 5:8). Thus, it was not a situation of God would love us IF….. God loved us when we were at our worst. Thus, in that regard, it was an unconditional love. But, what does that mean? Some seem to think that because God loves us all unconditionally, that therefore He ACCEPTS us unconditionally. Is this what the Bible really teaches?

False Concepts of God’s Love

One clearly false concept is that God only loves us IF we perfectly obey Him. But, that is not the case because the Bible says He loved us at our worst, “while we were yet sinners”(Rom. 5:8). The Prodigal Son’s father loved him unconditionally, but certainly was not pleased with his son’s choices. To love is not to accept any and all behavior. A parent can “so love” a child but not be pleased with the lifestyle of that child. Still, love is what causes the parent to keep hoping for a turn around and return of the lost child. Love longs for a turning point in the thinking of the child, and love is unconditional. But, love does not accept the child in rebellious behavior. The prodigal son’s father never stopped loving his son, but there was broken fellowship and relationship. The father was not glad about the son’s choices and behavior, and did not pretend that relationship remained the same as ever. Perfect obedience was not the reason he loved his son. He loved his son while he was yet a sinner in hope of his son’s coming to himself and returning in humility. Love is that way. God is not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness (Psalm 5:4-6). A person determined to keep practicing sin is certainly not acceptable to the Lord (Prov. 15:8-9). Love means God longs for a sinner who is ruining his life and his potential, longing for the sinner to wake up and turn back to God. God’s love causes Him to also hate what the sinner represents and how that sinner influences others to ruin their lives as well (Rom.1:20ff).

A similar false concept is that “God only loves us BECAUSE we deserve His love”. God’s love is totally unconditional. The character of God is LOVE. Relationship with God is in fact conditional. Love does not equate to relationship and acceptance. As an illustration we might say that George loves everyone. Does everyone love George? And Does George automatically let everyone in his house? Can we not love our enemies without trusting them with our house and our children? Love does not equate with relationship and acceptance.

Things God’s Love Will NOT Do

Love will not automatically accept you “as you are” if that means “as you have been”. Love does not mean I accept my child as a murderer or adulterer or thief. Love means I have “good will” for someone and will help them get right with God. If one is “continuing in sin”, love means that I am sad for them and long for their salvation from sin and ruin.

Love does not automatically forgive you. Forgiveness is conditioned on being “in Christ”(Eph.1:3, 7; Gal. 3:26-27). Love longs for our forgiveness and will provide a just way that it can happen if we want it. There are conditions for coming into Christ where forgiveness is enjoyed.   God’s love longs to forgive, but will not automatically accept you “as you are”, if that means you are going to decide to continue as you are.

Love will not force your love and service to Him. It will not force you to act against your will, but yearns to get you to change your will in His favor. Therefore, love will not, by itself, prevent you from going to torment or hell. God loved even the rich man, but the rich man still went to torment (Luke 16:19f). It was not that God did not love him. It was that the rich man did not love God and therefore did not love his fellow man.

Things God’s Love WILL Do

God’s love will provide a conditional way for you to be saved. (John 3:16; Mark 16:15-16). These conditions do not merit salvation on your end. They are things that you MUST do (Acts 2:37-41), and yet they are not works of merit whereby God OWES us anything (Eph. 2:8-9). Belief and baptism in Jesus’ name are not meritorious works, nor are they works of perfect law-keeping. They are both actions of mind, will, and appeal to God for His mercy. God loves us and will forgive us if we believe, repent, and are baptized in Jesus’ name for remission of sins. God’s love provides the remission of sins and the conditions.

These conditions are within your power to do. There is no excuse for not meeting these conditions.

God’s love will try to attract your better possibilities and potential and will provide the greatest incentives for you to repent (Rom. 2:4-8). Heaven and Hell are incentives, but God’s amazing love and fellowship is a primary incentive.

God’s love is so great that He will do what is painful to Himself in order to be merciful and just in an effort to win your love and fellowship. God IS Love. (1 John 3).

How do we define His Love?

We cannot define it as automatic acceptance. It does not mean that none will be lost. What does it mean? It means that there is “good will”, mercy, and compassion already resident within His character. It is there driving Jesus to the cross for your possible salvation. It is your greatest opportunity in life to have reconciliation with God now so that He can bring you home to glory.

Don’t blow your opportunity to experience and enjoy His greatness of Being. There are conditions for being made acceptable (Rom. 5:1f). We see how 3,000 Jews came from lost and condemned to being acceptable, having remission of sins (Acts 2:36-41) all because of the love of God. You have the same opportunity because of His love. What will your response be?

 

 

Terry Benton, “Unconditional Love?,” in Answering Religious Error, April 15, 2015, http://www.answeringreligiouserror.com/salvation/unconditional-love/.

How to start a church

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What if there were no church in Borger, how would you start one?

I knew of a man that became a Christian. The way that he learned the truth was very motivational. He had suffered a debilitating accident which caused him to search for meaning. He began reading his bible. Upon completing the Old Testament, he said, “I’ve got to learn how to serve God, but I’m going to finish reading the Bible first.”

After completely reading the New Testament he said, “I’ve got to do be saved.” He then began seeking Christians. First he looked to the largest “church”. He was immediately disappointed because what he found didn’t match what he had read about in the Bible.

So he continued visiting churches, Baptists, Methodists etc. All along the way he kept asking the people at these places, “why do you do what you do and how do I get saved?” Their answers disappointed him, for they were unable to give an answer that matched what he had read in his Bible.

Then one day he responded to a newspaper ad offering a Bible correspondence course to people that wanted to study the Bible. He completed the course and was very excited because everything taught was completely consistent with the Bible that he read.

After the completion of the course, he invited the man that sent him the course to his home and asked to be saved. He already knew what to do, He believed, confessed Jesus to be the son of God, repented and wanted to be baptized for the remission of sins. [Romans 10:14, John 11:24, Luke 13:3, Matthew 10:32-33, Mark 16:15-16, 2Peter 2:20-22]

Because there was a group of Christians that met in his area, he began assembling with them until the day he passed from this earth.

What if there wasn’t a church in Borger?

What if he had read the whole bible, learning to obey the Gospel yet finding nowhere to worship as God had commanded? [John 4:24] How would he go about starting a New Testament church? Certainly he must find others of ‘like precious faith’. [2Peter 1:1] He would have read, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” [Matthew 18:20]

He would have either found them or taught them. Then what? Now that there are 2 or more, what do they do next? Certainly they have learned to serve the Lord, [Colossians 3:24] but how would they worship? [John 4:21]

You study the Bible.

How did folks do it before us? How did they do it in the Bible? They read and studied it. Paul wrote to the early Christians, “whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;” [Ephesians 3:4] He also taught people to study the scriptures. [2Timothy 3:15] We can be honorable today, just like the Bereans when they searched the scriptures daily. [Acts 17:11]

Let’s imagine what might have happened, had this small group of people sought to serve God and begin a church in their city.

The Bible our only Guide.

So they read and studied their Bibles. The first thing they did, as a small group of Christians wishing to worship God and to serve him correctly, is to decide to use the Bible as their only guide. To speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent when it is silent. [1Peter 4:11; 2Samuel 7:7]

Scriptural Worship

Next they asked one another, “How shall we worship Him and what shall we do?” Turning again to scripture they learn that truth is necessary. [John 4:24] They find that Jesus commanded Christians to remember His death by observing the Lord’s Supper. [Luke 22:14-20; 1Corinthians 11:14-34]

Then one of them might ask, “When should we do this remembrance? Should we meet annually, perhaps once a month?” Back to the scriptures they go, seeking the TRUTH of the matter. It is there that they find this passage, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” [Acts 20:7] Since every week has a first day, and there being no additional instruction, they decide to meet every first day of the week, which is Sunday the day following the Sabbath.

While searching the answer to that question, they noted that the passage mentions Paul preaching. Remembering that he also taught to imitate him as he imitated Christ, [1Corinthians 11:1] they recognize that since Christ preached, they must also follow the Godly examples of the scriptures. [Mark 2:2] So they included preaching along with the Lord’s Supper during their worship assembly.

Praying and Singing

So they came together to worship. Then one may have said, “I wonder if we could pray during our worship?” So once again, they return to the scriptures to find permission to pray during the assembly. This answer came quickly, for multiple passages supported the exercise of prayer. [1Thessalonians 5:17, Acts 20:36, Luke 5:16, 1Corinthians 11:23-26]

Another asked about singing. Once again the scriptures showed them they could and should sing. [Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16] Another may have suggested an instrument to aid in the singing, but to their dismay, no command, example or suggestion of an instrument was found in the New Testament worship. They easily found those aids in the Old Testament, but somebody pointed out in the scriptures where it said, “In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete.” [Hebrews 8:13]

By now they have become quite accustomed to searching the scriptures for what they must do. Finding additional passages confirming that they were on the right path. Passages like, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” [Colossians 3:17]

Problems in the church

All was bliss until one of their number had a need for aid. Since the habit was now engrained into their minds for searching the scriptures, they once again sought the advice of the Lord. They found that money was an important aspect of completing the work. They found in the scriptures where the members were commanded to lay aside money for the work of the Lord. That this work included helping needy saints, but also was to be used for spreading the gospel through the support of preachers and edification of the church. [1Corinthians 16:1-4, 2Corinthians 8 & 9, 1Timothy 5:18, Ephesians 4:16; 1Corinthians 14:26; Acts 20:32]

What’s the name of the church?

The church began to grow, for they were doing exactly what the Lord commanded them, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [Mt 28:19-20] They were teaching others, teaching only what was in the Bible from God. There was one more problem that arose, the new comers began asking, “What do we call this church?”

It hadn’t yet occurred to them that they might need a name. Again, as they have done for every question thus far, they searched the scriptures for a name. One person suggested they name the group after the founding member, Gus. He would have none of that telling them that he didn’t die for the church. [1Corinthians 1:13] As they searched they found several names. ‘They Way’ [Acts 19:9, 23] ‘Church of God’ [Acts 20:28] ‘church of Christ’ [Romans 16:16] ‘The general assembly and church of the firstborn’ [Hebrews 12:23]. What name should they choose, since so many were found? Then this scripture was read, “Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” [Matthew 16:16-18]

This reminded them of another passage, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” [Ephesians 2:20] and others [1Corinthians 3:11, Ephesians 5:23, 1Peter 2:6, 7]. After completing a full study of God’s word on the matter, the settled upon the church of Christ.

Everyone was happy, endeavoring for unity in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. [Ephesians 4:3-6] If any other “issues” arose, they would consult the scriptures. When difficulties came, they searched the scriptures. Whatever they did, in word or deed, they did all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. They were just Christians.

Would you like to be just a Christian? You may, if you do what so many others have done and what is shown in the Bible.