Strangers In A Strange Land

Hebrews 11: 8-16 describes followers of God as sojourners looking for a city not built by hands. First Peter 1 echoes this by referring to believers in Christ as strangers on this earth. In a world that is so increasing growing hostile to those who stand on the truths of the Bible, this truth is more and more clear. True believers in Christ are citizens of another country than the one in which we dwell. Our allegiance is to that heavenly country where Christ is first and foremost.

It is easier to pen these words than to actually live them. The Church of Christ has been under attack so much in recent days, both from within and without. We have endured the condemnation of Harold Camping who has declared that Christians who attend a local church are not truly saved, and now many believers are facing outrage, ridicule and rejection, because of their stand on moral issues. We ought not to be surprised (and yet we so often are), because the Bible describes us as in a spiritual war that does not cease. There is a real enemy who is trying to distract and destroy us and to rob us of peace and victory. We need to remember the truth of Hebrews 11 which is we are merely sojourners here. This world is not a friend to the Gospel and certainly not to the believer in Christ. We are the most vulnerable when we try to fit in.

What has lulled us to sleep in my opinion is that we live in a country that is special in many ways. It is certainly different than most in that it was founded upon Christian principles. Believers have rights and privileges that do not exist elsewhere. However, as we see our country turning increasingly to the secular, we see these principles being abandoned and our religious freedom being threatened. When we protest as is our right as American citizens we are seen by society as the ones who are intolerant because we refuse to condone lifestyles that are clearly contrary to what is taught in Scripture. We ought not to be surprised when legislation is passed that goes against our moral convictions. The Bible is no longer seen as objective truth from the mouth of God, but something to be changed by interpretation to fit the present circumstances and to conform to political correctness. We seek to warn in love, but we receive back bitterness and hatred.

Romans chapter one describes the progression of the depravity of man. Basically, it tells us that man in his pride has left the truths of God and claiming to be smarter than God has set up his own way of doing things and in so doing has fallen into the deepest depravity. Having changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator, these have been given up unto vile affections: which involves lifestyles contrary to what is by nature (not my words--see Romans 1:25-28). The Bible then calls this having a reprobate mind “…to do those things which are not convenient”. But when we suggest that God means what he says we are called intolerant, and sel-righeous, because we refuse to look for an interpretation that allows for reasonableness.

Either the Bible is seen as truly being the Word of God, or it is just another book. As Christians we depend on the fact that it is, indeed, the Word of God. Without this being so, we have nothing on which to stand and nothing on which to base our salvation. But as the Word of God we must take the Bible to mean what it says, even if we do not like what it says. It is not to be edited, or changed by interpretation. When it says, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 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)”, we don't have the luxury that allows us to change meaning in an attempt to be politically correct.

The key to understanding the Bible is that it is the story of our salvation. Man has sinned and the wages of sin brings death. All the evil that’s in the world, all the tragedy that man brings upon man, even death itself, is because of our sin. Jesus died so that we do not have to bear the penalty of our sin and so that we don’t have to continue to live under the destructive power of that sin. Pointing out sin, which is living contrary to God’s will, is not an intolerant act of self-righteousness if done through the love of Christ. Our motive needs to be one that seeks to warn so that others can avoid the consequences of activities that ultimately will only bring destruction. Love takes risks. We may receive anger in return. But the potential reward of loved ones turning away from things that destroy and to a life in Christ outweighs the risk.

Believers in Christ will always be misunderstood. We are citizens of another country, a heavenly one. Many of those with whom we share our time on this earth will not hear what we have to say, but if we are true to God’s Word and act in His love—not out of self-righteousness there are those who will and bring praise to Jesus' name.

Bring Them In

I know the last blog on this site was talking about Harold Camping’s attack on the local church. However, I feel there are still more things to be said. Camping’s teachings may not have pulled away so many from the local churches if they were doing what God has called us to do. The emphasis, I said in the last blog, has to be on the Gospel, which is the Truth that we are sinners bound for Hell, but Christ paid for our sins on the Cross at Calvary and whosoever receives the Lord Jesus is saved (see I Corinthians 15:1-5; John 1:12; Romans 10:13). I said in that earlier blog that if a church is teaching this, it is on the right track. However, a church can have the correct doctrine about salvation and still lose its focus.

Camping’s claim that the Holy Spirit has left the local church is unsupportable from Scripture. However, it is easy to see how many might believe Camping when many churches have left the sound teaching of Holy Spirit which is the Gospel. The focus has become how to bring people in the doors of the church, but not on how we help them understand the simple truths of the Gospel. It has become unpopular to speak of sin and even more unpopular to suggest that there is only one way to heaven. Some churches boast of their show on Sunday mornings with sayings like, “Come, be greeted with
a smile by one of our friendly Volunteers, enjoy coffee, experience upbeat and uplifting music by our band and be inspired and encouraged by a creative, compelling, and practical message.” Where is the Gospel in such an invitation? I would daresay that in many our churches there is more of an emphasis on the praise and worship team than on an evangelism team.

How can the local church think it is doing its job when this is so? But that is not all that can be pointed out that’s wrong in our local churches. We have been quick to denounce someone as outrageous as Camping who has continuously made false predictions, yet we stand by saying nothing about others on the airways claiming unction from the Holy Spirit, yet preaching a false Gospel. Indeed it is a false Gospel when one says that Jesus’blood on the Cross did not pay for our sins, that his suffering in Hell did. It is a false Gospel that says Jesus is God and we to will be little gods like Him when we are saved. It is a false Gospel that says Jesus gives us salvation but we have to keep it. We applaud when Sky Angel takes Camping’s programs off the air, but what about these other false teachers as well?

The Gospel is clear. Jesus is uniquely God, the Son.  He is not a god, nor are we. He is not the angel Michael or any other angel. Jesus is not a man who became God. He is God, and as such the only one Who could pay for our sins. He did it all. He even gives us the grace to believe (Ephesians 2:8-10). Jesus Christ changes lives. We are short changing people when we water down or minimize the Gospel in any way, manner or fashion. Our world is in a terrible mess. Congressmen commit immoral acts, lie about it and then say they only did that to avoid embarrassment, and people buy it. Ours is a world of sinners in a desperate situation. Getting people into church however we do it is fruitless unless we give out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Judgment is coming (just not on October 31). However, God's invitation is still valid and still clear. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Shout it on the rooftops, shout it in the streets.  Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost.

What's Wrong With This?

We have been witness to a direct attack against the Church, the Body of Christ. The recent pronouncement of the end of the world from the airwaves and on billboards across the country also carried a condemnation of all organized local churches with the judgment that no one in these churches are saved (or they wouldn’t be in these churches). This is indeed an attack on the local church as well as an attack on The whole Body of Christ for there are believers in local churches despite the claims otherwise. Salvation is based on the Gospel, not on where one worships, and as long as a church preaches the Gospel, it is on the right track.

However, some of the criticisms that have been made concerning the local church are valid. There have been many strange doctrines drifting into the local churches.  There are issues with leadership. The time has come that we must ask how good a good job our churches are doing to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must consider whether the local church has drifted from this primary path and is more focused on “church growth” than on winning souls. We must be careful not to replace the Gospel with programs designed to bring people in our doors without offending anyone.

Many of our churches have become lazy in getting out the Gospel. We get so satisfied with what we are and the fellowship we enjoy with our friends in the church that we forget to reach out to a lost and dying world. Other churches err in the other direction trying so hard to attract the lost that while trying not to offend anyone  that the Gospel has been so watered down as to become recognizable. Still other churches have sought the excitement that comes from new and different things and in so doing have brought in teachings and practices contrary to to the clear teachings of Scripture.

The local church must stand firmly on the simple Gospel that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and that whosoever calls on Him, shall be saved. When we back away from this or add to it in any way we compromise our message. While our methods may differ as will our styles of worship and many minor nonessential doctrines, the Truth that Jesus saves through faith alone must be held sacred for it is sacred. There can never be any compromise on that. As long as we have this Truth there is life in the local church.

The recent pronouncement of the end of the world was changed when the world did not end. It has now been proclaimed that the world has been judged with the result that no more can be saved. We can dispute this point vigorously from Scripture going from verse to verse or we can show that the
local church is alive and well by winning lost souls to Christ. This does not happen by concentrating on the things that are superficial but rather on dwelling on the Truth of the Gospel, letting it change us from within.