This next Sunday, November 10, we are starting a new series during our 10:30 worship service. I’ve entitled it “Simple Christianity.” I draw that title from 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. He was right to be fearful because as you survey what the various denominations and independent churches teach simplicity is not the word that comes to mind.
Some churches teach you can lose your everlasting life if you commit a really big sin or too many little sins. So which ones are an auto fail and where’s the line on the too many? Others teach if you don’t experience a changed life, you haven’t really believed. Those churches usually teach there is a right way to believe as well as a wrong way. They use terms like genuine faith or saving faith for the right way. I’m not sure they can actually explain the difference. I do know the definition of a changed life changes depending on where you live. So, in this new series we will be exploring what the Bible says about living a Christian life. If having a Biblical foundation on which to build your life sounds like something you would like to have come join us at Trego Community Church.
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In my last post I said reading the Bible is the first step in becoming a disciple. I probably should have said it is the next step because the first step is being a believer in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. Because the truly lasting benefits of discipleship fall to those who have believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. Whatever good you can derive from living as a disciple without everlasting life is lost when you die. To make the absolute most of being a disciple you must be reborn with the everlasting life Jesus Christ offers everyone who believes in Him for it. That’s the message of John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Yesterday, I was asked what is everlasting life. The person asking rightly pointed out that even people in hell are still alive. Is that not living forever? It is certainly life in the sense of continuation of existence. But the Bible also calls it the second death. That gives us some insight into what God considers life and death. The Biblical use of death carries the sense of separation. Physical death is separation from the body and the material world. Spiritual death is separation from God. In John Chapter 3 Jesus Christ referred to receiving everlasting life as being born again, a 2nd birth. He was defining everlasting life as being united with God. It bridges the gulf that separates people from God. So, in answer to the question of what is everlasting life, it is simply this: Everlasting life is being forever united with God. It is living forever in His Eternal Kingdom. The second death defines what awaits people who fail to believe the message of life everlasting promised by Jesus Christ. They will continue to exist after separation from this world, but will be forever separated from God in Hell. Death is not annihilation of existence; it is a permanent separation from God. It is possible that means complete isolation of self. It is certainly far worse than how it is portrayed in comics and literature. Jesus Christ’s offer of everlasting life is by far the best option. He keeps His promises. At Trego Community Church I tend to nag a little about Bible reading. OK, I nag about it a lot. But in a nice way. The challenge is to read at least 4 chapters a day. If you do that you can get through the entire Bible in just under 10 months. And in doing that you have the chance to learn about God. See how He interacts with His Creation. You can learn what His plan is for the Human race. And best of all you can get a snap shot of what He has in store for those who believe in Jesus Christ for everlasting life.
The main reason I stress Bible reading is because it is the first step in becoming a disciple. John 8:30-32 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” You can’t abide in His word if you haven’t read it and learned what He has said. Abide means to dwell or maybe better - set up camp in His word. Or as the Apostle Paul put in Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. We are saved by faith and we are to live by faith. We are to live by belief in the promises found in God’s word. But you can’t believe what you do not know. Living by what I teach or any other pastor teaches at church is not the same thing as living by what you have learned for yourself from reading the Bible. With the Bible you have 24/7 access to God’s revealed truth. It is His word you can look up and read anytime you wish. And the best part is you will get to know the God who is in a truly personal way. He speaks through His written word. He can use it to make you wise. Psalm 119:98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. So, why not take up the challenge? Get in the habit of reading at least 4 chapters a day. You can download a reading plan or do what I do. Start at the beginning and read through to the end. Then start over. Have you read Romans 7:7-12? If so, how would you sum up what he said in one sentence? OK, that is not fair because there is more than one lesson to draw from that passage. Here is one thing I hope you took from what he wrote: ‘focusing on what I should not do doesn’t translate into doing what I should do.’ That is the weakness of religious law. It kind of works like a wet paint sign, you are invariably struck with the urge to touch it just to make sure.
Romans 12:1&2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It is kind of like this, the best way to avoid thinking about pink rabbits is to concentrate on purple elephants. That is the principle behind the renewal of your mind Paul mentions in Romans 12:2. You have to replace the old way of thinking with a new methodology. What I’ll call a new mindset. That is actually what the Bible calls for, a total change of mindset. Our natural or instinctive mindset is tied to the material universe in which we live. Renewing our mind requires new knowledge. Thus, the command to work at studying the Bible, filling your mind with new information. So, here is another great Bible verse on this subject. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Because the righteous one must live by faith (Romans 1:17) we need to know the source of that faith. Faith must have an object and for the believer that is the Bible, God’s word. You can’t believe in something you don’t know. So, we have Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If you have believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life the next step towards being a disciple is renewing your mind by reading and studying God’s word. 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. True knowledge of God’s Word may not change your life, but it will change you. What does the Bible say is our only defense against our proclivity for sin? Is it embracing law? Or is it hiding from the world? As I pointed out in the previous post the Apostle Paul used his personal experience to demonstrate that does not work. Read Romans 7:7-12 for yourself and see what I mean. No, the answer is living by faith, resting in the protection of the Holy Spirit. Paul put it this way in Galatians:
Galatians 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. What does it mean to walk (live) in the Spirit? Walk in the Spirit is actually one of several descriptive phrases Paul uses to describe how to live by faith. In this case I believe he was elaborating on his earlier statement in Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. And he also gave us a list of outcomes that come from walking in the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. These are not skill we have to develop, but manifestations of the Spirit’s presence in us. V. 25 makes the connection between everlasting life (if we live in the Spirit) and walking in the Spirit. Both are the results of faith. We receive everlasting life by believing Jesus Christ for life and we walk in the Spirit by believing Him for living that everlasting life. What we have to believe is what God has revealed to us in the Bible. Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So, knowledge of God’s word is key to walking in the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. That is another descriptive term for walk in the Spirit. We know that because it produces similar outcomes: v. 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice Colossians 3:16 does the same: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Knowledge of God’s word is essential to walking in the Spirit. In looking at why believers should not go on sinning after believing in Jesus Christ I suggest we start with Romans. The first thing to know about Romans is the reason God had Paul write it. You find that in Romans 1:16-18 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So, the Gospel of Christ has the power to deliver (salvation) everyone who believes from what? The wrath of God that is presently being revealed against the sin of those who suppress the truth. Because the just are to live by faith. Faith, not effort and force of will.
That is the central theme of Romans, avoiding God’s displeasure with sin. A concern for both believers and non-believers. For the non-believer step 1 is to become a believer and gain the everlasting life God offers. In Romans Paul uses the word justified to describe the receipt of everlasting life and deliverance from the penalty for sin. Chapters 2-4 of Romans deal with justification. Then in chapter 5 he switches over to addressing believers and their need for deliverance from God’s present-day wrath against sin. And as I addressed in the previous post, believers still have to deal with sin in their lives. 2 key verses that introduce this shift in focus are: Romans 5:9-10 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Notice Paul makes a distinction between being Justified and being saved in v. 9. V.10 makes the same distinction between reconciliation and saved. Obviously, Paul did not use the word saved the way we do today. He wrote justified people who are at peace with God (Romans 5:1) still need to be saved (delivered) from wrath by Jesus Christ’s life. Since believers are already saved from hell, this deliverance from wrath must refer to God’s displeasure with our ongoing sin. Sin which Paul says in Romans 6:23 brings premature physical death. I know that verse is used a lot in evangelism but it is really addressed to believers. It defines one of the consequences believers can suffer in this life for living in sin. This is to what Romans 1:17 was referring: For in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” The last clause actually reads in the Greek as “the just by faith shall live.” I like that better. The believer’s only way to escape the bondage of sin is by faith. Trying harder, doing better do not work. Paul says he tried it that way and it killed his fellowship with God (Romans 7:7-12). So, we need to understand how the just live by faith. More to follow. You may have heard someone say that if faith in Jesus Christ and His promise of everlasting life is all there is to it, then people will go on sinning. Well, if we are going to be truthful about it, those who teach faith must be followed by perseverance also go on sinning. Look at the number of Pastors who teach a faith plus works salvation who have had to leave the ministry because of moral failures. The last time I checked the stats show something like 20% of evangelical pastors have fallen into that trap. So, preaching a faith plus works salvation is no protection against sin. It might actually keep someone from believing in Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life by faith alone.
A well known verse many use when sharing the Gospel makes it clear we never measure up to God’s expectations. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We’ve all sinned in the past, but the second clause of that verse says we presently fall short. It actually means we always fall short, no matter what we do! 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. the Bible states doing good cannot erase sin, only Jesus Christ can do that. Urging people to do better, try harder will not change the reality of who we are; sinners who can only be saved by grace through faith. Likewise, faith is the only solution for dealing with our sin after having received everlasting life. The Bible makes it clear we cannot live as we should by the force of our will. It is only by faith in what He has revealed in His word, the Bible. It requires the renewed mindset only the Holy Spirit can bring. We cannot do it on our own. Romans 5:9-10 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 12:1&2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Galatians 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. More on each of those in the next few blog posts. And what exactly is the offer of life from Jesus Christ? Well, using His words it is Everlasting Life. I capitalized Everlasting Life because it is not ordinary life. It is life that once received never ends. Amazingly, the Lord Jesus Christ offers anyone and everyone who will believe Him for the gift of that life to actually receive Everlasting Life immediately.
So, when can someone receive this gift of everlasting life? Well, according to Jesus Christ, Himself the giver, you receive it when you believe He is the giver of life and believe He’ll give it to you! Take note of this Biblical passage: John 5:22-25 - For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. Those are Jesus Christ’s words and He perfectly understands the language He used. And here is what He said means: God has committed all judgement to Jesus Christ, His Son. And here is the Son’s judgement - he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent me has (a present active indictive verb); everlasting life, and shall not come (a present passive verb) into judgement; but has passed (a prefect active indictive verb) from death into life. Present tense means the one who believes has that everlasting life the moment they believe. They have presently passed out from future judgement. The perfect tense means this passing from death to life is permanent as is the freedom from judgement. There are people who teach everlasting life is something you receive in the future when you die. Others say you can receive it now, but it could be lost if you fail to live up to your beliefs. Both positions ignore the clear and emphatic teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. My advice is you should stick with what Jesus Christ has said because the Father has committed all judgement to Him. I have not posted in a while because I have been working on Jeanette’s Birthday Present. She wanted a porch on the front of our house. We’ve had houses in the past with front porches and enjoyed them. We now have another one. So, now let me finish the thread of thought I started.
In a perfect world we wouldn’t have to deal with failure, right? Well, apparently, we still would because we had a perfect world and Adam still chose to break faith with God. That was the risk God took by creating Adam in His own image. The freedom to make choices means having the freedom to make bad choices. The Creator knew that and being the sovereign and omnipotent God that He is, He took final responsibility for Adam’s bad choice. In Genesis 3:15 God informed Satan, the one behind the temptation of Eve, that He (God) would provide a solution to the problem of sin and death. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15. He promised to send a redeemer to restore what was lost. While there is not a lot of detail in that statement, the Lord did flesh out the plan in the rest of the Biblical revelation. We find out in Genesis 3:21 that God conducted the first substitutionary sacrifice for sin that same day. In Genesis 4 it is revealed He also provided them with a detailed order of worship based on animal sacrifice. Later in Genesis we read about the Lord calling Abram who later became Abraham the father of nations. Then Jacob who became the father of Israel. All of that to ensure we would be able to locate and recognize the promised redeemer. While so many religions are focused on seeking a god they can understand or even control. None are seeking the God Who Is. But He has been seeking us. Through Jesus Christ He removed our guilt and liability for sin. He now offers a free exchange of life everlasting for simply believing He is and He rewards those who seek Him and not another. In my last post I gave a very brief detailed set of ideas I believe explain why the Bible says there are none who seek after God. You may disagree with me but that is way I understand the matter. You may not find my reasons convincing. You won’t be the first. And honestly, I won’t lose sleep over it. It is not that I don’t care, I do. I just don’t see much value in debating. I’d rather challenge you to come up with convincing alternatives.
I believe that the Triune God of the Bible is real. He is one being who exists as 3 persons living in an eternal perfect relationship of fellowship, love and respect. I also believe being 3 in 1 is part of the rationale for the Creation. God wanted to express Himself in a way that allowed for sharing the experience of His life with others. I can’t prove that. It just seems like a logical step for an omnipotent and omniscient God to take. Thus, the first thing God reveals about Himself in the Bible is His Creation. And within the Creation account we find the origins of the Human Race. The different animal species were all created genetically independent of each other. They share a common genetic design because of a common creator but are not genetically connected. He did not do that with the Humans. We all descend from a pair of common ancestors. Adam and Eve were made in the image of God. We don’t know exactly what that means, but we have hints. It included a creative mindset, the ability to make independent choices rather than just following preprogramed instinctive reactions. That last one is what led us into sin. Adam, confronted with a choice between believing his wife or God went with Eve. And sin brought death with it. That changed everything except God’s creative purpose. According to Genesis 1:26-28 He charged Adam and his descendants with partnering with Him in ruling over the earth. This is the first mention of the Kingdom of God. Sin didn’t change God’s intention, but it did alter the path He would follow in achieving His vision of a universe in which we Humans would share management responsibilities with the Creator. |
AuthorBill Lee, Pastor at Trego Community Church. Archives
January 2025
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