No one else to blame
December 12, 2009
Rebellion and disobedience bear serious consequences for the believer. On that there is no disagreement.
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul reminded the believers that the Hebrews in the wilderness had miracle upon miracle to encourage them and they drank from the same spiritual rock that quenched the Christians’ thirst: Christ himself. (vv.1-4) “Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” (v.5)
Paul didn’t mention the severe consequences for no reason. “These things happened as a warning to us ….” (v.6) “They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.” (v.11) And more to the point: “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” (v.12)
Paul goes on to say that the temptations we face are no different from what others experience. But God is faithful and gives us a choice. We don’t have to make the same mistakes others make because the Lord sets a limit to the temptation so it will not be more than we can stand. On top of that, when we are tempted, he shows us a way out so we can endure.
That way, when we insist on choosing rebellion and disobedience, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the consequences we suffer.
Can a believer be destroyed in eternity?
December 7, 2009
Is it possible for a genuine believer to be lost in eternity?
1 Corinthians 8:11 says: “So because of your superior knowledge, a weak Christian, for whom Christ died, will be destroyed.” (NLT)
‘Destroyed’ translates ‘apollumi,’ variously translated in the NAS: bring (1), destroy (17), destroyed (9), dying (1), end (1), killed (1), lose (10), loses (7), lost (14), much (1), passed away (1), perish (14), perishable (1), perished (4), perishes (1), perishing (6), put to death (1), ruined (3). It’s the famous ‘perish’ of the KJV’s John 3:16.
On what basis could a person conclude this refers to the weak believer suffering consequences in this life only?
How would if affect you to know that your displaying a know-it-all attitude could result in a weaker brother falling and being lost in eternity?
What does apostasy look like?
August 14, 2009
Apostasy looks like Satan, envying God’s position and rallying angels in rebellion.
It looks like the Hebrews in the wilderness, challenged to go in and take the Land of Promise but shrinking back in fear — and dying in the desert.
It looks like Judas, betraying his friend and teacher in an effort to force the conflict he believed would bring in the reign of the Messiah.
It would look like the Prodigal Son, if he had been welcomed home, showered with wonderful gifts, treated to a magnificent feast – and then decided to go back to the pig trough.
God’s gift of grace covers all sin. Apostasy is throwing away the gift.
The importance of obedience in salvation
August 11, 2009
What does your church teach about the importance of obedience in salvation?
Listen to what Jesus says in John 3:36 about the disobedient: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (NAS)
And the NLT: “And all who believe in God’s Son have eternal life. Those who don’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them.”
If you wonder why they translated ‘believe’ in the first part and ‘disobey’ in the second, it’s because they are two different words. The first is pisteuô, and we do a bad enough job of explaining what that means. The idea of obedience is inextricably bound up in the notion of trusting.
But if that isn’t enough, the second word is apeitheô, a compound that means “to disobey” and whose root is translated variously: confident, convinced, listen, obey, persuaded, relied, and trust.
If you claim to be believing but aren’t obeying, you aren’t believing.
Failing to finish the race
January 21, 2009
A person does not fail to finish the race just because he falls down. The one who fails to finish is the one who falls down and chooses to stay down. http://tinyurl.com/djl5q4
The danger in ‘Calvinism’
January 10, 2009
The danger in “Calvinism” is precisely the same as that in “Arminianism” — acknowledging only half the truth.
Disowning Christ
January 9, 2009
“Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33 NIV)
A person may disown Christ actively, by what he does, repudiating the One who died to save him.
Can one also disown Christ passively, by what he does not do? Is it apostasy when we fail to bear witness, to be fruitful, to make disciples? Or is that active disobedience, our refusal to obey a direct command?
Who died on the cross for us?
January 3, 2009
Anyone who affirms election but not freedom — or freedom but not election — has got only half the truth.
I’m deeply saddened to see a spirit abroad in the Church like the one in the Corinthian congregation: “I follow Paul … I follow Apollos … I follow Peter.” The body of Christ is being divided into factions. Wouldn’t Paul ask us: “Was it Calvin who died on the cross for us? Were we baptized as Wesley’s disciples?”
A comment from the weekend
December 29, 2008
“Someone who affirms the doctrine of election, yet denies our freedom and responsibility to choose the Lord’s way over our own, has yet to understand the doctrine of election.”
