Doubt Busters

What does faith feel like?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

You might as well ask what reason or the Theory of Relativity feel like. They, and faith, are not feelings at all. The biblical definition of faith means to know something is true. It does not mean to believe in something that has no proof. Although faith itself has no feelings, what you know can result in feelings. You can sometimes get the sense of conviction.

For instance, if you know (“have faith”) that God has forgiven you, you will sense relief in the place of stress. Your stomach won’t knot up at the remembrance of that awful person. You won’t try hard to make up for your wrong.

If you know that a scripture or Bible message was God speaking to you, you will simply put it into practice. That’s faith in action.

The Bible tells us that we walk by faith, not by sight. The Holy Spirit within believers wants to train us to hear and recognize his voice and respond to it in obedience. Noah heard God’s voice and built an ark. Moses heard God’s voice and led the children of Israel through the wilderness. Abraham heard his voice and left his land for another. These actions were not taken in doubt, but with personal conviction. Try to build an ark over a period of a hundred years with nothing to go on but changing feelings!

Faith is certainty. It does not have any feelings of its own, but you can get feelings based on what you know: faith in God’s love and guidance results in peace.

What Do You Think?

a. Since faith means to know something is true, does taking steps of faith sound like doing something rashly or irresponsible?

b. Can you point out any instance where the Bible tells you to look to your feelings to determine truth?

More about this: https://www.stevehusting.com/doubtbusters/2018/12/18/attitudes-of-faith/

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christianity, Doubt Busters, faith, feelings | Leave a comment

Why did Jesus keep talking about the kingdom of God?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

The kingdom of God is God’s plan of the ages fulfilled. It is mankind’s very hope and desire for order and peace realized – which our politics and governments have never been able to accomplish. It is the separation of Satan and sin; the destruction of death and h ell . God’s kingdom is self dethroned and Christ enthroned. In God’s kingdom, hope reigns in the place of despair, love replaces loneliness, and patience substitutes for rage.

It’s easy enough for a child to enter, yet rich and deep enough for an adult to practice the rest of his life. The invisible kingdom exists wherever a believer is submitted to King Jesus. It will exist in its visible manifestation after Jesus comes again to set up his government. Then the wolf will lie down with the lamb, a child shall play with a snake without harm, every government on earth will be replaced, and the righteous sons of God will shine like the stars forever.

It’s no wonder Jesus told us to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” No wonder Jesus told us to seek it first.

Scriptures about the kingdom

Jesus preached it: Mark 1:14

We must receive it like a child: Mark 10:15

We must be born again to enter it: John 3:3

Hard to enter when trusting in riches: Mark 10:24

Beatitudes reflect the character of those in the kingdom: Matthew 5-7

Not everyone in church is fit for the kingdom: Luke 9:62

Abraham and the other prophets will sit in the kingdom: Luke 13:28-29

The coming kingdom will be preceded by particular visible signs: Luke 21, Matthew 24

The kingdom is enjoyed as righteousness, peace, and joy: Romans 14:17

Unrighteous Christians will not inherit it: 1 Corinthians 6:9

Christians of the flesh shall not inherit it: Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5

Those who endure suffering for it are worthy of it: Acts 14:22, 2 Thessalonians 1:5

The Son of God will reign in it righteously forever: Hebrews 1:8

It will replace all other governments: Daniel 2:44

The animals are tame in the coming kingdom on earth: Isaiah 35

Physically described as being on earth: Revelation 21-22

Seek it above all: Matthew 6:33

What Do You Think?

a. Very often when I experience hardship or evil, I am reminded of why I long for the kingdom to come. In what ways do you think sinful mankind can make this world a better place than God can?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, Kingdom of God | Leave a comment

What does it mean to walk in faith?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

First, let’s cover several ideas people may have regarding faith and point out their weaknesses.

“To walk in faith means to trust in your heart.” The Bible never tells us to trust in our heart; it says the opposite. We are told that the heart is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and calls us fools if we do trust our hearts (Proverbs 28:26).

“It means to trust in your feelings or gut instinct.” Again, the Bible never tells us to trust in our feelings. Feelings are too changeful from moment to moment and from person to person, even when the people are all reacting to the same event.

“It means to really, really believe.” This is too vague. Believe in what? Sincerity is not enough, for as we see in the Bible, the Pharisees were sincere, but sincerely wrong – and they crucified our Lord.

“It means to do the best you can, and leave the rest up to God.” This answer comes closest than the others, especially since the others don’t mention trusting God; but it is still lacking.

Now let’s look at several examples of faith in action from the Scriptures.

Hebrews chapter eleven tells us a lot about people who walked in faith – they gave evidence for their faith. For instance, Noah believed that God would send the Flood, so he built an ark. Abraham believed God and left his home country to go to a place he knew nothing of. Moses left the pleasures of Egypt to fulfill God’s will with the children of Israel.

In each case, these men heard God speaking to them, and they took action. To “walk” in faith means that we are taking concrete steps regarding that faith. Noah believed in the coming Flood, though he had never seen one before, and certainly had never seen water fall from the sky – so building that ark was a huge step of faith!

So walking in faith is not just believing in something. That’s why James 2:26 tells us, “faith without works is dead.” Accumulating Bible knowledge without acting on that knowledge is dead faith.

Jesus gave us many promises regarding prayer. Do we believe those promises? If our prayer life is weak, then obviously we don’t think much of them, otherwise we would pray often and with purpose.

Do we believe that those who live according to the flesh will not enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21)? If our lives revolve around fleshly pursuits rather than taking God at his word, then we are unbelieving. We are not walking in faith.

Romans 11 tells of faith’s origin. It comes by hearing God speak to you via God’s word. In other words, faith doesn’t come from self but from God. When we read the word or hear it preached and find God speaking to us, then faith comes. When we respond to God, as Noah did when he built the ark, we walk by faith. We put our faith in action.

Faith is not just believing but being convinced that God has spoken and one must act on it. We may be worried about something, read a promise of God’s love and care, and in faith gladly turn the trouble over to God and trust Him with it. That’s walking by faith.

We walk by faith, not by sight. When we follow through on our body’s cravings or personal knowledge or senses such as sight or other resources, we are not necessarily walking in faith. Rather, we may be walking (or living by or depending on) our fleshly senses instead of trusting in God.

When we became children of God, a new way of receiving information was opened to us. Some call it revelation. The Holy Spirit speaks to us to lead us (John 14:26). He will teach things that go against the natural order we’ve been accustomed to (Romans 8:13). When we follow his leading instead of our natural resources then we are walking by faith. We are in effect trusting God more than ourselves, pleasing God more than self.

How important is walking by faith? Because “without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6). The Pharisees could not accept the new wine of walking by faith, so Jesus turned to a group of men who would learn to trust him and accept that wine. Jesus calls us to a life of faith. It is the narrow road that leads to pleasing God and eternal life.

What Do You Think?

a. Is “walking by faith” and “walking the talk” the same thing? What are the similarities, if any?

b. Is there a contradiction between faith and works? How does walking by faith put the two together?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, faith, walk by faith | Leave a comment

What is the fear of God?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Many think that verses referring to harsh judgment were meant to be applied to the unsaved. But how did Paul see the judgment? As an incentive to get ready lest one be punished! “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences” (1 Corinthians. 5:9-11). Paul applied the judgment verses to himself. As a result, he knew the fear of God, and it motivated him to live an exemplary life.

“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Peter 1:17). If we pray to God, how shall we spend our lives here? In fear. In terror. (In all your descriptions of Jesus, do any of them include “terror”?)

What is the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord begins with the understanding that he does not play favorites. Romans 2:11 tells us that God shows no partiality. God will treat his own people severely; as he did with the Jews who departed from him, so he will do for the Gentile child of God. Here are some examples where he did just that.

In Acts 5 we find Ananias and Sapphira, Christians, lying to the Holy Spirit. At Peter’s pronouncement, they dropped dead. “So great fear came upon all the church” (Acts 5:11). Ananias and his wife were not immune to the judgment of God. The church feared because judgment begins first in the house of God. They learned that God was “deadly” serious about sin.

God loved King David, but he did not spare his hand of correction when David sinned with Bathsheba. The Old Testament chronicles the fall of Israel, the people of God; and Romans 11:21-22 tells us that God may not spare us either if we also depart from a life of faith as they did. The fear of God teaches us to appreciate our salvation and Savior. Both the Jew and Gentile have a shot at glory, honor, and immortality if they aim for the prize.

Also, the church at Corinth had lost some members to sickness and death because they disrespected the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:30). God will discipline His own children severely.

Remember what happened when Moses blew his top after the Israelites complained about the lack of water for the second time? God had told Moses to speak to a rock and water would flow. But Moses angrily struck the rock twice (Num. 20:1-13). Yet God was not angry at the people. Due to his gross misrepresentation of God, because he did not discipline his temper, Moses was disqualified from entering the Promised Land. Paul disciplined his body and brought it under control because he knew that he could be disqualified from entering the kingdom and enjoying a reward if his appetites went unchecked (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). If this does not match our way of thinking about sin and self-discipline, then what did Paul learn that we are not learning? Even Paul and Moses were not above escaping God’s judgment!

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). When we realize that God does not play favorites but operates strictly according to the spiritual laws in his book; when we know that what we sow we shall reap, no matter who we are; when we know that he will cut us off from the kingdom if we choose the way of the flesh – then we’ll begin making wise choices that reflect attention to humility and morality to a higher degree.

Because we believe there is a future judgment for the people of God, who does not show partiality, we know the fear of God.

What Do You Think?

a. How can fearing God help us into loving God the right way? If fearing God helps us to live carefully before the Lord, doesn’t that imply that we would then be living a life that God blesses?

b. Is fearing God and loving God opposite, different, or the same? Explain your answer.

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, fear, judgment | Leave a comment

Why should I pray if God already knows what I want to say?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Some of my friends already know I’m going to talk about the Lord. In other gatherings, I already know the conversation will turn to American Idol, Survivor, and Farmville, with very little variation in what they’ll talk about. But that’s all right; it’s all part of community. When young moms get together, they’ll talk about their babies. Special-interest groups will talk about their interest. This is normal socializing. So God knows in advance what we’ll talk about in prayer – what does that matter? If Jesus encouraged us to pray, shouldn’t that be enough motivation for the obedient disciple?

Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:9-15 helps us understand prayer and our role in it. Jesus told us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” In other words, we are to address God properly. He is our Father, so we are his children and we come to him on that basis. He is in heaven, and we belong there too, so this world is not our home. Are we really adamant about needing that new toy? Who God is to you will frame your prayer life. An unknown God, like the stranger on the bus or elevator, doesn’t inspire much conversation, does it? How grateful I am to know that God is my Father and I may come to him at any time.

Jesus also taught, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We pray to get God’s will done, to see his purposes accomplished on earth. His overriding goal is to replace the current world administration with the throne of Jesus over all. Is that your desire, or do you want things to continue as they are? God answers prayer when it conforms to his will. He longs to see all come to salvation through Jesus Christ. He wants to see your home thoroughly under the government of Jesus Christ. What an exalted view of the family! It drives me to prayer because I can’t see myself doing this by myself.

Jesus continued with, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This tells me that God does indeed care about what I need in life (Matthew 7:7-12). I am not to take my simple blessings for granted, but acknowledge with a grateful heart God’s part. Before throwing money at a problem, why not take it to your heavenly Father first and wait to see what he will do or direct?

The next part of the prayer is, “And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors.” God keeps us honest with prayer. Christianity is not an armchair religion; it doesn’t stay in the realm of intellectual philosophy. God demands that we act it out. If we ask for forgiveness, we should be willing to give it to others. If we hold back from doing what we know is right, God will do the same to us (Matthew 6:14-15, 18:21-35). At times, he will treat us according to our own terms! In this part of the prayer, we know that if we have offended God in some way, we don’t try to make up for it, or try to bargain with God, but come to him for forgiveness, naming the sin.

Next, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” In prayer, we plead for protection from the flesh and the Devil. These two terrors are too great for us to battle by ourselves (Ephesians 6:10-13). We need divine intervention. We are prone to leave the God we love, as one hymnal writer put it. We love sin and self; we don’t love God above all. With constant application of prayer, we will be strengthened against sin and help others stand for the kingdom, and further God’s will in our lives.

Finally, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” Too often we think life’s all about us and what we want. Prayer, properly understood, gives us the big picture. All that we see will be burned up, and God’s kingdom will be established forever. It helps us to keep our prayers in perspective and aim them where they’ll do the most good, where they’re needed. In prayer, we are coming to the one who has all power. Don’t underestimate him. He can do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think. Though the situation looks impossible to us, with God there is always hope.

Be careful about considering prayer from a philosophical approach. When we participate in prayer exactly the way the Bible tells us to, we’ll gain greater wisdom about it – and reap all the benefits as well!

What Do You Think?

a. Most of us find it natural to readily talk to our friends and not to strangers on the elevator. If we have no inclination to talk to God, what are we saying about our relationship with God?

b. If a friend moves away and you want to maintain ties, you could stay in touch by conversations via email, SMS, same-interest forums, or social networking like Facebook or MySpace. Can talking to God help maintain ties with him?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, Lord's Prayer, Our Father, pray, prayer | Leave a comment

How can you possibly believe that a dead man came back to life?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is central to the Christian message. Without it, Christianity would be just another religion. What makes the case so compelling for belief? Here are several ideas to consider.

God knew how hard it would be for us to believe someone could rise from the dead, so he told us throughout the Old Testament that he will raise a particular person at a particular time. Those passages, called prophecies, tell us that Jesus would be in the ground only three days and that his body would not decompose (Acts 2:24-32). It tells us that Jesus would die with pierced hands and feet, foreshadowing the torture of the cross (Psalm 22:16), a method of capital punishment which had not been in existence at the time of the prophecy.

Resurrection was not a fluke occurrence, but planned. Jesus himself spoke to his followers about dying and rising from the dead. They did not understand what he meant, for they had supposed the Messiah of whom God prophesied would live forever. His resurrection was not a secret, for Jesus shared it repeatedly to his disciples. Jesus used his resurrection as a sign that his ministry and words would be vindicated. If he had not risen from the dead, he would be just another good man among historical figures who told people to live a good life. Because he did rise from the dead, his message has startling urgency.

God had a reason for Jesus’ death and resurrection. God had established a means through which his people, the Israelites, could be “cleansed” of their sins, and by which his holy presence could remain in their midst: he instituted animal sacrifices. When a person sinned, he would come to the priest with an animal specified in the law, such as a lamb, place his hands on the animal, and thus transfer his sins to the substitute, then kill the sacrifice. The sinner would see with his own eyes that the animal bore the penalty of death for what the sinner had done. This institution of animal sacrifices looked forward to the sacrifice of Jesus, who became the Lamb of God on the cross, suffering in our place. In Isaiah 53, we see ahead of time Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice fully revealed. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice who died for the sins of the whole world. Jesus died so that we would not have to suffer sin’s punishment in the next life. His death rendered all subsequent animal sacrifices superfluous.

Many people reject the message of the resurrection simply because they do not believe the Bible. However, the resurrection is not a religious issue. It is a historical issue. It occurred in a particular time and place, with particular people impacted by the event. The early Christians lived and died for witnessing to a singular event – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They did not stand for a particular morality or ethics, but a person who was raised up from the dead.

Jesus’ enemies acknowledged that he had indeed died and had been buried in a tomb. They requested of Pilate “that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:64b).

When Jesus died, his followers took down his body from the cross and prepared his body for burial. They had plenty of opportunity to ascertain his condition.

The resurrection of Jesus was central to early evangelistic preaching, and, predictably, it was not readily believed. “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter'” (Acts 17:32). The stories that follow Jesus’ death and resurrection credibly relate the believers’ and unbelievers’ conflict over the message. All the encounters had the ring of truth.

Jesus’ resurrection appearance dramatically changed the disciple’s lives. Immediately after Jesus’ death and before his resurrection, they were cowering in an upper room “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19b). Within days of his miraculous bodily appearance to them, they were standing boldly in the face of opposition, confirming that this “This Jesus God has raised, up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts. 2:36).

No attempt was made by the enemies of the disciples to prove that Jesus’ death and subsequent appearances were a hoax. They presented no evidences to disprove his miracles or the miracles of his disciples. Instead, the leaders attacked the followers themselves and sought to stop their message. The witnesses were so numerous that Paul the apostle, in writing to the Corinthians, noted that many of the five hundred who saw Christ’s post-resurrected appearances were still alive at his writing to confirm or deny the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:6). Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection were historically attested to. Historians have more evidences for the death and burial of Jesus than for any other ancient historical character.

Consider that the Jews have been keeping the Sabbath, wearing the yarmulke, being circumcised, meeting in synagogues, and keeping other practices for thousands of years. Even when persecution scattered them throughout the world, they kept their traditions. The fear of violence and living in foreign lands far from their homeland did not stop their practices. Yet something happened two thousand years ago, at the time of Jesus, that changed their practices. In a short period, the Jews had abandoned the yarmulke, circumcision, and animal sacrifices – something that violence and death had not been able to change for thousands of years.8

What Do You Think?

a. Why should it seem incredible that a God of miracles would use a miracle to get our attention and prove his handiwork?

b. Would the Bible make more sense when you see it as God laying the foundation for the resurrection? Jesus refers to this when he said, “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27). God told us ahead of time what he was going to do. The resurrection is easier to believe when you compare the detailed prophecies with the actual events – events that were not to occur for hundreds of years to come.

c. Did you know that the Bible records the expressions of disbelief on the disciples’ part regarding the resurrection of Jesus? “And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:11). The Bible addresses the difficulty head-on, then leaves us with a promise: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29b).

8. Strobel, Lee, The Case For Christ. (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1998.)

Posted in Christianity | Tagged disciples, Doubt Busters, Gospel, Jesus Christ, Lee Stobel, Messiah, resurrection, The Case for Christ | Leave a comment

Why should I go to church when it’s full of hypocrites?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

If you were sick with a fever, asking this question is like asking, “Why should I go to a hospital when it’s full of sick people?” If you were sick and wanted to get better, you belong in a hospital. (Of course, you have to want to get well when you are there. We’ve heard of doctors who complain, “My patient ignores all my instructions!”)

There’s no better place for a religious hypocrite than in a church where he may hear a convicting message and repent. As in a hospital where many patients do take their medication and get well, churches are filled those who pay attention to the messages they hear, and change.

Hypocrites, which we usually define as someone whose actions are at variance with his belief, will always live among us. Pastor Jon Courson in his New Testament Application Commentary7 recommends getting saved and going to church once a week with these hypocrites so you won’t need to spend eternity with them!

What Do You Think?

a. What’s the difference between a hypocrite with low moral standards and a non-hypocrite with the same?

b. Do all the people at your workplace consistently uphold high moral standards? If not, are you still comfortable working with them?

7. Courson, Jon, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary. (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2003.)

Posted in Christianity | Tagged church, Doubt Busters, hypocrites, Jon Courson, New Testament Application Commentary | Leave a comment

Don’t Christians give up a lot of fun in life?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Surprisingly, Christianity is the most liberty-loving religion on earth: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

The author of this verse said that he could do anything he wanted. This is the liberty of the Christian faith.

However, the author limited himself because he knew actions had consequences. Sure, you can do what you want. But some things you won’t do because you don’t want to go to jail. You are voluntarily limiting yourself. You deliberately refrain from driving on the wrong side of the road. You accept the trade-off because you understand the reasonableness of the restriction – it promotes safety and order in society.

So it is with Christians. They may smoke, drink, and wear tattoos, but many don’t because they know these things can have adverse effects on themselves and their family. And engaging in immorality will harm their walk with God and may harm others.

Some Christians find life rich enough that the pursuit of fun is not a high priority. They find great satisfaction when helping the elderly or poor. While many secular youth are bored, life is full of meaning to the young Christians who know that God has called them to serve others. Why should we constantly seek out the latest fad when we can be happy with the knowledge that God loves us and has entrusted us with important responsibilities for the kingdom of God?

What Do You Think?

a. Do you make time for serious pursuits, like a career, and still have time to enjoy other activities? Why would someone think Christians cannot do this?

b. If someone doesn’t drink, smoke, dance, or watch movies or sports, but enjoys spending time with a whole church company of friends, is he really missing out?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christians, Doubt Busters | Leave a comment

Wouldn’t more people be persuaded to believe if Christianity and the gospel were presented more logically?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Frankly, few people are motivated to make decisions based on logic alone. For instance, a newcomer to a company may notice that all the key players are dressed in black, so the newcomer may dress in black to fit in. Few commercials use logic in their ads. They present stories and situations to suggest that their product will meet a universally felt need: “If I get that toothpaste, maybe I’ll have a girl hanging on either arm like that guy!”

“If my hair had more bounce or my lips more gloss, I too can attract a Prince Charming.”

The commercials also use illogical slogans to persuade: “Be a Pepper too!”

Isn’t it logical for an overweight man to do all he can to lose weight and forestall serious physical problems later in life? In spite of plain warnings and the numerous sad examples around him, he may continue to overeat simply because he loves to eat. (I am not talking about men who are overweight through serious medical conditions beyond their control.)

Others choose to abuse drugs and alcohol to join a gang through peer pressure.

God reaches different seekers in different ways. Some of our needs are physical and aren’t met by logic alone. Jesus chose to heal many people physically, and they believed in him. Today, many people are mentally stressed and need peace. Such people seek God because of their desire for mental healing. Others are lonely and are drawn to the loving presence of God that others enjoy continually.

In several instances, God made a visible appearance. When Jesus knew that one of his disciples, Thomas, could not believe in the risen Savior unless he could put his hands in his wounds, then Jesus appeared to him and showed him the nail prints in his hands and the spear wound in his side, and invited him to place his hands there and believe.

One of the newsletters I received from a gospel organization that works overseas eagerly reported on the many Muslims in the Middle East to whom Jesus had appeared in visions. Those Muslims in turn have gone out to Christians to ask about Jesus.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “For the Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:22). So God used both measures: he healed the Jews through Paul and gave him airtight wisdom to encourage the Gentiles to believe the gospel message.

The good news that God loves us is not illogical. The good news ministers to the mind, soul, and body. The many ways God has won over seekers is a testimony of how deeply he knows us and how he abundantly meets our every need.

What Do You Think?

a. Many religions are not based on logic; they have no proofs for the existence of their major players. Have you examined the proofs for Christianity?

b. Many commercials use personal testimonies to convince us. The Bible also records people’s testimonies to convey the truth of the Gospel (“all I know is that once I was blind and now I see!”). Isn’t this because they are an effective way to persuade people?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christianity, Doubt Busters, Gospel, reason, testimony, truth, Word of God | Leave a comment

Don’t the Crusades and witch hunts prove that Christianity is corrupt?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

German blood runs in my veins. I have read about Hitler and his evils with the Holocaust. What happened with the extermination of the Jews, handicapped, homosexuals, and foreigners ought never to have happened. We learn from this WWII history lesson what people are willing to do when they elevate a man too highly and follow him without question.

Though I am a German in ethnicity, I do not take the blame for what happened in WWII. Though I’m a Christian, I don’t take responsibility for the Crusades and witch hunts. Unfortunately, people make the argument that if men will do abominable things in the name of religion, then all religion must be bad. If you follow this line of thought logically, and if you were an atheist or humanist, would you take the blame and the punishment for atheists Pol Pot and Stalin? Would you read the stories of these men’s atrocities and decide that you would never become a humanist? If wicked leaders used money rather than religion to further their ends, is money therefore evil?

When the government learns of a company’s wrongdoing, an attorney launches an investigation, reviews the books, and interviews many employees and officers in the company and out. Then charges are filed only against those who are suspected of wrongdoing. Instead of sentencing every employee in the company, only the convicted are punished. We should investigate and isolate when we are tempted to smear a whole group.

History teaches us what can happen when men abuse religion for personal gain or follow mob mentality. But history also teaches us what happens when people are used by God for good. Christians established the first hospitals, colleges and universities, spread reading and writing throughout the world to translate the Bible into many native languages, staffed many homeless shelters, and have been in the forefront of supplying help in many disasters. And, of course, they enjoy the love of the true God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What Do You Think?

a. Twenty-one people died in a small community during the Salem witch trials, and 150 people were jailed. Through the work of many courageous, persistent Christians, the trials were halted, the jailed were freed, and laws were passed against trying people for witchcraft. The story includes a gullible judge, dishonest opportunists, and people of integrity – all supposedly sharing the same faith. Shouldn’t this question be reworded to say, “Weren’t the citizens corrupt who were abusing the legal system to get back at their enemies?”

b. If someone at your job was caught cooking the books, how would you feel if the news reporters said that the whole company was corrupt?

c. When crime is found in a corporation, does the government try the suspects in individual trials, or does the government charge the entire company as a whole? If individually, shouldn’t we take the same approach in other circumstances?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged accountability, Christianity, Crusades, Doubt Busters, Salem, witch trials | Leave a comment

Why won’t Christians remove the beam from their own eyes so they will stop judging us?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

God tells Christians to remove the beam from their own eyes so they can judge others with better understanding: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3, 5).

One of the proofs of a removed beam is the presence of love. If the beam of pride is in one’s eye, then that person will look down on others and criticize them severely. When the beam has been removed, this person will speak with humility, knowing that no one is perfect and we need each other.

If the beam of hate is in one’s eyes, that person may harm someone. When the beam has been removed, one has gained compassion for other human beings.

If the beam of impatience is there, this person would cut off others and would not spend the time needed to understand others. With this beam removed, the person will accept the suffering needed to learn and understand.

The passage does not tell us to refrain from judging, but to judge rightly. We judge rightly when we act in love.

It’s important to learn how to show love and mercy, because the Bible says, “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:2). God will judge us in the same way we judge others. So the more we view others based on love and mercy, the more assurance we’ll have that God will treat us with the same.

Ideally, we’ll listen to instruction from others because we want to better ourselves so that we will be ready for the Judgment Seat. When Jesus said to his disciples that one of them would betray him, they did not scoff, but humbly asked, “Lord, is it I?” (Matthew 26:22). Because we sincerely want to change, we can respond to criticism with, “Thanks for sharing that. I’ll pray and see what to do about it.”

Which beam is in your eye that you’ve had such a hard time accepting the reproofs of others?

What Do You Think?

a. In which types of circumstances is it appropriate to point out the flaws in others?

b. If someone hates constructive criticism directed at him, what’s the best way to bring up the issue? Does the Proverbs 9:8 help? It says, “Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christians, Doubt Busters, hypocrites, judgment | Leave a comment

Why are there Christians in prison?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

I am a pen pal to prison inmates. Of the Christian pen pals I have, many of them received Christ while in prison. They ignored God before prison; now they have much time to learn of him. I’ve received letter after letter from convicts who are grateful for being there. They are glad they were caught at the time, otherwise they would have destroyed themselves and their families.

As for those who were Christians when they went in, they said they had fallen away from God, and thus did wrong. Now in prison, they see how wrong they were and are getting back to God. One such pen pal wrote, “I’ve spent far too many years out of God’s will, but when I was incarcerated, I completely surrendered my life to Jesus.”

Some countries fiercely persecute those of the Christian faith and put them in prison. They are there because they would not deny their faith, even though it meant imprisonment or death.

What Do You Think?

a. If you are a Christian, were you nearly persuaded to engage in criminal activity? Why or why not?

b. If you are under a government that is hostile to Christianity, would they find enough evidence to convict you of practicing your faith?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christians, Doubt Busters, hypocrites, pen pals, perseverance in trials, prison | Leave a comment

Is money the root of all evil?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

The phrase comes from the Bible. First Timothy 6:10 tells us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Paul in the preceding verses is addressing people who think that godliness is a way to get rich, who desire to be rich through their religion. For these people, the love of money will be the root of all sorts of evil – of ignoring their spouses, of being workaholics and hurting their health in the process, of spurning the care and teaching of their children, of making foolish financial choices and risking their family finances, and so on. These are all different kinds of evils, and the man’s love of money is the root cause of them all.

In other cases, some people will love the admiration of others, or strongly desire a particular job or thing. They can make foolish choices as a result, and for them, their desire for admiration or a job will be the root of all kinds of evil.

I believe that Paul meant the statement for a specific and narrow application, not a universal one. Nevertheless, people are tempted to do what’s wrong in order to get more money. “Follow the money,” we are told. When reporters follow the money trail, they often write juicy stories of bribes and kickbacks among the rich and powerful, politicians and businessmen, who already have more than enough to enjoy life. Money has been the downfall of many in high places down through the centuries, and will continue to be.

What Do You Think?

a. Does all evil have a single root? If so, what is it?

b. If the Bible claims that God will remove all evil from the world, exactly what will he remove to make sure of evil’s elimination?

c. We are told that “everyone has their price.” Would you be tempted to burgle a house or commit other crimes if you were offered a million dollars to do it? If you were about to lose your house and job, would you reconsider? How much would you accept to rob the government at tax time?

d. If a nosy reporter followed the money in your case, would the trail lead to underhanded deals, or aboveboard helpfulness?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, finances, money, riches | Leave a comment

If you were born in India, you wouldn’t be a Christian but a Hindu, right?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

If I were born in the Middle East, I would probably belong to one of the three major branches of Islam. If I were born in Japan, I might be a Buddhist or Shintoist. If born in Central America, I would probably be a Catholic. If I were born in America, I could belong to any of several religions. I would share in the cultural beliefs and practices of the local people or my own family.

However, it’s important to distinguish the difference between a religious culture’s influence and the work of God drawing people to himself by the Holy Spirit. Most people think that Christians merely subscribe to a particular set of ethics and who practice particular rituals. However, a Christian’s life goes beyond subscribing to various ethics of right and wrong.

The Bible tells us that a Christian is a child of God, not of culture. A person does not become a Christian by his own will power, blood relations, family upbringing, nor by any other agency of mankind (John 1:12-13). Through the gift of faith in Jesus a person becomes a citizen of heaven, and slowly takes up new practices that are often at odds with his former culture.

What Do You Think?

a. If the Creator of the universe himself came into your life, do you think you would continue life like before?

b. If you are a Christian, do you have the same standards in life as your coworkers or fellow students? If so, is that a good thing?

c. If you are a Christian, in what ways have you withdrawn from the culture because of the work of God in your life?

d. Is America a Christian nation? Why or why not?

e. Is someone a Christian simply because of high moral standards and the belief in a higher power?

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How do people grow in their faith?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Christians grow in their faith as they would grow in any other endeavor. Jesus tells us, “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matthew 13:12).

As an illustration of this verse, I can read a book straight through on how to build a boat. But if I don’t actually build a boat, I will not grow in that area. If I continue to read books one after another without applying what I read, I’ll forget what I’ve read earlier. Remember what Jesus said – to those who have, more will be given. The Lord is always looking for people who will respond to his word in obedience (2 Chronicles 16:9). To such people, God increases responsibilities and opportunities for further growth. To those who merely hear and do nothing, even what they have heard will be forgotten.

Another example: I wanted to grow as a calligrapher, so I spent several hours a day practicing. Sure enough, my beautiful writing improved dramatically and friends began requesting wedding invitations. Also, I wanted to grow in my understanding of the word, so I read it often, studied the context of each passage, and put the teachings into practice. This increased my understanding dramatically – reading much enlarged my grasp of many Scripture topics, and practicing what I read deepened my appreciation for the spiritual laws behind the teachings. “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (2 Peter 2:2).

As with any other area of growth, we grow by following the rules laid down in the scriptures about the trait. For instance, 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to “grow” in grace. How do we grow in grace? Here’s a rule I found: Paul boasted of his weaknesses so that God’s grace may be experienced (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). So if we wish to grow in grace, then we acknowledge our weakness and obey anyway, trusting the Lord to provide. (Normally, our weaknesses are grounds for excuses to keep from responding!) When we find God providing the missing strength, courage, ability, or whatever the weakness is, then we’ll grow in grace as we cast away our excuses, and pursue his will. Following the rules for faith or any other spiritual trait will pay dividends.

Paul was saddened by the lack of growth he found in a church. He wrote of them, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12). The Parable of the Sower tells us why many church members remain spiritually immature for years even when they are hearing the faithful word: because they spend more time pursuing their interests in the world than pursuing the things of God (Matthew 13:22).

Paul continues, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews (5:14). We don’t grow up automatically like when we physically age, but spiritual growth occurs for those ‘by reason of use” – they are putting their faith into practice.

We grow in prayer and praise, understanding God’s word, in love and patience, and in many other Christian virtues the same way we improve in any other endeavor. Just because they are spiritual disciplines does not mean that the rules of growth are different than in the world.

How important is growth? Second Peter 1:8-11 tells us that ongoing growth is proof that we have left our sins behind and are not shortsighted (1:9), we show full proof that we are of those whom God had called (1:10), we protect ourselves from stumbling (1:10), and in the end, God will provide us an exuberant welcome into the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

What Do You Think?

a. If you work hard at something, shouldn’t you expect to grow in it? Why shouldn’t this work with spiritual traits as well?

b. If campuses award special recognition to those who have increased their knowledge and participation in the campus, should not Christ do the same for his disciples who have grown in their abilities and character? See Matthew 25:14-30.

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Shouldn’t the Jews be blamed for killing Christ?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

The Bible is clear that the early Jewish religious leaders were foremost in condemning Jesus to death at his trial on trumped-up charges, and they brought him before the Roman governors to request the death penalty (because that right had been taken from them when the Romans took over.) Technically, it was the Romans who crucified Christ, not the Jews.

However, from God’s perspective, the crucifixion of the Son of God by the Jews and Romans was representative of mankind’s wholesale rejection of Christ. For example, when Paul the apostle preached in Athens, he said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). If only the Jews were responsible, then why is God calling all the world to repentance? Why will Jesus judge the whole earth if only the Jews were guilty?

Furthermore, God has not cast out the Jews forever. Paul wrote, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1). If God had a vendetta against the Jews for killing his Son, then why did he save the apostle Paul and commission him to preach the good news? Why would he save Jesus’ disciple, a Jew named Peter, and commission him as an evangelist to the Jews (Galatians 2:7-8)?

When Jesus comes again, he will come to Israel and save the Jews in their moment of greatest need (Zechariah 12), at the battle of Armageddon. They will look on him who they had pierced, and will sorrow. Jesus will even appoint Jews as rulers over Israel in his future, eternal government (Matthew 19:28).

Paul also wrote, “… that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob'” (Romans 11:25b-26).

What Do You Think?

a. Is anti-Semitism appropriate, since God has not cast off the Jews, and has called all to repent of their sins?

b. When Peter preached to the Jews in Acts 2, the Jews believed and repented, and 3,000 souls were saved. Does this show that God prefers preaching repentance over violent acts toward the Jews?

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Shouldn’t all clergy preach for free?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

I went to a church where all the clergy had regular jobs. They thought it was a privilege to preach on their own time in the evenings and on Sundays. However, the Bible does say it’s OK for preachers to receive pay. Paul uses an example from the Old Testament to back this idea: “For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. ” (1Timothy 5:18).

This passage tells us that we rightly feed and care for the animals that work hard for us. We don’t expect them to live off of purely spiritual fare, or tell them that their labor is its own reward.

In the real world companies, people who work every day don’t simply receive a pat on the back for their hard work. They are paid. Clergy should receive the same consideration for their hard work as well.

“The labourer is worthy of his reward” means that the worker should be fairly paid. How often have you heard news anchors and actors speaking to you through television? They are paid for their work. The clergy, who speak to us the way of everlasting life, should also be paid fairly for their work.

What Do You Think?

a. Do you believe strongly that spirituality and money affairs should be kept separate? Why or why not?

b. Do you believe that preaching for money will corrupt the message and messenger? If so, do you believe every person who works for a living is corrupt?

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What is so special about the cross?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Christians highly value the cross because it means that our sins were borne by Jesus on the cross. The cross was an instrument of Roman torture to administer the death penalty. The criminal was nailed to a beam with his hands over his head or to a cross-beam with his hands spread out. His feet were nailed below. In this hunched-over position, the victim died of suffocation, complicated by loss of blood and other factors.

It’s very important that we recognize that Jesus was nailed to the cross, because prophecy in Psalm 22 indicates that God’s anointed will die by having his hands and feet pierced and his bones will go out of joint. This happens when a person hangs on a cross. (If Jesus had died in any other way, he would not have been God’s chosen Savior.)

It is shameful for someone to die on a cross, and God chose that form of death on purpose. Jesus took on all the shame of our sins when he was on the cross. Then he died. But the third day he rose from the dead – because only people who sinned must stay dead. Jesus never sinned, so death could not hold him.

In the Old Testament dealings with the Israelites, God had instituted animal sacrifices, and it is here that we see the meaning of the cross. When a Jew knew he had committed sin (broken one of God’s laws), he was to take an animal from his flock and kill it before the priest to make atonement for his sin. Those sacrifices teach us that God accepts a substitute – that another may die in our place. On the cross, Jesus was not dying for any sins he had committed, for he was sinless. He was dying in our place. We have broken God’s laws and need to bear the punishment. Jesus is called the Lamb of God because he was the lamb sacrificed in our place. Now, believing in him, we are forgiven all our sins and come into a right relationship with God. In this way is Jesus’ death different from all the criminals’ that the Romans had crucified.

The empty cross reminds us that Jesus rose again. It is a symbol of God’s love. You want to know how much he loved you? Well, see the hands stretched out on the cross? He loved you that much.

What Do You Think?

a. God foretold hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth that he would die with his hands and feet pierced. Jesus was sentenced to die even though he had done nothing wrong – another prophecy that was foretold. Does this sound like God had figured out a way to deal with our sins in advance? Why or why not?

b. If the Son of God had to become man and suffer agony on the cross to set us free from our sins, then what does that say about our efforts to deal with the sin issue, including being a good person?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged animal sacrifice, cross, crucifixion, Doubt Busters, flesh, Gospel, Jesus Christ, prophecy, resurrection, sin | Leave a comment

Should we keep the law?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Well, we need to answer two questions first: (1) Why should we keep the law? (2) Which laws are we referring to?

1. Why should someone keep the law? One of the reasons people give for keeping the Bible laws is to be good people. Unfortunately, the Bible tells us expressly that if we want to be righteous before God, keeping the law will not work. Moreover, according to James 2:10, if we break just one law, we will have the book thrown at us – God will account us guilty of breaking all of them!

2. Which laws are we talking about? If we are talking about the laws in the Old Testament that were administered by the Levitical priesthood (such as the feasts and sacrifices), then no, we don’t need to keep those laws. God gave those laws to ancient Israel to keep, not to the whole world. We have a new priest in Jesus, and the Bible says nothing about his priesthood administering the OT laws. Hebrews chapters 9-10 are clear about this. He is instead the author and finisher of our faith, not our law-keeping.

If we believe that we are servants of God, and God still speaks to us today, then we necessarily believe that we will receive commandments from God. Those commandments must be kept, not because we are trying to be righteous before God or earn salvation, but because we are his grateful servants and children. The New Testament gives us many commandments that will help us lead lives well-pleasing to God when done in faith.

What Do You Think?

a. The New Testament contains plenty of commandments for believers. Does the Old Testament have any in particular that you wish to keep as well?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, Mosaic Law, Ten Commandments | Leave a comment

What would happen if Christians actually followed their Bibles?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

When Christians have followed through on the Bible, they have transformed society for the better. According to What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? 6, by D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, here is what Christians have accomplished when they put the Bible into practice:

They have put a value on human life, even from inception.

Christians have been in the forefront feeding, clothing, and helping the poor all over the world. Many Christian volunteers have provided much help in the several disasters we’ve experienced lately.

It was Christians, not humanists, who started colleges and other institutions of higher learning. The original purpose of these universities was to educate and equip men and women to live their lives for Jesus, and spread the gospel message.

Some Christian founders of America have stamped their values in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Through personal investigation of God’s creation, many prominent early scientists have deduced that God is a lawgiver and a God of order. So they have taken it upon themselves to discover the natural laws that govern God’s creation. Many early scientific breakthroughs came from Christians who were exceptional in their branch of science.

Christianity has had a huge impact on the work ethic.

Christians established the first hotels and hospitals, based on care for strangers and compassion on the disabled and hurting.

When Christians have lived out the principles found in their Bibles, they have made the world a better place to live.

What Do You Think?

a. Is it possible for two Christians to arrive at different conclusions based on following the Bible? Why or why not?

b. Why are Christians found among Democrats and Republicans?

c. How can you tell when Christians are or are not following the Bible?

d. If you believe that religion is the reason for much of the world’s problems, did the listing on the previous page surprise you? If so, where did you get your ideas from, and why should you trust that source?

6. Kennedy, D. James and Newcombe, Jerry, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1994.)

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Bible, Christian, Christians, church, D. James Kennedy, Doubt Busters, follow the Lord, obedience, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born, Word of God | Leave a comment

What do you get out of going to church?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

I get to hear instruction from the Word of God from a man who explains it clearly and helps me to apply it to my life.

I get an opportunity to hear God direct my life.

I hear a promise that gives me a fresh perspective and lifts my spirits.

I have tasks to do there that can make an eternal impact on the lives of others.

The worship experience is so much richer when the whole congregation praises God.

I can give of my goods to help others in need.

I can share a message that encourages someone else.

I can bring my child in so he can learn from those who teach in a way that children can understand.

I can be convicted by the sermon or another brother, and change direction in life.

I can learn from other imperfect people who struggle with their faith.

I maintain a good conscience from doing what God said to do.

What Do You Think?

a. Do you belong to a non-church-related club that shares your interests? How do you think that group is different than a church? How is it similar?

b. Do you go to church? Are you getting any benefits out of it? Why or why not?

c. Who gets the most benefit out of church, people who participate in the meetings or people who don’t?

d. Do the benefits of church come from attending the meeting place, or from other people who are exercising their role and purpose in the church?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christians, church, obedience, pray, Word of God, works | Leave a comment

Will we be more prepared for judgment if we kept the sabbath?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

One group of Christians which strongly makes its voice heard regarding readiness for the end times believe that we must keep the sabbath law or we will be damned – all our efforts will be for nothing. You will miss the Rapture. You will not be in the kingdom. You are an idolater who should burn forever.

Does the sabbath’s importance really carry this much weight? Did God intend for the sabbath day observance to be our highest priority, that without it all our holy practices and obedience to God will fail? Let’s examine the passages regarding the sabbath in the Old Testament and the New. The scriptures are where I get my teachings, so I will ignore the writings of the many believers who insist on keeping the sabbath. You can use an online Bible search and search the Word for “sabbath,” as I did for this study.

God repeatedly promised severe penalties for those who would not keep the sabbath:

Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. (Exodus 31:14)

But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. (Jeremiah 17:27)

Clearly, God felt strongly about His people keeping the sabbath. Various penalties have been shaken before the Israelites, including death, fire, and being cut off or cast out of the land. The sabbath rituals were a non-negotiable with God.

In addition, God clearly indicated that the sabbath was to continue for a long time:

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. (Exodus 31:16)

Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. (Leviticus 24:8)

It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. (Leviticus 16:31)

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 66:23)

These passages clearly indicate that God did not intend for the sabbath to stop. He expected His people to keep them “perpetually,” “a statute for ever,” “from one new moon to another,” “throughout their generations.” How many different ways does He have to say it before we get the point – the sabbath was meant to be kept always. We already know the penalties for neglecting or dishonoring the sabbath day with work: death and fire. So are the sabbath-keeping Christians right about this after all? If we stop here, we must agree. However, if we remain with this conclusion, then I believe it conflicts with later biblical revelation. Clearly, the sabbath statutes are not supposed to end. But is that the real meaning of “perpetual”? Let’s take a look at other verses using this word and let the Word interpret itself:

And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons. (Exodus 29:9)

We know from Hebrews 7:11-12 that Aaron’s office has been shut down:

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. (Hebrews 7:11-12)

The Old Testament priesthood was not “perpetual” at all in the English sense of the word. The Aaronic priesthood (with the Levitical priesthood) came to an end when Jesus came. When Jesus came, the law changed. So the law was never meant to continue forever. “Perpetual” means a long time, not forever.

Look at a couple more instances of “perpetual.” God speaks of perpetual judgment on Israel:

To make their [Israel’s] land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. (Jeremiah 18:16)

And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten. (Jeremiah 23:40)

Has this judgment continued on Israel? No, for God has shown mercy and Israel has prospered abundantly. The perpetual was conditional. Perpetual does not mean forever, but a long time, until something else interrupts it. In this case, Jesus’ priesthood replaced the Levitical priesthood, as mentioned previously. Why is this significant? Because the Levitical priests officiated over the sabbath. If there are no Levitical priests, the sabbath cannot be observed:

Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. (Leviticus 24:8)

And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. (Nehemiah 13:22)

Has the Lord clearly changed His mind about a “perpetual” ordinance? Yes; He told Eli in 1 Samuel 1:30 that though He promised that Eli’s house would go in and out before Him “forever,” the Lord changed that, “for those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” The promise was conditional on honoring the Lord. The Sabbath certainly did not result in people honoring the Lord; the Israelites were disposed to follow after the gods of the peoples around them.

Let’s consider something else. Remember the severe penalties for violating the sabbath? Well, just when it is acceptable to ignore the sabbath laws? Jesus Himself violated the sabbath laws several times and the priests called Him to account over and over:

And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? (Mark 2:23-24)

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Mark 2:27-28)

It was against the sabbath law to work. Plucking ears of corn was considered work, not rest. Yet Jesus, the Author of the sabbath, had no problem with His disciples helping themselves to the corn. What was the guiding principle here? Mercy and compassion should guide the application of any spiritual law. The disciples were hungry, so they should eat, sabbath or no. When Jesus said that the sabbath was made for man, He was saying that the sabbath yielded to the needs of man. Furthermore, the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath. The sabbath was not the highest law. Jesus is even higher than the sabbath. This means that following Jesus is a higher priority.

We can see how promoting the sabbath law more highly than we ought will harden hearts of those who prize it too highly:

And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. (John 5:16)

The sabbath is mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament. In the book of Acts, it tells us when the people met in the synogogue. For example:

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, (Acts 17:2)

These passage merely tell me when they met. None of the passages indicate that meetings must be held on that day. Historically, Jews met for reading of the Word on the sabbath days. Shall we follow this custom because the Jews did? Shall we follow this custom because the Scriptures say that it is a “perpetual” statute?

Jesus did not come to destroy the law. He came to fulfill it:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17)

In what way does He fulfill the law? The following gives us a clue:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Love and compassion fulfills the law. (Truly, if the sabbath was supposed to be the greatest law, this would have been a terrific place for Jesus to mention it!) The law could never make us perfect. It could never take away our sins or our guilt. When we try to keep laws and fail, we are ashamed and draw away from God. With the coming of Jesus, we find God merciful and may draw back to Him again:

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. (Hebrews 7:19)

There was something “wrong” with the law, in a matter of speaking. That is, it could not fulfill God’s purpose of creating a people who love to serve Him. So God disregarded the law and replaced the covenant with a new covenant. Instead of trying to follow external laws written on paper, God would put the law in our hearts so that we follow it from an inner prompting to obey:

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (Hebrews 8:7-10)

With Jesus, we find the ability to obey the spirit of the law, which is to love one another. When we love God and others, we fulfill the law. We yield to the goodness of God and eagerly serve Him, something we find difficult to do consistently by obeying principles alone. When we find ourselves failing, the law could only condemn us, and we withdraw from God in failure. But with the new covenant we may come boldly to Christ – and find His cleansing blood and a Shepherd who eagerly receives us again.

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:16-17)

This is not the covenant with the sabbath! This is the covenant of faith in Jesus:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

I conclude that we need not worry about keeping the sabbath law. A greater than the sabbath has come. Those who insist the sabbath must be observed forget that the law, of which the sabbath is a part, never made anyone perfect – Jesus perfects us. It never forgives sins, but reminds us of sins repeatedly – but Jesus forgives us. It never sanctifies us – but Jesus has sanctified us through the offering of His body.

What Do You Think?

a. Is Sunday the Christian sabbath? What proof do you have to back it up?

b. If you believe in keeping the sabbath, are you making up your own ideas on how to go about it, or are you following the laws of the OT?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, Israel, Jews, judgment, Mosaic Law, sabbath | Leave a comment

How can anyone know God’s will?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

When a soldier needs to know his commanding officer’s will, he asks, “What are your orders, sergeant?” When an employee wants to know what the boss wants done next, she asks, “What do you need me to do now, sir?”

How do we find out God’s will? We go to God, of course. But that answer’s too short. Let’s look at the issue in more detail.

Before the soldier is on the battlefield asking for orders, he’s first in the classroom listening to instruction and reading field guides. It starts that way too with the Christian who wants to know God’s will – she goes to a Bible-teaching church and she studies God’s field manual, the Bible.

The Bible gives plain direction for living. It guides our thoughts, words, attitudes, and behavior. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). It tells us what to do and what not to do. It instructs us in God’s character and ways. Later, when we are praying for his will, we’ll get answers and we’ll be able to compare the impressions with the Bible to find out whether the voice was from God or elsewhere.

For instance, the Bible tells me, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). So if I am about to act in uncontrollable anger, then anything I do will be against the will of God. My first step would be to calm down and submit to God’s way of doing things. Only then will I have the calm head to figure out the right course of action. The Bible tells us in what attitude to approach in life so that we will pursue life with God’s values in mind.

We will be confused about the will of God when we habitually live for ourselves. “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1Peter 4:2). Imagine a soldier trying to work out a commander’s orders to rush the enemy – while trying to stay comfortable in the foxhole! Choosing your own way over God’s way will send you in the wrong direction. When we put our desires ahead of God’s will, we’ll miss any kind of spiritual wisdom. But when we choose to resist the world’s ways to understand our God, we will win: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

The problem comes when we try to know God’s will in specifics, like, “Does God want me to marry that person?” “Should I go to that college?” There are no specifics on which college or which woman to marry, only guidelines on moral choices and behavior to take as we consider these things. (For instance, we are to marry only those “in the Lord,” not unbelievers.) Where these things are not specifically mentioned, we have free will to choose what’s right. Adam had free choice to choose whatever he wanted to eat, just not from that one tree. The instructions were clear and full of liberty – he did not have to ask God every day what he could eat or when.

What Do You Think?

a. Since there is no shortcut to knowing God’s will, are you willing to take steps to get to know God on an ongoing basis?

b. We may not know as much about God’s will as we’d like, but he has shown us how to live in the Bible. Shouldn’t we start with his revealed will first? Why or why not?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Bible, Christians, Doubt Busters, God's will, Word of God | Leave a comment

What is the grace of God?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Grace is the amazing willingness of a holy God to help fallen men and women. When we don’t understand grace we’ll try to become good enough before we think God will act on our behalf. Many of us think we are not worthy and miss out on the incredible resources God showers upon unworthy sinners.

Consider that God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Yet Moses was a murderer! God also helped King David, although he was a murderer and adulterer – both crimes demanded capital punishment. Remember that Paul, who wrote many of the New Testament epistles, had formerly imprisoned and killed God’s believers. Paul said of his being chosen by God to encourage his believers, “The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant” (1 Timothy 1:14a).

The greatest example of God’s grace is the sacrificial offering of Jesus on the cross to pay the price for our sins. God, a holy and righteous judge, could have simply banished us to h ell to satisfy his justice. Instead, his Son chose to suffer and die for our guilt.

To misunderstand God is to misunderstand grace. Grace is not mercy. When God shows mercy, he refrains from giving us what our iniquities deserve. With grace, we receive what we could never earn on our own. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) because Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses. He does not point out our faults to demoralize us, but to give us strength to overcome. This is grace; instead of punishing us or driving us away, God opens the path to himself, then gives us every resource to triumph over the issue.

God releases grace when we act in faith in a way that furthers his purposes. When we believe God for a particular decision or a Scripture passage, God grants us help for the journey. When God enables by his grace, one consciously labors beyond one’s own ability – and praises God for it. “To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29). This increases our confidence to persevere in spite of any setbacks.

This grace is so little experienced because God is so little believed. We do not believe because we think we’re not holy or spiritual enough, we’ve done too many bad things, other people ridicule our inspiration and we take it to heart, God has it in for us, we’re satisfied to live for this world, we are too weak, and many other grievous reasons.

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1). If God has given us his Son, how much more will he give us whatever we need for life and godliness? Take hold of God’s promises, run with them, and see what he will do!

What is it like to rest in God’s grace?

With an expectation of God’s grace:
•   When taking an particular step, we have an expectation that God will do good, but not necessarily our way. It gives us a positive outlook in life.
•   We don’t consider whether we’ve been good or bad. God is not keeping count of our positives and negatives.
•   We don’t consider the risk as too great or our sufficiency as too little; we expect God to provide.
•   Circumstances don’t discourage us because Jesus is Lord over our circumstances.
•   We become more thankful.
•   We are not quickly crushed under the pressures of life, for God can use those in our life for good.

Without an expectation of God’s grace:
•   We pick away at flaws.
•   We are negative about our chances; we expect little or nothing to come of it. So we have less energy to pursue a project, or don’t have the heart to begin.
•   Our prayers don’t have an expectation of help or hope; instead, we whine or groan.
•   We worry; we are anxious and fussy. We complain about things and don’t recognize the blessings that we do enjoy and that others lack.
•   We are not thankful.
•   We wilt too quickly under pressure.
•   We consider ourselves and how we’ve failed God.
•   We look on our negative experiences and not on what God can do.
We figure out how we would do it, and attempt little.

What Do You Think?

a. If God was willing to use men who murdered, why would he not be willing to use you?

b. Grace means that God works with us even when we don’t deserve it. Does that mean we ask for his help after we’ve saved up a lot of good deeds and can bargain with him, or may the Christian walk boldly to the throne of grace to ask for help?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Doubt Busters, faith, Grace | Leave a comment

If there is free will, how can God be in control?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Your will is not as free as you suppose. Your upbringing, culture, personality, conscience, friends and acquaintances, role models, and the media have shaped you in many ways. For instance, if you are shy, your decisions at a party would be different than an outgoing person’s choices.

The community has further restricted your will by laws regulating your conduct in public, including in your home, on the streets, school, and workplace. Drugs, alcohol, and medication may also inhibit your free will, discouraging or encouraging you to take steps a sober person may never take.

The sanctified Christian’s free will is different from the free will of the unregenerate, although both share many of the same limitations. The Christian can tell God, “Lord, I give you my life. I give you permission to bring anything into my life to conform me into the image of your son. Use me to fulfill your purpose for me.” We enjoy free will the most when we learn of God’s will and voluntarily give ourselves to it. God is in control because we have freely of our own will given him permission to work in our lives.

The Christian freely limits his actions, thoughts, and words to the direction of the Word of God. In doing so, the Christian finds greater life as God indwells that person. The Christian, freed from the forces of sin, has the liberty to say yes to God’s will. The person controlled by sin can only say, “I can’t follow God.”

What Do You Think?

a. If you claim to have a free will, can you choose to follow God no matter what?

b. Which person has a freer will, the one who takes money illegally when tempted, or the one who refrains from taking the money?

c. How can self-restraint be a good form of free will?

d. Are there forms of self-restraint that go against free will?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christian, control, Doubt Busters, free will, sin, Word of God | 1 Comment

Why do you Christians think you are better than the rest of us?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

I was not born a Christian. I became a Christian when I realized that I had offended a holy God and needed his forgiveness. Apart from that forgiveness, I was headed for h ell . How can I say I am better than others when, after all the good I had done, God saw me fit for eternal punishment? Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, set the standard of righteousness by which God will judge humanity, and I had fallen short: “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). So I am going to the kingdom of heaven, not because I am better than anyone else, but because I had entered into the one door that leads there: Jesus Christ.

Now every time my thoughts and motivations are based on the word of God, I know I am going in the right direction. Some people will object to the teachings I get from the Bible. In that case, who thinks he is “better”? Me, who borrowed the teachings from God above, or the person who boasts that his ideas are better than God’s?

Nevertheless proud Christians will be found everywhere. I did not start out my Christian life with the above mentality. Pride is inherent in all that we do. Pride does not die easily. When I became a Christian, I found new ways to wear the garment of pride, like priding myself over my Bible knowledge. Others are proud because they belong to a particular denomination. Still others look down on others because of their own superior religious works – whether in kind or quantity.

The disciple Peter was proud. When Jesus told Peter than he would deny the Lord, Peter protested (Matthew 26:31-35). Peter was too proud to recognize his own frailty. The proud are humbled when the shallowness of their pride and joy is revealed to them. Peter was broken when the Lord’s prophecy came true and he denied the Lord three times, as prophesied.

The apostle Paul was proud. In Philippians 3:5-6 he spoke of all those traits that made him feel superior to everyone else. But he threw them all away when he found that righteousness was through faith in Jesus Christ alone. He actually found those attributes of his pride to be harmful to his walk and future.

When you find a Christian acting in pride against you, there’s not much you can do except remind her of where she would have gone if not for faith in Jesus Christ. None of her works or status had helped her before then, and none of it can improve on faith’s righteous standing now.

What Do You Think?

a. Unfortunately, many Christians have put themselves in the place of superiority over others. If you are a Christian who knows that Jesus alone saved you from h ell , do you have any reason to think of yourself as superior to others around you? Why or why not?

b. Some people think Christians are arrogant because they say that Jesus is the only way to God, or that the Bible is the only truth. But if those people say that Buddha is the only way and the Bible is full of errors, are they being arrogant? Actually, a person may be wrongly arrogant, but still say the truth about a matter. My pride or lack of it would not change the truth about Jesus or Scripture.

Posted in Christianity | Tagged Christians, Doubt Busters, Gospel, hypocrites, pride | Leave a comment

Don’t Christians have to answer for what other Christians have done in the name of Jesus?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

We can derive an answer from a story in the Bible. Jesus told a story of three servants who received instructions from the same master. After the master delegated duties to each man, he went away. When he came back, he wanted to know how the servants did. After hearing two servants give a good account of their work, he said to each, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21).

After a third servant recounted his part, the master called him a “wicked and lazy servant” (Matthew 25:26), and took away his privileges.

He treated each servant differently, based on each servant’s own performance. When he called a servant wicked and lazy, it did not change the status of the other servants.

So each of us will answer for our own actions, not the actions of others (1 Corinthians 3:8).

What Do You Think?

a. Do you think it would be fair to punish everyone in a company for the crimes of a few? If not, then do you think God would be less fair? Why or why not?

Posted in Christianity | Tagged accountability, Christians, Doubt Busters, responsibility | Leave a comment

Isn’t the Bible full of contradictions and mistakes?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

Theologians have placed Bible difficulties and contradictions in various classifications in order to unravel their problems. For instance, some problems are due to sequence, such as the events following Jesus’ death at the end of each of the gospels. They don’t follow the same order of events nor include the same details. Yet some groups have assembled perfectly plausible sequences of events from the four chapters.

Another classification is scribal error. Copying a document by hand day after day is bound to introduce some errors, such as repeated words, missed words, missed or miscopied letters, or repeated or dropped lines. By comparison of manuscripts and careful analysis, we’ve been able to detect these types of errors.

Our English Bibles are translated from the existing (called “extant”) manuscripts, and are frequently not word-for-word translations. Mistranslations have introduced complications between verses, especially in earlier Bible translations, where none really exist.

People have introduced difficulties due to their own interpretations of the Bible text. Correcting their understanding usually resolves the so-called difficulty.

Another classification deals with the compression of events. Details are omitted to condense the story or focus on key points. For instance, in Matthew 20:30 we read of two blind men calling out for Jesus to have mercy on them. In Mark 10:46 we find only one blind man calling out for mercy, and we are given his name. They are either two separate events or Mark’s retelling of the story leaves out one of the blind men. Mark’s quick-moving narrative is noted for its sparse detail.

The Bible authors have arranged their material to suit their audiences, and that introduces another series of Bible difficulties. Matthew included details in his gospel that concerned his audience of Jews. Mark and Luke audiences were different, so those details were omitted, since they were not necessary.

Another classification concerns geography. In one case, Jesus is said to leave Jericho to go somewhere. In another gospel of the same event, Jesus enters Jericho. Which is correct? Both are! In the first case, the writer references the old Jericho site to place Jesus, while another author uses the new Jericho site. Hundreds of Bible difficulties have been cleared up by archeological digs. Historical figures and places thought to be made up have been uncovered over the centuries that verify the biblical accounts.

The Bible’s arithmetic has been called into question. For instance, we are given the circumference of a large bowl in 2 Chronicles 4:2, and its width. Yet the width does not exactly match a bowl of that circumference. In this case and others, that’s because our tools make exact measurements to several decimal places while they used their fingers, hands, arms, and crude sticks. Their measurements were of necessity approximations.

We encounter other Bible difficulties when we apply our present-day thinking or customs to the ancient times and mores of the Bible. In some cases, what is wrong to us today was acceptable in their times.

Other Bible problems arise from thinking of God as a two-dimensional cardboard character. In one place he loves; in another place he hates. Well, don’t we all love something and hate other things? God’s character is complex, like our spouse’s!

Many, many knots have been unraveled over the centuries, but some stubborn tangles still remain. Thankfully, many solutions have been offered for the remaining problems, though they do not convince all.

The main contention people have is that if God is so perfect, and he’s the one who wrote the Bible, then why would there be any contradictions at all? Why can’t every event be perfectly synchronized among the various writers? Why can’t all arithmetic figures be exact to the decimal point? Surely he should have anticipated all the problems that would arise today.

Actually, today we have more resources for proving the accuracy of the Bible than ever before. Witness the explosion of Christian books from the perspective of archaeology, science, ancient manuscripts, and theology that are successfully putting to rest centuries of attacks. Because literally thousands of objections have been raised and thoroughly and convincingly refuted over the centuries, I have no problems with any remaining issues.

As seen in other places in this book, God has provided us with more than enough helps for us to intellectually accept what he has written. Remember that the Bible was written for God’s people. You can expect his enemies to try to find reasons not to believe. No matter how much evidence comes up to verify the Bible, they’ll always find another problem. Web sites gleefully list the many “problems” they’ve found. If they are looking for problems, they will always find them. This book is not for them. Do not argue with them.

On the other hand, there are those who want to believe, but cannot because of the difficulties they’ve read about. These difficulties are surmountable for a believer, but to someone who knows little about the Creator, they are a strong barrier to the truth of God. If any of them really wants to know the truth, the Lord will guide them there, as he has been doing for thousands of years to others.

For those who love arguments, books like this one in your hand will be worthless. For those who are seeking answers to Bible difficulties, this and similar books will help fill the need.

What Do You Think?

a. Many skeptics do not consider the Bible divinely inspired because of inconsistent details among the gospel accounts. If the details of all gospels perfectly dovetailed with each other, why do you think skeptics would still not consider them divinely inspired?

b. Some believers are able to put aside any contradictions and wait to see if any answers crop up later. Others decide to stop believing everything about the Bible when they find a problem area. What do you think about these two approaches?

c. When you get contradictory information from two acquaintances, how do you resolve the issue – do you heckle them, simply believe the most trustworthy person, do more research independently, or use another method? Do you deal with Bible difficulties the same way?

Posted in The Bible | Leave a comment

Don’t the passages in the OT mentioning evil, proud, fools, and wicked persons refer to the unsaved, and good, wise, and righteous persons refer to the saved?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

I used to interpret my Bible that way. When I trusted Christ, God imputed his righteousness to me. Therefore I thought the verses referring to the good, wise, and righteous I applied to myself. Everything evil I applied to the unregenerate … until I found those same negative verses in the NT being applied to the believer.

Wicked
“Therefore ‘put away from yourselves that wicked person’ ” (1 Corinthians 5:13). Here, Paul applied an OT verse (Deuteronomy 13:5) to a man in the church who had immoral relations and was corrupting the others. He was pronounced “wicked” and ordered removed from the church until proofs of repentance were seen. He was still a Christian, though, and was allowed back into the church meeting when he repented.

Evil
“For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:4). Many verses warn us about stopping certain bad behaviors. This verse was directed to Christians in Rome. Be assured that if we willfully continue in the way God has forbidden us, he will not call us righteous. “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7).

Good and Evil
“Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:11-12). In this verse, Peter does not only quote the OT (Psalms 34:15-16), but applies the positive and negative consequences to the believer. The Lord makes a difference between believers who are good and bad according to their works.

Proud and Humble
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ ” (1 Peter 5:5). Peter encourages us to be humble, using an OT teaching (Proverbs 3:34). He hopes the negative consequences will carry enough force to alter our behavior so that we may receive grace.

Wicked and Lazy
“His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant” (Matthew 25:26a). After returning to his home, this lord asked his servants to give an account of how they fared with his goods. The third servant stepped forward and admitted burying the goods in the ground. For that, he was called a wicked and lazy servant. This was an analogy, for the Lord is telling us what will happen at the judgment when his people will give an account of their service performed while he was gone.

We will stand before God at Judgment Day, and he will evaluate our works. In the character we have when we die (or are raptured), in that state we will appear before him. We may have the righteousness of God imputed to us by faith, but God will judge our characters by our works. Paul did not rest on the theology of having Christ’s righteousness imputed to him, and warned us: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5-10).

What Do You Think?

a. How do you reconcile verses on imputed righteousness and those on righteousness based on conduct?

b. The master who listened to his servants give their account considered all of them servants. However, only a few lived up to the name honorably. We may be call righteous by faith, but is that the same as living up to the name honorably?

Posted in The Bible | Leave a comment

Who are the overcomers of Revelation chapters 2 and 3?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve Husting

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, our Lord encourages the churches to overcome the issues he raises. Did Jesus intend for his warnings to refer to believers, or unbelievers? Do the blessings in these chapters apply to all believers, or only certain ones? Let’s look at an example of some warnings before we answer the question:

“Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works” (Revelation. 2:22-23). Is this warning for believers?

“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3). If you are saved, can you safely ignore this?

These warnings have presented problems for some believers. Because of the severity of the punishment promised, some readers insist that Jesus was addressing unbelievers in the congregation. They insist that all the saved are overcomers and have no need to fear or repent. They point to 1 John’s usage of overcomer to justify their case. Here are the verses in 1 John:

“I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. … I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:13, 14).

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith” (1 John 5:4).

The conclusion people have presented to me from these passages is: overcomer = saved. According to this train of thought, since John addresses the saved people in his epistle as overcomers, then all the saved people in the Revelation churches are also overcomers. The warnings therefore are directed to unbelievers. Are these conclusions correct?

Actually, Jesus separates the people in the troubled churches into two groups, but not as believers and unbelievers. Some may insist, “Yet are not today’s churches composed of believers and unbelievers?” The question’s logic is unsound, because biblically, the church is composed of a called-out people, Christ’s body on earth, not the building in which his people gather.

Let’s briefly consider John’s use of overcomer in his epistle. Then we’ll see that the groups in the Revelation churches are composed of two groups: of those who repent and those who don’t!

A person needs to overcome something before he can be called an overcomer. He needs to win a contest before he is called a winner. The readers of John’s epistle were formerly slaves of the wicked one and the world. As long as the readers had believed the lies of the Devil, they were captives. Through the gospel they believed God’s perspective of sin and escaped the enemy. They learned to detect the work of the enemy, resist the Devil, and maintain their relationship with God. Their overcomer status reflected a change in their attitude toward sin and God as a result of faith in the word preached to them.

So, overcomer = saved should be: overcomer = one who responded by faith and repented.

The churches in Revelation 2-3 are facing enemies in their midst and in their hearts. If they respond to the serious issues raised in the messages by faith and repent, they will be worthy of the term overcomer and of the rewards promised only to overcomers. The terrible dangers cited by the Lord are therefore for those believers who will not repent.

The warnings to the churches are to strike fear in our hearts in case we wish to pursue sin. The promises to the ovecomers are to remind us that God has something great in store for us who forsake our sin.

What Do You Think?

a. Are you overcoming sin, or do you treat sin indifferently?

b. Do you make sure to live in such a way as to obtain the promises Jesus gave, or not?

Posted in The Bible | Leave a comment

What does faith feel like?

Why did Jesus keep talking about the kingdom of God?

What does it mean to walk in faith?

What is the fear of God?

Why should I pray if God already knows what I want to say?

How can you possibly believe that a dead man came back to life?

Why should I go to church when it’s full of hypocrites?

Don’t Christians give up a lot of fun in life?

Wouldn’t more people be persuaded to believe if Christianity and the gospel were presented more logically?

Don’t the Crusades and witch hunts prove that Christianity is corrupt?

Why won’t Christians remove the beam from their own eyes so they will stop judging us?

Why are there Christians in prison?

Is money the root of all evil?

If you were born in India, you wouldn’t be a Christian but a Hindu, right?

How do people grow in their faith?

Shouldn’t the Jews be blamed for killing Christ?

Shouldn’t all clergy preach for free?

What is so special about the cross?

Should we keep the law?

What would happen if Christians actually followed their Bibles?

What do you get out of going to church?

Will we be more prepared for judgment if we kept the sabbath?

How can anyone know God’s will?

What is the grace of God?

If there is free will, how can God be in control?

Why do you Christians think you are better than the rest of us?

Don’t Christians have to answer for what other Christians have done in the name of Jesus?

Isn’t the Bible full of contradictions and mistakes?

Don’t the passages in the OT mentioning evil, proud, fools, and wicked persons refer to the unsaved, and good, wise, and righteous persons refer to the saved?

Who are the overcomers of Revelation chapters 2 and 3?

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