Category: Culture

Consequences

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The title of my husband’s sermon Sunday was “A Nation on the Edge of Heartbreak” taken from 2 Chronicles 7:12-22.  The passage deals with Solomon and the nation of Israel shortly after the completion of the Temple.  The glory of the Lord fills the Temple, Solomon prays, fire comes down from heaven, the nation offers sacrifices, and celebrates the Feasts of Tabernacles for seven days.  Then the Lord appears to Solomon by night with a warning.

“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2Ch 7:13-14)

God promises Solomon that if he will walk before Him as his father David did and obey His commands and observe His statutes and judgments that He would, “stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.” (2Ch 7:18)

But, if Solomon turns and forsakes God’s statutes and commandments and goes after other gods…

“Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers…”  (2Ch 7:20-22)

Israel was one generation away from heartbreak.  I realize that America is not Israel.  However, I could not help but see a striking correlation between Israel on the edge of heartbreak and our country on the edge of heartbreak.  Consider the news reports, read the papers, follow the state of our country online.  It is clear that we live in a very wicked and evil country, ruled by wicked and evil people.  This is not to say that there are not good, godly people in our country and government.  There is, but when we look at the sin of our land we can’t help but see that God must be grieved.  Yet, His mercy is great.  While we certainly have not deserved God’s blessings, He has given them nonetheless.

But will the blessings last?  I believe we are living on the laurels of the past and sadly the godly heritage and biblical foundation that this country was built upon is cracking.  The Psalmist states, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psa 11:3)  The examples of destroyed foundations are many, with homosexual marriage and abortion being at the top.  Another one that has chipped away at not only our freedom but the very foundation of this country is the latest ruling of the Supreme Court on the unconstitutional health care law.  Justice Roberts surprised the nation with his vote.  But what I found interesting was part of his explanation in which he said, “It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.”  Consequences – that’s not a word we talk about a lot, but if we would read the Bible we would realize that it is filled with consequences.

Do you remember when Israel rejected God by wanting a king like the other nations?  God warned them through the prophet Samuel that a king would:

“…take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.”

“And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” (1Sa 8:11-18)

Consequences…

People ask, “Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land…?”  The answer is, “because they forsook the Lord God…therefore hath He brought all this evil upon them.”

Again we see consequences…

There is no doubt that we are living with the consequences of the previous election.  The people wanted change and that is exactly what we got.  And now we have gotten ourselves into a mess.  “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” (Rom 13:1)  God has ordained government and He alone determines who rules.  Sometimes, like the children of Israel, God gives us not what is best but what we ask for.  Maybe, just maybe, we will learn.  The cycle of sin always goes like this – abundant blessings, sin/rebellion, God’s judgment, and repentance/forgiveness.  Then the cycle starts over again.  Time and time again we have seen it with the children of Israel.  Time and time again we see it in our own lives.  The people of God need to humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from their wicked ways.  Will we be able to bear the consequences if we don’t?

Biblical Discernment in a World of False Teaching – Part Six

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Pragmatism

“How is your church doing?”  It is a common question asked among Christians.  I have found that what people usually want to know when asking this is, “How are the churches ABC’s (attendance, buildings, and cash flow)?”  Unfortunately, too often man will use these measures to gauge success.  But is attendance, or numbers, the most important criterion for success?  What about the building?  Does a beautiful multi-purpose church building have anything to do with success?  What about cash flow?  Is wealth really a factor?

Our answers to these questions need to be rooted in the Scriptures and I have yet to find in the Bible success defined by these factors.  For example, in the Pastoral Epistles, Paul does not instruct the young pastors to be concerned with numbers.  While numbers, in the proper perspective, can shed some light into the amount of lives that are being transformed, they do not on their own measure success.  And since the church is a “people and not a place” the building is irrelevant when measuring success.   And being rich is not always a sign of God’s blessing and approval as in Revelation 3:17.  (But, I have found that the purity of a church in doctrine and practice is vitally important to the Lord.)

Yet still, it seems as though this is what the world is looking for in a church – a large, vibrant, relevant church that appeals to the flesh.  Instead of asking whether or not the church preaches and teaches the truth or even where God wants me to worship and serve, the question more often is asked, “What will this church do for me?” or “Is this church big enough, beautiful enough and rich enough to meet all my needs?”   One pastor said, “Mega-churches are cooler, hipper, usually more exciting than other area churches, therefore they are natural gathering points for already-converted people who are looking for ‘something more’ – namely more program options, better worship, more services with fewer demands…”

And because this is such a common attitude we can quickly become pragmatic when we use man’s standards to define success instead of God’s Word.

What Is Pragmatism?

Prag`mat`ic – more concerned with practical results than with theories and principles

Pragmatism is the belief that worth is determined by practical consequences.  In other words, if a technique has a desired effect, it is good.  If it doesn’t work then it must be wrong.  In the pragmatic church the only question that matters is, “What will work to grow and prosper our church?”  John MacArthur often speaks out against the pragmatic movement so prevalent today.  In one sermon he said,

Some church leaders evidently think the four priorities of the early church—the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42) make a lame agenda for the church in this day and age. Churches are allowing drama, recreation, entertainment, self-help programs, and similar enterprises to eclipse the importance of traditional Sunday worship and fellowship. In fact, everything seems to be in fashion in the church today except biblical preaching. The new pragmatism sees preaching—particularly expository preaching—as pass‚. Plainly declaring the truth of God’s Word is regarded as offensive and utterly ineffective. We’re now told we can get better results by first amusing people or giving them pop-psychology and thus wooing them into the fold. Once they feel comfortable, they’ll be ready to receive biblical truth in small, diluted doses.

Pastors are turning to books on marketing methods in search of new techniques to help churches grow. Many seminaries have shifted their pastoral training emphasis from Bible curriculum and theology to counseling technique and church-growth theory. All these trends reflect the church’s growing commitment to pragmatism.[i]

So, let’s be committed to God’s Word.  Let’s measure success by His definition.  And let’s cast off pragmatic ideas about church growth and look to the truth found in Scripture.  And truth is certainly not tested by what works and what doesn’t work.

“These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”  (1Timothy 4:11-13)

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:2-5)

Biblical Discernment in a World of False Teaching – Part Five

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Cultural Relevance

There is a lot of talk about the cultural relevant church, but just what does this mean?  I have heard it said that we must be culturally relevant if we want to reach the world and I have heard others oppose the notion.  I believe our biggest problem is taking terminology that is outside the Scriptures (cultural relevant) to describe mandates derived from the Scriptures. People get confused when this happens and the message becomes unclear.  So, let’s look at the definitions of cultural and relevant.

Cultural – relating to a culture or civilization

Relevant – having social significance, some bearing on or importance for real-world issues, present-day events, or the current state of society

One writer said, “It’s about being relevant and engaging culture. The church must be relevant and understand that we live in an ever-changing and ever evolving culture, if we want to reach people for Christ. The methods must change, but the message ‘the Word’ never changes.”

I can agree with most of this statement.  We most certainly live in an ever-changing culture and certain methods should change.  I do not know of any circuit riding preacher who is still traveling around on horseback preaching the gospel.  I like our current mode of transportation, thank you!  I’m also rather thankful for the internet.  Our church can broadcast the gospel all over the world with a few clicks of a button. To disregard our modern technology simply relates to loss opportunity in reaching out to the lost with the gospel.  So what is the problem and where is all the confusion?

It is interesting to note that those that promote cultural relevance always states that “the Word never changes.”  I have, however, found this to be untrue in some cases.  In an effort to have social significance some will cast off the Word for a more palatable substitute.  Sitting around talking about real life issues is not the same as teaching God’s Word and preaching the gospel of Christ.

Another problem arises when we confuse the function of the church with personal evangelism.  My husband often reminds us that the church is a people, not a place.  The Greek word for church is ekklesia which means a called assembly. The local church is a called out assembly of baptized believers who have coveted together to carry out the great commission.  Therefore, church is for the saved.  Let me say that again because I believe very few truly understand this.  Church is for the saved not the unregenerate world.  When we come together in the assembly, it is to worship God.  The lost cannot or will not do this.   When we come together in the assembly, it is to learn from God’s Word.  The lost do not even understand God’s Word.  “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14.    When we come together in the assembly, it is to love, exhort, and edify one another.  Without God’s love the lost cannot grasp the meaning of loving the brethren and all it encompasses.  And when we come together in the assembly it is to equip us for the work of the ministry. “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” Ephesians 4:12.

This is, however, not to say that the lost are unwelcome within the assembly.  We should make them feel welcome, but the function of the church is not to bring into the assembly as many lost people as we can find in hopes that they might get saved at the church.  If they come in, the purpose should be that they will watch true believers worship the True God, hear the preaching and teaching of the Word, and witness the love for the brethren within the church.  Should God draw them and stir their hearts so they get saved within the assembly, praise God.  But the churches function is not to be seeker sensitive.  We should not adapt the preaching and teaching to their pleasure.  (In fact, Jesus preached and taught counter-culturally and was crucified for it.  Why would we expect any less from the world?)  And while we desire to make them feel comfortable, the truth is that an unsaved man or woman will not be comfortable when the truth of God’s Word is proclaimed.  What we need to be sensitive to is God’s desires and His will for His church.  The church comes together to worship, learn from God’s Word, and love one another.  It is then that we go out into the world to reach and evangelize our neighbors and loved ones.  This is done on a personal level, one by one. Once the lost are saved, we should seek to bring them into the assembly so they too can worship God, learn from His Word, and love the brethren.

If the churches focus is always on being culturally relevant, the true “ministry of reconciliation” that we are given will quickly grow irrelevant.  When the center of attention is on the culture, often the purity of the church and the sanctification of believers are de-emphasized.  The problem with being cultural relevant is that too much attention is being given to making sinners feel comfortable, being seeker sensitive, and fitting in with the world.  Therefore, too little attention is given to repentance from sin, being sensitive to God’s Word, and confronting the culture.

The church is to be different from the world.  We are not to look like, act like, or live like the world.  We are to be holy, set apart, and peculiar.  I find that a focus on cultural relevance often ignores these truths.  Eric Davis states it plainly, “Christ was so relevant, not because he was methodologically trained in missional living, but because he was so holy. The most effective missional living is not crafting the most culturally relevant outreach technique, but in transformed people who are actually salt and light. Spiritual maturity through sanctification best equips God’s people for evangelism over cultural methodology.” [i]

“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

Biblical Discernment in a World of False Teaching – Part Four

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Labels and Doctrines of Men

My husband says that if he could only claim one “label” it would be that of a Biblicist.  He believes that God’s Word is pure, complete, and with the direction of the Holy Spirit able to be understood.   I have really tried to approach God’s Word in this way as well.  With that said, there are a lot of man-made labels.  I’m a Calvinist…I’m Arminian…I’m reformed…I am missional….I am transformational…..I follow MacArthur…I follow Spurgeon…I follow _______ (fill in the blank with the latest church growth guru)…..I am of Paul….I of Apollos….I of Cephas, etc.  Do you get the point?  It is not that I disregard the teaching of men or certain labels. (In fact, the first church continued “stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.” )  Labels can be an effective identifier.  We proudly identify ourselves as Baptists.  But a label is only effective as long as it does not diminish or detract from the doctrines found in Scripture.

An example of this would be the Calvinist’s label.  I have met some who will claim this label without fully understanding it.  I have even met “Baptist” who proudly wears the sign, never understanding that Luther and Calvin persecuted those that believed in true Baptist doctrine.  So why would they claim this label? There is too much of God’s Word that contradicts the teaching; yet many still cling to this man-made doctrine as if it is the gospel itself.  For example, the doctrine of limited atonement is one of the “5 TULIPS” and is the belief that the death of our Lord Jesus on Calvary’s cross was strictly limited in any and all of its aspects only to the elect and that it had nothing to do with the non-elect people of the world. This is a doctrinal issue that has been debated for years by many theologians.  I will not attempt to argue the point (too much) but I will say that we must be very careful to not hold up man’s theology in higher regards than God’s precious Word.  The problem I see with those that take this view is that they filter all of the Scriptures through this one particular doctrine.   In other words, what would normally be simple to understand verses are perverted and twisted so that they will fit into Calvin’s doctrine.   To do so is not only unnecessary but also leads to error.  Ask yourself this.  What do you do when you come across a passage in Scripture about God like this one, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth,” 1 Timothy 2:4.   I have always said that the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible we have.

It seems simple to me.  Where God said that we are the elect, I believe it.  Where God said that He wills all men to be saved, I believe it as well.  When God says that “he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,” I believe it.  And where God says Christ was sent to be the “propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” I believe it too.  To do otherwise would be to hold up some Scripture over the others.  So you could say I believe in the doctrine of election and in the doctrine of free will.  I believe that Christ died for the entire world, but I also believe that not everyone will be saved.  The Scriptures speak of both and no one verse is more important than the other.  So the best way of refuting the false view of limited atonement (or any of the other false doctrines of men) is by simply reading, studying, and knowing God’s Word.

There are several passages that refute limited atonement.  I believe if these verses were taken without the preconceived notions of man and with the direction of the Holy Spirit that a person could only come to one conclusion.  Isaiah 53:5-6, Matthew 11:28, John 1:29, John 3:14-15, Romans 5:6, 2 Corinthians 5:19, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Hebrews 2:9, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:14, 1 John 2:2, Titus 2:11

Obviously certain teachings of Calvinism are not the only teaching I am against.  There are many other man-made doctrines that lead us down a slippery slope of false ideas.  The point is that man is fallible.  Man’s teaching can lead to error.  We are weak and make mistakes.  But God’s Inspired Word is perfect.  He makes no mistakes.  It is without error.   And, it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness.  It is His Word we should cling to.  Now don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that man’s teaching is futile.  The Bible is clear that we are to teach others.  But this teaching should never be taken lightly.  Those that teach God’s Word will be held to a high standard.  James warns, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” James 3:1.  My husband is the pastor of a precious group of believers.  He takes his role of teaching very seriously.

“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word,” Act 6:4.

“Feed the flock of God which is among you,” 1 Peter 5:2a.

“A bishop then must be…apt to teach,” 1Timothy 3:2.

“And he gave some…pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” Ephesians 4:11-12.

Likewise, I teach women and write expository Bible studies for women.  But my husband and I would be the first to tell you that you should not take our word for it; study the Scriptures for yourself to see if what we are teaching is true.  May we always be like the believers in Berea that were nobler than the ones in Thessalonica because they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so,” Act 17:11.

Biblical Discernment in a World of False Teaching – Part Two

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The Gospel Message without Repentance

Last summer I heard a man preach on 4 separate nights.  Each night the gospel was reduced to “Believe and Receive.”  Not once was the notion of repenting proclaimed.  I was shocked and saddened.  Why would a man of God leave out such an important element to the gospel?

Didn’t the forerunner of Christ have a message of repentance?  “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Matthew 3:1-2.

When Christ began to preach didn’t He preach repentance?  “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Matthew 4:17.

Wasn’t the Apostles sent out by Christ with the message of repentance?  “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two…And they went out, and preached that men should repent,” Mark 6:7,12.

Does not God command all men to repent?  “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent,” Act 17:30.

Why then would we leave such an important element out?   Some would say it’s too offensive.  Others would say it’s not a big deal.  And some would state it just doesn’t matter.  But let me ask, do we have a better gospel than Christ?  Do we know more than the Apostles?  Is God’s command to repent not relevant for today?  Perhaps the reason repentance is left out is because it makes no sense to preach repentance unless you preach about the wrath of God.  “For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:” (Col 3:6) And many simply refuse to preach this.  But sadly, it is equivalent to refusing to warn a blind that he is about to walk off a cliff.  Or, you could compare it to a doctor refusing to tell a dying patient just how serious his condition is.  Some will claim that they do not want to preach in a negative light due to the offense it causes.  But, we must ask ourselves, how much more offended will man be when it is too late.

Repentance is very important.  It fact, without it a person cannot be saved.   To repent is to turn from our sins and to God.  It is more than just being sorry.  Did you know that you can be sorry for your sins without repenting of them?  Look at Paul’s address to the Corinthian church, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death,” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10.

The gospel without repentance is a false and dangerous gospel. Because of it there are a lot of professing Christians who have never repented or turned from their sins.  They are false converts because they heard a false gospel.  They still walk in darkness because they have never turned from their sins.  Jesus said, “I tell you…except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” Luke 13:3.  Those who preach a watered-down gospel without repentance will one day answer for leading many astray.

Biblical Discernment in a World of False Teaching – Part One

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“Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” Charles Spurgeon

In this world there is certainly a lot of “almost right” out there.  But as I have said before, the most dangerous lie is the one closest to the truth.  Therefore, for the Christian, biblical discernment is imperative.  I’ve been thinking about all of the false teaching out there today.  Certainly, false teaching is nothing new.  Practically every one of the New Testament epistles deals with recognizing and exposing false teachers.

Jesus dealt with it.  “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves,” Matthew 7:15.  The apostles dealt with it.   “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed,” Galatians 1:9.
The first century church dealt with it.  “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them,” Act 20:29-30.
And if we love the truth, we will deal with it and do our best to expose it. “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars,”  Revelation 2:2.

(See also Matthew 24:4-5, Matthew 24:23-24, Luke 21:8, Romans 16:18, 2 Corinthians 11:13, Ephesians 4:14, Philippians 3:18-19, I Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 2:17-18, Titus 1:10-11, 2 Peter 2:1, 2 John 1:7, 10, Jude 1:4)

The Apostle John tells us, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world,” 1 John 4:1.

Not every spirit is of God. The Bible speaks of evil, unclean, dumb, foul, and deaf spirits.  It tells of the spirit of infirmity, spirit of divination, spirit of bondage, spirit of the world, spirit that “worketh in the children of disobedience,” spirit of antichrist, and the spirit of error.  Not every teaching is correct.  A false spirit produces false teachers that fabricate false doctrine. “…many false prophets are gone out into the world.”   This is why biblical discernment is so important.  I believe there are truly many Christian men and women who want to teach the truth to others.  They are sincere.  Perhaps their motives are pure.  But, they have not filtered all of their teaching through God’s Word.  To try the spirits means to test or prove them.  “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good,” 1 Thessalonians 5:21. 

 There are two ways to test a spirit.  The first is by the Word of God.  The believers in Berea were nobler than the ones in Thessalonica because they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so,” Act 17:11. If a doctrine does not line up with Scripture it is wrong.  The Spirit of God will never contradict the Word of God.  It will never supersede the written word.  Just as Christ came to do the will of the Father and glorify Him, the Spirit will point people to Christ and glorify Him.  John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is the Word of God.  Revelations 19:13 tells us that “The Word of God” is His very name.  We also know that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God,” 2 Timothy 3:16.  To say that the Spirit would lead us or teach us something contrary to Jesus Christ (The Word) is untrue.

The second way to test the spirits is by their fruits.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:20 “by their fruits ye shall know them.” You cannot separate a man’s personal life from his ministry.  Does his life line up with what he is teaching?  Be careful to accept every teaching as truth.  You need to make sure that what is taught is first biblical and second that those teaching have a life that demonstrates good works.  “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom,” James 3:13.

If the Spirit of God dwells in us, by knowing the Word of God and examining fruits we can test the spirits to see if they are of God. “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10.

Like I said, I am concerned about all the good sounding, “almost right”, man-centered ideas that are ever constantly being proclaimed about God and His Word.  I am not saying that those who teaching such things are “false prophets” but I do believe many are misguided.  And if we are not careful, we will let their teaching influence our beliefs.  Over the next few days I will be address some of these fallacies that are prevalent today.

  • Gospel Message without Repentance
  • Ecumenical Movement
  • Labels & Doctrines of Men
  • Cultural Relevance
  • Pragmatism

The Fallacy and Reality of Submission

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“We are leaving the church.”  The comment was made to my husband who is also the pastor of our church.  The reason given for this couple leaving was that his preaching and teaching regarding women was chauvinistic.  When my husband asked them if they would like to see in Scripture where his teaching came from the wife’s reply was, “You can show me, but that will not change my mind.”  After showing her and her husband several passages, their response was that these verses were written thousands of years ago and do not apply to modern society.

Unfortunately, our culture confuses and undermines womanhood and submission with damaging preconceived ideas.  From the moment a young lady is thrust into society she becomes indoctrinated with feministic teachings contrary to Scripture.  Screaming equality, their feminist philosophy holds to the view that “Anything a man can do, I can do better!”  Once more subtle, it has now become blatant. Too often we hear narcissistic phrases such as:  “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” and “I like to think of ‘men’ as the diminutive of ‘women’”.  Perhaps the worse one of all is, “God is just an abbreviation for goddess.”   These catch phrases and slogans slowly and surely eat away at the foundation of biblical womanhood and seek to destroy society as a whole.

Consider these quotes.

Any intelligent woman who reads the marriage contract, and then goes into it, deserves all the consequences. – Isadora Duncan

Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors. – Evelyn Cunningham

I ask no favors for my sex…. All I ask of our brethren is that they will take their feet from off our necks.-  Sarah Moore Grimké

As the radical feminist movement spreads throughout our country, the marks of distinction are no longer clear.  Once stood the ungodly, man-hating, ferocious feminist on one side and the Bible believing, meek, and quiet woman on the other.  But regrettably over the last couple of generations, as professing Christians continue to embrace the world; these two groups are slowly evolving together into what we see today.   You see, the thought that teaching on submission is chauvinistic and that Paul’s writings are not relevant did not come from the world and those outside the church.  These thoughts were voiced by professing Christians within the church.

These are just a few of the modern fallacies of submission being spouted.  Another misconception is that if a woman submits to her husband she becomes a doormat to be abused and walked all over.  The worldly belief is that submission lowers a woman’s worth and that it makes a woman subordinate to man.  All of these ideals are false.  However, we cannot ignore this philosophy and the agenda that is being pushed upon Christians today.  Because there is no such thing as amoral education, we must address the fact that the majority of children are being educated on the foundation of humanistic and secular teaching.  Even children that are being educated on Christian principles are exposed to secular beliefs about manhood, womanhood, and marriage via music, television, books, and society.  If not correctly taught, these children will grow into adults who continue to pass along their misconceptions.

How do we expose the fallacies?  It begins and ends with truth.  So let’s take a look at the realities of submission.  The first thing to recognize is that submission is for Christians.  We falsely assume that the non-believer should follow the dictates of Scripture.  While perhaps they should follow scripture, in truth they cannot.  “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them…,”1 Corinthians 2:14.  God designed marriage.  We see where He ordained it and the structure of it in Genesis chapter two.  Adam is created and is given a job to do and a law to keep.  God then looks out and for the first time says that something is not good.  “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him,” Genesis 2:18.  Eve is made from the rib of Adam and brought to him by God.   Here is the institution of marriage.  Then in Ephesians 5 we are given the directives for the Christian marriage.   “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” Ephesians 5:22-26. Submission is “as unto the Lord”.  An unbelieving wife cannot properly submit to her husband because she has not submitted her life to the Lord, just as an unbelieving husband cannot properly love his wife because he has not submitted to the Lord.

Now that the foundation has been laid that submission is only possible for the saved, let’s look at it through the eyes of a believer.  Submission is a beautiful term that we should hold dear.  It is through submission to Christ and as Lord of our life that we are saved.  James 4:7 declares “Submit yourselves therefore to God.”  As we saw in Ephesians 5, a wife’s submission to her husband is “unto the Lord”.  In the same way, a child’s submission to the parent’s is in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-3).  Likewise, believers are told to submit to those in biblical authority (Hebrews 13:17) and those in authority over us such as our government (Romans 13:1, 1 Peter 2:13).  In general, we are to submit to and prefer one another in a spirit of humility (Romans 12:10, 1 Peter 5:5, Ephesians 5:21).  Submission is a part of the believer’s life.

In addition, submission in the biblical marriage portrays to the world a picture of Christ and His bride. “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing,” Ephesians 5:24.  Just as the church is subject unto Christ, so is the wife to her own husband.  When the Christian wife is not submissive, she is showing the world a distorted depiction of Christ and the church.

 Submission in no way lowers a woman’s worth and makes her subordinate to man.  Christianity, in fact, raises women to a level of honor.  “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered,”  1Peter 3:7.  The “weaker vessel” implies a more delicate or precious vessel, as in a priceless crystal vase.  She is not common but something rare to be held in high regard.   It is made clear that the husband and wife are “heirs together of the grace of life”.  Man and woman are equal in God’s eyes (Galatians 3:28).  But that does not mean they have the same roles.  Society understands this in every instance until it comes to biblical marriage.  For example, the Governor of your state and his assistant are both created equal as human beings.  However, it would be foolish to assume that because of their equality they should have the same role in government.  As a person, the owner of a corporation and a day laborer are both equal.  But it is easy to see and accept the structure of authority when it comes to the workplace.  Likewise, there is a structure of authority in the home, but the enemy seeks to distort it.

What about the ideal that Paul was a chauvinist?  What about the statement that these verses were written thousands of years ago and not relevant to modern society?  First, as believers we must accept that “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 is an error to pick and choose which verses we want to apply.  If we are going to throw out scripture based on when it was written we would have to disregard the entire Bible.  That would include cherished verses like John 3:16.  So the age of Paul’s writings is an invalid point.  Secondly, Paul’s teaching is not based on cultural customs but on God’s design.  The example Paul gives in I Timothy for women’s role is not a cultural one.  He goes all the way back to creation and the structure of authority in the marriage (I Timothy 2:13-14).  In Ephesians we see the mystery of marriage revealed.  “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church,” Ephesians 5:32.  Again, it is all by God’s design.

Now that the fallacies have been exposed and the realities declared, where will you stand?  Will you stand on God’s Word and the beauty of His plan for marriage or will you stand on the emotions and opinions of the world?  Here is the amazing reality of absolute truth.  You can accept the truth or reject the truth, but you cannot change the truth.  As a Christian woman, you have an awesome opportunity to illustrate the truths of biblical womanhood and submission.  It is a beautiful thing.  It is God ordained.  And it makes for a great, God-honoring marriage.

Keeping up with the Joneses

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It is easy to say that we are not striving to keep up with everyone around us, but a simple look at the average person’s lifestyle says otherwise.  While the saying might just be an idiom, to fail to “keep up with the Joneses” is perceived in our culture as demonstrating socioeconomic inferiority.  We are content with our current cell phone until our neighbor gets a smart phone.  We are content with our paid for used car until our friends buy new ones.  We are content with our modest home until a family member moves into a nicer neighborhood than ours.  What is it about “the Joneses” that stir our hearts toward discontentment?

As a believer in Christ I am told in scripture that I brought nothing into the world and that I will certainly take nothing out (I Timothy 6:7).  I am reminded that if I have food and clothing I should be content (I Timothy 6:8).  I am warned to not covet other’s things and to be content with what things God has given me (Hebrews 13:5).
Therefore, it would seem that contentment would be easy for a Christian, but that is not always the case.  It helps to realize that material things and stuff can be very deceiving.  The fact is that Americans are in debt.  We are not buying newer and better things because we have more money.  Living a facade, we are simply buying stuff and going deeper in debt.  From 1997 to 2007, America’s credit card debt
balances increased 75%.  In 2010, the US census bureau reported that US citizens have over $886 billion in credit card debt and that figure was expected to rise to $1.177 trillion by the end of the year.  The report stated that each card holder had an average credit card debt of $5,100 and that number was projected to reach $6,500 by the end of the year.  We are not as prosperous as we look.  According to the Wall Street Journal 70% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and the Department of Commerce says that the US savings rate is (negative)  -.6%.  I heard Dave Ramsey say on the radio the other day that “normal is broke!”

So the question is, Do I really want to keep up with the Joneses? Do I really want to be “normal” according to society?

Let’s be realistic, some might say.  We live in this world.  We are a part of this world.  This world and its things are a reality that we must deal with.  All of this is true.  We do live in this world.  The Bible says that there are cares of this world (Mark 4:19).  There is also a wisdom that is of this world (I Corinthians 3:19).  There is a course that people follow in this world (Ephesians 2:2).  And there is a god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).  But the Bible also says that the “cares of this world” causes us to become unfruitful.  The “wisdom of this world” is foolishness with God.  The “course of this world” works in the children of disobedience. And the “god of this world” blinds the minds of people who do not believe.  This is why we are told in Romans 12:2 to “be not conformed to this world”.

So whether we are talking about conforming to the “Joneses” materialistically or conforming to the “Joneses” physically or conforming to the “Joneses” mentally, we should not desire to keep up with them.  A Christian should not be “normal”.  We should be a peculiar people, set apart, and not conformed to this world and its way of thinking.  Instead “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.

My Brother’s Keeper

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As people were standing around visiting last night after church services a comment was made that people need to “mind their own business”.  We were joking around and the comment was made in a light-spirited way but it made me contemplate a serious topic that permeates the modern church.  There is a notion going around that when it comes to one another in the church, people should “mind their own business” so to speak.  The idea of accountability, looking out for one another, exhortation, discipleship, admonishment, and being answerable to one another is gone.  This thought is foreign, especially when it comes to a brother or sister who is sinning.  After all, who are you to point out the faults and failures in others? 

 But as we read the Bible we see a theme of accountability of believers to one another.  We are to love one another, honor one another, edify one another, admonish one another, care for one another, serve one another, restore one another, bear one another’s burdens, and be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward one another.  We are to teach one another, comfort one another, exhort one another, and consider one another.  The Bible says we are to confess our sins to one another, have compassion with one another, be hospitable to one another, minister to one another, and fellowship with one another.  (John 13:34, Romans 12:10, Romans 14:19, Romans 15:14, I Corinthians 12:25, Galatians 5:13, Galatians 6:1-2, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:16, I Thessalonians 4:18, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:24, James 5:16, I Peter 3:8, I Peter 4:9-10, I John 1:7)

 God designed us for accountability.  We need each other.  It was never intended for the believer to be an island off to themselves.  Coming to the faith in Scriptures always meant coming to a local fellowship of believers (the church or assembly).  Salvation is personal but the Christian life is not; we are not to be lone rangers.  When we are born into this world we are born to a family; when we are “born again” we should be joined with a family of believers.  In this family, the older are to teach the younger (Titus 2).  The strong in the faith should help to restore those overtaken in faults (Galatians 6:1).  The brethren should lovingly exhort and warn the unruly (I Thessalonians 5:14).  We are called to encourage one another daily so that sin will not harden our hearts (Hebrews 3:12-13).  And we are to love those in sin enough to have compassion and make a difference in their life.  Jude 22-23 says, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”  We are our brother’s keeper!  It was the first murderer who said, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9.  Do we, as believers, really want to associate with this line of thinking?

There are several reasons that believers do not get involved in the lives of other believers.  One reason is that we are busy and it takes a lot of effort and time to be accountable to one another.  But that should not be an excuse.  We should make time for one another.  Another reason is that we have sin in our lives that we do not want to deal with.  Therefore, we cannot deal with sin in other people’s lives.  King David had sin in his life (a lot of sin) but when he repented and confessed his sin before God he said in Psalms 51 that he would use his experience to teach others.  “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee,” Psalm 51:13.  Another reason we do not exhort others is because we fear that if we do we will be seen as “judging” them.  It is here people quote, “Judge not that ye be not judged,” (Matthew 7:1).  This is the problem we have when Scripture is taken out of context.  The Bible does not say we cannot judge the sins of others but that we are to first cast the beam out of our own eye “and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye,” (Matthew 7:5).  We are not to be hypocritical but in love and concern for our brother tell him his fault.

 I have found through social media, (like fb) that there are many professing Christians that have no qualm about sharing their sins with the world.  In pride and without shame they are puffed up and boast about sinning against God.  This greatly concerns me.  The testimonies of these charlatans are ruining the name of Christ.  When Christ’s name is slandered His church looses the ability to influence society.   This is partly the reason the church is relegated to the corner of society.  These people might have a “form of godliness” but they deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5).  What power are they denying?  They are denying the power of the Word of God to work in their life, (I Thessalonians 2:13).   They are denying the power of Christ to crucify the old man, (Romans 6:6).   They are denying the power of God to keep them from practicing a lifestyle of sin (I John 3:9). They are denying the power of the Holy Ghost to teach them spiritual things, (I Corinthians 2:10-13).

 Like so many issues in the Bible, this one is clear.  The truths found in Scripture are absolute.  The Bible is black and white.  But regardless of this reality, they are not always easy to receive.  Accountability is hard.  It is hard to submit to the authority of others in your life.  But when we submit to that authority we are submitting to the will of God, (I Peter 5:5).  And likewise, sometimes it is hard speaking God’s Word into the life of others.  But if we truly love our brothers and sisters in the Lord we will be their keeper and exhort, rebuke, edify, and admonish them when it is necessary.

The Wrong Question

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 Many times we go through life asking the wrong questions. I see this often in our culture. The liberals will get people to question whether a woman should have a right to choose an abortion (Pro-choice). That’s the wrong question. The correct question is whether our society should allow women to murder innocent babies (Pro-Death). People will ask if Christians should be allowed to pray in government ran schools. Again, that is the wrong question. The question is should we allow an ungodly government to train and educate our Christian children. When we begin to ask the right questions, all of a sudden we begin to get the right answers.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That is the wrong question. In Luke 18 a rich young ruler came to Jesus saying, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Do you remember Jesus’ response? “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God,”(Luke 18:19). There is none good but God. So, when we ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” we are asking the wrong question. The correct question should be, “Why do good things happen at all?”

 Tuesday night our family attended a youth revival. The young man preaching is a friend of our family. He addressed the same thought of asking the wrong questions. The point he made was that many times Christians ask, “Is this a sin?” We will question…

Is it a sin to drink?

Is it a sin to watch this movie?

Is it a sin to say this?

Is it a sin to date this person?

Is it a sin to (fill in the blank)?

Again, this is the wrong question. Instead of asking if something is a sin what we should be asking is, “Is this holy?” You can ineffectively debate whether drinking is a sin but when you ask the correct question of “Is drinking holy?” you get a clearer answer. What about asking if this movie we are about to watch is holy? Is what I’m about to say holy? Is this relationship holy? Is what I am doing holy? And so on…

With the correct question, all of a sudden the perspective changes. It is easy to justify certain behavior when we approach it from a, “Is this really a sin?” attitude. However, if we approach our lifestyle, our conduct, our words, and our inner motives from the thought of, “Is this holy?” it becomes impossible to justify those questionable activities. Children of God are called to examine their life (2 Corinthians 13:5). We should ask the Lord to search our hearts (Psalm139:23). And we need to be seeking out wisdom by asking the right questions (James 1:5).

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy,” (1Peter 1:13-16).