A few years ago I began a study of Job with a friend that got sidetracked when she became seriously ill. I’ve yet to do a complete study on the book of Job, but some of my favorite scriptures are the last few chapters of Job in which God talks about Himself. In fact I love to read beginning with Job 38-42 and then jumping over to Isaiah 40→ and just meditate on my LORD.
In the next series of blog posts I am going to start with an overview of Job and then spend some time taking a closer look at these wonderful passages. What does this have to do with prophecy? The validity of believing the prophecies revealed in the scriptures is predicated on the character of God. The more we understand about the power and authority of Almighty God, the more importance we are encouraged to place on His words—prophetic and otherwise.
Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”
The first verse of Job opens by identifying Job as a God-fearing man who lived in the land of Uz. Many posit that Job was not a real person, but other scriptures affirm the truth of his existence.
Ezekiel 14:14 “Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.”
James 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”
I thought it was interesting to note that fearing God and hating evil were mentioned hand-in-hand. Those who truly fear God will hate what He hates, and scripture is clear in declaring that those who fear the LORD will hate evil.
Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”
Proverbs 16:6 “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.”
We are told that Job was a wealthy man who had a large family. In fact, he was recognized as the “Bill Gates” of his day in the land of the east.
In testimony of his fear of God we are told that he made daily sacrifices for each of his children. Are we as diligent in daily prayer for our children? Our actions always reveal the true priorities in our lives.
Job 1:6–8 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”
Now we get to the part of Job that is so pertinent to our understanding of spiritual warfare. It seems that there are regular times that the angels come to appear before the LORD. More interesting is the fact that Satan attends at least some of these meetings. According to scripture, Satan accuses believers before God “day and night.”
Revelation 12:10 “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Even more interesting is the fact that God calls Satan’s attention to Job as one of His most devout servants; in fact, He describes Job as without equal on earth.
What really strikes me is the civility and calm with which God speaks to him. He knew the end from the beginning when He brought up Job to Satan. He knows that Job will pass the test and that his faith will be strengthened—not weakened. The introspective question becomes—“Would God be able to put my name before Satan with that same confidence?”
Job 1:9–12 “Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.”
Obviously, Satan was well aware of Job because he had an immediate answer. He explains that Job’s character was a result of preferential treatment from the LORD. This thought reminds me of the words of Peter.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour….”
The wording of these verses also makes me think that Satan had tried to penetrate that hedge of protection around Job. Satan then throws out the challenge. If God caused Job to suffer the loss of all his treasures, Job would surely curse Him. So God gives Satan power over Job’s possessions, but he cannot touch Job.
Satan wastes no time. In one day Job receives a series of messages of bad news. First Satan provoked the Sabeans to steal all his ox and asses. Next he utilized fire from heaven to burn up all the sheep and their shepherds. Following that came news that the Chaldeans had stolen all the camels and killed all those tending them. Finally, comes the news that “a great wind from the wilderness” destroyed his son’s home and all his children had been killed.
I think it is important to note that the power God allowed Satan to use involved employing human instruments of war, calling down fire from heaven and causing a tornado to accomplish his purposes. Though God limits Satan’s ability as to how and when to utilize his power, he does have tremendous power.
How does Job respond?
Job 1:20–22 “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
Wow! Job passed his time of testing with flying colors. Job recognizes that God is the giver of all things and that He is sovereign in the right to bless and take away blessing. The question to think about—How would I have responded?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
What Must I Do to be Saved?
The Philippian jailer posed this very question to Paul and Silas. Their answer was simple but is packed with truth.
Acts 16:30–32 “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”
We often hear verses 30-31 quoted, but very seldom do we hear quoted verse 32. Obviously, one can’t believe on Jesus Christ as Lord without knowing who He is and what He teaches according to His word.
We can be very sure that Paul would have been very careful to explain the gospel message to this man and his family. Paul actually identifies the gospel in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures….”
Those scriptures would certainly have included the message of the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:5–6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
In light of these scriptures, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ requires that one acknowledge his/her sin before the Lord. It requires that one believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It requires that one understand that Jesus served as the only acceptable sacrifice for our sin before YHWH, the self-existent eternal God.
I am sure that Paul would have explained that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned as he so clearly told the Ephesians.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Paul would surely have explained that belief would be evidenced by not being afraid to declare one’s faith before other men. This is according to the words of Jesus as recorded by His disciples.
Luke 12:8–9 “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.”
Matthew 10:32 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
Paul summarized these truths clearly in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 10:9–10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
That again brings us back to an important point that was included in Paul’s original answer to the Philippian jailer. One must confess Jesus as “Lord.” In other words, one’s sincere belief in Jesus requires that he/she submit to Him as the ruling authority in one’s life according to the Word of God. This is really the point that causes so many to accept false teaching. For some reason it seems that men would rather trust in their own efforts rather than simply submit to God as Lord and accept the gift of salvation on His terms as revealed in scripture. The words of Jesus are very clear on this truth. Those who declare their faith in God while honoring the teachings of men more than the teaching of His word are not true believers. Those who truly love Him will evidence that love by their obedience to His word.
Matthew 15:8–9 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
Mark 7:7–9 “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”
John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
The Apostle John’s first letter focuses on this truth. He is very bold in his declaration of the truth without regard for political correctness.
1 John 2:3–5 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
I am sure that Paul taught this family much more about how to live to honor God in obedience to His word. In this short post I have faithfully explained as clearly as I know how from God’s word what it means to be saved. In light of this truth, I ask you to consider these words of Paul to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”
When making this examination, also remember that one who has truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior receives the indwelling Holy Spirit Who will give evidence of His presence.
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:”
Ephesians 5:9–10 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”
Acts 16:30–32 “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”
We often hear verses 30-31 quoted, but very seldom do we hear quoted verse 32. Obviously, one can’t believe on Jesus Christ as Lord without knowing who He is and what He teaches according to His word.
We can be very sure that Paul would have been very careful to explain the gospel message to this man and his family. Paul actually identifies the gospel in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures….”
Those scriptures would certainly have included the message of the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:5–6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
In light of these scriptures, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ requires that one acknowledge his/her sin before the Lord. It requires that one believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It requires that one understand that Jesus served as the only acceptable sacrifice for our sin before YHWH, the self-existent eternal God.
I am sure that Paul would have explained that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned as he so clearly told the Ephesians.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Paul would surely have explained that belief would be evidenced by not being afraid to declare one’s faith before other men. This is according to the words of Jesus as recorded by His disciples.
Luke 12:8–9 “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.”
Matthew 10:32 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
Paul summarized these truths clearly in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 10:9–10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
That again brings us back to an important point that was included in Paul’s original answer to the Philippian jailer. One must confess Jesus as “Lord.” In other words, one’s sincere belief in Jesus requires that he/she submit to Him as the ruling authority in one’s life according to the Word of God. This is really the point that causes so many to accept false teaching. For some reason it seems that men would rather trust in their own efforts rather than simply submit to God as Lord and accept the gift of salvation on His terms as revealed in scripture. The words of Jesus are very clear on this truth. Those who declare their faith in God while honoring the teachings of men more than the teaching of His word are not true believers. Those who truly love Him will evidence that love by their obedience to His word.
Matthew 15:8–9 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
Mark 7:7–9 “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”
John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
The Apostle John’s first letter focuses on this truth. He is very bold in his declaration of the truth without regard for political correctness.
1 John 2:3–5 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
I am sure that Paul taught this family much more about how to live to honor God in obedience to His word. In this short post I have faithfully explained as clearly as I know how from God’s word what it means to be saved. In light of this truth, I ask you to consider these words of Paul to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”
When making this examination, also remember that one who has truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior receives the indwelling Holy Spirit Who will give evidence of His presence.
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:”
Ephesians 5:9–10 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”
Monday, January 24, 2011
False Teaching re Religion, Death and Eternity
False Teaching #7 – There is no future for man beyond this life or all religions lead to the same end.
Some of the scriptures that refute that first part of this statement were quoted in the previous post, but they are worth listing here again.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 5:28–29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
I think it is significant to note that even Job (the book bearing his name generally considered to be the oldest book in scripture) expected to see God after death.
Job 19:25–27 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”
David knew that he would see his baby son in the after life and that he would live with God forever.
2 Samuel 12:22–23 “And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
As to the assertion that all religions ultimately lead one to the same end point, scripture is clear in declaring that only through Jesus can one attain eternal life. This was addressed in the post pertaining to False Teaching #3. I think the key verse to this truth is John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The Jews believe in an eternal future with God without reference to Jesus. How sad that their rejection of the Messiah has led to such pain and sorrow for their people.
The followers of Islam believe in the possibility of a heavenly future with Allah, but Allah is nothing like the God of the Bible. He is capricious in action and changeable in nature according to their holy book which is filled with contradictions.
Generally, the followers of Buddha hope to achieve nirvana by advancing to higher spiritual levels through numerous reincarnations. Nirvana is a state in which there is neither suffering, desire nor sense of self. Some would express this as annihilation, others as the state of extreme bliss and enlightenment.
Those who follow the Hindu religion believe similar to the Buddhists, but their nirvana will be achieved through absorption into the Supreme Being.
There are, of course, many other “religions” in the world—Shinto, Taoism, Wiccan, Scientology, etc. They all have a unique perspective on human life and afterlife. The one thing that all of these religions have in common is that their worldview rejects the truth of scripture.
The many Christian cults that have come into being are based on teachings that corrupt the word of God or insist that they have received new revelations of truth. They deceive their followers by declaring that: you can become gods, everyone is saved and exists in an eternal spirit world, heaven and hell are a state of mind, and/or the eternal state is achieved through one’s works. Many of these cults are labeled as “Christian,” but they are false religions according to the truth of scripture. Several times in scripture God warns against adding to or taking away from His word.
Deuteronomy 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
Proverbs 30:5–6 “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
Revelation 22:18–19 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Paul talked about the emergence of these cults in his letter to Timothy.
1 Timothy 4:1–2 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron….”
Having used several posts to identify false teachings, the next post will focus on salvation as presented in scripture.
Some of the scriptures that refute that first part of this statement were quoted in the previous post, but they are worth listing here again.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 5:28–29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
I think it is significant to note that even Job (the book bearing his name generally considered to be the oldest book in scripture) expected to see God after death.
Job 19:25–27 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”
David knew that he would see his baby son in the after life and that he would live with God forever.
2 Samuel 12:22–23 “And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
As to the assertion that all religions ultimately lead one to the same end point, scripture is clear in declaring that only through Jesus can one attain eternal life. This was addressed in the post pertaining to False Teaching #3. I think the key verse to this truth is John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The Jews believe in an eternal future with God without reference to Jesus. How sad that their rejection of the Messiah has led to such pain and sorrow for their people.
The followers of Islam believe in the possibility of a heavenly future with Allah, but Allah is nothing like the God of the Bible. He is capricious in action and changeable in nature according to their holy book which is filled with contradictions.
Generally, the followers of Buddha hope to achieve nirvana by advancing to higher spiritual levels through numerous reincarnations. Nirvana is a state in which there is neither suffering, desire nor sense of self. Some would express this as annihilation, others as the state of extreme bliss and enlightenment.
Those who follow the Hindu religion believe similar to the Buddhists, but their nirvana will be achieved through absorption into the Supreme Being.
There are, of course, many other “religions” in the world—Shinto, Taoism, Wiccan, Scientology, etc. They all have a unique perspective on human life and afterlife. The one thing that all of these religions have in common is that their worldview rejects the truth of scripture.
The many Christian cults that have come into being are based on teachings that corrupt the word of God or insist that they have received new revelations of truth. They deceive their followers by declaring that: you can become gods, everyone is saved and exists in an eternal spirit world, heaven and hell are a state of mind, and/or the eternal state is achieved through one’s works. Many of these cults are labeled as “Christian,” but they are false religions according to the truth of scripture. Several times in scripture God warns against adding to or taking away from His word.
Deuteronomy 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
Proverbs 30:5–6 “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
Revelation 22:18–19 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Paul talked about the emergence of these cults in his letter to Timothy.
1 Timothy 4:1–2 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron….”
Having used several posts to identify false teachings, the next post will focus on salvation as presented in scripture.
Friday, January 21, 2011
False Teaching re The Problem of Suffering, Evil and Hell
False Teaching #6 – A loving God would not allow suffering and evil, and He would not send people to hell.
People who make such statements totally disregard the fact that God chose to give man the freedom to make his own choices regarding living in the safety and security of obedience to Him or deciding to disregard God’s one command of prohibition to him and suffer the consequences. I believe the purpose of that instruction was to provide a basis through which man could show his love for God through obedience. Jesus was very clear in declaring obedience as evidence of such love.
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
The Apostle John faithfully echoed this truth as taught to him by the Savior. The language used in the Complete Jewish Bible translation is very clear.
1 John 5:2–3 “Here is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God, we also do what he commands. For loving God means obeying his commands.”
People who hold to this reasoning are basically stating that a loving God would only have created men to function as robots, a being that could not in effect truly love Him. Even from a perspective of human reasoning, that would be like creating toys to play with.
Those who hold to this reasoning also discount the character of God. Not only is God love, but He is also righteous and just. The one character trait does not preclude possession of the other as an attribute of God. Webster defines righteousness as “Doing, or according with, that which is right; yielding to all their due; just….” In other words, God’s righteousness demands that unrighteousness be judged.
Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
Jeremiah 9:24 “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
Righteous judgment demands that sin have consequences. God warned man from the beginning that sin would result in death. Scripture gives clear warning that judgment awaits the wicked and resurrection to new life awaits those who choose to accept God’s gift of salvation in Jesus.
Psalms 9:16–17 “The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus was very clear in declaring very different future for the good (those declared righteous in Christ) and the wicked.
John 5:28–29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Our Creator, a God of love and righteousness, sovereignly chose instead to give man the freedom to make his own choices with the ability to truly love and in His omniscience (knowing before creation that man would choose to disobey Him) provided for man to be restored to righteousness and escape the judgment of sin through the willing sacrifice of His precious Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered that judgment for them.
Romans 5:17-18 “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He [God the Father] hath made Him [His Son Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” [brackets mine]
As our Creator, He had the right and authority to determine the appropriate judgment for sin and wickedness as identified according to the standards He established. Those who hold to the claim that God is not loving for allowing man the freedom to make his own choices refuse to accept that man is accountable for those choices—not God. God works within His creation through the choices of man. When He used evil kings to judge His people, those kings were acting in accordance with their own desires. Does this mean that God cannot choose to act supernaturally within His creation to accomplish His plans and purposes? Of course not.
Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Isaiah 29:15–16 “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?”
God is sovereign in power and authority and His character assures those actions to be loving and righteous. The problem for man is our limited ability to think and reason in light of those actions.
Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
It’s always interesting to me that people are very passionate about holding God accountable for His actions according to their own standards without regard to the accountability of man before God according to His standards.
As to why God allows sin and suffering, my simple explanation can be found at http://momsbiblejournal.com/Pages/topicalstudies.html.
People who make such statements totally disregard the fact that God chose to give man the freedom to make his own choices regarding living in the safety and security of obedience to Him or deciding to disregard God’s one command of prohibition to him and suffer the consequences. I believe the purpose of that instruction was to provide a basis through which man could show his love for God through obedience. Jesus was very clear in declaring obedience as evidence of such love.
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
The Apostle John faithfully echoed this truth as taught to him by the Savior. The language used in the Complete Jewish Bible translation is very clear.
1 John 5:2–3 “Here is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God, we also do what he commands. For loving God means obeying his commands.”
People who hold to this reasoning are basically stating that a loving God would only have created men to function as robots, a being that could not in effect truly love Him. Even from a perspective of human reasoning, that would be like creating toys to play with.
Those who hold to this reasoning also discount the character of God. Not only is God love, but He is also righteous and just. The one character trait does not preclude possession of the other as an attribute of God. Webster defines righteousness as “Doing, or according with, that which is right; yielding to all their due; just….” In other words, God’s righteousness demands that unrighteousness be judged.
Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
Jeremiah 9:24 “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
Righteous judgment demands that sin have consequences. God warned man from the beginning that sin would result in death. Scripture gives clear warning that judgment awaits the wicked and resurrection to new life awaits those who choose to accept God’s gift of salvation in Jesus.
Psalms 9:16–17 “The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus was very clear in declaring very different future for the good (those declared righteous in Christ) and the wicked.
John 5:28–29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Our Creator, a God of love and righteousness, sovereignly chose instead to give man the freedom to make his own choices with the ability to truly love and in His omniscience (knowing before creation that man would choose to disobey Him) provided for man to be restored to righteousness and escape the judgment of sin through the willing sacrifice of His precious Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered that judgment for them.
Romans 5:17-18 “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He [God the Father] hath made Him [His Son Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” [brackets mine]
As our Creator, He had the right and authority to determine the appropriate judgment for sin and wickedness as identified according to the standards He established. Those who hold to the claim that God is not loving for allowing man the freedom to make his own choices refuse to accept that man is accountable for those choices—not God. God works within His creation through the choices of man. When He used evil kings to judge His people, those kings were acting in accordance with their own desires. Does this mean that God cannot choose to act supernaturally within His creation to accomplish His plans and purposes? Of course not.
Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Isaiah 29:15–16 “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?”
God is sovereign in power and authority and His character assures those actions to be loving and righteous. The problem for man is our limited ability to think and reason in light of those actions.
Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
It’s always interesting to me that people are very passionate about holding God accountable for His actions according to their own standards without regard to the accountability of man before God according to His standards.
As to why God allows sin and suffering, my simple explanation can be found at http://momsbiblejournal.com/Pages/topicalstudies.html.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
False Teaching - You Just Have to Be Sincere
False Teaching #5 – It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.
The first thought that crossed my mind was that one can sincerely believe that God exists without trusting Him in faith for salvation. Again we turn to the letter of James.
James 2:19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
Jesus declared boldly to the leaders of the Jews that though they declared to sincerely believe the scriptures, they were sincerely wrong.
John 5:39–40 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
There is no better example in scripture of one who recognized that he was sincerely wrong in his beliefs than Saul, later to be known as the Apostle Paul. He even stood by and witnessed the murder of Stephen. He was on a mission to destroy as many followers of Jesus as he could when he was confronted by Jesus Christ and immediately recognized that he had been sincerely wrong in his beliefs. (See Acts 7-9)
Again, this false teaching totally goes against the word of God. If the Word of God is true (and it is), those who embrace this philosophy are in for a very sad awakening before the throne of judgment. I am reminded of the words of Solomon.
Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Scripture is everywhere clear that no one will get to heaven except through Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:3–6 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all….”
The first thought that crossed my mind was that one can sincerely believe that God exists without trusting Him in faith for salvation. Again we turn to the letter of James.
James 2:19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
Jesus declared boldly to the leaders of the Jews that though they declared to sincerely believe the scriptures, they were sincerely wrong.
John 5:39–40 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
There is no better example in scripture of one who recognized that he was sincerely wrong in his beliefs than Saul, later to be known as the Apostle Paul. He even stood by and witnessed the murder of Stephen. He was on a mission to destroy as many followers of Jesus as he could when he was confronted by Jesus Christ and immediately recognized that he had been sincerely wrong in his beliefs. (See Acts 7-9)
Again, this false teaching totally goes against the word of God. If the Word of God is true (and it is), those who embrace this philosophy are in for a very sad awakening before the throne of judgment. I am reminded of the words of Solomon.
Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Scripture is everywhere clear that no one will get to heaven except through Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:3–6 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all….”
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