God desires fellowship with you. The book of Genesis tells us that God walked in the garden of Eden in the cool of the day. He lived in harmony and fellowship with Adam and Eve, and all of His creation. God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle in the wilderness so that He could dwell in the midst of His people. A temple was erected in Jerusalem, again, so He could live with the people. Even in our day God desires this fellowship. He wants to live in the midst of His people. He wants a relationship with each and every one of us, but (this is the important part) He will not compromise His holiness in the name of fellowship.
We like to talk about our relationship with God, and our fellowship with Him, but so many times we act like He steps down into the gutters where we live to have that relationship. God does not take a step down to have fellowship with us. He restores us to the image in which man was created. "And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man (1 Cor. 15:49)."
We can indeed live in fellowship with God in this live, but we MUST REMEMBER that in order to do that we must grow and mature spiritually. We must allow God to make us something better than the fallen men that we once were. The Bible teaches that God draws men to Himself. Even when "He became flesh and dwelt among us" He was drawing us to Himself. It does not teach that He comes to us and changes His attitude toward our sin in the name of fellowship. He desires fellowship, but the change must occur within us. Why did God's fellowship with the Jews of the Old Testament cease at times? Not because He didn't want the relationship, but because THEY did not rise up to meet Him in holiness. They did not allow Him to make them something better than they were before.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Season of Lent
I was in a restaurant the other day and heard one of the women sitting at the booth behind me ask the other what she is giving up for lent. Prior to that I had not been listening to their conversation, but that caught my attention. Every year at this time we see people with ashes on their foreheads struggling to decide what they can give up for a season to show their allegiance to God. What are you giving up this year?
Many web sites of congregations that observe lent say something like this: "No one knows for sure where lent started, or why it was originally observed." You can check for yourself if you don't believe me. Every year people are fired up about giving up something that will show God they are worthy. First of all, we are not worthy regardless of what we go without for a few short weeks. Second, I've searched the scriptures and have yet to find anything to support giving up your favorite tv show for a couple of weeks to show God you care.
Despite the lack of biblical support for lent, I can find the call in the New Testament to make a sacrifice, but it is not simply for a month. GIVE UP SIN FOREVER! Jesus told those that He healed, "Go and sin no more." Paul asked the question, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" He emphatically answered the question, "God forbid!" The Bible tells us "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24)." Throughout the New Testament the call rings out for us to stop living in sin. As we approach the season in which we commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ, I encourage you to forget about this idea of giving something for lent and give up one thing forever. Sin.
Many web sites of congregations that observe lent say something like this: "No one knows for sure where lent started, or why it was originally observed." You can check for yourself if you don't believe me. Every year people are fired up about giving up something that will show God they are worthy. First of all, we are not worthy regardless of what we go without for a few short weeks. Second, I've searched the scriptures and have yet to find anything to support giving up your favorite tv show for a couple of weeks to show God you care.
Despite the lack of biblical support for lent, I can find the call in the New Testament to make a sacrifice, but it is not simply for a month. GIVE UP SIN FOREVER! Jesus told those that He healed, "Go and sin no more." Paul asked the question, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" He emphatically answered the question, "God forbid!" The Bible tells us "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24)." Throughout the New Testament the call rings out for us to stop living in sin. As we approach the season in which we commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ, I encourage you to forget about this idea of giving something for lent and give up one thing forever. Sin.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Rebellion
In 1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "I hold that a little rebellion from time to time is a good thing." I hereby resolve to rebel against the following:
-The idea that "we're all sinners" and that we "sin every day." ("Go and sin no more" teaches us that this is wrong)
-The belief that "holiness teaching is not practical." (The Bible says without holiness no one will see the Lord)
-The belief that holiness is not one of the "essentials" of Bible doctrine ("Be holy for I am holy" is pretty clear)
-The idea that preaching and teaching the Bible "should not be the top priority" for pastors. ("How shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14)
-The belief that "people don't really want to hear doctrine." (I no longer care what they want. I want ice cream for breakfast every day, but it's not what I need)
From this point on, I will no longer allow these statements to be made without questioning them. I will not ignore them and move on. I will not use the excuse "we'll never agree on everything." I find that most of the people who use that excuse really don't even try. On this day, I resolve to rebel against the emerging, unbiblical, unholy, ungodly, beast-riding harlot that is taking the place of the church in our day. I hope you will join me.
-The idea that "we're all sinners" and that we "sin every day." ("Go and sin no more" teaches us that this is wrong)
-The belief that "holiness teaching is not practical." (The Bible says without holiness no one will see the Lord)
-The belief that holiness is not one of the "essentials" of Bible doctrine ("Be holy for I am holy" is pretty clear)
-The idea that preaching and teaching the Bible "should not be the top priority" for pastors. ("How shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14)
-The belief that "people don't really want to hear doctrine." (I no longer care what they want. I want ice cream for breakfast every day, but it's not what I need)
From this point on, I will no longer allow these statements to be made without questioning them. I will not ignore them and move on. I will not use the excuse "we'll never agree on everything." I find that most of the people who use that excuse really don't even try. On this day, I resolve to rebel against the emerging, unbiblical, unholy, ungodly, beast-riding harlot that is taking the place of the church in our day. I hope you will join me.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Biblical Standards
The Bible speaks 76 times in the King James Version of "abominations." These are things that profane the holiness of God and His people. Malachi 3:11 says, "Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned the Lord's holy institution which He loves: he has married the daughter of a foreign god (NKJV)." Jesus told the Pharisees, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15)."
Here we have Old and New Testament accounts of abominations in the sight of God, or things that defile His people who are supposed to be set apart. If the Bible speaks about things that defile God's people, why are we so quick to discount the fact that there are things in which God does not want us to take part? I agree that the Old Testament laws are shadows of New Testament truths. I'm not saying that we shouldn't eat pork, in fact, the New Testament says that we can. But it seems like every time a conversation about things that Christians should not do some simply says, "Don't be legalistic."
There was a day where holiness teaching was far too often legalistic, but I have some news for those who live in this day: that time has passed. I'm not promoting wearing your hair in a bun, or skirts that go to the floor. What I am promoting is that the Bible does certainly teach that there are things that Christians should not do. Why can't we have that conversation? As I read the web sites and blogs of the emergent church, I see over and over again criticism of any kind of standard that comes from Scripture. Christians have come to a point in our day where we don't want to tolerate anything that tells us how to act. I wonder if that has something to do with the state of the church today. Can we get on track without admitting that there are certainly something things that the Bible says Christians should not do?
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God(1 Corinthians 6:9, 10)."
It's funny, we have made a lot of gray area in these commands, but they seem pretty clear.
Here we have Old and New Testament accounts of abominations in the sight of God, or things that defile His people who are supposed to be set apart. If the Bible speaks about things that defile God's people, why are we so quick to discount the fact that there are things in which God does not want us to take part? I agree that the Old Testament laws are shadows of New Testament truths. I'm not saying that we shouldn't eat pork, in fact, the New Testament says that we can. But it seems like every time a conversation about things that Christians should not do some simply says, "Don't be legalistic."
There was a day where holiness teaching was far too often legalistic, but I have some news for those who live in this day: that time has passed. I'm not promoting wearing your hair in a bun, or skirts that go to the floor. What I am promoting is that the Bible does certainly teach that there are things that Christians should not do. Why can't we have that conversation? As I read the web sites and blogs of the emergent church, I see over and over again criticism of any kind of standard that comes from Scripture. Christians have come to a point in our day where we don't want to tolerate anything that tells us how to act. I wonder if that has something to do with the state of the church today. Can we get on track without admitting that there are certainly something things that the Bible says Christians should not do?
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God(1 Corinthians 6:9, 10)."
It's funny, we have made a lot of gray area in these commands, but they seem pretty clear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
