Timeless and Timely – 07.12.24

I, Pastor Scott, received this Blog from GES just this morning, I think it’s a great read in these divisive times!

Emphasizing the Important Things

July 11, 2024 by Kenneth Yates in Blog – Acts 10:15, Acts 15:5, Circumcision, Eph 2:14-16, Judaizers

Luz Long and Jesse Owens were polar opposites. Long was a German Nazi and looked the part. He was blond, white, and an educated lawyer. Owens was a black American who grew up in poverty under segregation. In the 1936 Olympics, held in Berlin, Luz and Owens competed against each other in the long jump. Hitler wanted to show the superiority of the Aryan race. Long was a poster child for Hitler’s vision. In the Führer’s eyes, Owens was a despised, inferior human being.

Owens won the event, and Long came in second. But the two men walked arm in arm in the stadium in front of Hitler. Long and Owens developed a strong friendship and even exchanged letters after the Games were over. Their respect for each other’s athletic skills overrode any animosity their respective countries expected them to have.

When WWII broke out, Long served in the German army. His last letter to Owens asked him to come to Germany after the war and talk to his son about their friendship. Long died in combat in Italy, fighting for Germany against the United States. Owens would fulfill his close friend’s request. He would later fly to Germany and tell Kai-Heinrich Long about his father and the friendship they had shared. They met at the stadium where the two athletes had met and competed against each other.

Luz Long and Jesse Owens lived in a world in which insignificant things, like the color of one’s skin, were the things that set men apart. A black American and a white German simply could not be friends. They were to hate one another.

But these men realized that such things were superficial. They were both human beings who shared the love of a sport. They were more alike than different.

The world has always emphasized people’s differences. In the NT, we see how the early Church had to deal with the mentality of the world. The Church began in Acts 2 with a group of Jews. Religious Jews saw themselves as superior to Gentiles. For example, these Jews would not eat with Gentiles. They saw Gentiles as being unclean in a religious sense.

When the Lord added Gentiles to the Church, these cultural differences presented problems. The animosity between Jews and Gentiles manifested itself in the Church. Believing Jews wanted Gentile believers to become Jewish. Those Gentiles needed to eat the right food, and the men needed to be circumcised. Until they did so, Jewish believers would see them as inferior (Acts 15:5).

But the Lord made it clear that such sentiments concentrated on insignificant things. The Lord had made believing Gentiles equal to Jewish believers in every way (Acts 10:15). Both groups were part of the same body, the Church. That should have taken away all animosity between them (Eph 2:14-16). The most important aspect of their lives was that they were brothers and sisters in Christ. In his letters, Paul encouraged his readers to be like Long and Owens were centuries later: Jewish and Gentile believers should walk arm and arm with each other before a watching world.

The same thing is true for us. We may not completely understand the animosity between Jews and Gentiles in the first century. But we meet people who have believed in Jesus for eternal life who are not like we are. They do things differently. They have different interests. Maybe the color of their skin does not match our own. It is all too easy to avoid any kind of close relationship with them.

As believers, however, what we share is much more important. Christ has placed us in His Body. This is an eternal reality. If Long and Owens could walk arm in arm in 1936 Berlin because of their love of a sport, surely we can today because of our love of the Lord.

Happy 4th – 2024

I {Pastor Scott} write a blog every week for a newsletter that goes out first thing on Friday morning. This week July 4th falls on the Thursday and I wanted to write something about the USA and/or our civic responsibility, but I stumbled across a 2017 blog post that interested me and thought maybe it would interest you all too:

Why Ben Franklin Called for Prayer at the Constitutional Convention

THOMAS KIDD | SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

In observance of Constitution Day, I am posting an editorial I wrote for the Wall Street Journal in May. It draws from my recent religious biography of Franklin, published by Yale University Press.

The text of the unamended Constitution is notably secular, save for references like the “Year of our Lord” 1787. But the lack of religion in the document does not mean the topic went unmentioned at the Constitutional Convention.

Several weeks into the proceedings, the octogenarian Benjamin Franklin proposed that the meetings open with prayer. “How has it happened,” he pondered, according to a copy of the speech in Franklin’s papers, “that we have not, hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our Understandings?”

This was a poignant but peculiar suggestion coming from Franklin, the great printer, scientist and diplomat. He described himself in his autobiography as a “thorough deist” who as a teenager had rejected the Puritan faith of his parents. Why would Franklin ask the Philadelphia delegates to begin their daily deliberations with prayer?

Even stranger, few convention attendees supported the proposal. A couple of devout delegates seconded his motion, but it fizzled among the other participants. Franklin scribbled a note at the bottom of his prayer speech lamenting, “The Convention except three or four Persons, thought Prayers unnecessary!”

If Franklin truly was a deist, he wasn’t a very good one. Doctrinaire deists believed in a distant Creator, one who did not intervene in human history, and certainly not one who would respond to prayers. Yes, Franklin questioned basic points of Christianity, including Jesus’ divine nature. Yet his childhood immersion in the Puritan faith, and his relationships with traditional Christians through his adult life, kept him tethered to his parents’ religion. If he was not a Christian, he often sounded and acted like one.

The King James Bible, for example, had a significant influence on Franklin. From his first writings as “Silence Dogood”—the pseudonym he adopted when writing essays for his brother’s newspaper, the New-England Courant—to his speeches at the Constitutional Convention, Franklin was constantly referencing the Bible. He knew it backward and forward, recalling even the most obscure sections of it from memory.

When he was a child, his family went at least a couple of times a week to a Congregationalist church in Boston, where the heavily doctrinal sermons could last for two hours. The bookish boy claimed he had read the whole Bible by the time he was 5. Although his parents were of modest means, they once thought of sending him to Harvard to become a pastor. Concern about his growing teenage skepticism derailed those plans.

As a young man Ben did indulge some strident views and scurrilous behavior, especially on an extended trip to London. But he was certain that personal responsibility and industry were the keys to worldly success. He wrote of deism in his autobiography: “I began to suspect that this doctrine, tho’ it might be true, was not very useful.” So he devoted himself to a personal “plan of conduct,” through which he tracked his practice of godly virtues.

He kept in steady contact with his sister Jane Mecom of Boston, an evangelical Christian and his closest sibling. He established a business relationship and longstanding friendship with George Whitefield, a celebrated evangelist during the Great Awakening of the 18th century. The preacher grilled him occasionally about the state of his soul, yet Franklin admired Whitefield and even fleetingly proposed that they start a colony together in the Ohio territory, one that would model the best principles of Christianity.

Then came the Revolutionary War. Its weight, along with the shock of victory and independence, made Franklin think that God, in some mysterious way, must be moving in American history. “The longer I live,” he told the delegates in Philadelphia, “the more convincing Proofs I see of this Truth, That God governs in the affairs of men.”

He repeatedly cited verses from the Bible to make his case, quoting Psalm 127: “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Without God’s aid, Franklin contended, the Founding Fathers would “succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel.” At the Revolutionary War’s outset, as he reminded delegates, they had prayed daily, often in that same Philadelphia hall, for divine protection. “And have we now forgotten that powerful friend?”

In today’s polarized political and religious environment, some pundits seek to remake the Founding Fathers in their own image. Benjamin Franklin’s example reveals that the historical truth is often more complicated.

Ask the Pastor from Sunday’s Sermon – 2 Samuel 12

It seems that David’s consequences were passed to innocent parties (Bathsheba – victim, losing her son, baby dying). How do we reconcile that with God’s “fairness” when explaining to children or perhaps to non-believers?

Great question. Personally, I would likely start with Job 38-41 where God asks Job questions like, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” and “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, and caused the dawn to know its place?” In other words, He is God and He can do whatever He pleases and/or needs to do.

But that’s not a very satisfying answer from a human perspective. A better answer is to talk about the ripple effect of our actions. If a student is disruptive in class does he only affect his own learning? If a mechanic in a two-man shop is always an hour late to work, does he only affect his own paycheck? What about a guy driving the wrong way down a one-way road? In each of these cases others are impacted, harmed, or maybe even killed. In the same way David, a man and a King, chose to cross His God’s law and as a result both Uriah and the baby died and Bathsheba was twice grieved. David’s selfish act affected more than just David; it affected a whole nation! Great warning for us; as we wrestle with our own impulses!

Pastor Scott

This GotQuestions article makes a good argument that the baby was really rescued. Take a read: https://www.gotquestions.org/David-Bathsheba-child.html

Pray First – Jun 21, 2024

There is a great story in 2 Chronicles 20 of Moab’s raid on Judah when Jehoshaphat was king. Jehoshaphat wasn’t the general David was, but he knew Who God is. And he threw himself and his people on God’s mercy. I love the closing line of his prayer, after reminding God of His victory over Egypt, etc. Jehoshaphat says, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (v. 12 Emphasis added). It reminds me of Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 that The Holy Spirit intercedes for us because we don’t really know how to pray either!

So then why pray? Because it’s a necessary acknowledgment of our humble dependence on God. James says, we have not because we ask not. Peter says to cast all of our cares upon Him. Paul says to Timothy as he repairs the church at Ephesus, “First of all gather them and Pray!” And The Son Himself when He was walking this sod, would get up early just to get alone with the Father and pray. Pray draws us closer to God and He is the God of all flesh, there is nothing He can’t do! We have access now, though the blood of Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16); let’s not allow it to be our last resort.

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel.

In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.

Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought, he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved-but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy’s father watched from the living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but firmly he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!”

“No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.” With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

After Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple he quoted Isaiah 56 “My House shall be a House of Prayer!” Let’s make sure this House – WOGF is a “House of Prayer!”

Pastor Scott

Loose Ends – June 14, 2024

#1 of 2

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” ~ 1 John 3:9

Several weeks (more likely months ago) I answered a question here about the verse above by posting the amplified translation which aligned the first half (practices) with the second half of the verse that declares an absolute. A congregant pointed out a better resolution offered by the Bible Teacher Zane Hodges. In his commentary on 1 John, Dr. Hodges reminds us of Christ’s imputed righteousness, which means by definition we stand before God without sin; our new nature is without sin. Of course this new Holy Nature, should be affecting our flesh; or “walk” as it’s often called in Scripture, and therein lies the rub.

Our flesh is so very used to living in this world that putting it off and putting righteousness on is, for many of us, a major ordeal and/or a daily struggle. The temptations of the world aren’t something we deal with on an occasional basis, but are a constant assault on our senses. So while I’m aware of the principle that Hodges teaches, I’m fearful of anything that would cause any of us to ignore the important teaching of Colossians 3, or Ephesians 4-6, or Galatians 5, by causing us to think that we can’t sin anymore. I’ve watched that happen and it inevitably leads to more sin. So yes, it’s a good but VERY NUANCED resolution to the 1 Peter 3:9! 🙂

#2 of 2

Recently I was discussing the Roman Catholic origin of some communion practices in the Bible Study Hour class I teach as we are working our way through 1 Corinthians. As is my habit I was supporting my point with a relevant illustration which had me explaining the English word “repentance.” As it happens our English word comes down to us from the Latin poenitire “make sorry,” which comes from poena (penal; or punishment). I went on to make the point that in the New Testament the word is Meta (change) + Noia (mind). I was pointing out that only once in the NT sorrow and metanoia are linked (2 Cor 7:9-10), but most often it’s a call to change our orientation about who God is or about how to approach Him. And in other literature of the time “metanoia” was used the same way we might say “he ‘changed his mind’ and didn’t go to the store that night.” As you can imagine this led to a discussion that had nothing to do with communion and everything to do with how salvation was NOT dependent on how sorry we are for our sin.

During class I received a text asking: “So what about the Romans Road?” Great question! Paul spends most of the first three chapters of Romans making sure everyone understands that they are sinners who fall short of the glory of God. He then makes the point that none of us can boast because we are not saved by our works but we are saved by faith alone. There is no mention in the text of Romans of “sorrow for sin.” However, in the presentation instructions for the Romans road or the Wordless book, the script often says something like, “Now, ask them to pray and tell God how sorry they are about their sin.” Having a “contrite heart” is Biblical. David writes about it in Psalm 51 wherein he confesses his horrible sin. Isaiah writes of those who have done evil and are now “lowly and contrite.” Again, it’s not wrong, per se, to be sad that you lived a life of sin, but it’s not really part of a road in the Book of Romans.

Pastor Scott

Asking the Pastor – May 3, 2024

“If God can do everything, then can He do nothing?” Was a forwarded text message I received on Sunday night. I don’t know who asked the question and, while I appreciate that there is “protection” in anonymity, it also requires that I make some guesses. So here goes.

I initially read this as a paradox question: “Can God make a rock he can’t lift?” or “Can God make a square circle?” The “everything” contrasting with the “nothing.” Christians have been wrestling with those questions for two millennia. The conclusions have ranged from “He’s God and can do whatever He wills” to “That question is in itself absurd and God is a God of logic and reason.”
Then I thought, perhaps he meant “is God ever inactive?” This ties directly to Genesis 2:2-3 wherein God says that he “rested on the 7th day.” A closer examination shows us that God specifically rested from creating. We know that He keeps the galaxies and even very atoms in our bodies spinning (Colossians 1:17) and that He doesn’t ever sleep (Psalm 121:4). And we have countless verses that mention His watching presence (e.g. For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His – 2 Chronicles 16:9)! And His accompanying presence (Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6, cf. Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). So my read of the Bible is that the answer is no, YHWH is never inactive. He rested from the work of creating after 6 days, but He is an active, engaged, Sovereign!

It’s also possible that the text sender meant “nothing” in the sense of “in my life” or “in answer to my prayers.” My answer there would mostly be from the various Old Testament stories that teach us that God’s timing is often measured in years, decades, or even generations, while ours is measured in hours or days. Also God is working with a massive 4-D chess board, and sometimes it’s not about me. In 2000, I preached through the book of Genesis. I will never forget how I was hit by Chapter 8 verse 1: But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided (Genesis 8:1, emphasis added). God hadn’t really forgotten His main character, the only humans left alive, it was the author’s way of saying that God’s attention had been elsewhere. God had been busy bringing up the waters from the depth and releasing the waters from the firmament. He was destroying His first creation. He was dealing with something OTHER than Noah and His family. Not every crisis, nor every storm, nor every disagreement, nor every ”unsettling situation” is about me. Sometimes, God is doing something else! But He never removes His hand (John 10:28)! And sometimes His answer to our prayer is simply, “No, my child.”

Hope this is a little bit helpful,

Pastor Scott

The First Word Spoken to Adam & Eve – April 24, 2024

Imagine what Adam and Eve learned about God’s generosity from their first impression of him on their first day. Their first knowledge of God and the world God had made was that rest was not an afterthought — rest was of first importance….

Adam and Eve had accomplished nothing to earn this gratuitous day of rest. Sabbath is, in my estimation, the first image of the Gospel in the biblical story. God’s nature always gives rest first; work comes later. This is reflected in all of our lives. Before our lives in this world began, we got nine months of rest in the womb.

Before taking up a vocation, we get a few years to just play as children. And before our six days of labor, we receive the day of rest. Karl Barth famously pointed out that the only thing Adam and Eve had to celebrate on that first Sabbath was God and His creation:

“That God rested on the seventh day, and blessed and sanctified it, is the first divine action which man is privileged to witness ; and that he himself may keep the Sabbath with God, completely free from work, is the first Word spoken to him, the first obligation laid on him.” Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World, Baker Publishing Group, 2018, Kindle Location 311.

I stumbled across this “clipping” while in pursuit of another line of inquiry, but I thought it was worth publishing here because we don’t really have a “sabbath” anymore. We fully acknowledge that out of the 10 commandments it’s the only one not repeated in the New Testament and we, along with the vast majority of Christian churches, gather on Resurrection Sunday rather than Sabbath Saturday for our day of Worship. We don’t keep ceremonial laws, including those that count steps taken on Saturdays (shabbat) nor work done or fires lit. And we don’t, universally, treat our own day of worship as a day of rest either. I am adamantly NOT trying to introduce a new legalism, but I think every once in a while I need to be reminded that the sabbath wasn’t just part of the decalogue. It was part of creation. We function better if we rest. Amen?

So take His yoke; accept His peace and rest,

“I Can’t See God” – April 5, 2024

I’m reposting this both for its apologetic value and its devotional value. BOTH serve as good reminders, PLEASE take the time to read this C.S. Lewis piece. ~ Pastor Scott

In February 1963, C.S. Lewis published an essay exploring a number of topics related to space-travel, including the idea of finding God in space (A response to Nikita Khrushchev’s proclamation in 1961, that cosmonauts never saw God in space) He wrote:

The Russians, I am told, report that they have not found God in outer space… Looking for God—or Heaven—by exploring space is like reading or seeing all Shakespeare’s plays in the hope that you will find Shakespeare as one of the characters or Stratford as one of the places. Shakespeare is in one sense present at every moment in every play. But he is never present in the same way as Falstaff or Lady Macbeth. Nor is he diffused through the play like a gas…

Now of course this is only an analogy. I am not suggesting at all that the existence of God is as easily established as the existence of Shakespeare. My point is that, if God does exist, He is related to the universe more as an author is related to a play than as one object in the universe is related to another.

If God created the universe, He created space-time, which is to the universe as the metre is to a poem or the key is to music. To look for Him as one item within the framework which He Himself invented is nonsensical…

How, then, it may be asked, can we either reach or avoid Him?…in our own time and place, [avoiding God] is extremely easy. Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health and (above all) on your own grievances. Keep the radio on. Live in a crowd. Use plenty of sedation. If you must read books, select them very carefully. But you’d be safer to stick to the papers. You’ll find the advertisements helpful; especially those with a sexy or a snobbish appeal.

About the reaching, I am a far less reliable guide. This is because I never had the experience of looking for God. It was the other way round; He was the hunter (or so it seemed to me) and I was the deer…

Space-travel really has nothing to do with the matter. To some, God is discoverable everywhere; to others, nowhere. Those who do not find Him on earth are unlikely to find Him in space. (Hang it all, we’re in space already; every year we do a huge circular tour in space.) But send a saint up in a spaceship and he’ll find God in space as he found God on earth. Much depends on the seeing eye.1

If we are Christians, we know and are known by the God who created the universe and have many reasons to give Him thanks. On a cautionary note, however, Lewis’s insight into how easy it is to avoid God has applicability to Christians as well as non-believers. Christians can avoid God by living their lives concentrating on money, sex, status and the like, and consequently remain spiritually immature and experience little of the transforming power of Christ. Let us keep our focus on Jesus as Lord and Savior, and pursue a life of holiness and righteousness.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

PSALM 19:1 (ESV)

1 C.S. Lewis, The Seeing Eye, from Christian Reflections, edited by Walter Hooper, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995, pp. 167-169, 171.

Reckon ye also yourselves.. 03.01.24

Romans 6:1-14 reminds us that God, through the death of Christ, defanged sin in our lives. But because we live in the flesh, walk in the world, and Satan still roams the earth we have to always be mindful of that truth (v. 11) and we have to always be intentional about not letting any part of us (Physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually) be used as a tool of evil (vv 12-14). Grace freed us from the consequence of sin (Romans 4 & 5), but practical freedom from the power of sin takes some cooperation from me, because my flesh defaults toward itself. Think about a car that pulls to the right, on a narrow windy road, filled with potholes; do I dare take my hand off the steering wheel or my eyes off the road? Well neither should I go on cruise in my day to day life! I need to make sure every thought is taken captive and I’m not bringing shame on His name! Amen? – Pastor Scott

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members* of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

*“Members” [mélos] was used in antiquity of instruments of war and implements (“working parts”) of a ship. Paul used it in relation to the various functions of human personality.

(Romans 6:1-14 NASB Emphasis and * added)

Ask the Pastor – 02.23.24

I received a question this week that I’m going to break into three parts.

Explain 1 John 3, given that we believe in Eternal Security.
Explain the modern prodigals who once walked the straight and narrow.
What can we who remain, do?

1 John 3

1 John is a great book, but it’s best understood as John’s defense of the faith in light of early heresy. In Chapter 1, we see John arguing against a teaching that said believers had no sin. And here in John 3, we see him arguing against a teaching that believers could revel in sin. Unfortunately, the way Greek works, the word for “sin”, hamartia (ἁμαρτία), is simply modified to indicate tense and in English we just have the one word. So unless a translation is willing to add a bunch of words, it’s hard to even pick up John’s meaning. (The person who sent me this question instinctively added “ongoing” to the word sin and she was dead on!) Believe it or not, the Amplified does a really good job of honoring John’s Greek.

“No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him. Little children (believers, dear ones), do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who practices righteousness [the one who strives to live a consistently honorable life—in private as well as in public—and to conform to God’s precepts] is righteous, just as He is righteous. The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him.”
1 John 3:6-9 AMP

So John is talking about pretenders who want to have their cake and eat it too. He is saying “no”, if you were really abiding, if God’s seed were really in you, you could not live this way on purpose – you couldn’t embrace this worldly lifestyle! John was arguing against hedonist Gnostic false teachers trying to slip into the church. He was not talking about Christians who trip up on day to day life as they abide.

Abiding is the sub-text for believers. If one is truly justified, but living like the devil then that person is not abiding and is to be treated like an unbeliever. (1 Cor 5)

Prodigals

If it hasn’t happened to your family, it’s most assuredly happened to a family you know. Adult children, who professed faith as kids, who were active in church, active in Bible clubs, may have served or gone on missions trips, suddenly walk away. Some drift away, others slam the door, but in either case you are left wondering: (a) Are they going to heaven when they die? and, (b) what can I do?

This is an easy-peasey question to answer, theologically, and a horrible question to answer regarding an individual. Theologically, if a person believes in Jesus for their eternal life there is nothing they can do to become unsaved because it’s no longer up to them. They are already seated in the heavenlies (Eph 2:6); God has reserved their inheritance there as well (1 Peter 1:3-5); He has sealed them with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14) and perfected them once for all (Heb 10:10-14)! Individually, however, only God knows what went on in their heart. Is it possible some kids were insincere in their faith claims? Or are they carnal/fleshly like the people Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; not abiding in Christ (John 15; 1 John), but living like the world. Surely there wouldn’t be so much instruction to the church against worldly living if it weren’t possible? God knows, I’m not sure how we can know – especially from a distance.
So we can pray. In 1 John 5:14-16, we are told to pray for the strays. There is a place for intervention (Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20), but if these are in your family; I’ve no doubt you have intervened ad infinitem. Praying is your assignment now, as it is mine.

Actions/Mindset

As we watch “believers” say and do things that we don’t think “believers” should say and do, we are bothered on so many levels! We can stumble into sin ourselves, or feel offended, or feel confused. What can we read and how should we be thinking?

If they are within the church, I recommend that we study Romans 14 (cf. 1 Cor 8). Both parties who were at odds over meat offered to idols had biblically based convictions.* It’s very easy to be blinded by our own very strong convictions, even if others are valid too!

If they are outside the church, our only concern should be seeing them come to faith. Pray to that end and if you get, or can create the opportunity, share the truth of Christ.

Of course, we live in a very connected world and many are aware through friends and through social media of the lives of those who fall somewhere in the middle. They aren’t part of our local church, they do claim to be Christians, but their choices don’t seem to be on the “idol meat” spectrum. My suggestion is that we look at Matthew 18:15-35. That passage, Jesus’ own words, leave us with two choices. We can confront or forgive. He doesn’t give us permission to discuss, fuss, or start a new Facebook group. We can either take an active role in confronting the sin we see or we can forgive it. In most of these cases the sinner wasn’t sinning against us anyway.

Let’s be careful to take it to God; I’m mindful of the “scene” captured by Luke as Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time. He looked out over the City and wept for it! God understands our grief, Jesus experienced it as a human!

Pastor Scott

* I have judged more than one Christian School debate wherein the topic assigned was “can a Christian drink alcohol in moderation?” I, personally, side with the teetotallers, and we can make a great biblical case; everything from mastery (1 Cor 6:12) to clear headedness (Proverbs 31:4-5). Of course the pro-side has a few verses on their side too, like Jesus’s first public miracle (John 2) and Paul’s advice to young Timothy to stop being a teetotaller (1 Tim 5:23). Who’s the stronger brother and who’s the weaker brother? Perhaps the one who fails to love the other? (1 John 4:7-21)

Stop Gossiping! I know Pastor Jack is more Charismatic than us, it’s his point not his position I’m promoting