The Bible and The Cults

Seeing in my previous post the value of the word of God, it is my intent, at this time, to expose the attitude of the cults regarding the Bible. Before examining this, it is necessary to observe a few basic traits of cults in general.

First and primarily, the chief characteristic of a cult is brought out by its definition. Microsoft Encarta’s dictionary defines “cult” this way – “a system of religious or spiritual beliefs, especially an informal and transient belief system regarded by others as misguided or unorthodox.” So, the first characteristic of a cult, as shown by its very definition, is that it deviates from that which is fundamentally and Biblically true. There are fundamental truths brought about in the word of God. Such truths include the virgin birth of Christ; the deity of Christ; the literal and bodily second coming of Jesus Christ to this world; the existence of a literal heaven and a literal, burning hell; the Trinity, and others. To deviate from these is to characterize yourself with religious groups we call cults.

Secondly, a common trait of the cults is extreme exclusivism. Now understand that Christianity itself is an exclusivist religion. By this, I mean that true Christians teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to God’s heaven. Yes, true, born-again Christians are the ONLY ONES going to heaven. However, cults do not teach that you must go to heaven through Christ; they teach rather that you can only get to heaven through THEM! This is a major difference between true Christianity and the cults. Jehovah’s Witnesses will tell you that you must accept Christ, but their teaching goes further than that. Christ, they say, established ONE church (their church, coincidentally), and you must join THEIR CHURCH to be accepted by God. I was acquainted with a group years ago called “Gospel of the Kingdom,” or “Sowderites,” a movement started by William Sowders of Louisville, Kentucky. Among their far-out ideas was the suggestion that you are only a part of the body of Christ if you are in their group.

While I preach strongly that one must be a born-again Christian to be saved, I do not preach that one must be a part of my group to be saved. You do not need to join my denomination to be saved. You do not need to run with my crowd to be saved. There are true Christians who are not part of my group, and they are as saved as anyone. The cults, however, do not see it this way. You must be a part of their group to be saved.

Look at what Jesus Christ said regarding followers of Christ who are not in your group:

Luke 9:49, 50 – “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”

So, it is clear. Every cult that teaches that you must be a part of their group to be saved is as wrong as they can be! Yet, this is a major peculiarity of the cults.

Thirdly, a widespread custom of the cults is the fact that most all cults have a founder (other than Jesus Christ). Of course, Christianity has a founder. Yet, the cults seem to all have a man or a woman who founded their group. Charles Taze Russell founded the Kingdom Hall (Jehovah’s Witnesses); Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons); William Sowders founded the so-called “Gospel of the Kingdom;” Ellen White was among the founders of the Seventh-day Adventists; Mary Baker Eddy is remembered for her role in founding the Church of Christ, Scientist. While there is no wrong in a group having a founder, you will notice when studying the cults how that the founders are idolized. Their words are often equal with the words of Jesus Christ.

The Worst Attributes of the Cults

Having briefly looked at three traits of the cults, I wish to expound upon two more; perhaps two of their worst characteristics.

A fourth feature of groups we call cults is the fact that their view of salvation is perverted. You will not find a cult that teaches that what Jesus Christ did upon the cross is sufficient for salvation. Roman Catholics, for example, teach that God gives us grace to perform sacraments to be saved. Even after fulfilling a lifetime of sacraments, the devout Catholic cannot know for sure that he has done enough to be saved. The Seventh-day Adventists make worship on Saturday a requirement for salvation. The so-called “Church of Christ” has a list (they tell me) of five things one must do to be saved, among which is baptism in water. Apostolic Pentecostals teach that one must be baptized in the name of Jesus only, and that one must speak in tongues in order to be saved. The message of the cults in regard to salvation is simple – what Christ did on the cross was insufficient. The cross, they say, is part of the plan, but it is not enough to save us. They all add laws and commandments one must keep in order to be saved. But look what the Bible says:

Galatians 2:21 – “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Such strong words are the words above, but there is as much truth in them as there is strength. The Bible is clear – what Christ did on the cross is sufficient. Placing faith IN HIS BLOOD gives propitiation:

Romans 3:24-26 – “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

Yes, it is the doctrine of the Bible that faith in Christ’s blood gives salvation. It is trusting Christ’s work, not commending our own, that saves from sin. The cults, however, teach that Christ did not do enough to save us. He did much of what needs to be done, they teach, but we must do the rest. How blasphemous!

A fifth element of the dogma of the cults is stated as follows – Not only is the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross insufficient, but the Bible is insufficient. Every one of the cults, without exception, teach that the Bible is not sufficient to be the sole rule of faith and practice. Every cult adopts one or more false statement regarding the Bible. At least the cults are honest – if the Bible is absolutely correct, complete, and accurate, then their ideas MUST be wrong. So, instead of changing their beliefs, they attack the Bible.

The attack on the Bible by the cults is manifested in a couple of ways. First, some cults teach that the Bible is inaccurate. Listen carefully. If a Jehovah’s Witness stands at your door and tells you that the Bible is erroneous, what does that tell you about the teachings of this group? They are admitting that their teachings do not line up with the Bible! This is the sole reason why Jehovah’s Witnesses have scrapped the King James Bible, and have written their own “New World Translation.” The Mormons teach this regarding the Bible – “The King James Bible is the word of God, SO LONG AS IT IS TRANSLATED CORRECTLY.” And guess what? When the Mormons’ teaching disagrees with the Bible, guess where they say the error lies – with the Bible! Anyone can say that the Bible is correct until it disagrees with them! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if someone must write their own Bible because the King James Bible disagrees with their teaching, their teaching must not be Biblical! If someone claims that the Bible is accurate until it disagrees with them, an honest person can see what is happening! The cults, instead of admitting that they are wrong, have the audacity to say that the Bible is wrong!

There is a second method in which the cults attack the word of God. As we have seen, some say the Bible is inaccurate. Others, however, state that the Bible is insufficient. The Bible is right, some cults say, but it is not enough. The Mormons are number one on our list. The Bible may contribute something to their church, but it is not the sole authority. The Book of Mormon was added, because the Bible is not the complete word of God. I spoke earlier regarding the Sowderites, or the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” One attribute of this group is that they speak often regarding revelation. A good deal of you seeing the scriptures as they do depends upon God REVEALING it to you! The Bible is good, but there must be extra-biblical revelation, according to the cults.

Dear reader, you may not attend a “kingdom hall.” You may not be a member of the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.” You may not be a part of a “Gospel of the Kingdom” church. You may not be an Adventist. But if your pastor teaches that the Bible is erroneous, or that the Bible is not enough, or that there must be extra-biblical revelation, BEWARE! There is a reason why the Bible does not line up with your pastor’s teaching! If your pastor gets up and says, “This passage was not translated correctly,” WATCH OUT! He’s teaching that the Bible is wrong and he is right! If your pastor teaches this, there is great danger here! Your church may not be a cult, but your pastor most definitely possesses one of the cults’ characteristics.

The Bible is absolutely complete and accurate. It needs nothing more to substantiate it. Anyone who adds to it, takes from it, rewrites it, or contradicts it is absolutely wrong in every instance!

The Value of the Word of God

In this world, it is neither scarce nor surprising to hear the attacks against the word of God. Those who are deemed intelligent mock its principles, deny its miracles, and scorn its prophecies. Yet, in spite of all the attacks, its principles are true, its miracles occurred as recorded, and every prophecy regarding the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ came to pass precisely as written. Though I desire for every reader to believe the Holy Scriptures, the scriptures do not need your belief in them to strengthen them. They are completely accurate, without anyone’s approval of them. The world mocks; yet the scripture stands.

Then, I come into the church. It is sad to say, but in many churches, the word of God takes a back seat. I have been to churches (some recently) where you will find someone who is always having a dream that “God gave him.” There are churches in which you’ll discover someone who is constantly seeing visions. God is always speaking to them in an audible voice. “God told me this,” they say. “God told me that,” they affirm.

Only an observation it may be, but here is what I have surveyed regarding many of those who are always seeing visions, dreaming dreams, and hearing voices: They are so spiritual that “God” is always speaking to them; yet, they do not know that salvation is by grace. They constantly see visions; but they cannot see that a person has the Holy Ghost living within them the instant they believe on Jesus Christ. They are always dreaming dreams, but quite frankly, they don’t know soup beans from apple butter regarding the word of God! Again, it should be noted that these observations are in reference to “many of those” who are always seeing visions, dreaming dreams and hearing voices.

Now, am I against a man having a dream that is from the Lord? No; for then I would be against the Joseph of the Old Testament, as well as the Joseph of the New. Am I against someone having a vision? In no wise. But if you are one of these people who often refer to “the last dream I had,” or “the last vision I had,” then I am talking to you.

Here is yet another observation regarding those who are always having dreams and seeing visions: they talk a lot. You may ask, “What do you mean?” In the Bible, when someone had real visions from the Lord, they didn’t talk about their visions. Whether the reader has seen a real vision from the Lord or not, I do not know. But I know for a fact that Paul the apostle had visions and revelations from the Lord, and look what he says about them:

II Corinthians 12:1 – “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.”

Paul, in his discourse to the Corinthians, states here that he will at this time talk about visions and revelations of the Lord. Then, he proceeds to speak concerning those visions and revelations:

II Corinthians 12:4 – “How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

Paul goes on to tell about a man, perhaps himself, who was caught up into paradise. Then, Paul tells us something pertaining to what he saw – “…it is not lawful for a man to utter.” Paul said, “I’m not allowed to tell you what I saw.” No one reading this post will ever know what Paul saw in paradise – he didn’t blab it!

Yet, so many who claim to have visions today are very quick to reveal what they saw and heard. This makes me wonder about these vision-seeing individuals.

I do not know whether the reader has seen visions or heard voices from heaven or not, but I know for a fact that Mary, the mother of Jesus, heard the voice of an angel, because the Bible states it to be so. Yet, when the angel spoke to her, the Bible says in Luke 2:19 that “Mary pondered these things in her heart.” She neither told nor bragged about everything she heard from the angel. Yet, when someone has visions and dreams today, they quickly let the world know what they saw and heard! It makes me wonder!

A Message for Vision-Seeing Individuals and Dreamers

As for those who claim to have seen visions or had dreams from the Lord, I am not writing this post to convince you otherwise. But, each individual who constantly sees visions and has dreams from the Lord needs to read what I am writing.

Your visions and dreams are not very spiritual. There is no indication whatsoever that Pilate’s wife was a follower of Christ, yet she informs her husband in Matthew 27:19, “I have suffered many things in a dream because of [Christ].” The wise men who came to see the Christ child were warned of God in a dream in Matthew 2:12; yet there is nothing said as to whether or not they believed that Christ was anything more than “the king of the Jews.” The fact is this: you do not have to be spiritual at all to have visions or dreams. Actually, it is possible for a devil to be disguised as an angel of light, and approach someone in a vision.

II Corinthians 11:13, 14 – “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

Paul even warned us, that if an angel from HEAVEN came to us, and told us something different than what the Bible teaches, we are to let that angel be accursed; or let that angel go to hell!

Galatians 1:8, 9 – “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 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.”

So, I do not care much about your dreams and visions. Every dream you’ve dreamed and every vision you’ve seen takes a back seat to the word of God! I have made the following statement in this blog before, but I make it again. If an angel came to me and said, “Bob, I came from heaven to give you two choices. You can either have dreams and visions every day, or you can learn something every day from the Bible, the word of God. It’s your choice.” My choice would be easy to make. I would rather learn more and more of God’s word than have dreams and visions. I would rather be skillful with the Bible and know to use it to convince people to be saved than to boast of dreams and visions!

Allow me to examine one more passage. Peter tells in II Peter of his experience on the mount of transfiguration. Peter was on the mountain with Christ when the Lord’s face shone brightly. He saw Moses and Elijah on that mountain! What a glorious experience this must have been:

II Peter 1:17, 18 – “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.”

In these verses, Peter tells of his great experience upon the mountain of transfiguration. Now, in the next verse, Peter says that you and I have something more sure than even the vision he had!

II Peter 1:19-21 – “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

“We have a more sure word of prophecy!” A more sure word? What could be surer than a vision? He tells us what is more sure than a vision – the prophecy of the scripture! God’s written word – the Bible – is far surer than any dream or vision.

Departure and Destination

A Brief Message for the New Year

Hebrews 11:8 – “…he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

Departure

“…he went out…” This is Abraham’s departure. In our text, we are admonished of the faith of Abraham. His faith is described as one who HAD nothing but a divine command, but as one who NEEDED nothing but a divine command.

You and I, like Abraham, have made a similar departure. We have all, without exception, departed from the previous days of 2011. We have been commanded by the chimes of time to do so. Regardless of the wonderful events that marked the previous year, we could not stay there. We had to depart. I know of mothers who gave birth to children in 2011. As blissful as the event may have been, “we went out.” Others have had a very hard year in 2011. Some of them may have wished that they could have departed from 2011 sooner. But it was not possible.

Destination

“…not knowing wither he went.” The phrase, “wither he went” speaks to us regarding Abraham’s destination. Abraham departed, but to what country was he to arrive? The answer is simple – Abraham did not know. Man does not favor ignorance. We like to know. I spoke to a Bible college graduate about a year ago, and he was shook up. He was concerned because he was not sure what his calling was. He knew he was called to the ministry, but unsure of where that calling would lead. He prayed and fasted, trying to get the Lord to tell him the details of his calling.

Abraham, however, did not have such knowledge. “He went out, not knowing wither he went.” He departed from his country of Ur, not knowing what God had in store. You may scoff at this and refer to it as Abraham’s ignorance; the Bible, however, refers to it as Abraham’s faith.

Think of Joseph. God showed Joseph that his brothers and father would one day bow before him. That’s all God showed him. Joseph had no way of knowing that God’s plan for him included a pit. Joseph never would have guessed that the path to his family’s obeisance to him would contain a prison. Joseph’s road to authority was paved with false accusations; yet God never showed Joseph any of this.

Think of David. He was anointed king. Yet, he did not take the throne the day Samuel poured the oil upon his head. From the time of his anointing to the time he took the throne, he would run from Saul; his life would be jeopardized; he would be separated from his friend Jonathan. Yet, God showed David none of this. David knew he would one day be king (though he doubted it at times), but he was not aware of what the path to kingship consisted.

And we go into 2012 just as blindly. We know our supreme destination. Our ultimate goal is to be in the will of God. Our greatest desire is to walk in the path of our Saviour. But none of us know what 2012 holds for us. None of us know how many long, sleepless nights we may have in the coming months. None of us know how much worse the economy may grow in the coming year. None of us know which of our family will have seen their last Christmas in 2011. “We go out, not knowing wither we go.” But as long as we trust our Lord, this is not ignorance; it is faith.

Crucified with Christ - Part 2

Up to this point, it is been brought out, hopefully clearly, that those who are saved are not striving to be crucified with Christ; WE ARE crucified with Christ. Sadly, I hear so often individuals testifying that they wish to have their flesh crucified every day! How tragic that many are attempting to accomplish daily what Christ accomplished once for all! In the previous post, I examined a few scriptures that are commonly used by those who wish to have their flesh crucified daily. In every scripture that they use, the Bible plainly states that the believer’s crucifixion of the “old man” is not something done daily; it is rather something done when Christ died! Our crucifixion of our “old man” is WITH CHRIST. This means that we died when Christ died. At this time, I would like to examine one more passage used by these people.

Take up your Cross Daily

Luke 9:23 – “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

If the reader is one who advocates this “crucified daily” doctrine, I can hear him now. “See there,” he says, pointing to the above verse. “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Yes, I believe that believers should take up their cross daily and follow Christ. But notice – this scripture does not command me to be crucified daily; it rather commands me to take up my cross daily. What is meant by the phrase, “Take up his cross daily”? Jesus defines this phrase for us in the previous verse. Let us look at the verse preceding our verse of study:

Luke 9:22 – “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.”

In this verse, Christ tells us plainly what His cross is. Christ’s cross is defined clearly. He would be slain, and He would rise again on the third day. Then, He admonishes His disciples to likewise take up a cross for themselves. Somehow, however, when many speak of the cross of the believer, they want to be “crucified every day,” and they wish to stop there! Christ’s cross did not end with His death upon the cross. Look at Luke 9:22 again – “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and BE RAISED THE THIRD DAY.” Christ was not just crucified; He was also buried! Christ was not just buried; He was raised from the dead! He was not just raised from the dead; He LIVED upon the earth for forty days! He did not just live upon the earth for forty days; He ascended to the Father and He lives forevermore!

After Jesus tells His disciples that He would bear a cross, be slain, and be raised again, He then commands them to take up their cross daily. What is the meaning of “Take up thy cross daily”?

Every day, I need to realize that when Christ died, my old man died, as clearly shown in the following verses:

Galatians 2:20 – “I AM CRUCIFIED with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 5:24 – “And they that are Christ’s HAVE CRUCIFIED the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world IS CRUCIFIED unto me, and I unto the world.”

Colossians 3:3 – “For ye ARE DEAD, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

Romans 8:10 – “And if Christ be in you, the body IS DEAD because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

“Taking up my cross” does not just mean realizing that I died with Christ, when Christ died, but it also is composed of realizing that when Christ was buried, I was buried with Him:

Romans 6:4 – “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death…”

Colossians 2:12 – “Buried with him in baptism…”

The meaning of the phrase, “Taking up my cross” is not limited to merely understanding that I died when Christ died; or that I was buried when Christ was buried; but it also includes the understanding that when Christ rose from the dead, I rose with Him!

Romans 6:4 – “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Colossians 2:12 – “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Colossians 3:1 – “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

The meaning of the phrase, “Taking up my cross” does not even stop with my “new man” being resurrected when Christ rose. Christ ascended into heaven, and is set down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 12:2); and every believer ascended with Christ when Christ ascended, and we are, as far as God Almighty is concerned, set with Christ in heavenly places:

Ephesians 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

Ephesians 2:4-6 – “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

This phrase, “Taking up thy cross” does not even stop with believers ascending with Christ into heavenly places. Now that Christ has ascended, He lives forevermore, never to die again! We, who are saved by the grace of God, have been given eternal, or everlasting life NOW! Just as Christ ascended to live forevermore, believers have ascended with him into heavenly places to live forevermore.

John 14:19 – “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”

Romans 5:10 – “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

This phrase, “Taking up thy cross” does not end with the believer being crucified every day. Rather, it is fulfilled when we daily identify with Christ – realizing that we died when Christ died; that we were buried when Christ was buried; that we rose when Christ rose; that we ascended when Christ ascended; and because Christ lives forevermore, we live forevermore! Yes, I want to live as though my “old man” is dead, and should certainly do so. However, I do not want to stop there! I want my “new man” to live! I have heard people say (sincerely yet erroneously) that “Christ died so I could live.” That’s not entirely right. In reality, Christ died so that my “old man” could die. He rose again so that I could live! Jesus said, “Because I live, ye shall live also!” Listen to me very carefully. The “new man” living in newness of life is every bit as much part of “taking up your cross” as the “old man” being crucified. Don’t stop with the crucifixion of the “old man!” And don’t try to crucify the “old man” every day; the Bible couldn’t be plainer – your “old man” died when Christ died!

I hear people say (again, sincerely yet erroneously), “I want to live the crucified life.” NOT ME! I don’t wish to live a “crucified life.” When Christ died, my “old man” died a crucified death. Now, I wish to live a resurrected life! I want my “new man” to LIVE! It is God’s will for us to LIVE! Paul states in Philippians 1:21, “For me to LIVE is Christ and to die is gain!” Jesus stated in John 10:10, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Christ rose so we could live! And His resurrection is part of the way of the cross.

A Look at Romans 6

The best definition of the phrase, “Take up thy cross” is found in the sixth chapter of Romans. In this chapter, Paul gives three steps to victory over sin. To have victory, there is first, something we must KNOW; second, there is something we must RECKON; and third, there is something we must YIELD. First, there is something we must know:

Romans 6:6 – “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

“Knowing this,” Paul says, “that our old man IS CRUCIFIED with Him!” The first step to gaining victory in our lives is knowing that the crucifixion of our “old man” was WITH CHRIST – it took place when Christ died.

I am not trying to be critical, but I am trying to be honest. Out of all the individuals who are trying to crucify their flesh every day, I have never met one of them who have victory. I have never met one of them who are confident in Christ’s work. They are, for the most part, living in torment. They constantly live in fear that maybe they are not “crucified enough.” The only way I can’t be ‘crucified enough’ is if Christ wasn’t crucified enough, because my “old man” was crucified with Him! Those who KNOW THIS live in deeper depth of victory than those who do not KNOW THIS!

Second, there is something we must reckon:

Romans 6:11 – “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,” Paul says. Noah Webster defines “reckon” this way: “To count; to number; that is, to tell the particulars.” I know that I died when Christ died, but simply knowing it won’t give me victory. I must reckon my life to be that way. I must live outwardly what I know inwardly. This is reckoning! And notice what it is exactly we are to reckon – “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, BUT ALIVE UNTO GOD!” The crowd who tries to crucify their flesh daily is not big on being “alive unto God!” Don’t just count, or reckon, your “old man” dead, but count your “new man” alive unto God!

Third, there is something we must yield:

Romans 6:13 – “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

The third and most important step to victory is YIELDING. Allow me to look briefly at two verses at which I have already examined:

Colossians 3:5 – “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

In this verse, as I previously pointed out, the “members” we are to destroy are SINS. Fornication, uncleanness, and so forth.

Romans 8:13 – “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

In this verse, similar to the previous verse, we see that it is, not the body to be mortified, but rather the DEEDS of the body.

I humbly ask the reader to follow me just for a brief moment. The reader may ask, “If our ‘old man’ died when Christ died, then why are we still tempted to sin?” The answer is very simple. Though my “old man” is dead, sin is yet alive! Sin does not die! For this reason, we must mortify our members which are upon the earth, which are the sins he goes on to mention. Because sin does not die, we mortify the deeds of the body.

Every time you are tempted to sin, you have two choices. You can either reckon yourself dead to sin, and alive to God, yielding yourself as instruments of righteousness; or else you can yield yourself to the sin, as instruments of unrighteousness. When you KNOW that your “old man” died when Christ died; and you RECKON yourself dead to sin and alive to God; and you yield yourself to God, mortifying the deeds of the body; then you will live! You will then live the abundant, resurrected life!

This is the meaning of Christ’s words, “…take up thy cross, and follow me!”

Conclusion

The scriptures are clear – the crucifixion of my “old man” is WITH CHRIST. This means that I died when Christ died. Because my crucifixion is with Christ, there is only one possible way I can be crucified every day, and that is if Christ is crucified every day. Now, I ask the reader, especially if the reader is of the opinion that we must crucify our flesh every day, “Will Christ be crucified every day?” “Is Christ supposed to be crucified every day?” If you are a Catholic, then you would answer “yes” to these questions. The Bible, however, answers “NO” to these questions. The Bible plainly declares that Christ will only die once for sins:

Romans 6:9, 10 – “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, HE DIED UNTO SIN ONCE: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”

Hebrews 10:10 – “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

The Bible further declares that it is a blasphemous thought to suggest that Christ will die more than once:

Hebrews 6:4-6 – “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened…If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

Clearly, Jesus Christ will never die for sin but once. The Bible, just as plainly, teaches that the crucifixion of our “old man” is with Christ. The only way that I would be willing to be “crucified” every day is if Christ will be crucified every day. I am only willing to be crucified WITH CHRIST, and Christ most certainly will NOT be crucified ever again. Neither will I. My “old man” died when Christ died.

Crucified with Christ - Part 1

For those who read this post, it is necessary to understand two facts: first, it is not my goal TO OFFEND the reader; and second, it is not my goal NOT TO OFFEND the reader.  Exclusively and without exception, it is my objective to declare the truths of God’s word.  Knowing this, I ask the reader to read the post in its entirety, especially before contacting me regarding its contents. 

Today I deal with a common misconception found in many churches.  Provided that you have been an attendee of a conservative church for any length of time, you have undoubtedly heard this line before: “We need to crucify our flesh.”  Or, perhaps you have heard it this way: “Every day, we need to keep our old man buried.”  I have heard this one: “I want to live a crucified life.”  Phrases such as these are commonplace in many churches; yet these are NOT biblical phrases.  While they sound pious, these expressions often originate from those who of the mindset that the Christian life is hard; that if we make it heaven, we’ll arrive but barely.  Those who preach this teaching usually define this phrase, “crucifying our flesh,” to mean “making ourselves miserable; denying ourselves of any pleasure; self-deprivation.”  However, when the Bible speaks of believers being “crucified,” or “dead to sin,” the scriptures are dealing with our “old man,” or the individual we used to be prior to obtaining salvation.

Recently, I sent a text message to a friend of mine.  Though I do not remember its exact wording, it went something like this: “I will not be crucifying my flesh today.”  I went on to explain my reasoning.  This friend texted me back, stating why he WOULD BE crucifying his flesh that day.  Assuming that the reader will be patient with me, I wish to give reasons from the word of God why I will not be crucifying my flesh today.  If you are of the mindset that we need to crucify our flesh every day, I hope you will at least give me your attention.  While you may not agree with me, I only ask that you will hear me out.  To begin, I wish to examine a few passages of scripture often used by this crowd who desires to crucify their flesh daily.

Passages in Galatians

Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 5:24 – “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

I encourage the reader to read the above verses two or three times each.  Read them slowly.  Read them honestly.  Read them without regards to any opinion of your own.  If this is done, the reader will be forced to admit that there is a mood of finality to the believer’s crucifixion.  Yes, I believe that every believer should be crucified.  I believe that my “old man” should be crucified.  When I say, “old man,” I am referring to the individual I was before I was converted.  The above verses, however, do not teach that I SHOULD BE crucified; the above verses teach that I AM crucified!  Look at them again:

Galatians 2:20 – “I AM CRUCIFIED with Christ.”

Galatians 5:24 – “And they that are Christ’s HAVE CRUCIFIED the flesh with its affections and lusts.”

Galatians 6:14 – “…the world IS CRUCIFIED unto me, and I unto the world.”

Yes, I believe that those who are saved should be dead to the world, and dead to sin.  But I believe more than that – those who are saved ARE CRUCIFIED with Christ.  If you are saved, you are dead to sin and the world.  Listen to me very carefully.  I am not TRYING to be crucified with Christ – I AM CRUCIFIED with Christ!  I am not striving to be dead to sin; I AM dead to sin!  There is a sense of finality to these verses.  Paul did not say, “I am TRYING to be crucified with Christ”; Paul said, “I AM CRUCIFIED with Christ.”  Paul did not say, “They that are Christ’s should STRIVE to crucify the flesh”; he plainly says, “They that are Christ’s HAVE CRUCIFIED the flesh.”  Paul does not declare, “The world SHOULD BE crucified unto me”; he says rather, “The world IS CRUCIFIED unto me.”  Can’t you see the finality of our crucifixion with Christ?  The Christian life is not a daily attempt to crucify the individual you used to be; the Christian life is rather living out a realization that the individual you used to be IS DEAD!  I am not trying to do away with the man I used to be; the “old man” is already done away with!  He is gone!  He has been crucified!

When Was my “Old Man” Crucified?

“If your ‘old man’ has already been crucified,” you may ask, “then WHEN were you crucified?”  Let us examine our text again for the answer:

Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified WITH CHRIST.” 

The answer is plain as day.  Paul plainly states, “I am crucified WITH CHRIST.”  My “old man” died when Christ died.  When Christ was crucified, I was crucified.  The man I used to be was executed on a cross on Calvary’s hill over 2,000 years ago.  Once the reader understands this, the fog lifts!  What a great joy it was when I finally understood that what I was trying to do daily – i.e. crucify my flesh – was already completely finished 2,000 years ago!  When reading the remainder of this post, keep in mind that the Bible plainly teaches that believers have already been crucified, and that crucifixion is WITH CHRIST.  Don’t forget it – we died when Christ died. 

Mortify Your Members!

Colossians 3:5 – “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Here is yet another verse used by those who wish to crucify their flesh every day.  Understanding that the word, “mortify” means “to kill,” we have here a command to kill our members which are upon the earth. 

Look carefully at this verse.  “Mortify your members,” it declares.  Then, the verse defines the members we are to destroy.  It is not our flesh that we are to destroy; it is a collection of various SINS that we are to destroy.  Whatever causes us to be tempted while living in this flesh – destroy it!  If it is a temptation to you, get away from it.  Listen to me very carefully.  If you wish to use Colossians 3:5 to preach that we need to crucify our flesh daily, that’s your business.  But if you’re going to do so, you need to back up two verses and do something with Colossians 3:3.

Colossians 3:3 – “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

Before Paul tells us to mortify our members, he just as plainly tells us this – “YE ARE DEAD!”  He does not say, “Ye are STRIVING to be dead”; he says, “Ye ARE DEAD!”  I do not need to destroy my “old man” today; my “old man” was destroyed upon an old, rugged cross.

Mortifying the Deeds of the Body

Romans 8:13 – “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Here is another verse used to show that we need to crucify our flesh daily.  This verse, however does not teach us to mortify the body, or the flesh; it rather teaches us to mortify the DEEDS of the body.  As we just saw in Colossians, we will be tempted to sin.  These SINS need to be destroyed!  It is not our flesh, or our “old man” that needs to be destroyed, for our “old man” has already been destroyed!  In the chapter we are currently discussing, Romans 8, look at what Paul states just three verses prior to our verse of study:

Romans 8:10 – “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Did you catch that?  Three verses before Paul teaches us to mortify the deeds of the body, he states, “If Christ be in you, the body IS DEAD!”  When did our “old man” die?  When Christ died!  Paul teaches this again very plainly!  If you are going to use Romans 8:13 to prove that we need to crucify our flesh, then be honest with the word of God and use Romans 8:10 with it – “If Christ be in you, the body IS DEAD!” 

I Die Daily

I Corinthians 15:31 – “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”

Another verse popularly used to promote the daily death of the believer is before us.  I hear it said often, “Paul said, ‘I die daily.’”  Yes, he did.  But Paul is not speaking here of dying out to self, or dying out to sin.  This entire chapter, I Corinthians 15, is dealing with the doctrine of the resurrection.  Paul is teaching the Corinthians the chief importance of believing that we will one day be resurrected.  When Paul says, “I die daily,” he is teaching us that he counts himself as dead every day!  He places himself in jeopardy continually for the purpose of propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Why does he do so?  Because he knows that death is not final!  There is a coming resurrection, and Paul will be resurrected.  His statement, “I die daily,” refers to his willingness to place his life in jeopardy on a daily basis.  You say, “Where did you get that?”  I say, “I got it out of the Bible.”  If you’ll look at the verse again, reading the surrounding verses with it, you will find that Paul is telling the Corinthians that he jeopardizes his life continually, and he wouldn’t do it if the dead rise not:

I Corinthians 15:30-32 – “And WHY STAND WE IN JEOPARDY every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, IF THE DEAD RISE NOT? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.”

So, to say that Paul’s statement, “I die daily,” is referring to “dying out to sin,” or “dying out to self,” is to take the scripture grossly out of context.

TO BE CONTINUED…

God’s Ways – Higher than Ours!

Isaiah 55:9 – “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

In the above verses, the first explicitly states that the ways of God Almighty far surpass the ways of mankind; and the second teaches us to lean not unto our own understanding. This truth is clearly illustrated in a story told by B.H. Carroll:

“An old man, a very pious, true Christian, was deeply concerned because his two boys were infidels, and all through his life he had tried to illustrate the truth and power of the Christian religion before those boys, and it seemed to have no effect on them. They would not heed his precepts, nor follow his example. Finally, he got the idea in his head that he ought to pray God to make his death powerful in leading these boys to Christ, so when the time came for him to die, to his surprise, instead of everything being bright and he as happy as an angel and singing like a lark, he was in the most awful distress of mind. It was all dark to him. Promises, which, when he was well, seemed as bright as stars, were now darkness, and instead of being able to show his children the triumphant glory of a dying saint, he was showing his children that he was groping as he came to pass away, and so he died. The boys observed it very carefully. They had expected the old man to die a very happy death. They thought he was entitled to it. But when they saw a man that lived as righteously as he had, who when he came to pass away, had to go through deep water, one said to the other, ‘Tom, if our father had such a time as that, what kind of a time do you reckon we are going to have?’  And it influenced their conversion.”*

Here, we have an old man, whose OWN UNDERSTANDING led him to believe that his happy, peaceful death would influence his heathen sons in the best manner. God, however, whose ways are higher than ours, worked out the conversion of those sons a different way. This may surprise you, but God Almighty does not need your help in explaining to Him how something ought to be done! Whatever it is you face today, God’s got unlimited ways to fix it – ways of which you have neither thought nor dreamed. So, when you go to prayer, bring your cares to Jesus and let Him fix it His way. His ways are higher than ours!

*Carroll, B.H. The Pastoral Epistles of Paul and I and II Peter, Jude, and I, II, and III John. Fleming H. Revell Company. New York, NY. ©1915.

There's a Song in the Air!

There’s a song in the air! There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a mother’s deep prayer and a baby’s low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king!*

One of greatest scenes in all of history is the one of the most silent scenes in all of history. A babe lay in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Perhaps ignorance caused the world to be silent. The angels knew who the child was, and they rejoiced. The world, however, knew not the child, and remained silent.

Though He were a stranger to the world at His birth, it has since been revealed to the world the reason Jesus Christ, the babe in the manger, came to this world. I rejoice when I think of how He came from glory into this wicked world. But, why the fuss? Why do the angels rejoice at His coming into this world? Why do we sing with jubilant voices to celebrate the time when God came to us in the flesh? The rejoicing is done and the fuss is made about the babe in the manger because of who the babe is, and what He has come to do. I wish to focus, in this post, on what the babe in the manger has come to do.

He Came to Seek and to Save that which is Lost
Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”

Amazing to me is how so many churches emphasize everything under the sun, except the salvation of the lost. This is supreme purpose for which Christ came. Christ did not come to baptize; He came to seek and to save. According to John 4:2, Jesus Himself did not baptize. Yet, so many churches believe and teach that baptism is what saves the soul from sin. If Jesus did not baptize, why do so many emphasize baptism as they do? Even Paul, according to I Corinthians 1, baptized very few. He declares, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel!” There are churches today that emphasize not merely baptism, but they emphasize what the preacher says before he puts you under the water! How sad. Christ did not come to initiate communion, to baptize, or to wash feet. Christ came to perform an extensive search for the wayward soul, and bring that soul into the fold!

Christ did not come to start a soup-kitchen, though feeding the hungry is something that Christians should do. Christ did not come to make men comfortable in this life. Christ did not come to establish an organization, association, or denomination. If anyone tells you that you must be a part of their denomination to be saved, RUN! Christ did come, however, to save men and women from sin and its penalty, and place them into His church. So many churches today focus on everything except the salvation of the lost. Some churches emphasize building programs, gymnasiums, youth activities, but very little actual outreach to the lost. They attempt to defeat the very purpose of the babe in the manger.

Luke 5:32 – “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

John 3:17 – “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 12:47 – “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”

I Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

He Came to Take Away Sins
It is often emphasized that Christ came to save men from hell. That is a correct statement, but it is not a complete statement. Christ did not come merely to save men from hell; Christ came to save men from sin. An angel told Joseph what to name the child, and why. Matthew 1:21 states, “…thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” It is not the will of God that His children be in bondage. His blood has power to deliver; the Holy Ghost has power to set free; the anointing has the ability to destroy every yoke of bondage. Be it the filth of cigarettes, the bondage of homosexuality, the scarlet sin of adultery, the forces of pornography, the curse of abortion, the muck and the mire of drugs and alcohol, Jesus did not come to save men and women, only to leave them in such ungodly conditions! The Son of God came to deliver and set men free!

John 1:29 – “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

I John 3:5 – “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

He Was Born to Die
We say often of great singers, “They were born to sing;” or of great preachers, “He was born to preach.” While some, because of their great talent, were born to do this, or born to do that, Jesus Christ was literally born to die. His mission in life was simply – to die. Of course, to fulfil the plan of God, Christ had to be buried and rise again, but His death had to occur first. In dying, He paid off the account of our offences; in rising again, He justified us, declaring us to be innocent! He was wrapped in swaddling clothes by Joseph at His birth that He might be wrapped in grave clothes by another Joseph at His death! Jesus came to die!

Matthew 20:28 – “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

He Came to Give Life
It is the devil that destroys life; it is Christ that restores life. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; but I am come that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly.” It is the devil that drags homosexual men down the death-awaiting path to HIV and AIDS; it is Christ who has all power to set them free from that lifestyle of death. It is the devil who drags young women down a path of guilt and immense depression, telling them that abortion is best; it is Christ, however, who can forgive such murderers and give them peace in their hearts. It is the devil who lures young men to pornography, leading them to a life of separation from their families; it is Christ, on the other hand, who can deliver from pornography, and restore families. It is the devil who convinces a man to spend his last five dollars on something to drink, letting his children go to bed hungry; Christ came to set the drunkard free! Christ came to give us life!

I John 3:8 – “…for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

I John 4:9 – “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

He Came to Be a Propitiation for Our Sins
Stated plainly, our sins make God angry. Many in our churches today have such a lax view of sin. But with God, sin is no laughing matter. Because of our sin, the Father required that the only way to pay for sin is death. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “The wages of sin is death.” But in His love toward us, God sent His Son into the world to bear the wrath of God upon Himself. Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, never sinned in word, in thought, or in deed. He never apologized for anything, for it was never necessary.

Because of His sinlessness, and His substitutionary death (that is; He died for our sins, because He did not have to die for His own), the wrath of God is appeased in the work of Jesus Christ. At this point, if you go to hell now, you will go, not merely because of your sins, for they are paid in full. The individual who goes to hell now goes because He has rejected the work of Christ, the work with which the Father is satisfied. For this cause, Jesus said, “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.” God was angry with mankind because of his sins. But the babe in the manger was sent from heaven to take those sins upon Himself, and die for them! This pleased the Father. His wrath was finally quieted. Because of this, those who trust Christ’s work completely are reconciled with the Father. There is no tension between the Father and me, because the cross of Christ silenced the wrath of God. Should you try to appease God’s wrath any other way than the cross of Christ; whether by good living, or by keeping commandments, or by going to church, or by giving in the offering, or anything else; God is still angry with you. The only work that cools his seething anger is the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross. The baby asleep on the hay is there with a mission – to calm the Father’s wrath and reconcile us back to God.

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”**

*Josiah G. Holland
**Charles Wesley