Spiritual Bobcats

I live on a rural farm and we have a pond.  We used to have several ducks that lived on the pond, but now we're down to one little fella.  That is because not only do we have ducks, but we also have a bobcat.  I hate that bobcat.  We've tried to trap it a couple times, but to no avail.  How do I know it's a bobcat?  I know it's a bobcat because of the evidence it leaves in its wake.  The bobcat doesn't want to be seen, it wants to stay hidden and do its damage in secret.  It wants to pick-off our farm animals in stealth, one by one.  And the bobcat would stay hidden, if it weren't for the evidence of his presence, which is the loss of our ducks.

And because we are down to one duck, I have declared war on the bobcat.  I mowed around our pond with the riding lawnmower, but I can only get so close to the edge with it before I get stuck in the mud.  So that means there is about a 4 to 6 foot border of very tall grass around it.  And that means that the bobcat has plenty of space to hide, as he waits for the ducks to swim to the edge.  Since I have declared war on the bobcat, today I realized that I was going to have to get my hands dirty if I was going to win this war.  The riding lawnmower would only get me so far, but the push mower would get me right to the edge.  However, the push mower was harder to use and using it meant that my feet would have to be on the ground, walking right along with it through all the tall grass and yucky edge-of-the-pond yuckity yuck yuck.  But the good thing about the push mower was that it went out ahead of me, into the tall grass and unknown yuckiness, so even though I had to be down on the ground with it, I could see where I was walking and what I was walking on because it cleared the path ahead of me. 

As I was mowing, I was praying and fellowshipping with God and He began to minister to me.  God began to use my declaration of war on the bobcat to show me spiritual truths that could be related to it.  Many of us have spiritual bobcats in our life.  Spiritual bobcats like to remain hidden, operating in stealth.  But these spiritual bobcats always leave a trail of evidence in their wake.  Once you realize you have a spiritual bobcat, you must declare war on it, and often times that declaration of war will require you to get your hands dirty.  It will require boots on the ground.  A spiritual bobcat will require you to confront some really nasty things as God leads you to mow down the tall grass blocking your line of sight.

When I started mowing, I wanted to start with the biggest, nastiest, tallest patch of grass that the bobcat most likely hid in once he got close enough to the pond to lay in wait for one of our ducks.  But as God ministered to me He showed me how the ducks were safe as long as they were in the middle of the pond, it was only when they came to the edge of the pond that their life was in danger.  So I realized that the best thing for me to do was not to start mowing the patch that hid the bobcat once he got close to the pond.  The best place for me to start was to mow the area around the pond that was blocking the duck's ability to see beyond the pond, to the edge of the woods where the bobcat came from.  If the ducks could see clearly to the place where the bobcat came from, they would see him coming and swim back to the center of the pond where they were safe.  Our ducks have been prey for the bobcat not because he lay in wait at the edge of the pond, but because they never saw him coming.

Another thing God showed me was that far too many of us spend more time hanging around at the edge of the pond, rather than in the middle of it.  One of the things I noticed about the edge of the pond, is that there were a lot of nasty things collected around there.  There was a gross layer of pond scum, there were all sorts of spiders and bugs.  The edge of the pond is also where snakes live and hang out.  The edge of the pond seemed to have a lot more things going on around it than in the middle of the pond, that's for sure.  The edge of the pond may have seemed more interesting than the middle of the pond, but it was also more dangerous.

Another thing that happened while mowing around the edge of the pond, was that my mower would sometimes stop.  The engine would die when I got into a particularly tall patch of grass and I would have to pull it out and restart it.  I would back out, pull the starter rope and the engine would spark back into life and I would push my way back into the tall grass.  Several times the engine died, but every time it died I would pull it out, pull the cord, start it back up, and resume mowing.  The mower made a clear path and I followed behind.  When we have a spiritual bobcat, God is the one Who does the work, God is the one who clears the path to deliverance, but we must follow behind.  As we follow behind, sometimes the mower will stop, but we have to be determined to keep pressing on.  We have to press on because while mowing, we are going to disturb some of the things lurking around in the tall grass.  If we don't press on, we may find ourselves standing on a large fire ant hill that is none too happy that we mowed the top off.

Mowing around my pond with the push mower was hard.  I was hot and sweaty, it was tiring, I kept seeing ginormous, gnarly spiders everywhere, there were ants and I even got a blister.  But since I have declared war on the bobcat, mowing around the pond was absolutely necessary to create a clear line of vision for our duck to be able to see the edge of the woods where the bobcat comes from.  God wants us to declare war on the spiritual bobcats in our lives so that we can live in the spiritual victory He has already won for all of His children through the death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.  God wants us to live and act with determination to keep the tall grass that blocks our spiritual vision mowed down from the edge of the pond.  Too many of His children live in spiritual bondage because they can't even see the enemy coming!  Too many of God's children spend their time at the edge of the pond, making them vulnerable victims to the enemy that lies in wait in the tall grass. 

 

Pray for God to reveal to you the spiritual bobcats in your life.  Declare war on those spiritual enemies. Cry out to God to tread a path through the tall grass before you, leading you to victory.  Keep pressing on, determined to have the freedom that God has already won for us.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:12)

The Pieces Of Peace

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matt 5:9)
Jesus also said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matt 10:34); also recorded in Luke 12:51 as, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."
Then, upon His departure from earth Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." (John 14:27)

How can Jesus say blessed are the peacemakers and that He leaves us His peace, yet also say that He Himself did not come to bring peace?  How can Jesus seemingly contradict Himself?  He can't, and I covered the issue of seeming Biblical contradictions in this series HERE.  If you read that series, then you understand that the Bible cannot contradict Itself, and the fact that a scripture is not understood by a reader does not make it a contradiction.  So how do we reconcile these seeming contradictory scriptures?  We reconcile them the same way we reconcile all seeming Biblical contradictions, we let the Bible speak for Itself through contextual application and correct word understanding.

When Jesus said He did not come to bring peace, but a sword or division, He was talking about the effects of the Gospel message.  The Gospel is divisive, because you either accept it or you don't.  And those who don't, are against those who do.  Jesus said, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you"  (John 15:19).  Therefore, even though the Gospel message brings peace to those who receive it, it also brings division from those who reject it.  Those who receive it are divided from and are at spiritual enmity with those who don't receive it.

When Jesus said "blessed are the peacemakers", He was talking about those who share and stand up for the Gospel message.  How do I know this?  Because He says peacemakers will be called the "children of God."  And when you read the Bible, you find out that the Bible tells you exactly who the children of God are, and how they come to be considered God's children:

-- "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." (Romans 8:14)
-- "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12,13)

The children of God are those who have accepted Jesus Christ.  So what does Jesus mean when He says that we are to be peacemakers?  What sort of peace is He referring to us making?  Fortunately, the Bible tells us that too:

-- "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." (Rom 5:1)
-- "For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross;" (Col 1:20)

When Jesus says "blessed are the peacemakers", He is referring to those who share the Gospel message.  Peacemakers are the children of God because we share the message of the reconciliation of men with God through the death and atoning blood of Jesus Christ.  "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Rom 5:11)  This verse says that before Christ, we were enemies of God, we were not at peace with Him.  But through the death of Christ, we were reconciled back to God, the death of Christ is the peacemaker between us and God.  We become peacemakers when we share this message of reconciliation with others. 

As Christians, we should strive for peace with all men because it is one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that dwells within all genuine Christians, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Gal 5:22,23)  But we are also to stand up for the truth of the Gospel and defend righteousness, "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven." (Matt 10:33)   We deny Christ when we go out of our way not to offend someone based on religion.  In our effort not to offend anyone, we fail to confess Jesus Christ as Lord.  Peacemakers are blessed and called the children of God, not because we don't offend anyone, but because we stand up for the Gospel of Truth.  We stand up for true peace, which is the reconciliation of mankind back unto God through Jesus Christ.   

When Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." (John 14:27), we must pay particular attention to the fact that He says, "I do not give to you as the world gives."  That is what tells us what sort of "peace" Jesus is talking about in this verse.  So if Jesus says that He isn't giving us peace as defined by the world, then what sort of peace is He leaving and what sort of peace is He giving?   He LEFT us the Gospel of Peace, the Good News of reconciliation between God and man, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Rom 10:15).  He GAVE us the peace of God:  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:7).

 

We know that Jesus said He didn't come to bring peace, but He did say He would leave us peace and give us peace.

 

 

An Exercise In Intolerance

Why are we so afraid of the notion of intolerance?  A genuine Christian should never think they are better than anyone, for any reason whatsoever, but they should think their religion is.  How could we dare think such an offensive, intolerant thing?  Well, for starters, Jesus did.  Jesus said His way was the only way, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6).  God said His way was above anything we could ever think, say or do,  "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD.  'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55:8,9).  According to God, Christianity isn't just a better way, it's the only way.

Look, the Bible says we are all sinners, every one of us (Rom 3:23).  No human being should ever think themselves superior over another.  The Bible says we are not to criticize, despise, treat with contempt or discriminate against anyone (Rom 14:10).  Self-righteous intolerance is no bueno.  But that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about righteous intolerance in the context of the Gospel message, and that's a good thing, that's muy bueno.  Intolerance in the context of the Gospel is truly a Godly thing because it's rooted in a heartfelt love and genuine concern for someone's best interests.  God always has our best interests at heart, that is why He is intolerant of sin.  Therefore, we should be intolerant of sin.  God is intolerant of hypocrisy, so we should be intolerant of hypocrisy.  God is intolerant of mankind attempting to reach Him by any other means except the One He has provided-- Jesus Christ.  So why do so many Christians feel compelled to go out of their way in fear of offending someone over religion?  If you're gonna follow Jesus, then get down off that fence AND FOLLOW JESUS!  The REAL Jesus-- not the comfortable Jesus or the hippy-dippy kumbayah Jesus or the politically correct Jesus or the unfundamental, seeker-sensitive Jesus-- follow the Jesus that's in the Bible.  Because the Jesus of the Bible is the only One that will truly set you free from this world.  The real Jesus of the Bible is the only One that will deliver you from the crippling chains of tolerance and the blindfold of liberal propaganda.  What's so bad about liberalism?  It's bad because it's rooted in, and a vehicle for, humanism.  And humanism is the antithesis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Humanism, on the surface, seems like a great, noble thing but at its core, tries to replace God with man.  Humanism says we are intrinsically good and that we can save ourselves.  The Bible says we are all sinners and our salvation comes only by, through and in the context of Jesus Christ.

I say a Christian should be intolerant and humanists lose their minds.  Why?  Because that's what the world tells them to do.  The world tells them that a Christian being intolerant is the same as a Muslim being intolerant or a communist being intolerant or a Nazi being intolerant.  But the reality is, that it's not the same.  Why?  Because Jesus is not a Muslim, a communist or a Nazi.  Jesus is, "the name above all names, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:9-11)   And if you are a genuine Christian, then that's Who you serve and worship.  That doesn't make us superior, that makes us saved.

There was a time when I called myself a Christian, yet all the while I was trying to be friends with the world.   You know what the Bible has to say about that?  "You adulteress, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4).  God is intolerant of His people making an idol of tolerance.  When we make a special effort to accommodate, defend or justify those who reject Christ, we are telling them that their rejection of Christ is okay.  Jesus said He is the only way, and if we truly believe that, we will love people enough to be intolerant of any other way.

Gospel Of Intolerance

One thing I've learned about my relationship with God is that you can't have spiritual growth unless you are willing to move out of your comfort zone.  And moving out of your comfort zone usually involves confronting something that's a lot more comfortable to ignore.  Why am I saying this?  Because I see more and more people going out of their way to defend Muslims simply because they are Muslim. Does that mean I am racist and prejudice?  No, it does not, it simply means that I want to bring some of my brothers and sisters in Christ out of their comfort zone and remind everyone that Jesus was intolerant and exclusive.  Don't believe me?  Read the Bible, it's all there in black and white.
I am also saying this because I want to introduce those who follow the "love your neighbor" Jesus, to the real Jesus of the Bible.  The Jesus of the Bible is hardcore.  The Jesus of the Bible is radical.  The Jesus of the Bible ain't playing around.  The Jesus of the Bible said things like, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)  That's pretty exclusive.  The Jesus of the Bible said, "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter eternal life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out." (Mark 9:43)  That's pretty intolerant.

As a Christian, I can love a Muslim and be friends with a Muslim and reciprocate kindness and compassion, but I don't have to go out of my way to tolerate their religion.  As a matter of fact, if I go out of my way to tolerate any religion that is not centered upon Christ, I am in essence, telling them that their religion is okay.  Why would I tell someone their religion without Christ is okay?  When Christ Himself said He is the only way?  Unless I consider Christ to be a liar?  The extremely uncomfortable truth about Christianity is that, according to Jesus Christ, no other religion on the face of the planet is okay.  That doesn't mean we are to discriminate against someone's freedom to practice their religion, but that does mean that we don't have to go out of our way to be tolerant of it.  What if the Apostle Paul had been tolerant of the pagan religions of the gentiles of the Roman empire?  What if he had just traveled around telling them that it was okay?  No!  It was BECAUSE Paul was intolerant of their pagan religion that he shared the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!   The world has caused too many people to confuse intolerance with discrimination.  The world has caused too many people to associate intolerance with violence or oppression.   

 

The definition of "tolerate" is:  to allow the existence, occurrence or practice of something that a person does not necessarily like or agree with without interference.

The definition of "discriminate" is:  to unfairly treat a person or group differently from other people or groups

 

If Jesus says He is the only way to heaven, that doesn't mean He is discriminatory.  That means He is intolerant of any other way.  That also means that anyone who has not chosen Jesus, ain't gonna be where Jesus lives.  And "ain't where Jesus lives", happens to be that ugly place we don't like to talk about, but a place which Jesus referred to quite frequently.  Over 40 times to be exact.  I don't want anyone to end up in "ain't where Jesus lives", so for that very reason I am intolerant. 

Besides, as Christians, we should all be intolerant of other religions that don't include Christ.  Why?  Because Christians are expected to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the whole world:

---"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15)

---"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;" (Matt 28:19)
---"..repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47)
---"and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
---"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matt 24:14)

Because we are expected to share the Gospel with other people, we necessarily have to interfere with "the existence, occurrence, or practice" of other people's religion.  Therefore, by definition, that makes us intolerant.  But being intolerant does not make a person prejudice, racist or discriminatory.  I can love my neighbor but be intolerant of them driving across my lawn or letting their dog poop in my yard.  For all intents and purposes, a person can be intolerant if only for the simple fact that they know a better way.  "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) 

Despite what the world would have us think, Jesus didn't preach tolerance, He preached salvation.

Wearing The Parachute

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28)
Rest from what?  Rest from sin.
How do we enter into rest from sin?  Repentance.

"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matt 11:30)
What is our yoke and burden under Christ?  Faith and obedience.

We are "yoked" to Christ in faith and the "burden" (or responsibility) of that faith, is obedience.

"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt 16:24)
"...come after Me" = yoke of faith
"...deny himself and take up his cross" = burden of obedience

Don't be like me. Don't waste so many years of your life being comfortable in your faith in Christ, only to find out that your faith means nothing if it isn't paired with obedience. By Jesus' OWN WORDS, He instructs us that our faith in Him as savior MUST be validated by our obedience. I am not preaching a new Gospel, I am trying to explain the one we have already been given.

We live in a time of hyper-grace and our Christian brothers and sisters are living lukewarm lives, wading up to their waists in the world, thinking as long as they don't get their hair wet they are still good with God. Our garments are washed white by the blood of Christ when we put our faith in Him as Savior, but our garments are KEPT white by obedience when we surrender to Him DAILY as Lord of our lives.
Salvation happens in a moment-- the washing happens at the moment of accepting Christ as Savior. But our sanctification happens over a lifetime-- we keep our spiritual garments clean when we pick up the cross of Christ and surrender our lives to Him daily. 

"So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:17)
We are not saved by good deeds, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8).   However, genuine faith and genuine salvation are evidenced by our actions of obedience.  Jesus tells us, "If anyone would come after Me...."  How do we come after, or pursue Christ?  By faith.  But then what does Christ tell us to do with that faith?   "...deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me."  That's an action of obedience.

Perhaps many have lost a true understanding of what salvation actually is. If someone hands you a parachute and you take it from them, it still won't do you any good unless you put it on and wear it. So what exactly is salvation? Jesus tells us in His own words, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt 16:24) According to Jesus, true salvation is to pursue Him by faith, then follow Him in obedience.

Now is the time for all believers to decide whether to continue following their own version of God, or Who God has revealed Himself to be in His written Word to us.

Walking The Tightrope

A famous tight rope walker walked across a large drop with many people watching and cheering. He asked after crossing, "How many people believe that I can carry someone across this chasm?"
The crowd cheered, "We do!" they said emphatically.
He then asked, "Who wants to be the one that I carry across?"
The crowd was silent.

There is a difference between believing in Christ versus having genuine faith in Him and living your life accordingly. The devil believes in Christ insomuch as Who He is and what was accomplished by His death on the cross.
Yall hear what I'm sayin'?
Even the devil is aware of Christ's authority and His victory over death and sin. Even the devil believes Jesus existed and is the Son of God sent to the world for the remission of the sins of mankind.  So what's the difference between us and the devil? Submission.
We BELIEVE and have faith that we are saved by Christ, but we also SUBMIT to Him as Lord of our lives. For far too long I believed I was saved by Christ, but had never submitted to Him as Lord over my life. I had no problem believing I was saved, it was the surrendering part that took me a while to get around to.

"Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity." (John 12:25)

More Than A Conqueror

When you are accomplishing things for God's kingdom, it is only a matter of time before you come under spiritual attack.  God allows this because not only does it teach us and refine us, but it also gives Him glory when He gives us victory over it.  I am currently under spiritual attack and what the enemy is trying to use for my harm, I will be obedient to God and allow Him to use it for His glory.

As I sat down this morning to engage in spiritual warfare, God led me to Romans Chapter 6 and Chapter 8.  As the Holy Spirit ministered to my spirit through God's Holy Word, I began to personalize these Chapters and claim them over my life.  I am sharing what I wrote for those who may also find themselves under spiritual attack.  I pray for God's anointing on what I share with you today to help you in your victory over the enemy:

My old self has been crucified with Christ and the old body which was ruled by sin has been done away with. 
I am no longer a slave to sin-- I have died with Christ and I have been set free from sin.
          "Whom the son sets free is free indeed." (John 8:36)
I have died to sin once and for all and the life I live, I live to God.
I count myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
I offer myself to God as one brought from death to life.  I offer every part of myself to God as an instrument of righteousness.
Sin shall no longer be my master because I am not under the Law, but under grace.
I used to be a slave to sin, but I have come to obey from my heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed my allegiance.
          "Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths, guide me in Your truth and
          faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation." (Psalm 25:4,5)
I have been set free from sin and have become a slave to righteousness.  I offer myself as a slave to righteousness, leading to holiness.
I have been set free from sin and have become a bondservant of God, and I will reap holiness and eternal life.
Through Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit Who gives life has set me free from the law of sin and death.
I do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit and my mind is set on what the Spirit desires.  My mind is governed by the Spirit and is life and peace.
The Spirit of God lives in me, therefore I do not dwell in the realm of the flesh but in the realm of the Spirit.
Christ is in me and God's Spirit gives me life because of righteousness.
I am led by the Spirit of God, therefore I am a child of God.
          "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
          prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10)
God's Spirit testifies with my spirit that I am His child.
God's Spirit helps me in my weakness.
God's Spirit intercedes for me in accordance with His will.
I love God and have been called according to His purpose, therefore God will work all things for my good benefit.
God foreknew my love for Him, therefore He predestined me to become conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.  And because I am predestined, I am also called; I am justified, and I am glorified.
Evil can hold nothing against me, because God is for me.
Evil cannot bring a charge against me, because I am chosen and justified by God.
Evil cannot condemn me, because Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God interceding for me.
Nothing in all of creation can separate me from the love of God, through Christ.
I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ, Who loves me.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18)

The Narrow Gate

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matt 7:13,14)

If anyone is like me, then at one point in their life after reading this verse they thought to themselves, "So just how narrow a gate are we talking about?  How narrow is narrow?"  And over the last several years, God has shown me exactly just how narrow He is talking about.  For starters, if we fit in with everyone else, we are not on the narrow path.  If there is not much that differentiates us from the rest of the world, our path has not been narrowed.  If we are talking about Jesus more than we are acting like Jesus, our path has not been narrowed.  We are saved by grace in a moment, but we are sanctified by obedience over a lifetime.  What kind of obedience does God expect from us?  He expects us to cut out anything in our life that distracts us from Him or keeps us more focused on this world than the next.  He expects us to cut out anything in our life that does not bring Him glory or sets us up for temptation.  And He is very serious about it, so serious, that Jesus said, "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,...If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell.." (Mark 9:45,46)  That's pretty narrow.

 

As Christians, we are told to "'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord."  (2 Cor 6:17)  To "come out of the world and be separate" means to change what you are listening to, change what you watch, change how you dress, change what you celebrate, change the people you are hanging out with, change how you treat people, how you do business and how you talk, think and act.  Stop making excuses for why you do something and start submitting to the still, small voice urging you to stop.  THAT is how narrow Jesus is talking about. 

The kind of narrow Jesus is talking about, is the kind of narrow that comes at a cost.  It may cost you your personal dreams and aspirations.  It may cost you your hobbies, your favorite past-time or a whole-lotta things you currently like.  It may cost you some friends, or even relatives (Matt 10:51).  That is what Jesus meant when He said, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." (Matt 16:25)  For some, it may even cost them their job.  I can think of several examples just within the last few years where people lost jobs or were reprimanded because of their narrow Christian walk.  Jesus warned us, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?  For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you," (Luke 14:28,29)  Far too many Christians claim Jesus with their mouth, but deny Him with their lifestyle.  Far too many Christians make a mockery of their own self-proclaimed faith.

The kind of narrow Jesus is talking about, draws you out of your comfort zone and is something that people are going to notice.  The kind of narrow Jesus is talking about will set you apart and it comes at a cost.  The question is, how many of us are actually willing to pay it?  How many of us are willing to separate ourselves from the wide road and travel the narrow path?  Unfortunately Jesus gives us the answer, "there are few who find it." (Matt 7:14)

Requirements For Salvation (Question 9 of "Biblical Contradictions?" Series)

Question  9:  To be saved is it necessary that one, 1) be born of water and of the Spirit, 2) eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood and 3) receive the Kingdom of God as a child?
(Part of a series entitled "Biblical Contradictions")

Answer:  I believe the intent of this question is an attempt to show a contradiction in regard to what the exact requirements are for salvation.  What the person asking the question doesn't realize is that the basic requirement of salvation, which is belief in and surrender to Jesus Christ, is encompassed by all three points in the question.  Surrender to Jesus Christ consists of repentance for our sins and acknowledgement of Him as Lord of our life.  Therefore, ultimately, we are saved by our faith in Jesus Christ as the payment for our sins against God (Eph 2:8, 2 Tim 3:15), however genuine "faith" in Jesus Christ is a multi-faceted thing.  Meaning, it is one thing made up of many parts to make a whole, each part being encompassed by the basic requirements of belief, repentance and surrender.

For example, when I say "salvation is through surrender to Jesus Christ," I am speaking a true statement.  When I say "salvation is by our repentance from sin," I am speaking a true statement.  When I say "salvation is by acknowledging Jesus as Lord of our life," that is another true statement.  When I say "we are saved by God's grace through our faith in Jesus," yet another true statement.  All these statements are true, all will lead to salvation, but all these statements are meant to be understood as a whole. Salvation and genuine faith are meant to be understood in the context of the entire Gospel.

 1)  When Jesus said "..unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5),  Jesus was talking about being born again.

The context of this passage is when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisee Nicodemus and He tells him at verse 3, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus asks Jesus how could a person possibly be born twice?
That is when Jesus tells him at verse 5, "..unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God".

So what does Jesus mean when He says one must be "born of water and the Spirit"?  When Jesus said, "unless one is born of water...", He was referring not only to the literal, physical birth of a human being, but also to Himself as the Living Water that indwells all genuine Christians.  So to be "born again" you must first literally be born into this world, you must exist here in the flesh.  Then you must give yourself over to Christ by believing in Him, which effects the "new birth" of a person as a "new creature in Christ" (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15)

Jesus tells us at John 4:14, "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
Again at John 7:37-39, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive;"
Only the spiritual bodies of those who have been born again can enter the kingdom of God, and those spiritual bodies must be washed clean by Jesus as the Living Water and born-anew by the blood of Christ.
So, do we have to be born-again to enter the kingdom of God?  Yes, that is a true statement.

2)  When Jesus said, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves." (John 6:53), Jesus is making a many-faceted inference. 

-As food is the source that keeps us physically alive, so is Jesus Who keeps us spiritually alive, "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world... I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." (John 6:33,35)
- Jesus is also inferring that we must "consume" His word and allow Him to "dwell" in us, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." (John 6:63)  Jesus says the words He speaks to us are life.  Jesus is also called the Word that was made flesh (John 1:14).  
-Another reference that Jesus is making, is to our acceptance of the pouring out of His blood on the cross as the atonement of our sins, "And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.'" (Matt 26:28)
So, do we have to, in essence, "consume" Christ to be born-again?  Yes, that is a true statement.

3)  When Jesus said, "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." (Mark 10:15), He was referring to child-like faith and obedience.  "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" (John 6:29)  A child should trust their parent and believe what they are told by their parent is truth, they should not disrespect their parent, nor should they be disobedient or rebellious.

So, do we have to have faith, trust and obedience toward God to enter His kingdom?  Yes, that is a true statement.

All three statements in Question 9 are true, and meant to be understood as a whole and in the context of the entire Gospel message.

Morality And Charity (Questions 7 & 8 of "Biblical Contradictions?" Series)

Questions 7 & 8:  Is one who is very moral and charitable, but who has never repented, saved?  Is one who is very moral and charitable, but who does not believe in God's Son saved?
(Part of a series entitled "Biblical Contradictions?")

Answer:  No.  Repentance and belief in Jesus Christ are required for salvation.  As stated in my answer to "Question 4", genuine belief in Jesus Christ as the propitiation for the sins of mankind brings a person to repentance.  And belief in Jesus Christ is an absolute necessity for salvation, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12). 

We cannot earn our way to heaven, if we could, then Jesus' death on the cross would be rendered pointless.  Jesus had to die because it was impossible to save ourselves.  Because the sin of one man caused the fall of all mankind, only a Man Who had no sin could make atonement for all of mankind. (2 Cor 5:21; Isaiah 53:12; Rom 5:17-19; Rom 4:25; Matt 26:28; Luke 22:20; Mark 14:24; Heb 9:14,15,28)

Therefore no matter how "moral and charitable" a person is, unless they have surrendered to Christ, they are not saved.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2: 8,9)

As far as morality, for a person that doesn't believe in the Bible or hold God as the ultimate standard of measure, morality is relative.  Meaning, what they define as "moral" may not be according to what God defines as "moral", and His definition is the only one that matters.

My initial answer to this question was short and sweet.  However, God kept bringing me back to it, agitating my spirit to where I really didn't feel like I had given an adequate answer.  I slept on it and prayed about it, then felt that God was leading me to confront each and every scripture that was being used in an attempt to prove a contradiction on this point.  I felt very strongly that this was something that God wanted specifically addressed--something that was important to Him to get across to people.  So I prayed about it for several days, asking God to guide me in understanding and to lead me with His words over my own.  That is why my answer to this question is particularly long, because I have taken the time to explain each scripture reference in detail.  It is my heartfelt prayer that everyone who takes the time to read it, despite its length, will be blessed and edified.  To God be the glory.

The Scripture the "Biblical Contradictions" page uses as argument are as follows:

-(Matt 19:16-17) This scripture is grossly taken out of context. 

The context of this scripture is the account of a rich young man who sought to debate Jesus about good works.  In verse 17, Jesus even corrects the young man's understanding of God's standard of "good" versus our human understanding of "good" when He says, "Why are you asking Me about what is good?  There is only One Who is good..." 
Then Jesus concedes to enter the debate with the young man, with the sole intent to teach him truth.  He begins by telling him to keep the commandments, knowing that is what the young man expects Jesus to say. But Jesus' intent is to lead the conversation to where He can make His point to the young man and show him his error.  Which we are shown at verse 20 when the young man says, "..what am I still lacking?" Jesus answers, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."   So we see Jesus' actual response to the young man's question in verse 16, "..what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?"  isn't until verse 20 when He says, "come follow Me."  Jesus implies complete surrender by telling the young man to forsake all of his possessions and follow Him. 
Following Jesus requires belief in Him and repentance.

-(Matt 25:34-40,46)  This scripture is the parable of the sheep and the goats and is taken out of context. 

The setting of this event is after the tribulation when Jesus returns to set up His millennial kingdom.  When put in the proper context with the Gospel message as a whole, it is understood that the good works mentioned in the parable are not the cause of salvation, but the effect of salvation.  In the context of the Gospel message as a whole, we know that the good works of the sheep result from their relationship to the Shepherd.  The basic message of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats is that followers of Jesus will serve others as if they were serving Jesus Himself.
Serving Jesus requires belief in Him and repentance.

-(Mk 10:17-21)  This is a parallel account of Matthew 19:16-17.  See my comments above.

-(Luke 10:25-37)  This is the Parable of the Good Samaritan and is taken out of context. 

At verse 25 the first thing we are told is the person speaking to Jesus was seeking to put Him to the test.  This account is very much like the rich young man who sought to debate Jesus about good works we previously discussed above.  A man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus replies, "..love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (v. 27)  When you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, your greatest desire is to obey Him. 
Obedience to Jesus requires belief in Him and repentance.

-(Luke 18:18-22)  This is another parallel account of Matthew 19:16-17.  See my comments above.

-(John 5:28,29)  These verses are taken out of context from an account of Jesus explaining His equality with God to a group of unbelieving Jews who sought to kill Him. 

Jesus explains to them at verse 24 exactly what is required for eternal life, "he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."  At verse 28 and 29 Jesus repeats this same point, but in the context of the resurrection of the dead, "..an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear [the voice of the Son of God] and come out-- those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."
Look again at this verse when He says, "those who have done good to the resurrection of life.."  Then look again at verse 24 where He defines "good" and what must be done to gain the resurrection of life, "he who hears my word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life".
Eternal life through Jesus requires belief in Him and repentance.

-(John 8:51)  This one is pretty self-explanatory and shows just how spiritually blind the person is who made the list of these supposed "Biblical Contradictions."

At John 8:51 Jesus says, "Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death."  What is Jesus' word?  Over and over throughout the entire Gospel account Jesus says, "Believe in Me."  The whole point of the Gospel message is about repentance and belief in Jesus Christ.  Believe in Me, believe in Me, He says it over and over and over.  There is no possibility whatsoever that anyone who has actually read even just one of the Gospel accounts, wouldn't understand this.  Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.." (John 11:25,26)
Keeping Jesus' word requires belief in Him and repentance.

-(Rom 2:5-7,10)  This scripture is about God rendering judgment according to each person's deeds and is taken out of context.

Paul is not contradicting the emphasis throughout the entirety of his recorded writings which attest that salvation is by faith in Christ, not according to a person's deeds.  The context of this passage is Paul explaining to certain Jews (who put their faith in their good works, rather than Christ), the principles of God's judgment, laying the groundwork to make his point that without Christ, they are hypocrites in their good deeds.  At verse 16, Paul explains to them that all deeds, whether good or bad, will be judged "through Christ Jesus."  The context of this passage is with the intent to show the Jews that without faith in Jesus Christ, they were condemned by the Law. 
At verse 5 Paul tells them they are, "storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."  How does God judge?  "...through Christ Jesus." (verse 16)  At verse 7 Paul says that those who persevere in doing good, seek eternal life.  And because Paul was an Apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he was not referring to the human standard of "doing good", he was referring to God's standard of "doing good" in the context of eternal life. 
According to the Law, what is God's standard of "good" in the context of eternal life?  "..'what shall I do to inherit eternal life?'  And [Jesus] said to him, 'What is written in the Law?'  And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'  Jesus said, 'You have answered correctly, Do this and you will live.'"  (Luke 10:25-28)
Loving God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind requires belief in Jesus and repentance.

-(James 2:24)  This scripture is in regard to faith without works, and is taken out of context.

James 2:24 says, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."  The context of this passage is in regard to what is referred to or considered "dead faith."  Verse 17 says, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself."  Dead faith is the intellectual acceptance of certain truths about Christ, without actual trust in Christ as Savior.  In essence, what this verse is addressing is genuine faith on the basis of surrender to Christ as Lord of a person's life, versus superficial faith which produces no internal change in the heart, spirit and mind of a person.  True faith in Christ, produces a genuine conversion of the individual.  Meaning, genuine faith in Christ will evidence itself through the change that begins to take place in a person, which will eventually begin to manifest itself through their actions (works).  "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Cor 5:17)  In essence, what James 2:24 is trying to explain is that our faith is justified by our "works".   Meaning, our genuine faith is declared authentic when we begin to act like it.
Genuine faith in Jesus requires belief in Jesus and repentance, and that genuine faith will manifest itself through our actions.

Repentance And Good Deeds (Question 4, 5 & 6 of "Biblical Contradictions?" Series)

Question 4:  Is one who believes in God's Son, but who has never repented, saved?
(Part of a series entitled "Biblical Contradictions?")

Answer:  Genuine belief in Jesus Christ as the propitiation for the sins of mankind, brings a person to repentance.  They are mutually inclusive.  When scripture talks about "belief in Jesus Christ", it is referring more to a state of mind which affects a person's way of life, rather than a superficial acknowledgment.  The devil "believes" in Jesus Christ, insomuch as he acknowledges His existence, Who He is in relation to God and what He accomplished on the cross.  But we know that the devil is obviously not saved.  Why?  Because the devil has not repented of his sin, nor has he submitted to Jesus as Lord of his life.

Any scripture used to argue any perceived contradiction of this point is irrelevant, because any reference in scripture to "believing in Jesus Christ" assumes genuine belief which requires submission and repentance. 

Questions 5 & 6:  Is one who believes in God's Son, but has done no good deeds, saved?  Is one who has called upon the name of the Lord, but who has done no good deeds, saved?

Answer:  Two scriptures from the "Biblical Contradictions" page used in an attempt to prove a contradiction on this matter are Acts 2:21 and Rom 10:13, both of which quote the Book of Joel, "everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

This is a quote from the Old Testament (Joel 2:32), and should be understood in the Old Testament context.  To "call upon the name of the Lord" in the Old Testament context, deals with worship, adoration and prayer.  It implies submission and obedience, because those who called upon the name of the Lord, made Him Lord of their life and lived their lives accordingly.

The other scriptures on the "Biblical Contradictions" page which are used in an attempt to prove contradiction are all in the context of faith without works.  The implication of this concept is that someone who is genuinely saved, someone who has genuinely put their faith in Jesus Christ, can't help but do good works.  Scripture says, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Phil 2:13).  Those who are truly saved are indwelled by God's Holy Spirit, Whom we are told is at work in us to accomplish good things. 

Is Salvation Predestined? (Question 3 From "Biblical Contradictions?" Series)

Question 3:  Is salvation totally predestined by God?
(Part of a series entitled "Biblical Contradictions?" )

Answer:  The notion of predestination is much better served by using the word "foreknown".  Like we previously discussed in my answer to "Question 2", God foreknew those who would be obedient (Abraham, Isaac, etc.) and those who would choose salvation.  In that context, God "chooses" different people for different tasks and different levels of service.  But still, it all remains contingent upon the obedience and submission of each individual.  God doesn't force us to do anything.

Roman 8:29 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son... and these whom He predestined, He also called..."

Those who "love God" are those who choose salvation and obedience.  Those who choose salvation and obedience "are called according to His purpose".  God "foreknew" that I would reach a point in my life in which I chose complete obedience to Him, therefore I was "predestined to become conformed into the image of Christ."  God "calls us according to His purpose", because our obedience and humility make us usable.

Even though God already knew who would choose to come to salvation, we are still expected to share the Gospel with everyone we possibly can.  For people to choose salvation, they have to hear about it, and they cannot hear about it unless it is shared with them (Rom 10:14).  What about those who never hear it?  Perhaps those who never hear it are those whom God knew would never receive it anyway, which is something only He could know, which makes that His business.  Only God can see a man's heart (1 Sam 16:7; Jer 17:10), and since we can't, we are called to share the Gospel with all men.

The Scripture the "Biblical Contradictions" page uses as argument are as follows:

-(Psalm 65:4) "How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts."

God chooses the righteous to be near Him, but we choose to be righteous.

 -(Prov 16:9 & 20:24) "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." 

We can make all the plans in the world, but they are still subject to fate, destiny, the effects of other people's choices and prayers, and God's overall sovereignty.  Hitler planned to take over all of Europe, but his plans were still subject to the prayers of those who were against his nefarious plans and subject to the free will of those whom God worked through to bring about an end to those plans. 

-all other scripture used on the page as argument is based on God's foreknowledge of who would choose to follow Him and can be understood in that context