But…My Good Outweighs My Bad!

By Ron Livesay

During this shutdown, when most churches are not meeting, many are having worship services at home. This past weekend, Janet and I met a block away with our son, his wife, and their three children. We had prayer, singing, Scripture reading, and a sermon from the Internet by John MacArthur.

The sermon again reminded me of a concept I have presented several times while teaching Sunday school. The common thread that runs through all false religion is the idea that human beings can do enough good to get to Heaven. This thread comes in many forms, usually having to do with completing a number of requirements on a list to prove to God that one is worthy of salvation. It is often summed up like this:  “Someday I will stand in the final judgment, and God will weigh my good against my bad. If my bad outweighs my good, I will be in trouble, but if my good outweighs my bad, God will let me into Heaven. I’m sure it will all be okay, because God is loving and I’m a good person.”

This is a very dangerous idea with eternal consequences. It makes some very false assumptions.

First of all, It assumes that humans can do good things in the eyes of God. Martin Luther said, “The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God.” Click here for source.

This idea ignores the fact that, while God is loving, so much so that He sent His Son to earth to be the atoning sacrifice for sin and to rise from the dead to defeat sin and death forever, He is also holy and righteous. 

“Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor” (Habakkuk 1:13, NASB).

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isaiah 64:6, NASB).

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8, NASB).

This idea that my good can outweigh my bad totally ignores the insidious nature of sin. We were born in sin, and our natural bent is toward sinning. We cannot possibly overcome that in our own strength.

Second, this idea assumes that our alleged “good” can somehow outweigh our bad. Aside from the fact that even our “good” is “bad” in the eyes of God, this assumption is totally incorrect. It only takes one sin to condemn us in the eyes of God, and there is no human, other than our Savior, who has lived a sinless life. “…there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20, NASB).

This reality can be easily illustrated. Suppose a man is accused of murder and decides his best course of action is to plead guilty and then try to reason with the judge. Imagine the following dialogue:

Judge:  “You are accused of one count of first-degree murder. How do you plead?”

The Accused:  “Your Honor, I plead guilty to this one count, but I have some other facts to present that should prevent any punishment for my actions.”

Judge:  “You have entered a plea of ‘guilty’ to one count of first-degree murder, but I will hear your additional facts. This should be interesting.”

The Accused:  “Well, Your Honor, it’s like this. I did kill one man. However, in comparison to the total population, one individual is not even a ‘drop in the bucket.’  There are dozens of people who live on my block, hundreds of people who live in my neighborhood, thousands of people in my town, hundreds of thousands in my county, millions in my state, hundreds of millions in the whole country, and billions in the world. Just look at all the people I didn’t kill. Look at all my good deeds. I did not kill you. I didn’t kill anyone else present in this courtroom. As a matter of fact, I did billions of good deeds by not killing anyone else in the whole world. Surely my one little mistake is forgivable and hardly even noticeable. It certainly is not significant in the grand scheme of things. It should be obvious that my good deeds outweigh my bad.”

Judge:  “Your argument is not compelling. You are guilty of one count of first-degree murder, and you will be sentenced accordingly.”

No right-thinking person would expect the judge to rule any differently based on the argument the accused presented. It is interesting that almost everyone would expect a fallible human being to understand clearly and make a correct ruling in such a case, yet many of the same people would expect the infallible God of the universe to buy into such an argument. Who could legitimately stand before God and foolishly believe that salvation is based on “my good outweighs my bad?” The obvious answer is that no one will be able to make such an argument. 

All of us are sinners, and any and all sin is an offense to a holy God. He does not, and cannot, save us by His love. Instead, His great love motivated Him to provide a way to save us by His grace.

It is clear that the human race stands condemned before God:  “…that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19, NKJV).

One sin is enough to condemn someone, and it is obvious from Scripture (Romans 3:23) and from experience, that all people are sinners. Breaking even one part of God’s Law is breaking all of God’s law, just like breaking one link in a chain is breaking the chain. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10, NASB).

God’s holy standard is Himself and His own righteousness and perfection.  “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48, NASB).

If God’s standard is so high, how can anyone be saved? Clearly, none of us can be saved on our own. No matter how good we think we are, we fall far short of God’s holy, perfect standard. We don’t even come close. Our only hope is to “throw ourselves on the mercy of the court” by coming to Christ by faith for His mercy and grace. Only then can we become perfect, as His perfect righteousness is applied to us, because our sin was applied to Him. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB).

He took what we deserved so we could have what He deserves. There is no better deal available anywhere in the universe.

Second Amendment Follies

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states the following:  “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” This amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, which consists of the first ten amendments. These amendments add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights and place clear limitations on the government's power.

While almost all citizens appreciate most of the rights granted in the Bill of Rights, a disturbing number do not like the Second Amendment and would get rid of it if they could. In the processes, they twist reality into a convoluted mess of arguments against it. Some of their nonsensical arguments are listed below:

• “Since the amendment contains the word ‘militia,’ it applies only to members of the military.” This argument is patently absurd on its face, as are almost all of the anti-Second Amendment arguments. The reality is that our founding fathers preferred militias to a standing army. We cannot use 21^st century definitions to define what things were in colonial America. When the Constitution was written, a militia was made up of volunteers who came to fight, bringing their own arms and ammunition. Our founders knew better than to try and disarm the populace. Otherwise, there could be no militia
• “The ‘right of the people to keep and bear arms’ is a collective right rather than an individual right.” This argument falls flat when it is pointed out that it is a right of “the people,” not just of the government. In the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court held that the "Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." It should also be pointed out that if part of the Bill of Rights does not grant individual rights, then consistent interpretation would mean such is true of the entire Bill of Rights. There would be howls of protest and who knows what else should such an idea be embraced by politicians.
• “Since our rights are granted to us by our government, that same government has the right to take those rights away.” This argument fails miserably, and our founders recognized the fact that rights are not granted by government but by our Creator and are then to be secured by government. The Declaration states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,,,” Our rights come from God, not from government. One of those rights is life, and we have the right to protect our lives and those of our loved ones, without interference from government.
• “The Second Amendment only applies to muzzle-loading muskets and rifles, not to ‘assault rifles.’” The absurdity of this argument is almost too obvious to need pointing out. Muzzle-loading muskets and rifles were the “assault weapons” of that day. Today, any weapon the anti-gun people want to ban gets referred to as an “assault weapon.” They need to at least know what they are talking about, but that may be asking too much. By the logic of this argument, the freedom of the press would only include primitive printing presses or quill pens and parchment. It certainly would not include computers with word processing programs, and it would in no way include television, radio, email, social media, or the Internet as a whole. Looking at the entire Bill of Rights through this lens certainly makes this argument about the Second Amendment look like the foolish drivel it is.
• “Semi-automatic rifles are not needed by civilians, because they have nothing to do with hunting.” The answer to that is that the Second Amendment likewise has nothing to do with hunting. Without the Second Amendment, none of the other parts of the Bill of Rights could exist. Experience told our founders that we would never have had a chance to gain our independence from Britain without an armed populace.
• “The Second Amendment is obsolete and no longer needed.” This implies that somehow people have changed for the better with time. It denies that there is a need to be alert and ready for attacks from those who would destroy life and limb and make slaves of others. The reality is that things are not getting better and “more civilized.” Instead, things continue to get worse, just as predicted in the Bible. “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13, NASB). This Scripture is talking specifically about those who would pervert God’s truth and deceive others into believing falsehood, but it also certainly describes the state of the world today.
• “Since Jesus was a pacifist, we should disarm ourselves and follow His example.” This statement is totally wrong, because Jesus was not and is not a pacifist. He came the first time to provide salvation by His grace because of the great love of God toward guilty sinners. This does not negate the fact that He will come back in power and great glory to bring judgment to unbelievers. He said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34, NASB). It is interesting that He said to His disciples, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one” (Luke 22:36, NASB). He also spoke of home defense. “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed” (Luke 11:21, NASB). “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house” (Matthew 12:29, NASB).
• “‘Common sense’ and ‘reasonable’ gun-control laws will prevent shootings.” The big problem here is that “common sense” and “reasonable” are, in many cases, buzz words for finding a way around the Second Amendment by infringing on the right to keep (possess) and bear (carry) arms. Disarming potential victims does not create fewer victims, but more of them. If a bully is menacing children on a playground, it would certainly do no good to tie the hands of all the potential victims behind their backs and then hope that would deter the bully. Such thinking is totally absurd, but it is common among those who believe in “gun-control.” They will put up signs that say, “gun-free zone” and expect those signs to deter criminals. If that kind of thing worked, it would be beneficial to put up signs that say “crime-free zone” all over the country and signs along the border that say “no trespassing.” Such would be naiveté of the highest order.

 Much more could be said, but the fact of the matter is that guns are not the problem in our society today. The problem is sin in the heart of mankind, and the only real answer to the problem is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its power to redeem sinners. The Gospel is “... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NASB). Sinners need a Savior, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who can redeem us. Those who ignore that fact will continue to experience the meaninglessness and frustration of living, without answers, in this world full of evil. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore” (Galatians 1:3-5, NASB).

Other articles on this topic are found here.   

But My Good Outweighs My Bad

Imagine someone accused of murder standing before a judge and saying, “But your honor, I admit killing one person, but look at the billions of people in the world that I didn’t kill. Obviously, my good outweighs my bad.” That individual would not have even a snowball’s chance on the sun of being acquitted. However, he would have an infinitely better chance than those who rely on their “good” to outweigh their “bad” when it comes to standing before a holy God.

God’s standard is His own perfect righteousness, and anything less than perfection is insufficient to allow anyone into God’s heaven. Clearly, not one of us can come even close to perfection, and by His standard, no one can truthfully say, “My good outweighs my bad.” Only those who are by faith clothed in the righteousness of the crucified and risen Son of God will be admitted. 

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB).  

“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19, NASB).

Eternal Salvation – The Irreducible Minimum

By Ed Cardwell

Every great teacher uses appropriate illustrations to point to the truth of the lesson. Jesus was the perfect teacher. He used the most singular example to explain His work of salvation which He was to accomplish for the entire world. He spoke to a religious ruler of the Jews and said in John 3:14-15:

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever (everyone who) believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (KJV).

To teach His lesson Jesus pointed to an event in the Torah familiar to every Jew on earth and every good Bible student since:  Numbers 21.

From verses 4 through 9 in that chapter we find the Israelites struggling with impatience and discouragement after months and months of journeying from slavery in Egypt through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. Their grumbling and complaining followed miracle after miracle designed to accommodate their needs and to insure their safety and welfare; but alas depraved humanity has a short memory of God’s blessings. So we read:

“Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. And the people spoke against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.’ And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.’ And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live.’ And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived” (Numbers 21:4-9, NASB). 

The wise will connect the underlined to His message and arrive at the truth being taught:  Jesus will be lifted up (crucified), and those who believe in Him will have eternal life. That’s a fact!  Quite simple.

But no. Religious systems through the centuries have devised all manner of rites, rituals and ceremonies adding to the simplest of prerequisites to eternal life. Lists of do’s and don’ts, what to believe, what not to believe, where to go to school, what school not to attend, what degrees to have, what clothes to wear, the right form of baptism, and requirements ad infinitum and ad nauseam.

How many sermons have you heard delivered on the naked simplicity of Jesus’ words? Not many? Not any? Could this be because it is the nature of religious systems devised by fallen man to want to add something that man must do to accomplish what God alone has already done?

The thief on the cross who was crucified alongside of Jesus turned to Him in his distress and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!”  Jesus reply was, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43, NASB).

How simple and beautiful is that? No time to make restitution of manifold wrongs to society; no time to join the ‘right’ church; no time for a baptismal ceremony; no time to give all your possessions to the poor. He is being executed. This was the very end. And he makes the right choice – finally! Jesus answers his need of forgiveness and he is welcomed without reproach.

But there is inherently another side to this coin of “looking to the bronzed serpent.” The wise student will not miss it. Let us return to an earlier section of the same passage in Numbers 21:

“Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. And the people spoke against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.’ And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.’ And Moses interceded for the people” (Numbers 21:4-7, NASB).

What do we have here? We have a consciousness of sin on the part of the people. They are aware of their great need now because of their past sinful action and its severe consequences. We call this ‘repentance,’ a very common Biblical word. Repentance means a change of mind/heart which results in a change of action.

So, was there repentance on the part of the thief on the cross? Was there a consciousness of a great need because of sin in his life?  Let’s go back to that story in Luke 23. Let’s begin in verse 39  with the comment from the other thief who was also being crucified along with Jesus:

“And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, ‘Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, ‘Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.” And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:39-43, NASB).

It is obvious that this man had a real change of mind/heart experience. He was aware that he was in a position of incredible difficulty because of his evil past and that his sentence was just. That is real repentance. The solution?  Look to the merciful Savior. When you have nothing left, Jesus is enough.

One other example may help to reinforce the lesson:  the conversion of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16.

“The crowd rose up together against them (Paul and Silas), and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were unfastened. And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!" And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved…” (Acts 16:22-31, NASB).

Not “join the right church, and you will be saved.”  Not “get baptized the right way and you will be saved.”  Not even “study the 10 commandments and follow them and you will be saved.”  But simply “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.”

Now we return to look at the jailer’s situation. Paul and Silas had been no doubt bloodied by the beating they had endured. The jailer gave their wounds no attention, nor had he seen to their hunger and thirst. He threw them into the prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. No change of heart here. But they were praying and singing praises to God for hours and no one could avoid listening. Then suddenly a great earthquake, which brings great fear commensurate with its force, and the prison was shaken, all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened. He realizes that his position is a fatal one. Death is the only escape. But the words of the prayers and the hymns have served their purpose. He recognizes that Paul and Silas know the answer to his need. Repentance has flooded his soul. Falling down before them and trembling with fear he pleads, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

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Just to be sure:  This message is not about sanctification; it is not about growth in the body of Christ; nor is about the maturing process of a Christian. This is about the beginning, the new birth, the starting point of eternal life. This is the door that opens into that new life. And Jesus Himself said, “I am the door.”

Yes, there is much knowledge to be gained; there is an ongoing process of maturation and sanctification, which the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer accomplishes day by day. The Apostle Paul’s letters in the New Testament are written for our learning and our edification. Fellowship with the saints is an essential element in the spiritual growth of the believer.

But with simple faith looking to Jesus, the sinless Son of the living God, dying for our sins upon that tree is the irreducible minimum to entrance into the heavenly abode.

The jailer saw his plight for what it was. His life was pointless and hopeless. There was only loneliness and punishment awaiting him. He had heard that there was a better life, an eternal life through the finished work of God’s Messiah who died to free him from his sins.

When the Israelites looked at the bronzed serpent on the standard, they did not look as simply idle curiosity seekers. They knew that their sins against Moses and against their holy God had brought on this calamity and that God had provided the cure. They had repented. 

When we look at the cross we do not look as simply spectators of an execution. We see the Son of God cruelly punished for the sins of the world – for our sins. Recognition of a need for forgiveness leads to redemption through the precious blood of the lamb.

Many other such examples one can find in the Holy Scriptures and much more could be said regarding this wonderful Savior, but let this word be enough for now. The truth is that the same simple message is still available today to everyone who believes.

Does God Approve of Sin?

Does God approve of sin? At first, this may seem like an absurd question, but when we consider that much modern day thinking redefines right and wrong and also redefines the very nature of God, the question becomes quite clear. The thinking is something like this:  "God is love, and He wants us to be happy, so He would never hate or even disapprove of the things we want to do if those things make us happy. Maybe God has even changed His mind about certain things as society has changed, and He has moved on into the twenty-first century. Maybe things that used to be called sin are not sin any longer." Such foolishness is contrary to Scripture, violates every level of common sense, and is dangerous to the human soul and to society as a whole.

 

There are several problems with such thinking:

 

First:  There is the assumption that the statement, “God is love,” is a definition of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. Love is not by any means a complete definition of God. Love is merely one of His many attributes. It is important to note that “hate” is also one of His attributes. He has many attributes, including righteousness, holiness, purity, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, etc. “Love” is most certainly not all there is to the nature of God.

 

Second:  There is the assumption that it’s all about us rather than about God. Our alleged “happiness” seems to trump everything else, including doing what is right and bringing glory to God. God has created us for Himself, for His pleasure and for His glory.

 

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11, NKJV). 

 

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him" Colossians 1:16, NKJV).

 

“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7, NKJV).

 

Third:  There is the assumption that sin brings true happiness. Regardless of how counterintuitive this may be, there are many who fall into the trap of believing that self-gratification is the pathway to happiness. However, both the Scriptures and secular history are filled with examples of people who destroyed themselves in the pursuit of sinful pleasure. Think of King David and his great sin of taking a man’s wife and having the man killed so he could cover up what he had done. This sin led to much grief over the rest of his life. His son, King Solomon, because of his lust for many women, went from being the wisest of men to being one of the greatest fools who ever lived. Sin does not bring happiness.

 

Fourth:  There is the assumption that the things we humans desire are good for us. Clearly, this is in error. Many things we desire are anything but good for us and are in some cases very detrimental and even fatal. For God to approve of things that would hurt us is not love in any way. No parent who loves his children would send them out to play in the back yard if he knew there was a rattlesnake out there, even if his children had an interest in snakes from reading books on the subject. That would not be love.

 

Fifth:  There is the assumption that God never hates. That is an assumption based on human, touchy-feely reasoning, not on the Scriptures. The Bible tells us of many things God hates. Seven of the things He hates are listed in one passage:

 

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19, NKJV).  God also hates idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:31; 16:22), those who do evil (Psalm 5:4-6; 11:5), and a number of other things that can easily be found with a quick search of the Scriptures.

 

Some may say, “Well, those things are from the Old Testament. The New Testament God is more loving than the Old Testament God.” Is this a true statement? In reality, the New Testament God, in the Person of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Creator-God of the Universe, and is the same God as the Old Testament God. He is the eternal, all-powerful God who never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8, NKJV).  There are specific references in the New Testament to God hating. Probably the most well-know is found in Romans 9:13. “As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated’” (NKJV).

 

Yes, God IS love, and he DOES love us and want the best for us. If He loved our sin and rebellion, He would not in any way be wanting what is best for us. Just like parents who want the best for their children and set boundaries on their behavior for their safety and well-being, God sets boundaries on our behavior because of His great love for us. His hatred of evil is proof of His love and concern for us. God is not Someone with whom anyone should be foolish enough to trifle. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31, NKJV).

 

Conclusion:  It is not safe ground to believe that God somehow approves of, and maybe even likes, our sin. He has not changed. Sin is still sin and is an abomination in His sight. No matter what society may say about God being an old-fashioned idea and the Bible being out-of-date, God is still on the throne, and He will judge sin. No amount of rationalization and legalizing of sinful acts can make those things good and right. This is the truth, and truth always triumphs over falsehood.

 

Laws have been passed legalizing many things that God calls sin, thereby illustrating the truth that “just because something is legal doesn’t make it right.” Our culture has not only practiced those things which God hates, but government has given official “hearty approval” to many of those things. “…who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32, NKJV) or “…give hearty approval to those who practice them” (NASB).

 

Regardless of the insanity of our present-day culture, God is still doing what He pleased to do. He saves those who come to Him in faith. The Gospel message is just as relevant as it has ever been. Sin is a reality, and unbelievers are condemned without the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NKJV).

 

“...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NKJV).

 

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10, NKJV).

 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NKJV).

When Truth Has Perished - by Ed Cardwell

Jer 7:28 ^NAS

More than 25 centuries ago the Lord God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to a nation that was collapsing under the weight of its moral and spiritual depravity.

Anyone should be able to read Jeremiah and make the comparison with the cultural climate of our own time.  Even now one can witness firsthand from the comforts of his own living room what happens to a nation after only 2 or 3 generations of denigrating God and even evicting Him from every aspect of society.

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Here are a few of his characterizations of a people who had lost their source of strength and their crown of glory:

To begin, the Divine indictment:

“For My people have committed two evils:

They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns,
That can hold no water.” ^{Jer 2:13 NAS}

1.  They left their God, the One who set them high above all the nations of the earth and who showered them with untold riches and blessed their land beyond compare.  His commandments became tedious and boring, and in time they removed His law from their public institutions, from their seats of learning, from their courts, from their daily activities and amusements – and ultimately from their hearts!

2.  They substituted a moral code more suited to their passions.  They devised fanciful doctrines that appealed to their fallen nature, and they taught them throughout their culture.  They turned to sensuality and sought to become like the heathen nations around them.   

“And they bend their tongue like their bow; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me.” ^{Jer 9:3}

In order to sustain this philosophical perversion that has crept into their once great nation, they must create a culture of corruption of the truth.  In time lies become the mainstay of government, education, and the media.  To prevent their demagoguery from assault, they attack all opposition viciously, and at the same time show themselves benefactors of the populace with mountains of largesse from the national treasury.  To sustain their power they promise lifelong prosperity to all citizenry and by deception mortgage their futures with staggering debt.  Lies are the keystone to their hold on power, and they even brag about their cunning.

“For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.” ^{Jer 6:13}

Materialism is rampant and has become the true motive behind every thought, act, and judgment at all levels of  society.  Theft, fraud, and embezzlement are rationalized, even celebrated.

“The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have?” ^{Jer 8:9}

The ignorance and incompetence of national leaders has become truly daunting.  They speak as if they have the answers for everything, but they have the solutions to nothing.  They are the blind guides leading their constituencies to national ruin.  They offer words of hope, but their words are seductive and devoid of truth.

“And they heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.” ^{Jer 8:11}

Mental disorders, frustration, and despair continue to rise as the ‘good’ life of godlessness remains deceptive and the answers to the problems of the soul illusory.  Enemies sense the resulting weakness and grow ever bolder in their threats to conquer and destroy.

“This is the city to be punished, In whose midst there is only oppression. As a well keeps its waters fresh, So she keeps fresh her wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard in her; Sickness and wounds are ever before Me.”  ^{Jer 6:6,7}

 Ignoring the severe consequences of their secular society and refusing to believe that the God of their fathers is even relevant, the spiritual vacuum that has been created invites the Adversary to run amok throughout the land in helping to destroy the very citadels of culture and civilization.  Violence and bloodshed, terror and despair, and confusion and ruination now rule on the streets and in the hearts of men.

“An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: 
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?  ^{Jer 5:30-31}

As long as the illusion of benefits continues flowing and there are ample amusements for distraction, the lies are tolerated and the consequences of the extermination of Truth are ignored. Annihilation and oblivion will soon follow as night follows day, and there shall be no remedy.

*          *         *          *          *          *          *

I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies. ^{Jer 12:7}

After their callous refusals of the Lord’s steady appeals to return to Him, the Source of their national strength and majesty, He finally leaves this perpetually stubborn and stiff-necked people to their own evil devices. And as the curtain falls on their collective ruin, this sad commentary concludes their precipitous descent from supreme greatness and national independence.

There has always been an antidote, a cure from this paralyzing decay of the national soul.

God pleaded with this people time and again to turn back from their reckless obstinacy.  Through the prophet Ezekiel, Jeremiah’s contemporary, He pleads:

“As I live!' declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?” ^{Ezekiel 33:11}

It is not imperative that we persist in this same path to destruction.  It is not a universal law that the citizens can have no say in their ultimate destiny.  But the volumes of history are strewn with empires ravaged by the natural consequences of their own destructive godlessness.  As the Psalmist wrote millennia ago: 

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. ^{Psalm 9:17 KJV}

But there remains hope still, and God’s faithful among us hold the key.

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” ^{Pro 16:6 KJV}

"If you could lose your salvation, you would."

"If you could lose your salvation, you would. You understand that? If you could, you would. If it's possible, it will happen. It has to be. If any part of my eternal salvation depends upon my power and ability and commitment and righteousness, I won't get there. Think about Adam. Adam who had no sinful tendencies, Adam living in a perfect world wouldn't know sin. No sin at all. Adam with no sin at all and no sinful tendencies inside couldn't keep himself in a right relationship of obedience and love to God. How would we think we could in a fallen world with fallen natures? And the more mature you are as a Christian, the more spiritually minded you are, the more righteous you are, the more sanctified you are, the more wretched you know you are, right? The Apostle Paul in Romans 7, 'O wretched man that I am,' that's the statement of a very mature Christian ... Spurgeon said, 'No man can keep himself, he'll surely fail. If left to ourselves, we'll go to hell. Only Jesus can save us from our sins.'"

 

John MacArthur, "The Saint's Guarantee"

A Biblical View of Ferguson

Many individuals have written on the situation in Ferguson, Missouri. I want to call your attention to two of them. Both of these men are in a much better position to write on this subject than I am. One is a preacher, and the other is a professional football player. Regardless of their two very different professions, they both have nailed it down to the basic truth that we have a sin problem in this nation (and this world) and the answer to that problem is the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Dr. Voddie Baucham, Dean of the African Christian University Seminary and the Pastor of Preaching at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas addressed the issue here.

 

Benjamin Watson, Tight End for the New Orleans Saints, comes at the situation from a slightly different angle but arrives at the same conclusion here.

These articles are worth taking the time to read.

 

Review of "Son of God"

A number of reviews have been written of “Son of God” and “Noah.” Because of the negative tone of most of the reviews, I at first determined not to see either of them. Both films have been out for several weeks, and after a number of questions and discussions, I finally decided that I should see them and write my own reviews.

 

The combination of previous negative reviews, as well as the general negative view I have of allegedly “biblical” movies coming out of Hollywood, made it a bit difficult to be totally objective. However, I determined to watch each film with an open mind, be as fair as possible, and give credit where credit was due. My reviews are based on what I observed in the films rather than just taking thoughts from other reviews.

 

Any movie based on a book of any kind must, of necessity, take a few “artistic liberties,” such as supplying dialog, filling in unknown details, compressing parts of the story, combining events, etc. Otherwise, a movie made based on three chapters of a book would be extremely short and would probably become a documentary, and a movie based on a long book would be far too long. Moviemakers are free to embellish and change stories to make them work on the screen. Even movies based on the Bible are subject such treatment, with notable exceptions such as “The Book Of Acts - The Visual Bible,” which is a word-for-word treatment of the book of Acts.

 

Even though I notice distortions from the original account when the Bible is portrayed on film, I tend to overlook certain things as long as violence is not done to important truth. It is vital that biblical doctrine not be compromised in the name of artistic license and that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ be lifted up and magnified. With those things in mind, I attended both films earlier this week.

 

“Son of God” started off in a very biblical manner, quoting specifically from John 1.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-3,14, NKJV). This very clearly established the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ from the beginning of the film.

 

Surprisingly, baptism was pictured in the proper, biblical form of immersion. So often, it is pictured in a way that tries to keep everyone happy by not really showing the method used.

 

The fact that God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, could and did do miracles was made clear in the film. This is refreshing, in that the miraculous is often either missing or explained away when the life of Christ, or any biblical topic, is considered.

 

I must also mention that the film included the resurrection. So many treatments of the life of Christ either ignore or minimize the truth of the resurrection. Of course, without the resurrection, there is no salvation, and the Christian message becomes less than meaningless. Any film about Christ that ignores the resurrection ought to be totally ignored by believers, no matter how well-made it may be.

 

All of the events that make up the gospel were included – the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. While the gospel events were there, the gospel message is not there. A very key point is left out. Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel … For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4, NKJV). (Emphasis mine.)  Those words “for our sins” are an important part of the gospel message, and without them, there is no reason for His death, burial, and resurrection.

 

Sadly, it was not very far into the film when the whole purpose of the gospel message was misstated and minimized when Peter asked Jesus what they were going to do, and Jesus responded, “Change the world.” That is nonsense of the highest order. Jesus did not come into the world to “change the world.” He came, in His own words, to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10, NKJV). Paul later emphasized this same truth when he wrote, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15, NKJV). As a matter of fact, some day Jesus will judge the world and destroy the world. It has never been the purpose of God to make the world a better place to live. Rather, his purpose is to call out a people for His name by saving sinners.

 

The film does not in any way make it clear why Jesus came into the world and why He had to die such a horrendous death. The concept that He died “for our sins” is missing.

 

When announcing the coming birth of the Savior, an angel of the Lord said to Joseph, And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21, NKJV). Saving His people from their sins is not mentioned in the film.

 

At the Last Supper …He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins”  (Matthew 26:27-28, NKJV). The words, “for the remission of sins” are conspicuous by their absence from the film. This leaves the viewer to wonder why His blood was spilled and why He needed to die in such a manner. It even could make one wonder why He needed to come to earth in the first place.

 

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV). That message is totally missing from the film.

 

If an unbeliever were to see the film, devoid of any biblical knowledge, he would likely conclude that Jesus was a good man who thought He was God and who was executed for being a threat to the established religious order of the day. The parts about His deity, the miracles, and the resurrection would likely be lost on the unbeliever, because if the fact that He died “for our sins” is missing, the other things mean little or nothing. It all just seems to be the sad story of the persecution of a good man.

 

Obviously, everything Jesus ever said and did cannot be included in a film. All of those things are not even in the Scriptures. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written (John 21:25, NKJV). While recognizing that filmmakers must, of necessity, leave some things out, it must be said that WHAT is left out is of great significance. The entire message and emphasis of the film can hinge on what is included and what is left out. If the meat of the message is missing, a film loses its value as a representation of truth. Leaving out the whole issue of Christ dying to pay the penalty for sin is to soft-pedal the gospel by making it more palatable to sinful man. Sin is not a very politically correct issue these days, but that does not mean it should be ignored. As repulsive as the thought is to the human mind, sin is a reality that must be dealt with if people are to avoid condemnation. Following is an excerpt from another post I wrote:

 

"Sin cannot be ignored. Believers need to be reminded of the terrible state from which we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and our response ought to be, ‘I will praise Him.’ Unbelievers need to be warned of the terrible results of sin and the necessity of coming to Christ as the only remedy for that sin. Churches that want to emphasize ‘the positive’ and ignore ‘the negative’ are doing a great disservice and really have no function of any eternal value. No matter how much a person’s life is improved here on this earth, it means nothing if the reality of sin and its consequences are ignored. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Mark 8:36, NKJV)."

 

There is the usual list of inaccuracies one can expect, and they only deserve to be mentioned in passing, because many of them do little to destroy the important truths. However, it does seem that accuracy in dealing with the biblical text is more important than filmmakers consider it to be. For example, anyone who has ever read the account of the birth of Christ knows that the wise men did not appear at the manger to see an infant but instead came several months later to a house where they saw the “young child.” Is that important? It doesn’t do violence to the gospel message, but it certainly speaks of sloppiness in the area of accuracy. We need to get our truth from the Scriptures rather than from Christmas cards.

 

Was one of the original disciples a woman named Mary (presumably Mary Magdalene)? Of course not. Why was this made a part of the story? I can only assume it was a matter of political correctness. This is not a way to do any kind of scholarly study of the Scriptures. Changing the story for PC purposes is not acceptable.

 

One event which clearly establishes the manhood of Jesus is what is called “the cleansing of the temple.” In the film, He turned over a few tables, but in reality, He made a whip, drove the moneychangers out of the temple, poured out their money, overturned their tables, and generally took charge of the whole corrupt situation. Perhaps this too was a little too much for the politically correct mind of the twenty-first century. I believe that Jesus was a tough guy. Portraying Him as less than that proves nothing.

 

Just as the cleansing of the temple was portrayed incorrectly, so was the feeding of the 5,000. The Scripture makes it very clear that the whole process was quite well organized. The film made it look like pandemonium. Is that important? Maybe. Maybe not. But why picture it in an inaccurate manner?

 

It is not made clear that Peter was not, in fact, the “rock” on which the church was built. Peter was a small pebble. The Lord Jesus Christ is a giant boulder. The church was built on the rock, not on the pebble.

 

During the second half of the film, there was far too much face time on screen for Mary, the mother of Jesus. I can only conclude that this was to appease those who would make it about Mary rather than about Jesus. Some exalt Mary to a position that she herself would never think to hold.

 

It is interesting that Judas was portrayed as some sort of victim who was coerced into betraying Christ. This seems like another attempt to minimize the whole sin issue. Judas was an evil man, a thief, a vile traitor, and a pretender. He was never really a true believer. He faked it, and Jesus knew it. He is called “The Son of Perdition.” Judas was not the poor, innocent, misunderstood individual the film shows.

 

Jesus looked surprised that Judas was going to betray Him. The truth is that Jesus never has been nor will He ever be surprised by anything. Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him, and He knew Judas was not a true believer.

 

When Jesus was praying, He said, “Spare me!” This is a bit much. What He actually said was, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will (Matthew 26:39, NKJV). This Scripture shows a willingness to submit to the will of His Father. The film shows Him begging to be let off, as if He were trying to escape the cross. He never tried to escape the cross, as shown in John 12:27, where He said, Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour”? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

 

If I were to watch “Son of God” again, I’m sure there are many more things that would catch my eye and my ears. However, I believe I observed enough to write this somewhat mixed review of the film.

 

Could this film be used as evangelistic tool? Absolutely… if an unbeliever whose mind is being opened to truth were to attend the movie with a believer who is ready to explain the truth, the film could be a very valuable tool in presenting the gospel. However, we can only hope that there is not a flurry of activity with study guides, etc. using “Son of God” as the basis for Bible study in churches and Christian schools. Such sometimes tends to be the case, and it is always detrimental to replace the Scriptures with other things. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God  (Romans 10:17, NKJV).

 

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There are a number of reviews of “Son of God” online, both positive and negative. My review of “Noah” is found here.