Perseverance of the Saints

There are a number of passages of Scripture that we refer to as "problem passages" or "difficult passages." There is good reason for this. Clearly, the Lord does not spoon-feed everything to us, but He expects us to give the time and effort necessary to come to an understanding of His Word.  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).

One of these passages is Hebrews 5:12-6:12. There has been much controversy and debate over what this passage is really saying, especially 6:4-6.  "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame" (NKJV).

This past Sunday, in the evening service, our pastor preached the most magnificent sermon on this passage that I have ever heard. All I could say was "Amen!" The sermon if found online here. It is not my purpose to try and repeat it all, but I do want to make a few points.

This passage is often used by those who reject "eternal security," "once saved, always saved," or the more accurate "perseverance of the saints" in order to "prove" that a person who is truly born again can lose his or her salvation and be eternally lost. Those who believe salvation is secure and permanent are often confused by Hebrews 6 and prefer to just ignore it and hope it will go away. This is not a good way to handle the Scriptures. It is interesting to note that those who believe salvation can be lost also teach that it can be regained innumerable times:  saved today, lost tomorrow, saved today... and on it goes. This passage of Scripture creates a tremendous problem for those who hold this view, because if it teaches salvation can be lost (which it doesn't), then it also teaches that salvation can never be regained. "For it is impossible...if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance..." They can't have it both ways. Regardless of what anyone thinks the passage is saying, it is obvious that it is NOT saying that salvation can be "on again, off again."

The real key to understanding this passage is found in 6:9-12, "But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (NKJV).

This passage makes it abundantly clear that one who is truly born again will have a changed life and will be diligent and faithful to the end. They will show in their lives "better things... things that accompany salvation." This is not saying we are saved by our works. Such an idea would conflict with many other Scriptures. Rather, it is saying, as the book of James makes so clear, that if we are saved, our works will show it. Hebrews warns us several times to be careful and diligent about our walk with the Lord, because that is the evidence of our salvation. 2 Peter 1:10 says, "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble" (NKJV). 2 Corinthians 13:5 reminds us to "examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith" (NKJV).

Many people find themselves in positions of great spiritual privilege. They grow up in a Christian home, attend a Bible-believing church, go to Sunday school, Awana Club, and perhaps even attend a Christian school. They make a profession of faith in Christ, but then they walk away from that faith at some point, usually shortly after graduation from high school. Such individuals cannot rely on a "decision" they made or a prayer they prayed as a child. Those things are not evidence of salvation. A Bible example of such a person is Judas Iscariot. He walked with Jesus, was taught by Him, and no doubt preached and did everything the rest of the twelve did. What greater privilege could anyone have? Yet he turned His back on the truth, finally and completely rejected Christ, and betrayed the Lord.

This Hebrews 6 passage concerning "falling away" becomes clear when read in the context of the entire passage and also of the whole of Scripture instead of being used as proof for a preconceived doctrine or as a way to balance off the Scriptures that clearly teach the eternal nature of true salvation. Scripture complements itself. It never contradicts itself. The important thing is to study it carefully, diligently, and prayerfully.

No Stinking Gimmicks

Our pastor recently preached a sermon entitled "The First Deacons." One of the many things I really appreciate about him is his continued emphasis on the priority of the Word of God. He has a practical, down-to-earth, extremely Biblical approach to preaching. His sermon emphasized the necessity of appointing those first deacons in order to insure that the apostles had ample time to dedicate to the Word of God and to prayer.

Everything we do as believers needs to be based on the Scriptures. Human effort falls so far short when compared to what we find in His Word. At one point, he addressed the many human inventions, and as he called them, "stinking gimmicks," that are so often used in an effort to bring people in to the church. If we are not careful, we can forget the truth of the statement that "what we win them with is what we will win them to." I once had a pastor remind me that the only healthy way for a church to grow is through the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. To that, I can only say a hearty "amen."

Here are some direct quotes from the sermon:

"We're filled with so many stinking gimmicks ... they're all around us, these stinking gimmicks."

"Almost anywhere and everywhere we find stinking gimmicks to try and draw people in. They are everywhere ... trying to be relevant..."

"These people (the early Christians) didn't have any stinking gimmicks. They prayed and ministered the Word."

What more can I add to that?

You can hear the entire sermon at the following web address:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=72312164078

Penn State and Aurora: The Reality of Sin

Two events have certainly been in the news in recent days. Both of them underscore an important Bible doctrine, yet in both cases, the truth is basically ignored by the media and others who offer opinions on the question of "Why?"

The first incident is the Penn State child abuse situation. I refuse to take a position on Coach Joe Paterno's involvement and responsibility. His defenders suggest he did everything he could have and should have done. Others want him crucified posthumously. I wasn't there. I don't know. It is hard to know who to believe, because almost everyone has an agenda. I believe it is unwise to take a strong position on either side of such an issue without really knowing what did and did not occur. Too many in the media are so quick to offer opinions that later turn out to be dead wrong. However, Joe Paterno's guilt or innocence in the matter is not really my point. 

Quite telling is the fact that those who hold the latter position quite obviously believe that evil actions overwhelm a lifetime of positive accomplishment. Theologically, it would be difficult to disagree with that. Sin corrupts and destroys. However, many would believe that we mere humans have a right to vilify someone based on our assumption that what we believe he or she did was wrong, but they somehow deny that God has the same right. "God wouldn't judge me. After all - if my good outweighs my bad, He will let me into heaven. He will be fair." So while many people think God must be held to some kind of manmade standard of fairness, it is totally OK to judge our fellow men based on a manmade standard of justice.

The foolish assumption that our "good" can outweigh our "bad" is a denial of the nature of sin in comparison to the righteousness of God. God is holy and perfect in righteousness. Any sin is an offense against God, the holy and righteous One. One sin is enough to condemn a person, because we fall short of His perfect standard. "... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NKJV). "...The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4, NKJV). All humans stand guilty before God. "...that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19, NKJV).

This assumption is also a denial of our need for a Savior. God, because of His love and by His mercy and grace, has provided salvation for all who come to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead provide the perfect solution for the dastardly problem of sin. So when someone chooses to villify Joe Paterno, whom they assume to be guilty, they have a small glimpse into God's view of sinful man, whom He knows to be guilty. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NKJV).

The second incident, which for a time has taken attention away from the first, is the horrific and dastardly shooting of 70 (12 dead, 58 wounded) people in a theater in Aurora, Colorado. There were immediate questions about why this happened, but little, if anything, was said in the media about the sin nature that is at the root of all such actions. President Obama announced that this was "not a time for politics," but that did not stop the media and politicians from politicizing the situation. It was suggested that the shooter was a member of the "Tea Party," yet it turned out that the tea party member with the same name as the shooter was more than double his age.

Others tried to somehow connect the shooting to Rush Limbaugh. Whatever someone thinks of Rush Limbaugh, this accusation is just as absurd as blaming the shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin because she had used the word "target" in various campaign ads. How about blaming the individual who pulled the trigger? Individual human beings (sinners) commit sins. Everyone is responsible for his or her own actions.

Still others, in a very predictable manner, started in with the same old "gun control" arguments that always surface when an incident such as this occurs. Never mind that in 1990 in a New York nightclub, the mass murder of 87 people was committed with a container of gasoline and a couple of matches. By the arguments made by the gun control people, mass murders could be prevented by outlawing gasoline and matches. This is obviously absurd, as is the same argument when made about guns, because it again ignores the basic nature of man. Man is sinful, and the sin issue must be dealt with. No amount of pretending that man is basically good can change or cover up the evil in the world.

Only God can deal with sin, and He has done so through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "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). "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12, NKJV).

Happy Father's Day

Three years ago, I wrote a brief tribute to my dad for Father's Day. It turned out to be the last Father's Day he would spend on this earth. My tribute to my dad, a real American hero, is found here.

Whales and Butterflies!

by My Anonymous Friend

Seems like the past month or so has been one huge adventure after another for us. This past week my sister, brother, and sister-in-law joined us for several days in Victoria, BC's capital city on Vancouver Island. While there we enjoyed the incredible beauty of mountains, ocean, flowers, and forests. In addition, we toured a butterfly garden and enjoyed a whale watching expedition. Hence the title and the pictures above.

I could not help but marvel at the beauty of God's creation. So today my wish is to share just a few details of what I firmly believe is the work of God. I simply do not have the faith to believe that somehow a big bang at some point in history, followed by years and years of evolution, could produce the intricacies and fascinating composition of what we observed. Let me start with butterflies.

In our visit to the butterfly place we were bombarded with facts and details about these amazing creatures. I will share just a few.

1. Butterfly eggs are laid on leaves attached by a glue so powerful that science has yet to understand it all together. The egg stage may last only a few weeks but in some cases eggs are dormant over winter and hatch in spring. In other instances eggs can remain dormant for several years without hatching until weather or moisture conditions are favorable. What man-made creation can lie around for several years without at least some deterioration?

2. Butterfly wings fascinate me. In the larva stage the little wing discs are very small and a trachea forms a sort of wing vein. Initially the wings are very flexible but within just minutes they harden dramatically and are powerfully attached to the body of what will momentarily become a fully developed butterfly. The garden we visited provided microscopes so visitors could examine the intricate wings more closely.

3. Life span. Butterflies may live only a few days although some species live as long as a year. Thus the cycle of life and death is endlessly repeated.

I could go on and on, but I am not a lepidopterist (person who studies butterflies) and few who read this are either. My intent is simply to give a sampler of how intricately and fascinatingly nature has been created.

Now let me quickly move to whales. What a contrast!

There are various types of whales of course, and the ones we viewed are known as Orcas or killer whales. I was impressed that our guide seemed to know the names of the several families or pods of whales that inhabit the area between the state of Washington and Vancouver Island. He even seemed to recognize specific whales by their antics and swimming patterns. Apparently there are resident whales as well as transient pods of whales. Our first sighting of a whale was when a dorsal fin (over 6 feet in length) broke the surface of the water. Sometimes that is all we saw while at other times the whales rose up out of the water revealing their giant black and white bodies. The whales we saw were about 20 feet in length and our guide compared them in weight to a school bus. Imagine such a vehicle rising from the water and then crashing back into the ocean again. What a picture! These whales are among the fastest marine mammals, reaching speeds up to 55 kph (30-35 mph). The pods we followed cruised along at a more leisurely pace. Baby whales weigh up to 400 lbs at birth, and adult whales eat about 300 poinds of food (mostly salmon) per day.

I came away from these wonderful experineces basking in the pleasure that I am personally related to the God Who designed all these marvellous creations. What a great God! My intent in sharing all this today is to encourage you also to look about you and realize how amazingly beautiful and intricate the world around us is.

An Encouragement for Mothers

by My Anonymous Friend

Hello to you this week, and Happy Mother's Day to all mothers!

I spent the entire day yesterday at a pregnancy center board of director's retreat. The mission of this center is to encourage life affirming choices through education and pregnancy resources. One of the workers at the center talked about her work with those who in the past have opted for an abortion and are finding difficulty now dealing with that decision. It was a very touching account. For women like this, today is a miserable day. It is also a difficult day for women who are not mothers for whatever reason. Our culture is often very insensitive and when mothers are honored, as they should be, especially those who desperately would want to be mothers but are unable to, feel great pain and sorrow. This point is similar to what I wrote last week about widows. When tables are set for 4 or 6, a single person feels very much left out of the picture. Similarly, on Mother's Day, please be sensitive to wonderful women around you who are not yet mothers or who perhaps never will bear a child.

We would not think of Gideon as a role model or as one who might teach us a lesson pertaining to Mother's Day! I would suggest that mothers can learn a helpful lesson from him however. Please hear me out.

Gideon appeared on the scene (Judges 6) at a terrible time in Israel's history. While today Israel fears a nuclear threat from a determined and hostile neighbor, in Gideon's day the threat to Israel was perhaps even worse. A nomadic roving mass of humanity called the Midianites made life miserable for Israelites. They destroyed their crops, killed their livestock, and ravaged the landscape in every way possible. It was so awful that Israelites abandoned their homes and fled to caves and clefts in mountains to live.

After about 7 years of this misery, the Lord appeared to Gideon and informed him that he would be the deliverer of Israel. Gideon was mystified and skeptical. He asked how in the world he could possibly accomplish this considering he really had no credentials as such to lead his fellow Israelites to victory over the Midianites. God's answer was interesting. In one sense we can say that God actually did not answer Gideon. He simply assured him that He would be with him.

To me this is the critical point. Mothers frequently are at their wits end. Their children do not always make wise choices. Mothers feel very deeply the financial pressures that come into a household when there is not enough income. Mothers deal with health issues--- their own, or those of their own parents or children. Mothers worry about many things. They often suffer quietly and, as the mother of Jesus, they "ponder" things.

To mothers we can say confidently,........The Lord is with you!

If you are a skeptic or a cynic you might say, "What good will that do? How will that pay bills? How will that help children to stay away from harmful influences?" My reply would be that it is one thing to face problems alone but quite another to know that there are others who are there to help you face the problems.

Perhaps a simple illustration will help. Many years ago the ministry which I led, was facing a potential law suit. This was totally new territory for me. I was scared. The grieved party was very angry with us, for no valid reason in our opinion. However, after speaking with a lawyer, my spirit was greatly relieved. He spoke with wisdom and experience and great understanding. He suggested an approach which we followed to the letter. There never was a lawsuit and the the grievances were satisfied. Even better, relationships were restored. I can clearly recall the feeling of comfort and hope that I experienced simply by being in the presence of the lawyer who advised us. I was no longer alone in this battle.

I have never been a mother and obviously never will be one. Somehow, I hope that my attempt to write about the comforting presence of the Lord in our lives will serve to encourage and lighten the burden of mothers as well as others who read this. Happy Mother's Day! Do not ever forget---- the Lord is with you!

All Creation Demonstrates the Existence, Power, and Glory of the Creator

Recently, I spent a day at Sea World in San Diego with my wife, my brother-in-law, and my sister-in-law. Many things about the day were quite impressive. It is amazing how those involved with training the whales, dolphins, seals, etc. are able to get the animals to do the different tricks. I was pleased that at one of the shows, our military and veterans were honored. Many things about the day were very pleasant and enjoyable.

Of course, there is a mindset at any of the animal venues that borders on extreme environmentalism and animal rights. “Go green.” “Save the whales.” “Limit your energy footprint so the polar bears can survive.” You name it.

While we ought to take care of the resources God has given us to use, when this philosophy is taken to the extreme, we come up with “the greatest legacy we can leave our children is a green planet.” All of this ignores the reality that we live in a sin-cursed world that will never be right until our Savior returns and makes it right. No matter what we do, we cannot leave a pristine, perfect planet for our children and grandchildren, and even if we could, that is not the most important thing by any means. Priorities are far from what they should be today. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36).

I knew it would not be long before we came across some evolution nonsense. Sure enough, at the shark exhibit there was a sign that said, “We know that sharks have existed for 400 million years.” I beg to differ. The word “know” should obviously be replaced by the word “think” or “believe.” One cannot “know” that which is not true. I cannot "know" that The Cisco Kid wrote the Declaration of Independence or that Laurel and Hardy play for the Oakland Raiders, no matter how foolishly I might think or believe such things, since they simply are not true. The sign went on to say that “sharks, unlike other animals, have remained unchanged during that time.” So what the sign actually means is that the earth is millions of years old and that evolution is true.

I never cease to be amazed that people who work with the wonders of God’s creation can be so blind to the reality of the Creator. It would seem they have less excuse than others for believing in the power of evolution by natural selection to produce all the varieties of life we see in this world. Watching the whales and other sea animals speaks so clearly to the existence and power of the great Creator of all things.

So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind… (Genesis 1:21, NKJV).

…since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse ... Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things ... who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:20-25, NKJV).