Act like Men

It’s Time to Behave like Men

At an alarming rate, our congregations are changing. They are becoming older, emptier, or filled with innovation. Where are the men to stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30)? Some people are calling out warnings (Ezekiel 33), but we need men to lead and engage the Christians.

me stand up grab the word share it lead

Men, stand up! Grab the Word. Share it! Lead!

So many congregations are sheep without shepherds. They have no leadership. They have no elders. They have no direction. They have no discipline. Those who could be qualified don’t want to step up. They do not want the responsibility of guiding the souls around them. Running the church by men’s meeting seems to be the appropriate scapegoat for responsibility. God did not intend for unqualified people to guide His Church (I Tim 3, Titus 1). They run like Jonah, make excuses like Moses, or hide like Elijah when it comes time to show their faith by their works (James 2:20). They could be great with God on their side, but they choose timidity.

Where are the men? Where are the men of God who are sculpting their entire lives so they can be qualified to say, “Here Am I Send Me!” (Isaiah 6:8)? When the Church is afraid, discouraged, feeling alone, Godly men show courage! They lead! Maintaining discipline, the Word of God is followed. Righteous men are the first to be out evangelizing. They show others how it is done, enacting the Word of God (Joshua 1:6). They rely on God as David did leading the people of God to victory (I Samuel 17). When they trust in God, the ranks swell. When men who should be leaders behave as feeble women, the congregations sputter and die. Drop the excuses of: “People are too busy today”, “this is just a difficult town”, “we tried that before”, or “folks just aren’t friendly” – Faithful men such as Stephen (Acts 7/8) or Paul (2 Corinthians 11) likely have little sympathy for such excuses.

What fear is grappling so many elderships and Christian men today that stops them from doing the work of the Lord? Have they bought a field, oxen, or taken a wife (Luke 14:16-24)? Why are they staying behind when it is the time to go to war (2 Samuel 11)? It seems they prefer administration and talking of great things, rather than humbly, yet boldly working in their communities sharing the Word of God. Their fear breeds fear among all the Christians. Their laziness breeds generations of slothfulness. “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40). There is a time for rest, but now is not that time!

As the Lord, told Job, “Gird up now thy loins like a man” (Job 38:3, 40:7). God has called Christians to be soldiers, to put on his armor (Eph. 6). Yet, the only battles many see are gossip and backbiting within the Church. It’s time for the gray haired to dust off their Bibles and share the knowledge of the ages with the lost. Do something before life is gone. Finish the fight in the glory of service while you still can! Do not hold onto pews in fear and shame any longer. Teach the young men to be shepherds, not sheep. Instruct the world in the compassion and wrath of a righteous God, lest you too become a victim of His wrath.

 1 Corinthians 16:13 – “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

Posted in Travis Main | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Act like Men

Prisoner Dilemma

Prisoner Dilemma

Some years back I had the great opportunity to preach in a prison facility. This blessing extended for about two years. It really enabled me to see and understand a great number of things about those inside and outside of the prison system. I am not a person who is in favor of any frills or extras in the prison system. I guess you can say I am a Sheriff Joe Arpaio fan. If an individual breaks the law, my preference is the punishment seriously deters them from every committing the same mistake. Not only should it deter the transgressor, but those who would ever contemplate committing a crime. For crimes against children and murder, I am in favor of public capital punishment. I say this because I want it understood where I am coming from as this article is written.

one free from their debt will the prisoner repeat

Once free from their debt, will the prisoner repeat?

Every Sunday for the time I and other church members were allowed to preach to the prisoners was time well spent. We were allotted approximately 4 hours with the inmates. The largest portion of this time was spent with the general population in a classroom where we were allowed direct contact. By direct contact, it should be understood there were no guards present or barriers between ourselves and the inmates. For approximately an hour after our visit with the general population, we were able to teach the inmates who were in for violent crimes including murder. The setting was the same as the general population, direct contact with nothing separating us. There were no incidents that ever arose where I felt in danger. The inmates attended each Sunday by their own choice and 99% of them were very respectful as we were to them.

Some of the inmates we dealt with were to be institutionalized for most of their life. One in particular was just beginning a 45 year sentence with no chance of parole. He was still a teenager. He will be an old man when he gets out. For one year, I and another Christian brother taught him Christ. He listened attentively, studied, prayed, and was baptized by us. He understood by the grace of God he did not receive capital punishment, though he deserved it. His blessing by God, as is the case for all those serving life in prison, is his life, a roof over his head, clothes on his back, and meals each day. With access to the Word of God, it was made clear to him that he had great opportunity ahead of him to lead spiritually though in prison. God expects no less (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

The situation for the short term prison inmate is very different. Many are in for a few weeks up to three or four years and then they are out. Though I have not checked statistics to see how much the average prisoner serves, what crimes they committed, or the involvement with alcohol or drugs as related to their crimes, I can comfortably state that the wide majority of inmates I met had problems with alcohol and drugs. Whether addiction or simply under the influence, these men put themselves in illegal situations where they chose not to have complete control of their senses. The time spent in prison presented these men with a situation where they were no longer under the control of these substances. A good percentage of these men expressed realization about the positions they had put themselves in due to the use of substances. They wanted a change in their life. They didn’t want to be the people they were before. Some became Christians and resolved to live their lives like Christ. I wish it could be said that they were able to do so. Typically, following release, a few weeks maybe a month or two would pass before we would see them imprisoned once again.

The scenario of the prisoner who becomes a repeat offender reminds me of a great number of those who clothe themselves in Christ. They come to a realization that they are under the influence of the sin of the world. That sin becomes theirs through foolish choices. The day they put on Christ they declared their resolve. They truly wanted to be like Christ. For the record, I believe most prisoners felt the same way when the put on Christ. It is was not, nor is it my place to judge a man’s conscience. Like the prisoners, many Christians free from their debt of sin, energized in Christ, after a period of time, find themselves to be repeat offenders. They engage in the same sins they embraced before Christ. Why did this happen? What causes the prisoner to return to his crimes, a Christian to return to his sins? What a pitiful situation this is to behold. It is certainly a position which is worse than before (2 Peter 2:22). How they get to this situation is what I call the prisoner’s dilemma and what the remainder of this article will focus on.

Proverbs 1:32 – For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.

The concept of the prisoner’s dilemma is when an individual goes back to where he was and does what he did. Why is this? The prison inmate when released typically must return under a system of parole. A system of parole typically demands the prisoner stay within the boundaries of a certain location i.e. city or location until a specified time is fulfilled. Where do these people live? Well, they will likely return to the home or neighborhood they were in before. Their family and friends are generally aware of their return. They are now marked by their crimes and consequently finding work will be more difficult. Having returned to the environment they left before their “cleansing” in prison, they are often subject to the same temptations as before. Friends, acquaintances, family, will introduce drugs and alcohol back into their lives. Unhealthy communication and living will surround the former inmate. So now he is back where he was, what does he do? He does what he did. He didn’t plan on it. He thought he would be free from it. He thought he would resist it. However, he succumbs. He parties, he does things he shouldn’t thinking no one will know. He may get away with it for awhile, but sooner or later, he finds himself not only out of control, but in trouble with the law again. Back he goes to prison. He is disappointed, ashamed, frustrated, and each time he goes through this scenario he will be less likely to try to change.

The prisoner’s dilemma applies to many Christians as well. At one time, the Christian was under bondage to the sin of the world as all men. As all men he is called to be free (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Those answering the call of Christ were released from bondage (Romans 6:6). However, the Christian while separating himself from the world is still in the world (John 17:11, 16). He must continue on his “parole” unable to leave until his time is fulfilled. Temptations are present. The Lust of the flesh, eye, and pride of life tug at him when given opportunity. Family members and friends tell him it is ok to give in to a little temptation. The Christian is approached with sweet sounding words of falsehood. The Christian has been marked by the goodness of his life in Christ. Much like the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, the world is attracted to the purity and wants to defile it (Genesis 19). If the Christian gives in he finds himself in sin once more. He feels as if he is again part of the world. However, he has the blood of Christ which cleanses him. He simply needs to confess his sins and call upon his savior for forgiveness (I John 1-2:2). However, with continued sin he becomes disappointed, ashamed, frustrated, and like the prison inmate each time he goes through this scenario he will be less likely to try to change.

Jeremiah 2:19 – Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and a bitter, that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

I have been asked before what I think the solution to the prisoner’s dilemma is for those who have been released from prison. What will enable them to stop the cycle? First, I personally believe presenting the prisoner with opportunities to improve his lot in society helps. Second, enabling them to be relocated somewhere separating them from the old crowd and its wicked vices. Finally, make certain they have people surrounding them who they can call on anytime to keep them out of trouble. I believe these steps will greatly help the inmate, but they will still not stop all temptation. Do I see this becoming a reality? Truthfully, I don’t, though I wish it would. It is not only a matter of a societal change, but it would have to be the will of the inmate as well and many think they can do the same old thing with different results.

The backsliding Christian can be free of the prisoner’s dilemma in the same manner as the prison inmate. God has created man for the purpose of walking in good works (Ephesians 2:10). Open doors abound for the Christian if they are seeking for them (Matthew 7:7-8). To separate himself from the old crowd and its wicked devices the Christian must relocate himself. He must dwell in the Word of God. That is, he is no longer to hang out with the sinful people or in the sinful locations he did before. He is to surround himself with his brothers and sisters in Christ. He is to remove sinful influences from his home. The leader of a home has control of this situation. Those who are not the head of the household will have a greater difficulty. They must rely upon being a good example and refuse to take part in the sin. This type of situation makes the final part of being free of the prisoner’s dilemma even more important. The brothers and sisters in Christ must encourage, comfort, and aid whenever and wherever possible (I Thessalonians 5:14). The Christian must always remember they have a savior who will not forsake them. They have a God who will always be faithful to them (I Corinthians 1:9). Will these steps stop all temptation and backsliding? As with the prison inmate, temptation will continue and choices will still reside in the lap of the individual. Yet, God has promised no trial will come that they are not able to withstand (I Corinthians 10:13). He has instructed them to resist the sin (James 4:7).

This is the prisoner’s dilemma. An individual is freed from bondage just to go back to where he was and do what he did. It is tragic and it is sad. God does not wish this for man. He desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He has provided what all men need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Through God’s Word is opportunity, separation from the world, and encouragement. God calls daily for the backslider to return and to be free from the bondage of sin. It is up to the individual to humble himself and call upon God (Matthew 5:3, Romans 10:6-10). If the Christian returns to God, none can stand against (Romans 8:31).

Jeremiah 3:22 – Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.

 

Posted in Travis Main | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Prisoner Dilemma

Romans 4:15 and 5:13?

Would you please explain Romans 4:15 and 5:13?

Romans 4:15 reads as follows: “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Romans 5:13 says, “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Admittedly, these are difficult passages to understand within the Bible. However, I believe that once we look at the context in which these statements are made, we can clear up what it is that Paul is discussing.

the context of pauls writing involves faith

The context of Paul’s writing involves Faith.

First let us go to Romans 4:13. Here is the beginning of the immediate context of this passage. In verse 13 the apostle writes, “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” The discussion in this context is justification by faith. Paul uses Abraham as an example of how one may be justified by faith. Abraham was justified because he had faith in the promise of God. The scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:32). Paul, in continuing his discussion of being justified by faith, states that the promise was not made “through the law” (verse 13). The point that Paul is making in this regard is that the law cannot justify a person from sin. The purpose of law is to bring one to the knowledge of sin according to Romans 3:20. Since the law only brings the knowledge of sin and it cannot justify, then how is one to be justified? The answer is by faith. The promise of justification that was made by God to Abraham was thus by faith and one may be justified in that promise.

Verse 14 in this passage states, “For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.” The two are mutually exclusive of one another. If the law justifies–if the law makes one an heir of salvation–then faith is void and the promise to Abraham is inconsequential. Why? Because the promise was not by law, but by faith.

Verse 15 says, “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” The law can only bring transgression and as a result of transgression, wrath. Law condemns sin, but law offers no justification from sin. The promise to Abraham was not made “of law,” but was made “of faith.” The statement “for where no law is, there is no transgression” is a principle that should be limited to the object under Paul’s consideration, namely, the promise of God to Abraham. Paul does not say there was no law in the day of Abraham or even before that. That is not his point at all. He merely says that where there is no law then there is no transgression. What then is the point? His point is that when God gave the promise to Abraham, that promise was given without law. Hence that promise was made to Abraham upon the condition of faith, not upon the condition of law. Abraham then believed God and was justified. Had Abraham failed to believe God, then he would have failed to be justified. But this would not be because he had transgressed God’s law, but because he would have failed in faith. So Abraham, in putting his faith in God, was justified by faith, not by law.

The statement “for where no law is, there is no transgression,” I take to mean “for where no law is, there is no transgression of law.” This principle, however, is limited to the promise made to Abraham by God and not to the general situation of the day. God did not give the promise based upon law, but based upon faith. God did not fulfill the promise based upon law, but based upon faith. This is not to say that there was absolutely no law in effect at the time and as such there was absolutely no transgression of any law because then we would have to reject the account of the garden of Eden, the flood of Noah, the tower of Babel and all the other places where sin is recorded prior to the coming of the law of Moses.

Now in Romans 5:13 we read, “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” I believe that I have already explained that the statement made in Romans 4:15 does not imply that there was no sin at all in the world and that there was no transgression at all in the world. The statement is limited to the context in which it was made which is in regard to the promise that God gave Abraham. What then do we make of this statement in Romans 5:13? Does this statement imply that there was no law prior to Abraham? Sin was no doubt in the world prior to the law and so was transgression, hence there had to be some kind of law. Paul does not contradict himself here. He says that sin was not accounted until the law came. The point is that there was no law from God to this point that had been codified, that is, placed into written form. God had given laws directly to the Patriarchs and God expected these men to live under these laws, but God had not written the law down. Hence there was no general accounting of sin, transgression by transgression. Under the Mosaic Law there was an accounting and those under that Law had to bring their sacrifices accordingly. Prior to the Mosaic law, the Patriarchs offered sacrifices to God, but not as a result of particular sins–not because God said to them if you do such and such sin then you have to offer such and such sacrifices. The sacrifices of the Patriarchs were offered based upon faith, not law. Hence, there was no accounting of sin in order to get the number of sacrifices that one had to offer right. I am not sure that I understand completely everything that is going on in this context, but that is currently my studied judgment on the matter. Time and further study will, no doubt, help me to refine my thoughts in this regard.

Posted in Kevin Cauley | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Romans 4:15 and 5:13?

Faith & Works

Faith & Works

In my last article, we saw that Grace as a comprehensive Biblical term represents everything God did in providing salvation to mankind.  The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), which means eternal separation from God.  Sin is a violation against God and causes mankind to lose fellowship with Him.  God is absolutely holy and absolutely just and He cannot just overlook sin.  There has to be punishment for sin and that punishment is eternal separation from fellowship with God.  The only way man can regain that fellowship is if he pays the just penalty for that sin.  It doesn’t matter what that sin is, the penalty is the same.  We have all lost our fellowship with God and that cannot be restored unless we pay the penalty in full.

faith works and glorifies god

Faith works and glorifies God!

Thankfully for us, God is rich in grace and mercy and He doesn’t want to see man suffer for all eternity.  He wants man to have a chance to regain that fellowship so He came up with a plan where man can have a hope of being reconciled without having to suffer an eternity of punishment.  God was under no obligation to do this.  There is nothing mankind can do to earn or pay for it, we don’t in any way deserve it. Nothing man did compelled God to do this.   And this means of reconciliation came at great personal expense for God.  Namely the life of His Son as a substitutionary death penalty for us.  God could have washed His hands of mankind and walked away to leave mankind to his fate forever and God would have been perfectly within His right to do so.  He didn’t owe man anything.  Mankind got himself into this predicament all by himself without any help from God.  God was absolutely blameless in all that man did.  God had no obligations towards mankind whatsoever in this entire affair.

But because God loves us so much, He graciously came up with a plan whereby man could be reconciled to Him and escape the death penalty of sin.   Grace can be illustrated as God reaching down from heaven towards sin sick and doomed mankind with an offer of salvation.  His motivation for doing this came entirely out of His love for mankind.  That’s grace.

Faith as a comprehensive Biblical term represents man’s response to God’s gracious offer.   We respond to God’s grace by faith.  Grace alone cannot save us because if it did, then everyone living would automatically have their tickets punched for the ride to heaven no matter how they lived.  We have to respond to God’s gracious offer in order to receive it.   The response we must give is represented in the Bible as faith.  It is by grace that we are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8).

Neither grace nor faith are mutually exclusive, meaning one does not rule or cancel the other one out.  Our salvation is not by grace only because we must have faith.  Salvation cannot be by faith only because we must have grace.   Salvation is made available by grace through faith.  Two roles, two actions, two responses working together.  God responded to our situation with grace.  We respond to God’s offer through faith.  In order for either one of these to be of any benefit to us, we have to have both.

Now when we read on to Ephesians 2:9 we see another point that Paul makes in that context.  “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”   So how do works operate in our faith response?  This is a very important question that needs to be answered because there a vast number of people who believe and teach that faith is really faith only and that no works are necessary.  They support this teaching by saying that works don’t save us.  And within the proper context, they are absolutely right.   Works don’t save us.  The remainder of this lesson is going to examine the role of faith and how it relate to works.

First of all, we need to define what a work is.  A work is any mental or physical act that is intended to produce a result.  The act of making a decision is a work.  Even the mental exercise of believing something is a work.   Believing something requires the intake of information upon which a decision is made.  That is an act which is intended to produce a result.

The Bible even defines faith as a work in 1 Thessalonians 1:3
“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father“.  And again in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power” (KJV).

Faith is a work.  Now for those who believe and teach that Biblical faith means ‘faith only’ and that we are saved by faith without works, this becomes a problem because if we are not saved by works, then we cannot be saved by faith which is defined as a work in scripture.  So then how do we solve this problem?  How can we be saved by faith which is a work, but not be saved by works?   The simple answer to this is that, yes the word of God does teach us that we are not saved by works, but it never says we can be saved without them.  The understanding that not being saved by works and being saved without works is an assumption that is totally foreign to what the word of God actually teaches us about faith and works.

Our understanding of faith and works must come from a comprehensive view of all that was written about them.   Jesus declared in Matthew 7:21 that only the obedient would inherit eternal life.  One cannot be obedient to Jesus without engaging in works.

There are more than one kind of works and more than one way which they are relevant to our salvation.  Not all works are the same and not all of them have the same application in regards to our salvation.  So one must ask, in what way do my works save and in what way do they not save me?

1)  The gift of God’s grace, which is everything He did in order to secure a means and hope of salvation for mankind cannot be bypassed by any work.  God’s grace cannot be taken away from or diminished by any human work.  God’s grace cannot be earned, payed for or deserved by any human work.  In that way, our works cannot save us.  Our works cannot save us by going around God’s grace.

2)  God was under no obligation to provide man a means of salvation.  He would have been perfectly well within His rights to let us die.  The entire plan of redemption for mankind was all set in place before time began  1 Peter 1:20.  Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  No human work can add to or take away from that commitment.  In that way, we are not saved by our works.  Our works cannot save us by going around God’s plan of salvation.

3)  Jesus gave His life for us (Galatians 2:20).  He died the death we deserve (1 John 2:2).  No human work can make that sacrifice unnecessary.  In that way, we are not saved by our works.  Our works can not save us by going around the blood of Christ.

4)  Jesus said in John 14:6, ” I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  No human work can bypass Christ and get us to the Father.  In that way, we are not saved by our works.

5)  We were dead in our sins before we came to Christ (Colossians 2:13).  He purchased us with His own blood (Acts 20:28).  We were purchased with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23).   We are therefore His possession (Eph 1:14).   We were dead, and now we are alive.  The cost was Jesus’ blood.  We belong to God.  He is rightfully entitled to everything we do.  Every work we engage in rightfully belongs to Him.  Our works are not solely ours to decide what to do with. There’s nothing we can do that will buy us back from God.  We have nothing to offer that does not already belong to Him.   In that way, our works cannot save us.

In our last lesson, we looked at the term faith as it was used in many applications in the word of God.  We’re going to go back through a few of those and make some observations as it relates to the subject of works.  Let’s keep in mind as we go through this list that faith is defined as a work in the word of God which we saw earlier in this lesson.

Faith is a Work:
1 Thessalonians 1:3, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father”  And then again in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power…”  The inspired apostle Paul defined faith as a work.

The work of Faith is our Shield:
Ephesians 6:16, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Using our faith as a shield is a work of faith.  We cannot use our faith as a shield and quench the darts of the wicked without engaging in a work.  Using our faith as a shield requires a decision to do so and then the act of doing it.  God does not owe us anything when we do this.  We don’t deserve God’s grace nor can we merit our salvation by making our faith a shield.   We have not bypassed Jesus with this work of faith.  We have not added to nor taken away from God’s grace with this action in any way shape or form.

The work of Faith is both a sacrifice and a service:
Philippians 2:17, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”

Sacrifices are things we have to give up.  Service is something we do for one another and for those outside Christ.  We cannot engage in a faith that sacrifices and serves without doing something.  A faith without sacrifice and service would be a faith that is missing these works.  James wrote in chapter 2 and verse 14, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”  This was a rhetorical question which had the implied answer of ‘NO’.  It is not possible for faith alone to be a sacrifice and a service.   It is not possible for faith to be a sacrifice and a service without works.  The work of Faith therefore includes the work of sacrifice and service.

That being said, this work of faith does not merit us salvation.  It doesn’t pay for it, it cannot add anything to what God has done for us, It cannot save us apart from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  In these ways, our work of faith through sacrifice and service can not save us.

The work of Faith is a Walk:
2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight“.
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Colossians 2:6, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him…”

The work of faith includes a walk.  A walk is a way of life lived.  It is not possible to walk a way of life without engaging in a work.  Our work of faith must include our walk, our way of life.  This work of faith is not meritorious, meaning we don’t deserve eternal life, nor have we earned it.  It cannot get us to heaven apart from Jesus Christ, nor can it make His sacrifice for us unnecessary.  These are ways in which our walk of faith cannot save us.   But this does not mean our walk of faith is not necessary.

James wrote in James 2:17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”   James says that a faith without works is alone and dead.   James made it clear in verse 14 that a faith without the walk will not save us.

The work of Faith is a trial:
1 Peter 1:7, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”

A trial is a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation.   We cannot endure the trial of faith without doing something.  James wrote in chapter 2 and verse 18, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”  We show our faith to others when we endure the trial of our faith and overcome suffering and temptation.

The trial of our faith cannot pay for our salvation.   This work of faith cannot get us a home in heaven apart from God’s grace.    We don’t deserve God’s grace when we work the trial of our faith.  These are ways in which our work of faith cannot save us.  It does not mean that our trial of faith is unnecessary.

The work of Faith is a Fight:
1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses”

Fighting requires defensive and offensive actions.  We have to defend and carry the truth of God’s word to the lost.  One cannot engage in a fight without doing something.  Fighting the good fight of faith requires action.  James wrote in chapter 2 verse19-20, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”  James declared that a faith with no works is a dead faith.  In verse 14 of James 2, He made it clear that faith only would not save.  A dead faith cannot produce a living soul.

Fighting the good fight of faith is a work.  Does this work of faith merit God’s salvation? No…   Will this work of faith make Jesus sacrifice on the cross for our sins unnecessary?  No…  Will this work of faith repay God what it cost Him to offer us salvation?  No way…  These are ways in which our fight of faith cannot save us.  There are things that our works simply cannot do and we need to know this in order to have the proper mindset or attitude about them.

Biblical Faith is a Shield, faith is a sacrifice, faith is a service, faith is a walk, faith is a trial, faith is a fight, therefore faith must be a work.

Works cannot earn or merit us salvation but we can’t be saved without them.  Jesus declared in Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”   Since we cannot get into the kingdom of God without doing His will, then we know we can’t get there without works.

Works cannot compel God to offer man a means of reconciliation but we cannot be reconciled without them.  Paul wrote in Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”  God implemented the plan of redemption all on His own without any help or motivation from us whatsoever.

Works cannot place us in a position where we can boast of our salvation.  Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”   Works can never be used to make us prideful, but we cannot be saved without them.

Works cannot replace Jesus on the cross,  But we can’t be saved without them.

Works cannot bypass Jesus to gain access the Father but we can’t access Him without them.

Works cannot repay what it cost God to save us, but we can’t be saved without them.  1 Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  The price that was paid for us has nothing whatsoever to do with our works.  Works cannot repay that debt but we certainly cannot be saved without them.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:8-9
“…God, Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began”

God’s grace was given to us through Christ Jesus.  That decision was made before time began.  Nothing we can possibly do can change that, add to it or take away from it.  But that does not mean works/obedience to God is not necessary,

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

We cannot obey the gospel without working. Its just not possible.  Those who obey not, or fail to obey, will be punished forever.  Faith without obedience leads to destruction.  Faith without works is dead.

James 2:20-22, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (KJV)

We have looked at lot of things that works cannot do.  Now let’s take a little time and look at some of the things the word of God says works can do.

The work of obeying Jesus makes us wise:  Matthew 7:24
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:”

Failing to obey Jesus makes us foolish:  Matthew 7:26-27
“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

Works of obedience to God demonstrates our love for Him: John 14:23-24
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

Works of disobedience to God demonstrates that we do not love God:  John 14:24
“He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

Those who work righteousness are accepted by God:  Acts 10:35
“But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

Works of obedience makes us servants of righteousness:  Romans 6:16
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Works of righteousness make us righteous  1 John 3:7
“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

Failure to work righteousness results in our not being of God:  1 John 3:10
“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

If we fail to work obedience to God’s commandments and claim we know Him, we are liars with no truth in us:  1 John 2:4
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Those who do work obedience to God’s commandments are in God and also have God perfected within them:  1 John 2:5
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

Those who work obedience have purified their souls:  1 Peter 1:22
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently”

Works of obedience will help us seek for glory and honour and immortality and eternal life:  Romans 2:6-7
“Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life”

Failure to obey will result in condemnation:  Romans 2:8-9
“But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile”

Those who do good will be resurrected to eternal life while those who do evil will be resurrected to condemnation:  John 5:28-29
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

Obedience to Jesus Christ results in Him being the author of our eternal salvation:  Hebrews 5:9
“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him”

Good works result in good things.  Bad works result in bad things.  But one thing we must never forget is that no matter what good we may do in life, our works did not promote God to offer us salvation.  They can not pay for it.  They cannot earn it.   No matter what good we may do we don’t deserve it.  We can’t work our way to heaven without Christ.  We can’t work enough to get around the need for His death on the cross.  Those are things that works can never do and we must always keep that in mind.  We can never work enough to gain an eternal inheritance in heaven apart from God’s grace and our faith.

But on the other side of the coin, we also can’t get to heaven without works either.  If we want to be saved, we are going to have to work for something we can never earn, never pay for, never merit, never deserve and never get apart from God’s grace.

John 6:27
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Posted in David Hersey | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Faith & Works

The Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba

A mysterious woman once came from far away to see King Solomon with her own eyes, and more importantly, hear his wisdom with her own ears. We have no way of knowing from First Kings 10 (and other corresponding passages) who the queen of Sheba was and from whence she came. Scholars believe she reigned over the kingdom of Southern Arabia. Jesus calls her the “queen of the south” (Matt. 12:42). He also said that this woman would condemn those of the generation to which he spoke; He meant she would condemn them by comparison. The reference to her by our Lord indicates that she is an important figure historically; thus, there must be some great lessons that we are able to glean from studying a biography of her life. As a result, let us engage in a profitable character study of this interesting woman.

what did the queen of sheba learn

What did the queen of Sheba learn?

First, she was not content to take second-hand information. She heard about the wisdom of Solomon, but she wanted first-hand knowledge. In this case, what she had heard was true, but as she surmises, “the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard” (1 Kings 10:6-7). Indeed, the things we sometimes hear about others are not true, and we need especially to be careful. Some accept second-hand information about the things that determine one’s eternal destiny. For example, some preacher says the Bible teaches a certain thing, and many people accept his word without investigating for themselves. The soul of man is too precious to risk its salvation on information that may or may not be true (cf. John 8:32). Consider some fatal errors millions have accepted without making a personal investigation to obtain first-hand knowledge.

  • “All good people will be saved” (cf. Eccles. 7:20; Rom. 3:23; 6:23)
  • “It makes no difference what church of which one is a member” (cf. Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4)
  • “The way one worships does not matter, just so long as he is honest and sincere” (cf. John 4:24)
  • “All one must do to be saved is just pray the sinner’s prayer” (cf. Matt. 7:21)
  • “The name we wear in religion is not important” (cf. Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 1:12-13)

Hence, God has made it possible for us to know the truth (John 8:32). The queen of Sheba will rise in judgment and condemn us if we risk our souls on second-hand information. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

Second, she took the necessary time to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Remember that she was the ruler of her country. No doubt, she had important affairs of state to manage. However, she chose wisely to put this matter ahead of even important affairs of state. What of those in our time who think of themselves as being too busy with important matters to take the time for Bible study on Wednesday night? What of those in our time who never have time to study their Bible at home? What of those in our time who do not have time to visit the sick, the lost or the shut-in? The song “Take Time to Be Holy” should urge us to a better life. We usually find the time to do the things we really want to do. Doing the will of God should take precedence over everything else (Matt. 6:33). If we neglect our duty to God because we think we do not have the time, the queen of Sheba will rise in the judgment and condemn us. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

Third, she traveled a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon. As we mentioned before, scholars believe she came from Southern Arabia. If such is true, the distance from her home to Solomon’s was 800-1500 miles, depending on her exact location in Arabia. All we do know for sure is that Jesus said she came “from the uttermost parts of the earth” (Matt. 12:42). She made the journey without any of the modern modes of travel, and so it must have taken weeks. What of those today who will not travel across a county to attend a gospel meeting where one preaches Christ? What of those today who cannot go several miles to attend a lectureship program where outstanding Bible scholars deliver lessons from the word of God? What of those today who do not avail themselves of the opportunity to attend Bible study on Wednesday nights? What of those today who do not regularly attend the services of gospel meetings at their own home congregations? If we neglect opportunities to learn more of the word of the Lord, the queen of Sheba will rise in judgment and condemn us. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

Fourth, she came without an invitation. So far as we know, Solomon did not invite her. Could we imagine traveling that distance and expense to visit a king without an invitation? She did not know for sure that Solomon would receive her, or even that he was himself not gone on a journey and would not be there to receive her. Conversely, Jesus had given all of us invitation after invitation (Matt. 11:28; 24:37; John 5:40; Rev. 22:17). Not only are we invited to come to Christ, but He commands us to hear Him (Matt. 17:5; Acts 3:22-23). Twenty times in the New Testament, the expression occurs, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” or “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” If we do not avail ourselves of the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the word of the Lord, the queen of Sheba will rise in the judgment and condemn us. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

Fifth, she came with an open mind (1 Kings 10:6- 7). She came obviously expecting to see that the reports she had heard were false. However, she examined the matter with an open mind, and changed her mind. She was not too stubborn to change her mind when she learned that she had been wrong. In like manner, we must hear Christ with an open mind. Some in His day refused to be open-minded (Matt. 13:15). The truth of the matter is that prejudice causes many people to remain in ignorance. Prejudice occurs when one draws a conclusion before examining all the facts. It means to pre-judge. Although the queen had formed a false conclusion before having access to all the information, she was honest enough and open-minded enough to change her mind when she saw the truth. If we are not open-minded, the queen of Sheba will rise in the judgment and condemn us. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

Sixth, she put Solomon to the test by asking hard questions (1 Kings 10:1). In other words, she was not gullible, as many people are today when it comes to religious matters. She would accept only that as being true that could stand the test. This is the attitude we must have with reference to religious matters. The apostle Paul penned, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). In other words, put every doctrine and practice to the test, and reject all that will not stand the test. The word of the Lord is the standard by which we are to judge each doctrine and practice (John 12:48; cf. 2 John 1:9-11). The New Testament was given to us “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14). We must examine things in the light of the New Testament. This further shows it makes a difference what we believe and practice in religion. False teachers do not want others to question them about their religious doctrine and practice. Those who teach and practice the truth have nothing to fear from examination (1 Pet. 3:15). If we accept error and refuse to conduct a careful examination, the queen of Sheba will rise in the judgment and condemn us. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

Seventh, she allowed Solomon to answer all her questions and show her all his wisdom (1 Kings 10:3- 4). She was not content with only a part; she wanted to know all she could about Solomon. In other words, she had an inquiring spirit. What of those who are content to know only a part of the will of God? We ought to develop an inquiring spirit that thirsts for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (cf. John 8:32; Heb. 5:12-14; Ps. 119:128). The psalmist stated, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever” (Ps. 119:160). The ASV translates this verse: “The sum of thy word is truth; and every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth forever.” Henceforth, this shows we must take all the truth on every subject. Some accept only a part of the word of God and leave off what they do not like. The queen of Sheba will rise in the judgment and condemn us if we do not learn all we can about the wisdom of Christ. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

Eighth, she gave precious gifts to Solomon (1 Kings 10:10). There is no indication that Solomon required such gifts. She did so of her own free will because of her appreciation of his wisdom. In like manner, we are taught to give to our Lord (1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:7). If we are stingy in our giving, the queen of Sheba will rise in the judgment and condemn us. Remember that Christ is greater than Solomon is!

In conclusion, tradition says that she asked that she might bear a son of Solomon. First Kings 10:13 suggests this might be the case. We would not consider such unusual in that day, considering the fact that Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3). Tradition also says through the influence of the queen, she converted her nation from heathenism and began to worship the true God. This we do know—the dust of the remains of the queen of Sheba lies somewhere awaiting the resurrection day. On that day, she will stand in the judgment with all of us, and by comparison, she will condemn those who failed to appreciate the Lord Jesus Christ. Look how she appreciated Solomon, and “Behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

Posted in Sam Willcut | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Queen of Sheba