Confession Too Late?

 Will You Confess Too Late?

Confession is the acknowledgement of some­thing we need to show in our lives. Christianity (the point of salvation) begins by confessing (freely acknowledging through personal faith) Jesus for whom He is (Matt. 10:32-33). Great men and women always confess. Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). The gospel of John records five confessions:

confession

Confession of Our Faith is Not Always Easy.

  • Nathanael confessed, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (1:49).
  • The Samaritan woman confessed, “[I]s not this the Christ?” (4:29).
  • Peter again confessed, “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (6:69).
  • Martha confessed, “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” (11:27).
  • Thomas confessed, “My Lord and my God,” only after his doubts were erased (20:28).

Consequently, confession is repeated in scripture as necessary for our salvation (Rom. 10:9-10; 1 John 2:23; 4:2-3, 15; 2 John 1:7). Yet, confessing our faith is not always easy. Even after Peter confessed Jesus twice, he later denied Jesus when the situation was different. John the Immerser confessed Jesus even in the face of the Pharisees (John 1:15-18, 29; cf. Matt. 3:7ff). Eventually, the Pharisees agreed to cast out any Jew caught confessing Jesus (John 9:22; 12:42-43).

However, confession is not only important to salvation, but it is also important to the daily life of a Christian, because we are to confess our sins. God promised the blessing of forgiveness of sins to His children who will confess them (1 John 1:9). James said, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). Spiritual healing comes by confession. Like the confession of our faith, confession of sins is also difficult. People have a hard time admitting, “I have sinned.” Yet, God requires it to be pleasing to him (1 John 1:8). The confession of the prodigal son is a perfect example by Christ to show the heart of the confessor: “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:18-19). In direct contrast, notice the example of Achan. When Joshua lost the battle with Ai, God told him it was due to sin in the camp. So Joshua gathered the people and began to divide by tribe, family, house­hold and man. Achan had the opportunity to confess during this time, but did not confess his sin until it was too late (Josh. 7:19-21). Many like him will wait until it is too late. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that ever tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).

Thus, according to the apostle John, for erring Christians to remove the guilt of sin and its conse­quences, we must “confess our sins,” which we do before and to the one against whom we commit the sin. Please note that we are not confessing that we are sin­ners or that we have sinned, but we should understand clearly why we are specifically to “confess our sins.” One word of caution is necessary—the Bible says to “confess” them, but does not say to “report” them. In other words, while we are to be honest and sincere with our offenses, God does not want us to blab all the gory details about such to everyone. May we understand the tact and wisdom necessary to distinguish the two!

Therefore, as we see in the Parable of the Prodi­gal Son, forgiveness was the resultant attitude of the Father who replaced the ring of son-ship, the robe of righteousness and the shoes of freedom (Luke 15:22)! When the child departs in sin but returns to the favor of the Father in confession, our Lord makes the reception of the child a very beautiful thing! Will you confess Him too late?

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Holidays

Holidays That Honor Men

“Honor all men . . . .” (1 Peter 2:17)

When I consider holidays that honor men, I naturally think about the birthdays of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.  Come the third weekend in February we’re bombarded with pictures of Abe and George popping out of the television screen urging us to head down to the local used car dealership and buy one of those fixer uppers.  These holidays have been commercialized to the point that they are no longer recognizable or meaningful except to those militant bargain shoppers.

holidays

Should We Celebrate Holidays Honoring Men?

Perhaps more meaningful holidays would include days that honor not just one man, but many, such as Memorial Day, or Veterans Day.  On these occasions the nation pauses to reflect upon the sacrifices made by others so that we can have the liberties we enjoy in our nation.

In more recent years there has been a political push to add additional holidays that honor men such as Martin Luther King Jr., or César Chávez.  The honoring of these men is associated with a specific ethnic group and their work to bring certain liberties and equalities to these groups.  In that regard they are not unlike Memorial Day or Veterans Day in that the protection and expansion of liberty (albeit for a sub-culture) is being recognized.

The Bible doesn’t specifically address the formation and observance of any secular holidays designed to honor men.  However, it does address the subject of civil obedience (Romans 13).  The Bible also talks about living in harmony with the laws and culture of a particular society (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).  So long as those laws or culture do not come into conflict with God’s revealed will, (Acts 5:29) all is well.  It is for these reasons that secular holidays regarding men may be observed by Christians in a secular and non-religious way.

Some may ask, “Were not some of these men sinful?  Don’t we honor their sin when we remember them?”  Of course, only one man ever lived without sin: Jesus (Hebrews 4:15).  If it were the case that we couldn’t honor any men who had sinned, then neither would we be able to honor George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.  Moreover, we would not be able to have birthday parties or funerals as these also are events that honor men.  Nor could we honor the men or women of Memorial or Veterans Day, for all have sinned.

So, just how can we honor these men?  Let’s notice a few ways to do such.  First, we can be thankful to God for the good that these men did.  If anyone ever did any good thing, it was because God was good first.  God is the ultimate source of good (James 1:17) and it is to God that we can be thankful for all good things that men do (1 Timothy 2:1).

Second, we can note the example of good things that these men did and follow that example inasmuch as they are examples of that which is morally worthy of imitation.  This is precisely what the writer of the book of Hebrews urges us to do in looking at the examples of the great men and women of faith in Hebrews 11.  These were men and they sinned!  Obviously the writer isn’t encouraging us to follow their sinful example, but to follow their faithful one.   If the inspired pen can be used to honor the faith of men, then we can honor the good in secular men and follow that example.

Third, we can note the failures of these men and resolve not to imitate those actions in our lives.  Paul would do this very thing in pointing back to the children of Israel in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12.  In verse 11 he writes, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”  When we realize that even “great” men in our own times had failures due to sin, this ought to reinforce in our minds the potential for our falling into sin as well.

The observance of secular holidays that honor men does not inherently involve a sinful situation.  The Bible teaches that we are to respect the culture in which we live so long as there are no conflicts with God’s word.  There is no inherent conflict in the word of God in honoring men.  To the contrary, it is commanded (1 Peter 2:17).  So long as our honoring of these men stays on a secular level and does not involve unholy and unrighteous religious devotions (cf. Revelation 19:10), we do well.  Let us praise God for the good, follow that example, and eschew the evil that men have done.

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Legislating Morality

You Cannot Legislate Morality!

The CEO of a major American corporation was forced to resign after admitting to a sexual affair with a female subordinate (Merle, 2005). The incident triggered the oft’-debated ethical question: “Should one’s personal behavior in moral matters have any bearing on one’s position in public life?” Conventional wisdom now says, “no.” You’ve heard the claims—over and over again ad nauseam: “What a person does on his own time is none of the company’s business.” “Public life and private life are separate issues.” “After all, you cannot legislate morality and personal behavior.” From the president of the United States and the CEO of a large corporation to the public school teacher, Americans in large numbers have swallowed the baseless and ludicrous assertion that personal conduct and moral choices have no bearing on one’s employment position and credibility. Character, integrity, and ethical behavior increasingly have been detached from job performance as people compartmentalize their lives into separate and distinct spheres.

But such ethical schizophrenia is irrational, nonsensical, and destructive to the fabric of society. When a person manifests immorality in one aspect of his life, he demonstrates a character flaw that has become a part of his being. This circumstance must inevitably and naturally permeate a person’s character. If he is willing to lie in his private life, logically his propensity for lying can know no boundaries. The person who becomes comfortable with lying in one area of his life will eventually feel comfortable lying in other areas as well. Once a person sacrifices her integrity by embracing one illicit behavior (e.g., lying), she instantaneously opens herself up to embracing additional illicit behaviors (e.g., stealing, cheating). If a man cannot be trusted with your wife, why would you trust him with your money or your business?

God’s Word is the only reliable guide for human behavior (Psalm 119). In the Bible, God has given rules for the regulation of human behavior. Only He is in a position to establish the parameters of proper behavior. Without law, humans would have no guidance and no framework for assessing their actions. They would be free to conduct themselves in any manner whatsoever. One person may choose to murder while another may choose not to murder. There would be no ultimate difference between those two choices—no objective basis upon which to assign any ethical or moral significance. The person who engages in immoral behavior would be open to being immoral in any and every area of his or her life. Only incidental circumstances would decide when and where the immorality manifested itself. If a CEO would sacrifice his sexual integrity, given the right circumstances, he would be willing to sacrifice his financial integrity as well.

Human civilization is, in fact, grounded and dependent on the fundamental principle that human behavior can and must be regulated. Laws, by definition, regulate human behavior! Why do we have traffic laws? Why do we require people to drive their automobiles on the correct side of the road, stop at red traffic lights, or yield to pedestrians in crosswalks? Weren’t we told that we could not legislate human behavior? Why do we have laws governing the food industry’s handling of food for human consumption? I thought we could not legislate human behavior? Why do we have laws that make murder, stealing, and perjury in court illegal—if human morality cannot be legislated? The fact of the matter is that human behavior can and must be governed. The very fabric and functioning of society depends on it!

Ultimately, morality must be based on the laws of God, with the understanding that one day all humans will stand before the Supreme Judge of the world Who will “render to each one according to his deeds” (Romans 2:6): “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

REFERENCES

Merle, Renae (2005), “Boeing CEO Resigns Over Affair with Subordinate,” Washington Post, Tuesday, March 8, [On-line], URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13173-2005Mar7.html.

Dave Miller – Apologetics Press – http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=1507

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The Gospel of Christ

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ

Romans 1:16-17 provides the theme for this epistle from Paul to the Romans; it has to do with the proclamation of the gospel by Paul in contrast with the misunderstanding of the Jews:

gospel of christ

I am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Rom. 1:16-17)

They thought the Law of Moses without Christ would enable them to have salvation, which is why the Judaizing teachers demanded the Gentiles to undergo circumcision in order to keep the Law of Moses. Nevertheless, Paul taught that those who lived under the Law of Moses by faith that looked forward to the coming of the promised seed of Abraham would lead them to Christ, who would save them, which is what the Law of Moses properly taught and what Paul emphasizes in this epistle. Only with Christ would the Law of Moses lead them to find salvation.

The same thing is true relative to the gospel—the good news concerning the death, burial and resurrection of the Son of God (cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Paul was not ashamed of this gospel, and we are not to be ashamed of this gospel as well. Please examine some reasons why we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

First, we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because of what it is—it is power! There are different types of power. God demonstrated power in creation, for when He spoke, “Let there be light,” there was light (Gen. 1:3). “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Ps. 33:6). God demonstrated power by the miracles He performed. In fact, whenever God performed a miracle, no one could resist it! Yet, the gospel has moral power: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18). It has the power to transform lives! The gospel is powerful because of the relationship Christ has to it (cf. 1 Cor. 2:2; Rom. 8:3-4).

Second, we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because of what it can provide—“unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). This is why Paul wrote to them in this letter.
For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death… There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom. 7:9-10; 8:1)

Third, we are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because of whom it affects. There is no need to be ashamed of the gospel because it is universal (Rom. 3:9). Nevertheless, it is conditional, which is what Paul urges his Roman readers in Romans 9-11. We are to follow and obey the law of faith (Rom. 3:27).

Therefore, because the faith of the Old Testament leads us to the complete faith of the New Testament, wherein is the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17), we do not have to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

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Hearing What We Want to Hear

In a recent conversation the subject came up about how children sometimes hear things.  While many names or words are simply hard for children to pronounce, sometimes the problem lies in the fact that how they say it is how they perceive it.  In a sense, they “ hear what they want to hear. ”

As childhood memories go, when I was about five, I thought the hymn “ Jesus Meek and Gentle” was really “ Jesus Meek and Gentile. ”  (Jesus was a Jew not a Gentile).  Someone else confessed that “Low in the grave He lay… ” was to them “ Low in the gravy lay.”  A third person admitted that they thought “ Let’s have a little talk with Jesus… ” was really “ Let’s have a little chocolate Jesus. ”  The list could go on and on.  While these childhood examples may be comical, it strikes me that children are sometimes the best teachers that adults have.  Think of it: how many grown ups suffer the same problem?  Frequently in the religious world people hear the truth preached or taught, but they somehow miss the point, “ hearing what they want to hear. ”  Paul spoke of such in Acts 28:25-28.  Friends, if you will not “ hear ” the truth, you cannot be saved (Acts 11:14; Heb. 4:2; Rom. 10:17). The choice is yours. “ He who has ears to hear, let him hear! “ (Mk. 4:9).

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