Faithfulness and Apostasy

The road between faithfulness and apostasy is rarely direct. It’s not as though we walk in the light of God’s Word (1 John 1) for years and suddenly make a wrong turn and find ourselves lost in sin. Rather, in almost every case it’s the slight deviations from God’s prescribed path that end up putting us back on the broad road that leads to destruction. Consider Joshua 24. In this familiar chapter we see Joshua challenging the families to make a choice for themselves as to whom they would serve, whether the God who had delivered them countless times or the gods of the Egyptians or Canaanites. Joshua boldly proclaimed that he and his house would serve the Lord, and the people of Israel responded by saying that they would be right there with him, grounding their families in the law they had been given. So, everything was happily ever after and the people followed God for many years to come, right?

Although Joshua’s narrative ends there, Israel’s story is picked up in the same place at the beginning of Judges. Judges 2:7-10 tells us that Israel was faithful while Joshua was alive, but once that generation died out the next generation came along with no regard for God. The text immediately shows that they began worshiping the idols that their parents and Joshua had vowed to never serve. Those who had committed to training their families to serve the Lord had lost everything within one generation. But, as always, it didn’t just happen in the course of one day. Faithfulness doesn’t turn into apostasy on accident.

Backing up a few verses, we can start reading in Judges 1:27 about how the Israelites had gone into the land, conquered many cities, and then got comfortable. Instead of obeying God’s command to drive out all of the people in the land along with their idols, the Israelites allowed them to stay. One step is all it takes to find yourself on the road to apostasy. The idolaters lived, they kept practicing their idolatry, and they influenced the children of Israel to turn from God once their parents died. Those families could stand and claim their allegiance to God and their intentions to serve Him within their households, but God prescribed a course of discipleship (Deuteronomy 6) and if they didn’t follow it every day, their words would prove hollow and useless. Think of the messages they sent their children when they said they would follow God but ignored His command to remove all of the people from Canaan. They showed that God’s commands weren’t all that important. They showed that comfort was more important than obedience. They showed that they could pick and choose what they would follow. The messages were loud and clear, and their children followed suit.

That road between faithfulness and apostasy isn’t direct, but it is well mapped out for us. Looking at examples such as the Israelites, we can see the messages that our “little” compromises send. So, we have to ask ourselves, “What messages am I sending?” when we let our children choose sports or school over worship, class or personal Bible study time, or when we teach what the Bible says about loving people but constantly gossip, rip them, and ignore the parts about doing for others, or when we attend church on Sunday and sit through something like the Grammys, filled with immodesty and homosexuality… and the list goes on. It all starts with compromise. You’re either moving towards faithfulness or away from it. You’re either leading your family to strive to walk in the Light, or you’re showing them that it’s ok to make some compromises sometimes. Which road will you choose?

 

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What is this Body?

We have all heard the old saying, “You are what you eat.” To a certain degree this is true – if you eat food that is high in fat, unless you exercise, you will become overweight – you will become fat. Dieticians have known this fact for many years. Physically, you are what you eat. However, the Bible teaches that the physical body is not who we truly are. Peter makes this  crystal clear in 2 Peter 1:13-14 “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.” Peter understood that the earthly “tabernacle” – his body – was but a temporary shelter for his eternal spirit.

We are essentially spiritual beings, created in the image of God – in His likeness. (Genesis 1:26-27). Since God is a spirit (John 4:24), and Spirit has no physical appearance, then how are we created in His likeness? We are in His likeness because we have a spirit created within us (Genesis 2:7), a spirit that will exist into eternity with God or separated from God. (Matthew 25:46). Since our spirit is eternal in its endurance and God is the Eternal Spirit that created us, we are like Him in that regard.

Therefore, spiritually speaking, what we eat or how we eat it has little to do with who we truly are. Jesus affirms this in Mark 7:15, “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”

So then, if our physical body and the things we put in it do not define who we truly are, then what does? The wise king Solomon said, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7) Solomon says it is our thoughts that define who we truly are. The thoughts and intents of the heart, the things we think about when we are alone with our thoughts are more indicative of who we truly are than is the things that we do and say publicly. If we think about nothing but what food we eat – then we truly are what we eat. If our thoughts are constantly upon worldly matters then we are worldly. If our thoughts are constantly upon spiritual matters then we are spiritual. Romans 8:5 make this obvious, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” In the next verse, Paul tells us the result of being carnally minded, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6).

The Bible commands us to be spiritually minded. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2). It should be our desire to become spiritually minded – but how do we go about it? By warring a spiritual warfare, using our spiritual weapon – the Spirit’s sword (Ephesians 6:17), “…to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:3-5) Do you want to be spiritually minded? Do you want life and peace? “Seek the things that are above” by seeking “first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) How do we bring “into captivity every thought to the captivity of Christ”? Put “self” to death – “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset” you. (Hebrews 12:1). Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Become so involved in the Lord’s work that it absorbs you to the point that it dominates your being and requires all your heart and mind to focus on it.

When in everything we do, we seek to please God, it will require us to think about and study about what pleases Him. It will cause us to focus our minds upon the spiritual and waste less time with thoughts about worldly matters and other things that distract us spiritually.

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Attitude about Fellowship

Having the Right Attitude Regarding Fellowship

There are two extremes being played out in the brotherhood today.  On the one hand, you have individuals who have almost completely abandoned any meaningful concept of doctrine.   These accept any and every doctrine that men may teach including: the use of instruments in worship, divorce and remarriage for any cause, salvation based upon faith or grace only, compromises in church organization, acceptance of Mosaic law as binding on Gentiles, compromises respecting moral issues, etc.  The extreme of allowing any and every doctrine and practice to enter the church and be accepted as legitimate, Jesus calls “lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23).  The apostle John sets forth this thought as the defining characteristic of sin (1 John 3:4) taught and practiced by early libertine Gnostics.  This attitude is wrong and sinful and we ought to oppose it with every fiber of our being.

On the other hand, you have individuals who have almost completely abandoned any meaningful concept of love.  These seek to purge the church of all elements which display weakness, ignorance, frailties, and foolishness/stupidity.  These have forgotten that Christ died for an imperfect people whom he desperately loves and for whom he was willing to sacrifice all that they might be saved (Ephesians 5:25).[1] Yes, it was and is His desire to perfect the church.  However, that perfecting process involves patience, longsuffering, forbearance, and love.  That process recognizes that individuals and churches need to grow and mature in Christ (2 Peter 3:18) and that no one person, other than the Lord, has so lived as to claim perfect maturity.

In that regard, we ought to realize the beautiful reality that is the church as the bride of Christ.  Let us consider our own marriages.  Do we constantly berate and criticize our spouses when they make mistakes or commit errors?  I hope that is not our common practice; that would make for a miserable marriage indeed.  Moreover, when our spouses make such mistakes, do we immediately threaten with the dissolution of the marriage?  Of course not, we give time and opportunity for them to consider the situation and make correction or perhaps, consider ourselves whether our expectations are unfair or our criticisms too harsh.  And when we do consider dissolution of marriage it is only for the gravest of offenses and those conducted by an impenitent heart (Matthew 5:32, 19:9).

If we consider that there is any meaning to the relationship set forth by Paul in Ephesians 5:32, that the relationship between Christ and the church is like the marriage relationship, then we ought to consider that it isn’t for just any old reason that Christ would cut off a member of his body, that he would divorce himself from his spouse, the church and her members.  That is not to say that there is no reason to ever do such, but rather, that such an action is so drastic that it is reserved for only those offenses so rank and grave and which are intentionally and knowingly committed.  What compels us not to cut off otherwise?  Is it not the principle of love for our brethren?  Is it not the hope that a soul may so grow and learn so as to adjust behavior and one day be saved?

Having this attitude and knowing the process of Christian growth, we recognize that there are those who are trying to live the Christian life and who fail to do so perfectly (1 John 1:7), but that nevertheless, such individuals ought not to be carelessly subjected to the last and final form of church discipline, namely, the withdrawal of fellowship.  One who is seeking to live faithful and obey the Lord ought to be encouraged to grow and mature instead of being censured for his weaknesses, ignorance, frailties, and sometimes stupidity/foolishness.  Yes, he has a responsibility to learn and repent, but he needs to be allowed to personally work out his own salvation (Philippians 2:12), not as a result of collective pressure placed upon him by external forces; otherwise, there is no growth.  We should note that we are not discussing matters that would compromise the Lord’s worship, organization of the church, or the Lord’s plan of salvation.  Neither are we considering sins done intentionally and knowingly by individuals seeking to undermine the doctrine of Christ (Hebrews 10:26).

In this regard, please consider the wise words of brother Guy N. Woods, who in a sermon titled, “The Security of the Believer” said the following:

. . . we read in first John two and one: “My little children, these things write I unto you that you sin not.”  Observe that this is an admonition against sin – instruction to us to avoid it to the extent of our ability.  But the verse continues, “If any man sin, he has an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”  There our Lord is said to be our advocate and an advocate is a pleader, signifying about the same as our English words lawyer or attorney, the function of which is to plead one’s case.  This represents our Lord as our heavenly lawyer, there arguing our case not, of course, upon our merit, but upon his.  And further, had John here intended to look at the matter as an overall act and as sin continuously, then the verb of the passage would not have been in the aorist tense, but it is in the first John two passage.  And what it says in effect is this.  “I write to admonish you against a life of sin, but in the event (and I would insert parenthetically that this is not to be intent[ional] or by premeditation, but growing out of ignorance or weakness or stupidity) if one sins he has an advocate.”  And “sins” there suggest a single act.  And so what is said here is, that in the event of such for the faithful Christian, then there is the advocate provided.[2]

Take a look with me please at what I regard as the single most wonderful thing for the Christian taught in the Bible.  In first John chapter one verse seven, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin.” . . .  Walking in the Bible is a very common figure for Christianity and a very fitting one because walking suggests an unwearied approach to a goal.  And that is exactly what Christianity is; it is a walk from earth to heaven and the goal is eternal life, but that walk is circumscribed, it’s not anywhere, everywhere; it is in the light.  Light is a synonym for truth as its opposite darkness symbolizes error.  Hence to walk in the light is to live by the truth, of course, the truth of God’s word.  For those who so do, the blood cleanses.[3]

Number one, that teaches us that the faithful child of God is not condemned.  Did you observe that I said, “Faithful child of God?”  You are not to understand these remarks to apply to apostates.  You are not to understand me to be talking about one who deliberately pursues a course of sin.  I am not.  I am talking about people just like us who want to go to heaven, who are trying to go to heaven, but who because of our weaknesses and frailties, imperfections, our ignorance and often times our stupidity, we make mistakes.  What is our first proposition?  The faithful child of God is not condemned.[4]

So what John says here is that those who walk not after the flesh, which means a carnal fleshly ungodly existence, but who [are] guided and directed with the Spirit, these are those who have the assurance of the passage.  What’s the similarity between Paul’s condition and John’s?  What was Paul’s condition?  “Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  What was John’s condition?  “Who walk in the light as Christ is in the light.”  What do those statements mean? Exactly the same.  One is a commentary on the other.  And both of them mean to live as best you can by his word.  What results for those who thus do?  The blood cleanses.  If we walk in the light the blood cleanses.  If we keep on walking in the light, the blood keeps on cleansing.[5]

If the Lord can be patient, forbear, and have love for us enough so that even when we sin, albeit through weakness, frailty, ignorance, foolishness/stupidity, his blood continues to cleanse us of our sins and he continues to be our advocate before the presence of the Father, then may we not maintain such an attitude toward our brethren and maintain fellowship with them?

We must not compromise doctrine.  However, at the same time, we must be patient, loving, kind, considerate, forbearing, merciful, and tender when it comes to the practice of that doctrine.  In so doing, we may extend fellowship to those who have committed sin unintentionally, through ignorance, as a result of weakness, due to frailties, or even on account of foolishness or stupidity with the knowledge that our Lord covers such sins through His blood (1 John 1:7), provided that that individual is not seeking to abandon the truth and walk in rank darkness.  May God help us to exercise compassionate judgment when dealing with our brethren for with such standard we judge, we shall be judged (Matthew 7:2).

[1] Warren, Thomas B., Marriage is for Those Who Love God – And One Another (Warren Publications: Fort Worth, 1962) p.73.

[2] Woods, Guy N. “The Security of the Believer.”  Available online at: http://www.wsoj.net/librarymGNWa.htm.  Note, due to considerations of space, the entire sermon cannot be reproduced here.  We encourage the reader to listen to the entire lesson as presented by brother Woods.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

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The Heart

Can You Locate Your Heart?

Everybody knows that their heart is on the left side of the body, for when the National Anthem is heard, our hand is placed over the heart as a sign of devotion to this land. It is likely that few have heard of dextrocardia situs inversus, but about one person in 10,000 suffers from this medical situation where the heart is located in the right side of the body. It is not often fatal to have the heart located in the wrong place, but there is another fatal condition called spiritualitus cardia situs inversus. Having the spiritual heart in the wrong place is always fatal.

The Bible uses the word “heart” 837 times and almost never uses it to refer to the muscle which pumps our blood. It uses the word to refer to our inner being, our souls and our emotions. Who has not heard of the greatest commandment, to love the Lord with all our heart?  Our love is tied to our hearts.

Jesus indicated this when He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). The context in which He said this is preceded by two commands:
(1)  Do NOT lay up treasures for yourself on earth.
(2)  Do lay up treasures for yourself in heaven.

Notice how vividly the Lord described the two options where our treasures, and therefore, our hearts, will be focused. Far too many are so focused on physical matters that their hearts are not heaven centered. There is no middle ground, for the verses that follow show that it is impossible for one to serve God and riches (mammon).

Now all of this is tied to the heart. Those in the world, and sadly many Christians, have their hearts located in the wrong place. There is no way anyone can live focused on the physical pleasures which money enables and stay focused on spiritual matters. Why? Because “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

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Time Passes Swiftly

In the world in which we live; the passing of time comes very fast. I speak of the relative short time that we are here upon this earth. As the time passes we grow from infant to adult without giving much thought to the fact; four sojourns here is very short in the scheme of things; the Bible addresses this concept in …

James 4:14 – Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Hebrews 2:1-3 – 1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; KJV

1 Peter 1:17 – And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: KJV

Yes; time does pass very fast; I have been blessed to have lived upon this earth  77+ years, I have seen the good and the bad of life as I have lived most of my life for God and His precious word as a gospel preacher. In all that time I have come to understand that the shortness of human life is nor really so short; perhaps we consider that life here in the world is short compared to eternity. If that is why many people are neglecting in their lives regarding God’s Will for their life; far to many are lingering in the garden of SIN without serious consideration of the eventual outcome if they should suddenly be called away from this earth to lay in the earth until the final trumpet of God sounds {cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God : and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. KJV}

God is patient with us and often allows some of us to live to a full and fruitful life in His Service; yet; others do not linger here very long due to illness, crime, or other worldly malady. To such ones I seriously encourage you to consider your life and even greater consider your death. Someday. Indeed; we will someday pass away from this present world  to be laid in the earth. One of the serious flaws in the reasoning of many people is the lack of consideration for their eternal soul’s finally abode. Perhaps you have not considered your soul’s eternal home, therefore let me give you some Bible information about that eternal soul that you possess. In the first place your soul is an eternal part of you even while you live in the body of clay {cf. Genesis 2:7 – And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. KJV

Matthew 16:24-26 – 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul KJV

Romans 2:9-13 – 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. KJV

CONSIDER THIS FACT:

Jesus Christ came to earth to make it possible for you to be forgiven of sins committed here in this world – John 7:16-18 – 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. KJV

John 7:28-29 – 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. 29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. KJV

1 Peter 1:11-19 – 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: KJV

Since you know that your life here will end someday; don’t you think it is time for you to seriously consider this fact and look to God and follow His Book {i.e. the BIBLE}.

Consider this passage :

John 8:32-36 – 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. KJV

Indeed; we all have a desire to please God {or we ought to have that desire; therefore we must search God’s Holy Word {i.e. the Bible}; which will guide us to learn, believe, and obey the Lord in order that we might be made free from sin.

Because all have sinned; Romans 3:22-24 – 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: KJV

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