John 3: Nicodemus

While this chapter is often referred to as the new birth chapter, there are three different roles Jesus plays here. The first is Jesus Christ the Teacher (3:1-21). Nicodemus had great respect for Jesus (vs. 10) and because of the miracles He did, he wanted to know more about his doctrine and was deeply sincere in his quest for truth. So, he came to Jesus by night because he wanted a quiet uninterrupted conversation with the new Teacher “come from God.”

Well, Jesus began to teach Nicodemus an illustration from birth (vs. 1-7) and shows how being born is a universal experience. But, in vs. 3, the word translated “again” also means “from above” and so, if one expects to go to heaven, they must experience a spiritual birth from above. However, Nicodemus did not understand Jesus and thought about the physical birth. But being a patient teacher, our Lord further explained the new birth, which is to be “born of water” and “the Spirit.” This is what Paul records for us in Rom. 6:3-4 in which he speaks of a “new” life with Christ as the Spirit enters your life (Acts 2:38). Thus, the spiritual birth from above involves being born again into God’s family, having your sins forgiven and forgotten, and have a living hope.

Well, Nicodemus must have had a surprised, yet bewildered look on his face, for the Lord said, “You must not be surprised that I told you that all of you must be born again” (John 3:7). Nicodemus was born a Jew, was a part of God’s covenant people (Rom. 9:4-5) and certainly thought his birth was better than that of a Gentile or a Samaritan! And his life was exemplary, for he was a faithful Pharisee! But, he could not understand the truths because the religious leaders would not submit to the authority of Christ’s evidence (John 3:11). Well, Jesus uses another illustration and refers to the serpent on the pole (vv. 14-18) which is the story in Numbers 21:4-9 where the nation rebelled against God and he sent fiery serpents that bit people so many died. However, Moses interceded for the people and made a brass serpent lifted up on a pole for all to see. Any stricken person who looked at the serpent would immediately be healed. And so, Jesus points out that the Son of God would be lifted up 6:23). Thus, the serpent in Moses’ day brought physical life to dying Jews; but Jesus Christ gives eternal life to anyone who trusts Him!

Next, in vs. 19-21, Jesus points out to Nicodemus why sinners will not come into the “light of life”? It is because they love the darkness! They want to persist in their evil deeds, which keeps them from coming to the light; for the closer the sinner gets to the light, the more his sins are exposed. Thus, it is not “intellectual problems” that keep people from trusting Christ; it is the moral and spiritual blindness that keeps them loving the darkness and hating the light. Well, Nicodemus finally did “come to the light” and was identified with Christ at Calvary (Jn. 19:38-42) and realized that the uplifted Saviour was indeed the Son of God. Well after these things, Jesus is spoken of as the Bridegroom (vs. 22-30). Before John the Baptist was arrested by Herod and put into prison, his ministry was to point to the Lamb of God and urge people to trust Him. But in vs. 25, it appears that some of John’s disciples started an argument based on purification. This was important to the Jews (Mk. 7:1-23) and under the Old Testament Law, it was necessary for them to keep themselves ceremonially clean if they were to serve God and please Him. Unfortunately, the Pharisees corrupted it. Well, the disciples here seem to want John to compete with Jesus for “All men come to Him!” (Jn. 3:26). This is not a new concept for Moses (Num. 11:26-30), John the Baptist (Jn. 3:26-30), Jesus (Luke 9:46-50), and Paul (Phil. 1:15-18) often suffered more from zealous disciples than from critics! But, notice how John handled this controversy. He stated that all blessing come from God, so there can be no competition (John 3:27). And then, John compared Jesus to the bridegroom and himself as only the best man (Jn. 3:29). Once the bridegroom and bride had been brought together, the work of the best man was completed.

Well, John continues to talk about Jesus as the Witness (vs. 31-36). Jesus was a witness to the Truth because he came from heaven and represents the Father (v. 31) and to reject him is to reject the Father (Jn. 5:23). He was also a witness to the truth because it comes from Him firsthand (vv. 32-33). He shares what He has seen and heard from the Father (John 8:38) and when we obey His Word and put it into practice we see its truth and power. Third, Jesus was a witness because the Father has authorized His Son (vv. 34-35). God sent Him and gave Him the Word, the Spirit and all things (John 13:3). What a commissioning! What love (Jn. 3:17)! Thus, to reject the Son is to rebel against the highest authority and to go against love and light and have the wrath of God upon us (vs. 36). So, we learn that there can be no neutrality when it comes to Jesus Christ: we either trust Him or we reject Him and “He that believeth not is condemned already” (John 3:18). The verdict has already been given, but the sentence has not yet been executed because God is patient and long-suffering, and continues to call sinners to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

John 3 certainly emphasizes our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is about a living relationship that begins with the new birth from above. And, when we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we share His very life and become children in the family of God. And, this loving relationship is seen in that He is the Bridegroom and Christians are a part of the bride and we desire that Jesus Christ increase as we decrease. And, as we are in this learning relationship, what a delight it is to receive His Word, meditate on it, and make it part of our very lives, sharing it with others. But, the cost of all these blessings was Jesus Christ dying and had to endure the hatred and condemnation of men and be lifted up on the cross so that we might experience forgiveness and eternal life. May we never take this for granted! “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

 

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Buddhism

Why I am not a Buddhist

One may come to the conclusion that the Bible is God’s word is by examining all of the religions of the world and eliminating them from contention as viable truth systems.  It takes some time to investigate their claims, but not as much time as one might think due to the proper desire to be rational in what one believes.  Irrationality requires no evidence and implies that all conclusions are equally valid, a premise that must be rejected as the nonsense that it is.  Hence, any religion that rests upon a premise of irrationality may be so dismissed.  Moreover, that one may use rationality to examine the religion of Buddhism is granted by the Buddha himself, who is attributed to have said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”  So, in light of reason and common sense, let’s look at the claims of Buddhism.

Buddhism is a large world religion that has been around for thousands of years.  It proposes to following the teachings of the Buddha, a historical figure whose name was Siddhartha Gautama.  He lived in northwest India and died around 400 B.C.  Buddhism’s “noble truths” are that all suffering is evil and must be transcended in order to reach nirvana, a state of impersonal bliss and cosmic awareness.  Suffering is caused by one’s personal desires.  Pursuing one’s personal desires involves one in the cycle of karma, a sort of cause and effect in which evil begets more evil and good begets good.  To escape the cycle of karma and reach nirvana one must follow a specific path designed to purge one of all desire.  This may take one several lifetimes of rebirth/reincarnation to achieve.  Since Buddhism denies the existence of the self, one would have no personal awareness from life to life what was happening.  Enlightenment is the state in which one transcends personal desires and can be characterized as being harmonious with everything and nothing.  Buddhism has no “god” to worship per se.  Everyone can become god by reaching enlightenment and joining their energy in the nirvana.[1]

One key criticism of Buddhism would be the following: if all desire causes suffering, then the desire to reach nirvana would seem to cause suffering as well.  It would be impossible to desire nirvana and eliminate all desire from one’s life.  Buddhists might counter this claim by saying that one must even eliminate the desire for nirvana.  But if such is the case, then one ought to cease practicing Buddhism.  Hence, the very desire to practice the religion, even to the point of meditating upon nothing (a state that one must desire to reach), undermines the message of the elimination of all desire.  I am not a Buddhist because what it sets forth as its “noble truths” are hopelessly contradictory.

Pursuant to this, I also question the idea that suffering is always bad and must always be eliminated.  Suffering , as a concept, is not necessarily a bad thing.  Through suffering we can learn to avoid poor choices.  Suffering can alert us to problems within the body.  Suffering even has a certain cathartic aspect.  Suffering can be good in developing moral character as well.  The apostle Paul affirmed as much in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”  I am not a Buddhist because some suffering is good.

Moreover, one should also question whether all desires necessarily lead to suffering.  Being thirsty is a desire for water.  It seems unreasonable and beyond common sense to suggest that quenching one’s thirst with a drink of water leads to suffering.  To the contrary, some desires are both natural and reasonable and need not lead to suffering.  What about the desire to not suffer?  As has already been pointed out, this leads to a contradictory conclusion.  I am not a Buddhist because not all desires lead to suffering.

The Buddhist concept of “god” is also problematic; god is both everything and nothing.  When one reaches enlightenment he sort of merges his energy with an indefinite and indeterminate ball of cosmic energy/stuff which really isn’t anything in particular.  There is no personal God to judge right and wrong, truth and error, light and darkness.  No judge means no justice and no justice means no absolute morality, a concept that must be rejected because it implies the false concept that all actions are morally equal.  I am not a Buddhist because absolute morality demands absolute justice.

Buddhists also live by a strict code of not killing anything: people, animals, bugs, plants, germs, rocks, whatever they believe is “sentient.”  This is also against common sense and reason.  It is reasonable that the earth and all of the things within it are very useful.  We can use trees to build houses.  We may use rocks to make bricks and construct buildings.  We may use plants, animals, and even bugs as food sources.  Using these things often involves killing them.  Hence, I am not a Buddhist because the principle of the utility of the earth and all things in it is rejected.

This strict code of not killing also has moral repercussions in denying that there is ever a time for the death penalty.  The principle of the punishment fitting the crime is an old and reasonable form of justice.  Eschewing all suffering would have to eliminate that principle all together, and, in fact, no one could ever be punished for any crime if one were to pursue the concept consistently.  There is justice in applying the death penalty to criminals who have merited such by their crimes.  It simply isn’t the case that all killing is wrong.  This is another reason why I reject Buddhism.

Regarding the concept of reincarnation/rebirth: while it is an interesting thought, where is the evidence that such is actually happening?  In fact, Buddhists themselves would argue, based upon their conception (or lack of conception as the case may be) of the self, that there would be no proof for reincarnation.  That is, the only reason to accept it would be that the Buddha said it was so.  Using the Buddha’s own standard of evaluation, I would have to reject this doctrine.  Hence, I cannot accept Buddhism because there is no evidence for reincarnation.

This last concept of Buddhism, rebirth/reincarnation, also implies a sort of universal salvation.  That is, the principle of karma continues to recycle “me” (whatever the “me” is, it doesn’t stay the same from one life to the next in Buddhism) over and over until “I” achieve “enlightenment.”  That means that in the present, it doesn’t matter whether I become a Buddhist or not.  So, why should I take a chance on Buddhism, be wrong, and spend eternity being punished by a just and personal God?  That would seem to be an awfully foolish choice.  In fact, when presented with the two choices, Buddhism would always demand that you never choose it, because ultimately, everything will end up being “enlightened.”

In the final analysis, Buddhism simply has too many contradictions and irrationalities.  It is not based upon evidence, but the pronouncements of merely “wise” men.  It boils down to being nothing more than a system of traditional sayings.  That’s not to say that Buddhists are not moral people or that Buddhism does not have any good aspects to it.  I agree with many of their ethical concepts such as maintaining sexual purity, and abstinence from lying, stealing, and intoxicants.  Nevertheless, the lack of an individual eternal hope, its contradictory doctrine of desire and suffering, the lack of real justice both here and in eternity, and lack of evidence for reincarnation is enough reason to reject it.

[1] Ninian Smart, “Buddhism” in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy Vol. 1: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. & The Free Press, 1972 ed.

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Older People

“THE BIBLE TEACHES RESPECT FOR OLDER PEOPLE”

How do you look upon older people? What do you think about getting older? How has your concept of age been affected by our society?

OUR SOCIETY GLORIFIES YOUTH AND DESPISES AGE

  • This is seen in tremendous efforts to look young and act young.
  • Older people are often depicted as out of touch or incompetent.
  • Impatience with older people is often expressed.
  • Many times older people are mistreated.
  • Many times older people are forced to retire to soon.

THE BIBLE TEACHES REPSECT FOR AGE AND EXPERIENCE

God spoke through fathers — Hebrews 1:2, “God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners,” (ASV)

God selected the elders of Israel as leaders and examples — Exodus 3:16, “Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and (seen) that which is done to you in Egypt:

Mosaic age demanded respect for age — Leviticus 19:32, “Thou shall rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and thou shall fear thy God: I am Jehovah.” (ASV)

Gray hair is an honor if found in righteousness — Proverbs 16:31, “The hoary head is a crown of glory; It shall be found in the way of righteousness.” (ASV)

Jesus condemned those who refused to care for their parents — Mark 7:9-13, > (9) “And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition. > (10) For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death: > (11) but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given (to God); > (12) ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother; > (13) making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

THE NEW TESTAMENT DEMANDS RESPECT FOR AGE:

Older men and women are to be treated with respect — 1 Timothy 5:1-2,  “(1) Rebuke not an elder, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brethren: “(2) the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.” ASV

Children are to obey and honor their parents = Ephesians 6:1-2, “(1) Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), ASV

Godly widows are to be honored and supported if needed — 1 Timothy 5:8-16, “(8) But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. (9) Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old, (having been) the wife of one man, (10) well reported of for good works; if she hath brought up children, if she hath used hospitality to strangers, if she hath washed the saints’ feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work. (11) But younger widows refuse: for when they have waxed wanton against Christ, they desire to marry; (12) having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge. (13) And withal they learn also (to be) idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. (14) I desire therefore that the younger (widows) marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling: (15) for already some are turned aside after Satan. (16) If any woman that believeth hath widows, let her relieve them, and let not the church be burdened; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.” ASV

Those leading the people of God as elders are to have age and experience — 1 Timothy 3:4-7,  “(4) one that ruleth well his own house, having (his) children in subjection with all gravity; (5) (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) (6) not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (7) Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

WHAT CAN OLDER PEOPLE DO TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM?

  • Be examples of faith and love for God.
  • Be spiritually minded.
  • Keep a good attitude and a sense of humor.
  • Work to communicate with younger people. Both older and younger people can learn from each other.
  • The strong uphold the weak, the young uphold the old.

CONCLUSION: Respect for age and experience is vital to a proper relationship with God. It is one of the great foundation principles of life on this earth. It is hard to respect our Father in Heaven, when we do not respect our parents on earth.

 

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Stir My Spirit

Waiting for the Lord to Stir Your Spirit

How exciting it must have been for Paul, Silas and Timothy when in a vision Paul heard the Macedonians say, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). They immediately left Troas and landed in Europe and began their work. The reception was not what most would have expected for there was great opposition in all the cities of Macedonia where they preached.

Leaving Silas and Timothy in Macedonia, Paul traveled to Achaia, the region just south of Macedonia, and arrived in Athens. Luke described what happened in these words, “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:16-17).  He saw the idolatry and was moved to react against it.

Some have misunderstood the meaning of the phrase, “His spirit was provoked within him.”  Perhaps the King James translation that “his spirit was stirred in him” may have contributed to this. Their view is that the Holy Spirit of God stirred Paul’s own spirit and this is what caused the reaction. Look carefully at the text. Neither God nor His Holy Spirit are mentioned in this passage. That which stirred Paul’s spirit was that he saw the sin in that land. The godly heart of the great apostle reacted to the ungodliness in Athens.

There is a spirit of complacency in America which is detrimental to our spirit being provoked like Paul’s. Instead of confrontation many seek compromise. We think that we must avoid conflict at all cost. It is manifested in so many ways.

This attitude keeps parents from molding the lives of children. When they are small we try to “bribe” them or “distract” them instead of dealing with them. As children get older, parents choose to overlook sinful attitudes and actions rather than confronting them.

Across our land, pulpits are silent about the very issues confronting the church. Elders choose to ignore problems and the unique nature of the church is lost. This is so drastically different from what we read of Paul.

What about you? Do not sit and wait, thinking that somehow the Holy Spirit will speak to your spirit, and then you will deal with ungodliness. The very sight of ungodliness in Athens stirred Paul’s spirit. That same sight of ungodliness stirred God (think of Noah’s world and Sodom), and we can see the doom of America on the horizon. The sight of ungodliness must stir the spirit of every Christian. It is the only hope any have for the future!

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Born of Faith

We know from Hebrews 11:6, that “…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We also know where this faith that we must have in order to please God must ultimately come from: “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Ro. 10:17). The meaning of this text is quite clear to all. It simply shows that our faith is born, bred, and brought to maturity as we explore, experience, and are exposed to God’s word. It is the seed bed from which our faith is born, or, where our faith comes from.

Consequently, it is also true therefore, that because our God-pleasing faith comes from hearing and doing what we discover within the word of God, that anything that is NOT found within the word of God, CANNOT be said to be done as a part of true, God-pleasing faith. In fact, the bible clearly confirms this timeless and God-taught truth as well in Romans 14:23, wherein it states that, “whatever is not from faith is sin.”

To state it simply then: Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Whatever is not of faith, is sin.  Therefore, whatever is not found within the word of God, can never be said to have been done by faith (at least not faith in God), but is actually sin, according to God!

Why is it so eternally and critically important that we point this out to people? Simple. God stated very clearly and concisely, in 8 N. T. passages, exactly the type of music He wanted His N. T. church to offer up to Him in praise and worship. In every single case, it is simply and exclusively singing: vocal, non-instrumental, acappella music (Matt. 26:30; Mk. 14:26; Acts 16:25; Ro. 15:9; I Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Hebs. 2:12; Jms. 5:13). This is what we find in the word of God. Therefore, this can be done by faith. Instrumental music in the N.T. church however, cannot be found anywhere in the bible, not once, ever. The best and brightest proponents of instrumental worship music have sought to find such a verse in the N. T. for hundreds of years… and have all been utterly and abjectly unsuccessful. Therefore, instrumental worship music cannot ever be performed by faith in what God said, simply because God never once said we should use it in the N. T. church! It is therefore instead, nothing more than a vain and useless, man-made tradition (Mk. 7:1-13).

Tragically, the same can be said when it comes to the “Greatest Hoax in the History of Religious Doctrine” as well. Sadly, many millions of good, but biblically uninformed and therefore misled religious people today, wholeheartedly believe and claim to have been saved when they “put their faith in Jesus” and said the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer of Faith.” There’s only one problem with that. One monstrous, heinous and monumental, soul-searing and eternally-damnation-causing problem with that… In all of the thousands of conversions to Christ that we see recorded in the New Testament, that so-called “Sinner’s Prayer of Faith” is never, not once, not ever, seen; it’s never taught, preached, or practiced as even a peripheral element in any New Testament conversion account – ever. It is not in the bible. If it is, then please correct me. Please produce it. Please proudly and promptly supply the lost world with a “book, chapter, and verse” reference in God’s word as to where it’s located so all can see it. Please ask your denominational friends and neighbors to start having it referenced on the back of their denominational salvation tracts for a change – something we’ve never seen.

But they won’t, will they? They can’t can they? And we know why, don’t we? It’s not in there is it? It’s never found anywhere in any conversion account in the word of God. And we therefore know what that means, don’t we? If faith comes by hearing the word of God – and it does; and whatever is not of faith is sin – and it is, which means that whatever is not found in the word cannot be done by faith – which is therefore true… then that means that the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer of Faith,” is far more of the first part of that phrase than the latter; that is to say, that it is far more of a “Sin,” than anything done by “Faith!”

Don’t get me wrong, it may be done by “faith” alright, but it’s faith in the person who told you to say it, and not soul-saving, God-pleasing faith in the Lord Jesus – because He never did. I know. I once did the same. I once said the prayer. And I believed at that point I was “good to go” with God. But then someone loved me enough to show me the truth of God’s word on how to truly be saved “by faith.” How much do you love those you claim to? If you truly love them, then you must tell them.

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