Secret to Paul’s Success

The Secret to Paul’s Success.

Besides the Lord Himself, no man in Scripture better demonstrates the forward–‐looking faith with hope and with the strength in love that should be ours other than the apostle Paul. This man who described himself as the, “chiefest of sinners and unworthy to be called an apostle” we remember as the great apostle to the Gentiles.

So, here is an example for us in that if God could show His marvelous grace to Saul of Tarsus by forgiving his sins, he can surely forgive any sinner who repents. That is what Saul (Paul) told Timothy (1 Tim. 1:12-16). From God’s point of view, Paul is an example of the limitless extent of diving love.

Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, the persecutor of the church, zealous beyond all his contemporaries, became the Apostle Paul. This man then suffered innumerable hardships and persecutions for Christ’s sake (2 Cor. 11:23-28), counted all his human achievements as refuse for Christ’s sake (Phil. 37-11) and forgave his enemies as the Lord has done and commanded (2 Tim. 4:14-18). From the human standpoint, Paul is an example of the power of God to change character and reshape human lives for good.

So, what was the key to Paul’s success as a Christian? Sometimes we have made the same mistake as the people of Lystra in thinking Paul was more than merely human (Acts 14:8-15). But, he was not. Sometime we think that his miraculous powers gave him an advantage along this life. But, those gifts brought him more trials and difficulties (Acts 16:16-24). So, what was the secret of his success? The answer is that he was totally convinced that Jesus was God’s Son and that judgment was coming and that God had forgiven his sins through Christ. His epistles mention these things over and over.

Paul believed fervently that Jesus was the Son of God. This meant that judgment was certain (Acts 17:30-31). But, Paul was ready to face the judgment. Though not perfect in his own life, Paul was ready to face God in the righteousness of Christ that, “Righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil. 3:9).

Paul was committed to Jesus as God’s Son and sought to obey the Lord in all things. Because he knew the judgment was coming, he tried to tell every human being that did not know the facts.

So, are you totally convinced that Jesus is God’s Son? If not, you will never be an effective Christian. Do you really believe that Judgment is coming? Unless you do, your life will likely be careless in God’s service. Do you understand the good news that you are completely forgiven and accepted by God because of your relationship with Christ? The Key to all this is the new life (Rom. 6:3-4).

Paul was not superman. He was human. But, he was totally sincere in his Christian faith and was committed completely to Christ. Are you?

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The Love of God Is Not Enough

Why The Love of God alone just Isn’t Enough to get one to heaven:

Let’s face it, the title of this little article made you at least a bit curious if not altogether furious didn’t it? And you just had to read or at least skim through it because of that – didn’t you? Okay; fair enough. But before anyone seeks to “tar and feather” me for heresy, please read through and really think about what I – and especially the scriptures – have to say…

There is a billboard advertisement for a local denomination reminding everyone as they drive out of our little town that “God loves [them].” John 3:16 – the most recognized and quoted verse in the entire bible – rings forth with that same great message: “For God so loved the world…” Romans 5:6 and following also reminds us one and all how much God loves everyone – not just the “good,” but the “bad and the ugly” as well. And on and on we could go. It is absolutely and abundantly crystal clear that God almighty loves each and every soul He ever created. God’s unlimited and unconditional love is simply not in question. Golgotha’s cross stands and spreads its blood-stained shadow across the centuries as a stark reminder to all, and for all time, just how unfathomably much God in heaven loves all of us on the earth (see Eph. 3:8-21).

And so God’s love for us is not in question. In fact, because of His great love for each and every one of us, if He had His way, every single soul He ever created would be with Him for all eternity in heaven (2 Ptr. 3:9). But the same bible that says that, also says in many places, that the vast majority will indeed NOT go to heaven; places such as Matthew 7:13-21 for example: Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it… Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

“Wait a minute,” some might say, “how can that possibly be? Doesn’t God love everyone?” Yes! “Even those “many” whom He will send to spend eternity in hell?” Yes! “And doesn’t God want everyone in heaven with Him forever?” Yes! “Even those “many” whom He will send to spend eternity in hell?” Yes! “Then… what happened?!?” Simple… The only difference between those who will be saved and those who will be lost will not be that God loved one group more than the other, or that He loved anyone less than anyone else, “For God so loved the world…” But just like electricity requires an unbroken current/circuit that “completes the circle” as it were, God’s love alone, extended in one direction but yet unaccepted and unreturned, will not “complete the circuit” and place us in the eternal light in which He dwells (see 1 Tim. 6:11-16).

Those who perish and are thrown out “into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 22:13) will not be some souls that God somehow didn’t love, because God loves everyone. But those who perish and are thrown out there will be those who did not return His love; while those who are saved will be those who did return it.

So the question then becomes, “Well then, how do we return His love?” And once again the answer is simple, straightforward and scripturally well-supplied in the verses which immediately follow the above: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matt. 7:24-27). Jesus would also go on to tell us exactly how to return His love and what the evidence of that love would look like in many other places, including Jn. 14:15, 21, and 15:14: “If you love Me, keep My commandments,” “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love Him and manifest Myself to him,” “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” The apostle John would repeatedly re-emphasize this vital truth again and again in his later letters which we lovingly refer to as First and Second John, as well as the Revelation he received directly from Jesus (Rev. 1:9)…

  • Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected (NOTE: i.e. “completed,” like a circuit!) in him (1 Jn. 2:3-5).
  • And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him (1 Jn. 3:22-24).
  • By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 Jn. 5:2-3).
  • This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it (2 Jn. 1:6).
  • Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them (Rev 14:12-13).

 And so we see that the answer to the question of how do we return God’s love and so make the circuit complete that will subsequently take us to heaven is so very simple. As wise King Solomon put it so many centuries ago, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Eccl. 12:13). Or as the apostle Paul instructed the congregation of the church of Christ (Ro. 16:16) in first century Corinth, “…keeping the commandments of God is what matters” (1 Cor. 7:19).

When we truly and fully love, and believe, and trust, and obey God by keeping His commandments, because of Who and What He is and what He’s provided for us in His great and grace-laden love, we thus return His love by showing Him our love for and devotion to Him, and hence “complete the salvation circuit,” according to Scripture. His commandments He said we must thus obey would include but certainly not be limited to those regarding:

  • His commandments as contained and conveyed in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 5:19).
  • His commandments regarding worshipping as He requires and not according to the traditions of men (Matt. 15:1-9; Mk. 7:5-13; Ro. 16:17-27; 1 Cor. 14:33-37; Col. 2:18-23; Titus 1:10-14; 1 Tim. 1:3-7).
  • His commandments regarding loving God and one another (Matt. 22:34-40; Mk. 12:28-34; Jn. 13:34-35; Ro. 13:8-10).
  • His commandments regarding sexual purity (1 Thess. 4:1-8; Hebs. 13:4).
  • His commandments regarding not turning back to the world once we have been saved and set free from sin (2 Ptr. 2:21).
  • His commandments to be governed by the apostles’ doctrine exclusively and absolutely nothing else (Jn. 16:12-15; Acts 2:42; 2 Ptr. 3:1-2, 14-18; 2 Jn. 1:4-6).

In conclusion then, it is tragically apparent that those denominations that focus on ONLY letting people know that God loves THEM, and who do not focus on people’s having to humbly surrender and give the God-required and appropriate response to God’s love for them with their love in return (in the form of their loving obedience of faith to the gospel: Acts 2:37-41; Ro. 1:4-7, 16:25-27; and 2 Thess. 1:7-10) have sadly only given them half the story and have completely “short-circuited” any chance they had at all of salvation, while leaving them totally “in the dark” as it were for all eternity…

Yes God loves YOU – and everyone else on earth as well. And He likewise loves each and every one of those He will have to send to Hell in the end as well. For it is only those who truly love Him enough in response to complete the circuit by keeping His commandments, who will live with Him forever in heaven. Are you one of those few… or not?

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Too Righteous?

“Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?” Ecclesiastes 7:16-17

How can one be too righteous or too wise? One is “too righteous” when he or she becomes self-righteous. A self-righteous person supplants God’s standard with his own standard of righteousness. The Jews of Jesus’ day are a good example of this type of self-righteousness. One can become too wise if their wisdom is based solely upon secular wisdom. Secular wisdom can be good, but we must not neglect the wisdom that is able to make one wise unto salvation. (2 Timothy 3:15).

What does it mean to be over much wicked or foolish? All are guilty of sin from time to time, but it is the rebellious lifestyle of foolishness and wickedness that brings an early death. All one needs to see, to understand this, is the average age at death for rock stars and for homosexuals.

Average Age at Death

USA Average:              75.8 years

Gay Women:               44.5 years

Gay Men:                    40.0 years

Rock Stars:                  36.0 years

If we continue to walk in God’s ways we will not fall into the traps of self-righteousness, worldliness, foolishness and sin. 

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Responsible Fathers

Fathers Are You Fulfilling Your Duty?

“Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding; for I give you good doctrine: do not forsake my law.  When I was
my father’s son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, he also taught me, and said to me: ‘Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live.  Get wisdom!  Get understanding!’…” (Prov. 4:1-5).

One parent said, “We will not influence our children in making choices and decisions in matters of religion!”  Another parent replied, “But why not?  The ads will!  The press will!  The movies will!  The neighbors will!  The forces of sin will!  The politicians will!  We use our influence over flowers, vegetables, cattle, etc.  Shall we ignore our own children?  May
God forgive us if we do!”

All parents have a God-given duty toward their children; and this responsibility begins with “dad.” Paul said, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).  Truly, friends, our nation needs more dads like that.

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Abortion: Teaching Your Children

Having looked into the tearful eyes of parents whose children have abandoned the faith, I have learned that there are a million miles between our children “going through the motions” in reference to their spiritual life versus our children possessing a heart that dictates their actions. In this column I hope to share with you what I hope to instill in the hearts of my own children and those whom I love.

Most of us know someone—even if we really do not know about “it” firsthand. It may be a high school classmate who “got into trouble” at the tender age of sixteen. Or it may be a coworker who was climbing the corporate ladder. Or it may even be the person sitting in the same pew with you on Sunday morning. Rare is the congregation in which at least one member has not had an abortion. Sometimes the secret is shared with close friends, ;  other times, it is literally taken to the grave. Having talked to several women (and even a couple of men) who made this “choice” I realize that it is often a decision made under great stress—and a decision that can leave scars for life.

Here’s what I intend on teaching my children about abortion.

With the exception of Claire, I had the pleasure of watching each one of you enter this world and take your first breaths—and I only missed Claire by two hours. (And yes, I am strongly considering making her wait on me two hours before walking her down the aisle, since she just couldn’t wait!) Each time we discovered we were expecting, your mother and I would quietly wonder, “Can we do this?” As our family grew, we wondered “Can we love another one as much?” The answer to both questions was a resounding “Yes!” Our love just continued to grow as our family grew. Now we cannot envision a world without each one of you. It is my prayer that you too will one day know the joy of being a father or mother. Our family is one of the deepest sources of happiness we know, topped only by the knowledge of our salvation through Jesus Christ.

While your mom and I have big plans for your future—including your impact and influence on His church—we are not so naïve as to think that those plans will unfold without a few hiccups and hurdles along the way. If the plans get brushed aside, please don’t throw away the entire blueprint! Paul, in writing about the “plan” for younger widows, observed: “I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house,…” I hope you will always keep that divinely laid down order in mind. We are to marry first, and then have children. However, if that plan is lost due to a moment of passion please come to us. Please, please don’t have an abortion or consent to one.

Never try to correct a mistake by making another one, and please do not counsel anyone else to do likewise. Far too many people find themselves in a situation  situations in which they are unexpectedly pregnant and they feel the only answer is to abort the child. Without question, abortion stops a beating heart—just 18 days after conception, the baby’s heart begins to beat. You do not want to spend the rest of your life with emotional scars, always thinking “What if…”  I promise you that, with Christ, we can get through it, together (Philippians 4:13).  Never ever forget that we love you and you can always come to us!

Would your mom and I be humbled? Absolutely. Would it hurt? Definitely. But would we forgive you and help you turn a wrong into a right? Without question! Remember you can repent of your sins and ask for forgiveness, and God will forgive you (1 John 1:7-10). In fact, if this were to happen, I would hope that you would then one day have the courage to use your own experience to teach others.

Since your birth,  we have tried to remind you that humans are different from the animals. We were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Every living human has been instilled with a soul (see James 2:26; Ecclesiastes 12:7). Please do not ever consider ending a life prematurely—rather allow us to help you train up that child so that one day it can grow up to become a child of God. Think about that tiny soul lodged in that little unborn child. Abortion is an abomination to God, and I hope you never forget that.

Love Dad

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