Resolutions

Resolutions: Great Resolves of the Heart

It was a time of war.  Israel had been oppressed by the Canaanite King, Jabin, for twenty (20) years.  Jabin’s right hand man, Sisera, had nine hundred chariots of iron (Judges 4:2-3).  With so many chariots, who could withstand him?  Nevertheless, when the children of Israel cried out to God, He heard, and raised up Deborah as a judge (Judges 4:3-4).  At his request, Deborah went with Barak, and defeated the armies of Jabin, and Sisera died at the hands of a woman, Jael (Judges 4:8-24).

After this great victory, Deborah wrote a song found in Judges 5.  In this song, she praises God for the victory, and recounts the circumstances that led up to the battle.  One expression in this song that catches the attention is found in Judges 5:15-16, “By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.  Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart” (ASV).

One might think that this thought is a compliment, but it is actually a criticism.  You see, while the tribes of Zebulun and Naphthali enjoined the battle, Reuben stayed at home with their flocks.  They passed great resolutions in their assemblies, but could not take themselves away from their comfortable pastoral life.  One commentator says:

Deborah first of all mentions the tribes which took no part in the conflict (Judges 5:15-17), and then returns in Judges 5:18 to the Zebulunites, who staked their life along with Naphtali for the deliverance of Israel from the yoke of the enemy. The enumeration of the tribes who remained at a distance from the conflict commences with Reuben (Judges 5:15 and Judges 5:16). In this tribe there did arise a lively sympathy with the national elevation. They held meetings, passed great resolutions, but it led to no practical result; and at length they preferred to remain quietly at home in their own comfortable pastoral life.

Many have “great resolve of heart,” but fail to execute upon those resolutions when it is time to act.  These “resolves” take many practical forms.  The Pharisees’ oaths in Matthew 5:33-37 were such “resolves.”  Failing to follow through on our commitments would be categorized as being such a “resolve.”  Passing national laws and then failing to enforce them may be categorized as such “resolves.”  It is good to have great resolves, but if we do not have the follow through to go with it, resolutions are meaningless, hypocritical, and at worst downright deceitful.

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  We may intend to do the right thing, have our heart right, and even say the right things, but if those intentions are not backed up with solid action, our intentions become vain.  James said it like this:

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (James 1:22-25).

How many of us prefer the comfortable pastoral life to the life of service that Jesus’ demands?  Do we come to worship each week with great resolves of heart, but do nothing thereafter?  It is good to have a good heart, but it is better for that good heart to be followed by good activity of faith.  Let’s resolve not to be sideline Christians, but to put on the whole armor of God and engage the enemy (Ephesians 6:10-18).

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Applying the Greatest Command

What words would you use to sum up the law of Moses? If your answer dealt with sacrifices and commandments, your understanding has been influenced more by the Jewish leaders of the first century than by how God intended for it to be. Jesus showed the true nature of the law when He said, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:40). We know these two greatest commandments but sometimes fail to see their application to the nature of the Old Testament.

Take time to look at the opening words of the greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart . . .” (Matt. 22:37). The greatest commandment begins with having the Lord first, not just in our minds, but in our hearts! God wants our devotion to Him to begin with total devotion originating in giving our whole heart to Him.

We should pray with our whole heart. David said, “I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to your word” (Psa. 119:58). He looked back at the past and his prayer life involved his entire heart when he prayed. In this same psalm, he looked at the present. “I cry out with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes” (Psa. 119:145). There is a great difference between saying a prayer and praying with our whole heart. The next time someone says, “Let’s bow our heads as we pray,” make sure that your whole heart is involved in this prayer. This is part of the greatest commandment!

We should sing with our whole heart. The heart of David involved his whole heart when he sang God’s praises. “I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You” (Psa. 138:1). It involved his whole heart when he assembled to worship with others. “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation” (Psa. 111:1). There is a marked difference between singing and singing with all our heart. The next time someone says, “Let’s sing,” make sure that your response involves your whole heart in the song. This is part of the greatest commandment!

We should teach others with our whole heart. Look again at the words of David. “I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvelous works” (Psa. 9:1). Jesus’ words, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” show why David’s heart had to teach others. There is nothing more detrimental to the faith of those being taught than a teacher whose whole heart is not involved in his teaching. This is part of the greatest commandment!

Let us pray, sing and teach with our whole heart!

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Lost?

Can the Saved be Lost?

Many believe and teach that once an individual is saved he cannot be lost. However, the Scriptures clearly teach that a child of God can forfeit his salvation and be eternally lost. Many passages speak of the conditional nature of our future salvation. The apostle Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth of the gospel by which they were saved “if ” they held fast to the word which was preached to them (1Cor. 15:2). The word “if” places a condition on salvation for the child of God. To the children of God in Galatia Paul wrote, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Gal. 6:9). The word “if” here implies if we as children of God do lose heart we will not reap the reward. The writer of Hebrews declared we are of Christ’s household “if we hold fast our confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Heb. 3:6). Why do the Scriptures make these conditional statements about salvation if once we are saved we cannot be lost?

The Scriptures point out the conditional nature of our future salvation by giving solemn warnings against apostasy (falling away as to be lost). The apostle Paul in warning the Corinthians against apostasy realized he too could fall away and be lost. He said “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1Cor. 9:27). Certainly, if there was a possibility for the apostle Paul to be rejected, then we too could be. Right after that statement he used the example of the Israelites who fell from God’s favor by their disobedience and were not permitted to enter the promised land. Paul’s conclusion was, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1Cor. 10:12). The Hebrew writer declared, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being let us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of if” (Heb. 4:1). These are solemn warnings against falling away and being lost. Therefore, why give the warnings if once one is saved he is always saved?

The Scriptures also speak of examples of those who did fall away. Among some who became Christians at the preaching of Philip was a man by the name of Simon. When he later became covetous of the apostles’ power, Peter told him, “Thy money perish with thee…for thy heart is not right in the sight of God…I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:12-24). Paul wrote to some who had at one time been faithful, but now had turned back to Judaism. He said “Christ is become of no effect unto you . . . ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal. 5:4)

These are but a few of the many passages where the Scriptures plainly teach that salvation is conditional based upon our faithful obedience. Only if we are faithful unto death will we receive a crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

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See Here is Water

“And the eunuch said, “See, here is water.  What hinders me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36)

Many reject the concept that water baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, saying, “There’s no power in the water.”  In 2 Kings 5:9-14 Naaman (who had leprosy)
was told to dip in water in order to be healed.  At first he objected and went away (still a leper); yet after his servant convinced him, saying, “…if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it?  How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” he dipped in the water and he was clean.  Was the power in the water, or in the Lord?  In John 9:6-7 Jesus healed a blind man by anointing his eyes and saying, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” The blind man did not object by saying, “There’s no power in the water.”  He knew the power was of the Lord and he had to obey the Lord to receive the blessing.  Thus, he promptly obeyed and, as a result, received his sight.

Likewise, it is not the baptismal water that has the power to forgive sins; the power to forgive is of the Lord.  However, water is the medium that the Lord chose by which the command must be obeyed (Matt. 3:16; Jn. 3:5; Acts 8:36-39; 10:47-48).  It is apparent
then that while physical water must be utilized, baptism into Christ is not a physical cleansing, but a spiritual cleansing (1 Pet. 3:20-21; Acts 22:16; Tit. 3: 5).

In spite of these biblical truths there are still those who object to water baptism.  Is that what you believe?  If so, friend, let me ask you: if the Lord had told you to do something great, would you not have done it?  How much more then, when he says to you, “be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38)?  You see, the power to forgive is of the Lord, but one must go to the water to receive the blessing.

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Human Cloning

Cloning: Make it Double or Not

On March 5, 2007, Laura Keeble (wife of preacher Marshall Keeble) entered into her eternal reward at the age of 108. During her lifetime she would watch as homes became wired for electricity and indoor plumbing became the norm. The introduction of the Model T Ford was still ten years away when Mrs. Keeble was born on August 8, 1898. It would be roughly 80 years after her birth before small desktop computers would arrive on the scene. Like most individuals who have been blessed with a long life, Mrs. Keeble witnessed many changes during her lifetime. However, during her last year on Earth, there was one announcement that I suspect Mrs. Keeble never envisioned, as even a remote possibility—human cloning. On April 13, 2006 Harvard University announced that stem cell researcher Doug Melton had been cleared to pursue human cloning. However, Dr. Melton is not alone. Less than a month later, on May 6, 2006, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco threw their hats into the cloning ring. And so now we await the first human clone.

Can we do it? It appears so. The creation of Dolly, the first cloned mammal, clearly demonstrated that it could be done. Is someone going to try? Several teams are already hard at work—history now awaits the first person who can proclaim: “I successfully cloned a human being.” In fact, Harvard University has given Doug Melton a 4000 sq. ft. secret basement laboratory in which he will conduct his experiments. Clearly the race is on. Do we have the technology? Definitely. In the years following the birth of Dolly, scientists have successfully cloned goats, pigs, cattle, mice, horses, mules, deer, cats, and rabbits. But should we do it? That is one question that science cannot answer. Science is great at a number of things—for instance, we can cure diseases, we can put Rover’s on Mars, and we can make “infertile” ground yield tremendous crops. Oftentimes it appears that there is nothing that science cannot do. And that is part of the problem. Somewhere along the way many scientists have forgotten in Whose image they were made, and they forgot Who gave us this beautiful brain to begin with.

Someone should be willing to ask the question: “At what cost are we willing to proceed with this manipulation of life?” For instance, it took 277 tries before Ian Wilmut was able to create Dolly. How many tries will it take before Time magazine is able to feature a healthy baby clone on its cover? (Don’t expect them to reveal images of all the failed attempts.) Additionally, many cloned animals have revealed serious abnormalities and have experienced adult onset diseases at very early stages in life. Do we really want to expose humans to these malformations? Consider too, that human cloning violates two of our own ethical laws and guidelines. In this country, two safeguards have been put into place before experiments can be performed on humans: (1) the person being experimented on must provide “informed consent;” and (2) the experiment is supposed to be to the subject’s benefit. Human cloning violates both of these ethical guidelines.

Like it or not, human cloning is firmly on our doorstep and as faithful Christians we must know how to respond. Anytime science hands us a brand new technology, we must remember to ask: “What are the implications of this new technology”—because with cloning there are many implications. If we want the biblical answer, it begins all the way back in Genesis 2:24-25, which states: “… and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife….” It was within the beautiful Garden of Eden that God instituted marriage between man and woman. This was the beginning of the family unit—a concept that is carried throughout God’s Word. In the New Testament we find Paul writing that he desired young widows to “marry, bear children, and manage the house” (1 Timothy 5:14). Notice the divinely laid down order. Women are to marry first, then bear children and manage the house. With human cloning you don’t need to be married. You do not even need a boyfriend or girlfriend. All that is necessary is a single cell. Human cloning violates God’s plan for the family unit at every single turn, and as faithful Christians we have no business supporting it. We must continue to maintain the sanctity of human life.

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