Is Cremation O.K. for Christians?

Cremation is a topic that is not talked about a lot in public and so there is great deal of confusion about it in the church.  According to the Cremation Society of North America, in 2000, 25% of all dead bodies were cremated and in 2010 it increased to 38% because it is more economical (1-2,000 vs. 6-8,000), efficient and environmentally friendly.  Some think it’s O.K. to cremate claiming that it is my body and I will do with it what I want.  Others feel a Christian should never consider cremation because of its ties to atheism, heathenism and ignorance with regards to the Bible.  So, we need to know as Christians what the Bible says about it and whether it is O.K. to cremate or not.

In the Old Testament, some say it is wrong to cremate because: Gen. 19:24 states the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire.  Also, some claim that burning the body is associated with wickedness such as the case in Lev. 20:14, which states, “If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.”  Furthermore, in Num. 16:35, God exterminated Korah and 250 Israelite men with fire because they opposed Moses.

In the New Testament some say it is wrong to cremate because we associate burning with the lake of fire that all the wicked will be cast into and will burn for eternity (Rev. 20:10-15).  But, these things have to do with punishing those that were breaking God’s Law.  What about the righteous when they die?

When the righteous died, the Bible shows that it was the custom to bury the body.  Gen. 25:10, There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.  Gen. 35:19, Rachel died and was buried.  Gen. 35:29, Isaac breathed his last and died and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.  Moses was buried by God in Deut. 34:6.  Even in difficult circumstances God’s people kept Joseph’s bones for over 400 years until they buried him in the promise land (Josh. 24:32).

In the New Testament: John the Baptist was buried (Matt. 14:10-12).  Ananias and Sapphira was buried (Acts 5:5-10).  Stephen was buried (Acts 8:2).  And, Jesus, our great Example, was buried (Jn. 19:38-42).  Burial was the most common way that a person’s body was dealt with and it was and still is considered as an act of kindness and respect.

Now, some have the strange idea that if your body is burned that it will somehow affect your resurrection.  The Moravians bury with their feet pointing to Jerusalem because they believe when the Lord returns and establishes his kingdom (which he has already done), their physical bodies will be resurrected and all will be looking toward Jerusalem.  But, there are no Scriptures for this practice.  In fact, Eccl. 12:7 states, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.”  Also, in Matt. 10:28 it suggest that we should not worry about what happens to our bodies because no matter what a person does to it, they cannot do anything to a person’s soul.  Besides, what about Christians who have been burned to death?  Are we saying that they do not get to resurrect because they no longer have a physical body?  How strange.

The Scriptures show that God is more interested in the Spirit than the physical (2 Cor. 5:1; 1 Cor. 15:55-57).  But, I would also like to point out that in the Bible, people knew where the righteous were buried and it reminds me of a restoration trip my wife and I went on while in MSOP.  I saw tombstones of Christians that had Bibles and Scriptures all over them, one tombstone was completely made into a Bible with Mk. 16:15 written on it, another I found said a “minister of the gospel of Christ,” another that said, “An elder of the church of Christ” and so many more.  I found that impressive because their tombstones are teaching about God long after they are gone.

David Sain is a great proclaimer of the Gospel once told me that when he visits a town for a Gospel meeting or has some time on his hands, he will walk through the cemetery of that town and reads the tombstones.  He often wanders if those departed souls every heard the Gospel?  And, many times he does not know because there is little there to tell him if one was a Christian or not.  Why, even if you go to the cemetery in the local towns around you, almost all of the tombstones have nothing to do with what religion they were.

Again, while the Scriptures show that people were buried, it is a custom that has gone down throughout time.  I do not see the command to bury, but if you do bury, make sure that all others who pass by your grave, know that you are a Christian because precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints and the world needs to know this truth.

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The Naturalist Worldview

The Christian has nothing to fear from science per se. This is because the proper role of science is to deal with things that are empirically observable, repeatable, and demonstrable: that which occurs within the ordinary and everyday experience of common humanity. When science limits its methodologies to this sphere, it does well. However, when science steps out of this domain and seeks to comment upon things that are beyond the empirical, conflicts with spiritual claims ensue. This is because science is not properly equipped to parse non-empirical claims; neither does the scientific method have the capacity to ramify spiritual concerns. This is not to say that science cannot corroborate some spiritual truths or provide veridical support for some empirical claims that the Bible makes. The science of Biblical Archaeology, for example, has helped us understand the Bible tremendously. Neither is this to say that science cannot make inferences regarding empirically verifiable data. However, the scientific method is limited to the role of falsification, and any hypothesis, no matter how trustworthy (scientifically speaking), can only be affirmed as a probability.

When scientists begin to make claims beyond empirical data (whether they are believers or non-believers), they have left their work as scientists and have begun promulgating a philosophical position. Scientists who claim that nothing exists beyond the physical world or who suggest that everything that exists can be explained with science are actually promoting the worldview of naturalism. Naturalism is grounded upon the philosophical claim that the material universe is all that exists, and that all experiences within the material universe can be wholly explained through the laws of nature. This is not a scientific claim because science can purport no knowledge of anything beyond the material. Yet to say that nothing exists beyond the material is purporting knowledge beyond the material. In other words, science may say that it, as a discipline, has no knowledge beyond the material, but it cannot say that no one can know anything beyond the material. The claim that there is no knowledge beyond the material is itself a claim that is beyond the material. The claim that all knowledge is empirically verifiable is itself a knowledge claim that is not subject to empirical verification, but these are precisely the claims of the naturalist worldview.

The implications of such a worldview ought to be immediately evident to all Bible-believing Christians. If all that exists is the material universe, the implications are: 1) God does not exist; 2) Jesus was not God; He was just a man, nothing more; 3) the Bible is not inspired; 4) worship/prayer is pointless; 5) neither heaven nor hell exist; 6) there is no life after death and no resurrection; 7) humans have no soul/spirit; 8) man is not made in the image of God; 9) the universe has no overarching purpose or end. This list echoes the apostle Paul’s sentiments in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” These nine claims are not the conclusions of science; they are the conclusions of the Naturalist Worldview. Indeed, these claims are not appropriate objects of scientific inquiry since their central axis inherently involves inquiry outside of the material world. One simply cannot use empirical methods to come to such conclusions.

The Naturalist Worldview, however, has a great problem explaining some of humanity’s key common experiences. Try as they may, naturalists cannot consistently ply 1) morality, 2) consciousness, or 3) freedom with their worldview. When seeking to explain morality, they must do so without any appeal to God or any other unchanging and objective standard. This they cannot do because if God does not exist, then no standard beyond man himself exists whereby one may adjudicate right from wrong, and when man becomes that standard, then anything goes; the iron rule prevails; might makes right. In the words of one atheist, “That is a horrible ethic.” Yet such is the ground upon which the natural world of plants and mindless animals persists on a daily basis. The naturalist worldview would reduce men to mere beasts, livestock, brute varmints. Moreover, ethical systems put forth under this worldview offer no personal intrinsic value. Humans only possess value instrumentally, or as they may be usefully employed. If a human’s usefulness does not exist, then the naturalist can hold no moral compunction in ending said human’s existence. This translates to abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia.

Consciousness is also a vexing problem for naturalism. If, as one atheist put it, “Our brains secrete thought like our liver secretes bile,” then how is it that we all have unique conscious experiences? How is it that humans have the very personal experiences of awareness, focus, attention, recollection, thought, the experience of redness, pain, pleasure, and other such uniquely first-person experiences? If such experiences are simply chemicals coursing through our brain, then how is it that we have such unity of thought? What is the locus of the billions of chemical interactions coursing through our skulls? If these chemicals are constantly working, then why is it that we ever become unconscious? And how is it that we can be conscious of dreams, something that occurs while our bodies are unconscious? Why is it that chemistry alone has failed to solve the mental problems of millions of suffering people? If man has no soul to explain consciousness, consciousness becomes inexplicable.

Perhaps the most difficult problem for naturalists to solve is the existence of human freedom. Each one of us has the unique personal experience that we are fundamentally in control of our own lives. We may make decisions for good or ill, but they are our decisions— decisions that we have individually chosen and accepted. If the Naturalist Worldview is correct, then humans (and all of their component parts: limbs, organs, cells, atoms, etc.) are nothing more than a complicated collection of matter in motion, not unlike a massive chain of dominoes that operates upon the fundamental law of cause and effect. That is to say that the Universe itself is simply a closed system of cause and effect, and our various component parts are simply acting as dominoes in that closed system. Once the first one fell, nothing could impede the eventual fall of the last. If our bodies are all that exist, and we operate upon such laws, then humans are no more free than the atoms fusing at the core of the Sun.

Ultimately, the Naturalist Worldview holds no basis for criticizing or even objecting to the beliefs of Christians, because it holds no basis for concluding that the beliefs of the Christians have been produced by anything but naturalistic processes. The very processes they claim are solely responsible for the existence of the Universe are the very processes that brought about Christianity itself. How can one criticize that which naturally must occur? I may not like the fact that a rock is in my driveway, but I cannot say that it is immoral. Naturalism stands in exactly this predicament. Consequently, humanity has full autonomy to pursue spiritual claims without worry that one is not being scientifically honest.

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Going Forward by Going Back

Text:  Jeremiah 6:16, Thus says the Lord:  “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.” (NKJV)

Going Forward by Going Back

Introduction:  We live in a progressive society.  Advances are made in technology every day which enhance our lives and make us more productive with less physical effort.  Many people strive to keep themselves abreast of the newest things coming out.  The newest fashions, the latest cars, the best and the biggest and the most modern stuff is in high demand.  We are a progressive people who strive to push ever forward and we live in a world that is ever changing from day to day. 

Sadly, the progress we are making in the realm of religious matters does not seem to be keeping up with society as a whole.  Our advancements in science and technology are resulting in God being pushed out of our lives to be replaced with worldly things.  God is being expelled from our schools, voted out of our government and forgotten by our society. 

In the religious sector of mankind, many today who still claim Jesus Christ as their savior do so according to their own wishes and ideas on how He should be served.  What began in the first century as one church has evolved into literally thousands of them across the face of the earth, each with their own method of worship and service to God.  Many people today worship God how they see fit.  They serve God according to their own desires on how it should be done. 

No one looking out into the world today can deny that Churches are divided, our society is degrading morally, we are killing millions of babies each year through abortion, our prisons are full, the entertainment that is piped into our homes is for the most part intolerable and at best indecent, our government is crooked.  Our society is sinking into a morass of corruption and it is eating away at the very foundation of our beings.  One would have to be blind to miss what is going on.

How do we fix it?  What’s the solution?  How do we go forward from here?   To answer this question, let’s look at a real life example from the old testament of what a king, faced with the destruction of his nation did in order to move forward.  Let us call to mind the great king Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz who was so evil that God was going to destroy Judah because of the things he did.  But Hezekiah did right in the sight of the Lord and God repented of the destruction he was going to inflict on Judah, (Jeremiah 26:19), “Did he [Hezekiah], not fear the Lord and seek the Lord’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them.” (NKJV).  Hezekiah averted the impending destruction of Judah because he sought the favor of God.  In 2 Kings 18:1-6 we learn that Hezekiah tore down the alters in the high places and got rid of all the idols.  In verse 6 we read the following: “For he [Hezekiah] held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.” (NKJV).  Hezekiah was returning his nation to the commandments of Moses.  He was moving forward by going back. 

Moving on in 2 Chronicles 29 we read of Hezekiah’s restoration of the temple which Ahaz, his father corrupted.  The temple was repaired and cleansed.  The sacrifices were resumed and temple worship according to the law of Moses returned to Judah.  In 2 Chronicles 29:25 we read, “And he [Hezekiah] stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets.”  Hezekiah was getting the layout for the temple worship from the commandments of prophets who had been dead for several centuries.  Hezekiah was following the old paths as he moved his nation forward.  It’s a shame his predecessor did not follow in those footsteps.  The doom that Hezekiah averted for Judah because of his righteousness was only postponed.  The application we can make today is that if Hezekiah could return his nation to the favor of God by following the old paths, by returning to the commandments of God by His prophets, then we can too.  If it worked for Hezekiah, it will work for us as well.  We, like Hezekiah, can insure that we go forward as a nation and as the people of God by going back and seeking the old paths. 

Go back to the Bible

Hezekiah went to the words of the prophets written centuries before him in order to know how to set up the temple.  Hezekiah recognized that the ancient writings were authoritative and if he restored the temple and set up the worship according to the record of how it was commanded by God that it would be done according to His will.  Hezekiah understood if he did it the way they did it in times past, they would be assured of being what they were then; faithful children of God. 

Hezekiah understood that there was a pattern to follow in respect to the house of God and the worship they were to offer.  1 Chronicles 28:11-12, “Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit.”   David further stated the source of the plans for the temple a few verses later in 19 “All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.” When David charged his son Solomon with the task of building the temple, he gave him the plan for it that he had received from God.  Hezekiah knew that David had the plan for the temple and for the worship and recognized that he needed to follow that pattern precisely. 

Hezekiah also knew that if he wanted to please God, he could not add to nor take away from anything God wanted.  Deuteronomy 4:1-3
“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 12:32, “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”  Hezekiah understood that in order to please God, he had to adhere to the pattern, adding nothing to, nor taking anything away from the word of God.  Hezekiah knew that in order for the nation of Judah to go forward, they had to go back. 

So what about us today?  What application can we make for ourselves today seeing that we do not worship in the temple at Jerusalem and do not follow the law of Moses?  Do we have a pattern we are supposed to follow today?  In 2 Timothy 1:13-14, Paul wrote, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus“.  In Romans 6:17-18 Paul wrote, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”  The Greek words for ‘form’ and ‘pattern’ in these two verses carry the meaning of a stamp, or a model used for imitation or replication.  We absolutely have a pattern we can look to.  Paul wrote by inspiration that we have a “pattern of sound words” and a “form” or “standard of doctrine” to which we can conform ourselves to. 

Where do we find the pattern we are to live by today?  We don’t live under the old covenant anymore.  There is no more temple, there is no more Levitical worship, there are no more animal sacrifices that we observe.  That old system, the law of Moses has been abolished (Ephesians 2:15), nailed to the cross of Christ (Colossians 2:14).  So since that law is no longer in effect, what law replaced it?  It’s called the “law of Christ” in Galatians 6:2, the “royal law” in James 2:8 and verse 12 of the same chapter it is called the “law of Liberty“.  In Romans 8:2 while contrasting it with the law of Moses, he called it the “law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus“.  It is identified with other terms as well.  In Hebrews 8:8 it is called the “new covenant“, in Matthew 26:28 and several other places, Jesus Christ referred to it as the “new testament“.  Paul referred to it as the new testament in 2 Corinthians 3:6 and the Hebrew writer referred to it as the “new testament” in Hebrews 9:15.  It is called “the faith” in 43 times in the KJV of the new testament.  The most common term for what replaced the law of Moses is “the gospel” which occurs 83 times in the KJV of the new testament scriptures. 

All of these terms and others refer to the same thing.  Each of these terms are representative of an aspect of the system of faith under which we live now.  Concerning the promise of God, it is a new covenant.  Concerning the blood of Christ and what it does for us it is a “new testament“.  Concerning man’s role in Gods redemptive process, it is called “the faith“.  Concerning God’s role in the salvation of man it is called “the grace of God“.  Concerning the body of teachings which make it all up it is called the “doctrine of Christ“. Concerning the joyous hope we have through God’s redemptive works it is called the “good news” or simply, “the gospel“.  Concerning the pattern of living or rule of conduct which a Christian is required to live by, it is called a “law“.  All of these terms represent aspects of the system of faith which is contained in the new testament scriptures. 

Take any one of these out and it’s incomplete (Revelation 22:19).  It’s less than the whole counsel of God and we will fall short of His expectations.  Add anything to it and it’s more than He authorized which violates a number of NT scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 4:6, 2 John 9 and Revelation 22:18. 

Hezekiah went back to the old testament scriptures to find out how to go forward in an acceptable fashion and according to the will of God.  Today we go back to new testament scriptures so that we can forward in the same manner that Hezekiah did so many centuries ago. 

Go back to the church of the New Testament

The reason God was going to destroy Judah was because the Israelites had departed from the acceptable worship of the one true and living God.  They had divided themselves from the truth, they had gone after man made gods and worshipped them according to their own lusts and desires.  Today when we look out into the world we see the worship of false gods such as Buddha, Allah, Brahma to name a few.  And to make matters worse, the worship of the one true and living God of the Christians is fragmented into thousands of different denominations each believing and practicing a variant form of Christianity.  The Bible condemns division and sectarianism in the strongest possible terms (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 11:18; 12:25).  Jesus Christ urged and prayed for unity among believers (John 17:21). 

But the unity cannot be with those who practice false teachings and false gospels.  The Bible pronounces a curse upon those who teach another gospel than the one delivered (Galatians 1:8), The Bible commands faithful Christians to stand apart from those who are in error (Ephesians 5:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:4; 3:14, 1 Timothy 6:3, 2 Timothy 3:3, 2 John 9-11).  Faithful Christians cannot unify with those who are in error and have divided themselves from the truth of God’s word.  So we have thousands of bodies of people who claim Jesus Christ as their savior but practice variations of the one faith taught in the Bible. 

The church is the body of Christ, Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Ephesians 1:22-23, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body…”  Paul further taught that there is only one body, following one faith (Ephesians 4:4).  Since the body of Christ is the church, and scripture teaches there is only one body, then the only conclusion we can draw from that is there is only one church. 

It was the desire of Jesus that His people be united.  When he spoke of building His church, he promised only one (Matthew 16:18).  Jesus Christ reconciles man to God through “one body” which is the church (Ephesians 2:13-16).  This New Testament reality of one church has far reaching implications for the divided church we see today. 

1)  If there is only one body/church in scripture, practicing one faith, then modern day denominationalism is contrary to God’s design for His church and is therefore condemned.

2)  If only one body/church is found in scripture, then it is absolutely not true that one church is as good as any other.   

3)  If only one body/church is found in scripture then those who believe they can attend the church of their choice are either mistaken or deliberately living in defiance of God’s word.

4)  If there is only one body/church in the new testament, then any one other than the one found within it is a counterfeit of that one true church.  An unauthorized copy coming from the mind of man and not from scripture.

5)  If there is only one body/church in the new testament, then it is essential for men and women to be members of it and only it. 

In a spirit of love and concern, and without malice or hostility, we need to stress the Biblical picture of the church as a non-denominational, Christ centered body of a people fully committed to doing the will of God and living according to His word. 

The New Testament Church was not made up of many denominations.  Denominations come into existence when people do more or less than God commands. To do exactly what He commands, no more, and no less, results in an undenominational, undivided body/church of Christ. The 1st Century church existed without denominations. The work and worship of the church can be performed without them. They are a barrier to unity and a cause of confusion and misguided error.  If all mankind joined together and bound their lives to living in obedience to the will of God according to the New Testament scriptures, adding nothing to, taking nothing away, there would only be one body of believers claiming Christ as their savior.  We could unite and go forward by going back to the church that Jesus built and bought with His blood. 

.Go back to being just a Christian

In today’s religious world, when asked what kind of faith one has, being called just a Christian is something that one rarely sees.  Upon declaring oneself a Christian, the next question might be, “What kind of Christian?”  There were no Baptist Christians in the first century, neither were there Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Mennonite, Catholic or Pentecostal Christians.  There were no hyphenated terms for Christians back then.  They were just called Christians. 

Paul condemned this sort of sectarian division in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 where he wrote, “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (NKJV) 

Paul condemns the wearing of any name other than Christ for ourselves.  To do so causes Christ’s body/church to be divided among men and this cannot be.  When the world looks at us, they should see Jesus Christ and no thing or no body but Jesus Christ.  They should never look upon us a see another man or another creed.  We do not serve men, we serve Christ.  Other men did not die for us, Christ did.  Other men did not establish the body/church of Christ, Christ did.  When the world looks at us, they need to see Christ and not Paul or Apollos, or Luther, or Calvin, or the Pope or John Wesley.  If everyone claiming Christ as their savior called themselves a Christian, no more and no less, then Jesus would be the only one in view within a unified body of believers. 

Conclusion

We must never give up hope that all who claim Jesus Christ as their savior will unite and put an end to the division in the religious world.  Hezekiah went forward by going back.  We can go forward by going back as well.  We can all go back to the Bible and the Bible alone.  We can reject manmade creeds and let the scriptures be our final and only authority for what we do and teach.  We can seek God’s will through His word, adding nothing to, taking nothing away and committing our lives to live in obedience to His will in all things no matter where it leads us. 

We can go back to the Lord’s church, worshipping in spirit and in truth in accordance to His will.  We can look at the way faithful Christians worshipped in the first century and use that as the pattern for our worship today.   It is possible because the Lord’s church was to be eternal. Daniel prophesied of a kingdom that would stand forever. (Daniel 2:44.) Jesus pointed out that even Hades could not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18.) Since the Lord’s body/ church was to last forever, it must be possible to be in that body/church and be just a Christian today. By going back to the Bible we can be assured of worshipping as God wills and not as man wills (Colossians 2:23).  We can be assured of approaching God according to His righteousness and not our own (Romans 10:3).

This is the only real hope for unity in our divided religious world.  It has worked before, it can work again.  Our only hope is for all believers in Christ to walk faithfully in the old paths, following in the steps of our Lord.  We can be in the 21st century just what they were in the 1st century if we will believe what they believed, worship how they worshipped, obey what they obeyed and observe what they observed.  We can go back to the Bible, back to the church and back to being what they were then.  We must go back if we want to truly go forward with any assurance in our hope. 

Jeremiah 6:16, Thus says the Lord:  “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.” (NKJV) 

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Romans Eight and the Wonder of Oz

Romans chapter eight is by far my favorite chapter in the entire N.T. scripture. Its premises and promises are so incredibly powerful as to provide perfect peace in the midst of the worst of circumstances (incidentally, just like my favorite passage in the O.T. scriptures, the 46th Psalm).  Are you in Christ? Are you a Christian? Are you hurting? Do you sometimes feel powerless despite your God given, daily, no condemnation, complete, right now, Romans eight-defined victory? If so, then probably you need to re-read that Romans 8 text, repeatedly; and then perhaps, reconsider Dorothy…

Poor, pitiful, pilgrimatic and problematic Dorothy; a stranger who was stranded in a strange land where she’d strangely landed. She simply wanted to go home. If only she knew how. Then someone suggested that surely the wizard would know how, and so, she sets out on a perilous and dangerous pilgrimage down the yellow brick road towards Oz. Along the way she meets some weary souls who are willing, like her, to face whatever perils might come – including death itself if necessary – in order to obtain the one thing that they themselves most desired; to the simple scarecrow, a brain; to the tarnished tin man, a heart; and to the cowardly lion, courage. And then, after a long and dangerous peril-fraught journey which involved repeatedly facing death and destruction at the hands of their enemy, when they finally reached their all-important destination it was revealed to them that the very powers they had so zealously and desperately sought to possess, had in reality, been within them from the very beginning. They just hadn’t realized this simple truth. And just think how much trouble they could have saved themselves if they’d only realized what was already theirs, and in fact, had dwelt within them from the very beginning! Amazing!

But is it really any different with us, as we, along with many other weary souls, journey through untold darkness and danger toward home and heaven, always seeking to at last experience the God-promised peace, joy, and victory that we so desperately desire – while facing incredibly powerful and seemingly overwhelming opposition and heartache at every step from Satan himself?

God wants you to know that you don’t have to go through life like that. God wants you to know that some of the blessings you seek from Him, He’s already placed within your grasp. God wants you to know that you don’t need to tackle the terror to taste the triumph. He’s already faced it, beaten it, and given you the victory: both in it, over it, and through it. You don’t have to daily go through hell to get to Heaven despite what the old rock-n-roll song says to the contrary; Christ already has, so you already can. He’s trying to tell you in Romans eight that the victory you seek is already yours now – don’t leave (for) home without (knowing) it!

Understand, God doesn’t want you to be like the scarecrow; a poor, pitiful, and paltry imitation of a man, confined to a lonely, forgotten post, whose sole purpose for existence was to try to scare away all of those flitting black little pests who were totally unafraid of him and who attacked him relentlessly. Why, when he figured out that he didn’t have a brain (really think about that one for a moment), it was the “last straw.” So, he joined Dorothy on her journey, “witch” really got him “fired up.” God wants you to use the brain He’s already given you, to understand the victory He’s already given you, here and now in Christ Jesus. That’s what Romans the eighth chapter is all about. Just re-read verse one alone!

And, although you may have found the tin man to be a rather riveting character, God doesn’t want you to be a spiritual tin man either; empty, hollow, hapless, helpless, and hopeless. Do you remember how a sudden rainstorm would leave him rusted and immobile? It rendered him useless. Unfortunately many Christians today wind up in the same condition at the slightest suggestion of an approaching storm themselves. However, those who understand that they don’t have to wait until the “sweet by and by,” but are “More Than Conquerors” right here in the “down and dirty now and now,” are not paralyzed by sudden spiritual storms, but instead, realize that they are: prepared for them, protected through them, and perfected by them.  They allow their rainstorm to become His “reign-storm,” and their problem to become His pathway (Matthew 14:22-33; 1 Peter 1:3-9; James 1:2-3).

Another reason we must not be like the tin man is because he didn’t know that the heart he so desperately sought to possess was already within him. Occasionally it can be difficult to discern if we have one like Jesus desires for us to have (James 3:13-4:12). Just look at how we often treat one another – particularly those who hurt us. And yet God loves them from the depths of His heart just as He does us. Can we love them that same way? Absolutely; but only because He has so very graciously given us the power and ability to do so if we’d only choose to acknowledge and utilize it; if we, unlike the tin man, understood that we possess that power within our hearts even now if we are faithful Christians and children of the living God. Consider: the same spirit that enabled Jesus at the cross to say “Father, please forgive them…” resides where now? In you – if you’re a Christian (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9-11). And if He resides in you, you must allow Him to lead you in order to be pleasing to God and God-like to men (see Romans 8:12-14 and 1 John 4:17).

God also doesn’t want you to be like the cowardly lion. He spent his days in fear, petrified at every “bump in the night” and afraid of every shadow that silently slithered by. It wasn’t that he lacked the courage or power to deal with and defeat his life’s problems; it was just that he was simply and sadly, completely unaware that he even possessed such powerful abilities.

Jesus does not want you to be discouraged, disheartened, or afraid of anything Satan did, does, or might attempt to do to you. Just look at what Jesus Himself said the very night before His own betrayal and subsequent crucifixion and separation from God His Father, at the hands of sinners: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). He also said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Oh how these eternal encouragements from our one Lord and only Savior Jesus Christ echo the divinely-inspired words of the Godly prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 26:3 (which see).

The courage to face each new day, despite whatever your circumstances (and let’s face it folks, Romans 8:35-39 contains a pretty comprehensive list wherein I’m sure that all of our own “unique” problems can certainly be placed under one heading or another) comes from understanding that the victory “in all these things” is undeniably, irreversibly, and absolutely guaranteed by God Himself; that you are more than conqueror in them all right now through Jesus Christ. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). It’s a win-win, no-lose situation where and when we understand that God is in complete control. He doesn’t know how to lose because He’s never been defeated and never will be (Acts 4:23-31)! Paul understood this win-win, no-lose situation when walking with God when he reported:  “…for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lords” (Romans 14:8). When exactly are we going to get this?

And lastly, don’t be a Dorothy. She could easily have been destroyed on her journey home, simply because she failed to comprehend the power already at her disposal and within her grasp during the trip. She should have begun to get a clue when the wicked witch had to actually ask her for the slippers as opposed to just simply taking them off of and away from her. And we must understand that Satan cannot take away from us that which matters most; it can only be lost through our ignorant or impetuous surrender or swapping thereof. Although she did finally make it home, many Christians today tragically do not. They die needlessly along the tempestuous trail, victory intact, but completely untapped. And Satan laughs gleefully… in the face of the grace of almighty God, as the following so ominously illustrates:

“An old vulture sits atop a dead tree whose roots cling uncertainly to the rocky soil at the upper rim of the canyon. The human eye can detect no sign of life in the dry valley far below, but the bird slowly and languidly pushes away from his branch and launches himself into the atmosphere. All is quiet except for the wind’s whisper and the quiet and solemn “coo” of a mourning dove. As the sun slowly rises towards its zenith, a dark speck in the sky looms larger, and larger, and more familiar. It is our friend, the vulture, who, with lazy ease, is floating home. The reason for his excursion, unseen by us, lies on the dry canyon floor; a lamb’s last remains, from one separated from the flock and the shepherd’s staff, and eaten by wolves. He preens himself and flaps his wings in contentment, and once again, turns to survey the canyon below. ‘Be sober, be watchful; your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour’” (1 Peter 5:8).                               ~Carson Stephens

So tell that wicked witch to take a flying hike in the other direction in the name of your victory giving Jesus! And you know what? He has NO CHOICE but to do so (James 4:7). God has promised you right there in His all-authoritative and inerrant Word, in Romans, chapter eight, that you can overwhelmingly conquer right now, in all these awful things – which obviously won’t be in heaven but exist only here on earth – through Him who loves you (present tense, not future). Now that’s an “intact fact for when you’re attacked,” present-tense and Providential promise brethren! Now that’s what Romans eight says, and it’s “in-tense!”

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What Some Call Legalism …

What Some Call Legalism, God Calls a Blessing.

The nation of Israel stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai and saw all that was happening. They felt the ground shaking beneath their feet. Then, the voice of God thundered and spoke the Ten Commandments to them. They were so terrified that they begged Moses to climb the mountain and let God personally deliver His laws to him. Their words were, “You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you” (Deut. 5:27). They then added, “And we will hear and do it.”

The Lord heard these words of commitment and the promise they made that, when the revelation of God’s message was complete, they would listen to the message and do it. His response was, “They are right in all that they have spoken” (Deut. 5:28). Some people today mock such promises of devotion to listen to what God says and a commitment to do whatever He wants. They call that legalism. Whatever derisive name they might call it, they are wrong. The Lord said that every word of the Jews spoken that day was right. To use the word legalism in this way mocks how God feels about obeying Him.

The next few verses show even further that God wants His followers to be concerned about finding His will and precisely doing what He teaches. Read the following words from our Creator and note the words I have emphasized. “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” How can anyone read these words and then sarcastically mock those who are trying to obey the Lord? Look at His words again and see that this attitude would not only be a blessing to those who had it but to their children forever.

He then told Moses, “Be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you . . . you shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you” (Deut. 5:32-33).

It is obvious that those who mock attention to finding His will and obeying it have been reading too many books and listening to far too many theologians. Their whole attitude of obedience would be changed if they would look at how God speaks about this matter. We are not at liberty to come to His word and find what pleases us and mock those who seek to obey everything He said. Read the words highlighted in the words of God quoted above. Do it all!

There is true legalism in the gospel and that legalism is that men must seek His will, love it, and obey it!

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