Tag Archives: Bible

What Is Sin?

Posted on by under Culture, Doctrine

 

     If you ever want to bring a conversation to a screeching halt, just talk to someone about the issue of sin! In our politically correct, nothing is ever wrong, who are you to judge me world, the topic of sin or of pointing out that something is morally wrong has been equated with hate speech. Thus we are left with an “if it feels good, do it” society that does not understand the difference between right and wrong.

arrows missing target

     Just what is sin? The first mention of sin in the Bible has to do with Cain’s undesirable sacrifice. God says, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7, NKJV). The word ‘sin’ in this passage carries with it the idea of a crouching beast, waiting to pounce on its prey. In archery, the term ‘sin’ is used when the archer misses the mark and fails to hit the target. With regards to us, we sin when we miss the mark and do not live up to God’s desire for us. Sin is breaking the law of God. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). These are sins of commission (something that we did). There are also sins of omission (failing to do what is right). “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

     How then do we judge between what is right and what is wrong/sinful? It is not according to our own wishes and desires, for we are mere men. Who are we to determine what is right or wrong and to be the judge of it? We need a higher standard than what man deems right or wrong. Solomon has said, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Jeremiah prophesied that it is not in man to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23). Thus we need to turn to God’s word, and His Holy Standard in order to see what is right and what is wrong. Paul wrote that he would not have known what was sin had God’s law not revealed that to him (Romans 7:7).

   We have an obligation to check these things out in the Bible. Let us allow God’s word to give us our direction regarding what is right and wrong. Let us not lean upon man’s understanding and end up in sin. Sin leads to death (James 1:12-15; Romans 6:23). Obedience to God will lead us to life (Romans 6:16). Let us reject sin and live!

What is Man’s Greatest Problem?

Posted on by under Christian Living

IRAQI FREEDOM

     If we were to take a survey and ask folks their answer to the question above, we would likely get many different responses. Some would claim that the terrorism that we see in our world today is mankind’s greatest problem. Others might say something related to the economy, the jobless rate, global warming, a want of political leadership, or the lack of unity among us as Americans that threatens to destroy us from within. Above and beyond all of these particular problems, though, is one problem that plagues all of mankind no matter where we live on the globe. That is the problem of sin.

     While all of those worldly problems may threaten us while we are here, the problem of sin transcends this world and has implications in the life that is to come. The Bible says that all the things of this life are going to be destroyed someday. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10, NKJV).   Sin has eternal results. Sin separates us from God. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

     Before you say that you have no sin in your life, consider what the Bible says about that as well. God’s word says that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). If we claim to not have sinned, we lie and the truth is not in us, and we are calling God a liar (1 John 1:8-10). Because of the sin problem that all men have, we need to have Jesus so that we can overcome it. We have to believe in Him and His power to cleanse us from sin if we will walk in the light (1 John 1:7). Jesus said, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Don’t die lost in your sins. Come to Jesus for His healing power and receive the gift of life instead!

Who Are You Listening To?

Posted on by under Christian Living

          After reigning over Israel for forty years, King Solomon died and rested with his fathers (1 Kings 11:42-43). The next in line to the throne was his son Rehoboam, but he had a test presented to him by the nation of Israel. How would he handle this challenge? Would he be able to win the hearts of the people? In order to face this great challenge, Rehoboam consulted with two groups of advisors before making his decision, which would shape the history of Israel for years to come.

            After calling the nation of Israel to Shechem, Rehoboam2191408271_3408b3e46c_o was presented with their challenge. They asked to have their burden reduced from what had been required by Solomon. Rehoboam asked for three days to consider their proposal. During that time he first consulted with the wise elders, who had advised his father. These men gave Rehoboam sound advice. They told him to lighten the burden on the people and they would serve him forever, but this was not what Rehoboam wanted to hear (1 Kings 12:1-8a).

            After hearing the advice of the wise elders, Rehoboam turned to the young men that made up his peer group. Their advice was to make the burden on the people heavier than what they had endured under Solomon. This was what Rehoboam wanted to hear, and perhaps this stroked his ego in that he could show that he was greater than his father. When the nation came back together to hear Rehoboam’s response, he told them that he would make his little finger thicker than his father’s loins (1 Kings 12:8b-11). This rude response did not set well with the Israelites.

            After hearing Rehoboam’s response, ten of the tribes of Israel went north with Jeroboam and formed the kingdom of Israel. Rehoboam lost out on the majority of the nation and the kingdom was divided, fulfilling the prophecy of the Lord as punishment for Solomon’s sins (1 Kings 12:15). Because Rehoboam heeded bad advice, his legacy was tarnished. He lost out on ruling over all the tribes of Israel except for Judah. The history of the Israelites was forever changed by Rehoboam’s decision to heed bad advice.

            After considering this lesson from the life of Rehoboam, what application can we make in our lives? When we have a major decision to make in our lives, to whom do we turn? Do we only want to have our ears scratched and hear what we want, or are we willing to hear the truth from wise men? We have the opportunity each day to heed the good words of God and to follow His statutes and His commandments. Or we can choose to listen to those around us, whose advice may sound good at the time, but the end of their path leads to ruin and misery. Whose advice will you heed this day?

Running Away From God

Posted on by under Christian Living

3633230337_6e4f9c4f0a_b     Imagine that you were told by your elders that you needed to travel to the Middle East and preach the gospel to members of a terrorist group that was responsible for terrible attacks upon your people. Would you be willing to go? Would you be eager to make that trip?

     In the days of Jeroboam II, king of Israel, God spoke to His prophet Jonah and instructed him that he was to travel to the great city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-2). Nineveh was one of three main cities in the Assyrian empire, and they were great enemies of Israel at the time. Additionally, they were Gentiles, and the Jews felt some exclusivity with regards to being God’s chosen people. Thus there was no love for the Assyrians within Israel, but animosity.

     We know that instead of traveling towards Nineveh that Jonah instead ran the other way, boarding a ship headed for Tarshish at the end of the known world at the time (Jonah 1:3). Jonah tried to run and hide from God, but God knew exactly where Jonah was, being that He is the creator of the land and the sea (Jonah 1:9). Jonah was not interested in the salvation of the Assyrians. After three days in the belly of a great fish, Jonah reluctantly went to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people.

     How is our attitude when it comes to preaching the gospel to others? Are we being selective in who we approach, because they are not like us? We should not allow our prejudice or bias keep us from sharing the truth of God’s word with anyone. God wishes for all men to come to the knowledge of the truth, to repent, and to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). It is not up to us to limit the power of God. We are to be but simple messengers, carrying the story of the cross to this lost and dying world.

How Do You “Feel” About That?

Posted on by under Doctrine

2269421     I recently read a blog article by someone who claims to be a Christian about what it takes to be a Christian.  I am sure that there are many blogs out there that address this issue in one way or another, but what was interesting about this particular post is what the author claimed he believed.  Or, to be more accurate, what he claimed to not believe.  The author stated that he does not believe that Jesus is God.  He does not believe that Jesus walked on water, healed the sick, raised Lazarus from the grave, was born of a virgin, was raised Himself after three days in the grave, or that He died for the sins of mankind.  So we may ask the question, why does he consider himself to be a Christian?  Reading on in the article, the author’s beliefs were based purely on what he “feels” about God.

     If the basis of religious truth is nothing more than how we feel about something, how could you ever prove what is true?  I may feel that one thing is true and someone else may feel that the opposite is true, so which one is correct?  Truth has to be based on facts.  I may feel that the water is cold.  Someone else may feel that the water is hot.  But if we take a thermometer and measure the temperature of the water, now we have established the facts.  Now we can know if the water is really cold or hot.

     If we are going to follow Jesus.  If we are going to be one of His.  If we are going to call ourselves Christians (meaning that we belong to Christ).  Then we need to pay attention to what He said and what He did.  Jesus established the basis of truth in His prayer to the Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17, NKJV).  What are the facts in this case?  What is it that we are to believe?  Let us look into the truth of God’s word for that answer, for without God’s word we would have no facts at all about who God is, what He is like, or what He desires for us to do.

     Jesus said that He was God. “And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins’” (John 8:23-24).  In this particular passage Jesus says that unless you believe that “I am” you will die in your sins.  That “I am” statement should take us back to Moses and the burning bush, where God told Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM had sent him (Exodus 3:14).  If we are going to claim to be followers of Jesus, should we not believe what He said?

     Why claim to follow Jesus if He was not raised from the dead?  This does not make any logical sense.  If He was not raised from the dead then there is no basis for the Christian religion.  Without the resurrection of Christ, there is no foundation for Christianity.  Consider what the apostle Paul wrote by inspiration:

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.  Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.  For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!  Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:12-19, emphasis added).

If Jesus was just another man, why follow Him rather than anyone else?

     The reason that Christians follow Jesus Christ is because He was not just a man.  Jesus is God (John 1:1-5, 14).  Jesus arose from the dead and was seen by many witnesses, which the people in that day and age were unable to discredit (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).  Because He rose from the grave, His apostles and disciples had a newfound courage to be able to go to martyrdom and not worry about losing their physical lives.  Now they understood that there was something more beyond the grave, and so they no longer turned away or deserted their Savior in times of trouble.  If Jesus had not been resurrected, this would not have been the case.

     If we are going to call ourselves Christians, it would seem logical to suppose that we are going to believe what Jesus said, and that we are going to do what Jesus said to do.  We can claim all day long to be one of His, but if we are not doing what He said, then that claim is false.  I can claim to be the King of Morocco, but claiming it does not make it so.  What is the truth of the matter?  Jesus said,

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!’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

We had better know what the will of the Lord is, which is based upon the truth of His word and not upon our feelings.  “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).  You cannot prove it, if you do not know it!  However, we can know for sure what the Lord requires of us.  Paul wrote in Ephesians, “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:3-4).  When we read God’s word, we can understand what He requires.  We can know what His will is.  Come and see what God’s word has to say on this subject and many others.  The Holy Bible can help us to cut through the fog of confusion and see the truth for what it really is!

The Paths of the Sea

Posted on by under Christian Evidences
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   Matthew Fontaine Maury

     Have you ever taken a canoe trip?  Perhaps you were put into the river at one point and were later picked up at another point downstream.  If you want to take a leisurely trip, you do not even have to paddle other than to steer the canoe away from rocks or the bank.  The current of the water will carry you along to your destination.  If you have ever dropped anything out of your canoe, then you know how hard it can be to row against the current to go back upriver to retrieve it!

     Matthew Fontaine Maury is credited with the discovery of ocean currents, which make shipping and travel upon the seas much more efficient than they would otherwise be.  By using the paths of the sea, shipping vessels can use less energy and travel faster than they would if they had to struggle against the current.  Just how did Maury discover these paths?  How is it that he became known as the “Pathfinder of the Seas?”

     Matthew Maury was a member of the United States Navy in the mid 1800’s.  The story is told of how he was bed ridden with illness, and thus had one of his children read to him from the Psalms of the Old Testament.  As he listened to the eighth Psalm, he was intrigued by the phrase “paths of the sea.”  He was determined that if God’s word mentioned paths in the sea, then they must be there.  Thus it was because of the Scriptures that Maury went in search of ocean currents.

     In looking at the Psalm we find these words written about man, “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen — Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas” (Psalm 8:6-8 NKJV).  Just how is it that a shepherd, who became the King of Israel, could know about ocean currents?  David never sailed the high seas.  Yet David writes of the paths of the sea almost 3,000 years before man made this scientific discovery.

     This is yet further proof of the inspiration of the scriptures.  This shows us that the only way David could have had this information so long ago, was that God revealed it to him.  Maury heard the phrase “paths of the seas,” he believed God’s word to be true, and he went out and discovered what God’s word already knew was there.  Perhaps you would like to know more about other scientific knowledge that has been revealed in God’s word long before man discovered it.  If so, come and see what God’s word has to say about this and many other subjects!

Failure To Warn

Posted on by under Current Events

Sound the Alarm   Recently a story was in the news that the German government may have had a warning about commercial airlines flying over Ukraine and Russia, prior to an airliner being shot down in that region. If proved to be true, it would mean that the Germans did not sound the alarm and warn others of impending doom. Many become upset when they hear news such as this, and rightfully so. We do not tend to think much of others when they know of potential disaster, but refuse to warn others.

   God’s word has something to say about this principle as well. God instructed His prophet Ezekiel,

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul (Ezekiel 3:17-19 NKJV).

Ezekiel was God’s watchman. He was to point out wickedness when he saw it. He was to warn others of their impending doom. If he did not give the warning, then he would be held responsible by God.

   Today, we no longer have prophets, but we do have the completed word of God that we can read and study and use as our standard. When we see things that are morally wrong according to that standard, we have an obligation and a duty to point those things out to others in order to give them fair warning. If we do not give the warning, God will hold us responsible. It is not an easy thing to tell others that they are wrong. For most it is a no win situation.

    However, it is not by our own rules or desires that we are to call someone’s actions wicked. We are to make the comparison and issue the warning in accordance with God’s holy standard, the Bible. Therefore, let us be good students of His word and continue to sound the alarm and show others the way God would have them go.

The Impossible Dream?

Posted on by under Doctrine

Fergusonhug-v2     Unity.  Too often today we look for unity, only to find division and strife.  Whether in regards to race relations, politics, sports, or our outlook on life, we as a people seem to have gravitated towards focusing on what divides us rather than what unites us.  But how do we achieve unity?  Is it achievable?  How do we begin?

     First we need to realize that unity is only achievable if we are all using the same standard to measure our beliefs and behaviors.  That standard is the Word of God.  If we would all go to the Bible for the foundation of our beliefs, our behavior, our religious practices, and what we say and do, then we would have unity.  Not possible, you say?  Well, just look at Jesus’ own Apostles.  One of them was Simon, a zealot (Luke 6:15).  The zealots were known for political assassinations of Romans and for stirring the people up in revolt.  Another of the Apostles was Matthew, who was a tax collector for the Romans (Matthew 10:3).  Yet, the two of them worked together in unity as Apostles, because they were united in Christ, the Word of God (John 1:1-2, 14).

     If we were to use the Bible as our guide, not our own understanding or our own thoughts and ideas, then we could fulfill Jesus’ prayer in the garden.  Jesus said, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21 NKJV).  Jesus wanted His followers to be one, to all be on the same page, to be united, so that the world would believe.  Many point to divisions between religious groups as proof that there is no God.  They are right about the divisions, but not about atheism.

     The Scriptures often speak of unity.  We are to be of the same mind (Rom. 12:16; 1 Cor. 1:10; Phil. 2:2; 3:16; 4:2; 1 Peter 4:1).  We are to speak the same things (1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 4:13).  We are to have the same foundation (1 Cor. 3:10-11; Eph. 2:19-20).  Paul wrote, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3 emphasis added).

     We are to have unity, but not a unity where we water down God’s word to the point that it is no longer recognizable.  We can preach tolerance for others and diversity to the point where we accept two mutually opposite points as both being true.  How can that be?  No, if we are to have unity, then that unity must be based upon the same standard.  It must be based upon the truth of God’s Word.  We do not achieve unity by capitulating on the truth or by trying to make truth relative.

     You may not believe that we can have unity.  However, in looking at how much the Bible speaks of unity ask yourself one question.  Would God ask us to do something that is not possible?  God as told us to be unified.  He has given us His standard to guide us in that unity.  His Son prayed for that unity.  Why do that if it is not achievable?  If we would just go to His Word, study what it really says, and then do that, we could have unity.  We could be one in Christ like as the Apostles.  That would be a better way!

How Did They Know That?

Posted on by under Christian Evidences

The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17      Have you ever been amazed by a child, perhaps your own, who shows that they have been paying attention to something that was said? Maybe they show a grasp of a new idea, and you can see that light bulb going off in their head for the first time. Sometimes we may wonder, “How did they know that,” or “how did they pick up on that idea.”

    In the Bible there are many examples that can be studied where the writers of the Holy Scriptures had a knowledge of scientific facts that would not be discovered by man for many, many years. This should lead us to the same question that we have with the child. Just how did they know that? For instance, consider what we read in the book of Isaiah. “Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in” (Isaiah 40:21-22 NKJV).

      Notice that as Isaiah is speaking about our God, the Creator of the universe, he mentions that God sits above the circle of the earth. Isaiah is writing this sometime around 750 B.C., and he knows that the earth is round – it is a circle. Today we take this knowledge for granted, but it took a long time for man to come to the realization that the earth is round. We no longer worry about sailing over the edge of the earth. But how did Isaiah know this? He had never circumvented the globe or traveled into space to see this for himself.

       Furthermore, Job states “He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7). Job had never traveled into outer space either, so how does he know that the earth hangs on nothing? The ancients had all sorts of theories about what the earth was like and how it was held up. One theory was that Atlas held the world on his shoulders. Another was that the earth was on the back of some great tortoise. Now that we have traveled beyond our atmosphere, man can see that the earth indeed hangs on nothing.

       Did these men just get lucky with their knowledge of scientific facts that would not be discovered for a long, long time? That is unlikely. The only way these men could have known this information to be true is that God revealed this to them. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). This is just one small proof that the Bible is not from man, but indeed has been penned by God through His Holy Spirit!

God’s Path to Salvation – Step One — HEAR

Posted on by under Doctrine

John 1717 [widescreen]It is important for us to realize that God has a path to salvation for mankind.  It is not my path to salvation.  It is not some board or council’s path to salvation.  It is not the path to salvation of some college of titled officials.  It is not the entrance requirements for some church or religious institution.  It is God’s path, and as such He calls all men to come out of the world and be a part of His ekklesia, His church, those who have been ‘called out’ of the world, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9).

For the first step in God’s Path, Hearing God’s Word, click here to go to the lesson.