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Long For Truth: July 2014

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Links to Make You Think

Here are this weeks links to make you think.
Ever wonder about God’s sovereignty over salvation and His desire for all to be saved? John Piper has a new book out that deals with the will of God in salvation. Here is a good review of the book.

This is a good article by Ligonier on why we come to while our neighbor doesn't. Does this mean we are smarter or better than our neighbor?

Am I in trouble? A short but good post by Desiring God reminding us of God’s grace when we blow it.


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Sunday, July 27, 2014

The Evangelical Church's Tower of Babel



Genesis 11:1-9 recounts the dispersement of families, tribes, and languages upon the earth. It tells of a people who tried to "reach" God by the building of a great tower. Despite God's command for them to be "fruitful and multiply" (Gen 9:7) man tried to maintain and establish his own authority by remaining in one place (Gen 11:1-10).  As a result, God came down and confused the languages of the people, thereby forcing them to comply with His command to fill the earth and subdue it. Just as a caveat a study note in the Faith Life Study Bible adds,

11:7 let us go down As with 1:26, both exhortations are plural. The plural indicates that God is speaking to the heavenly host (see 1:26 and note; and see v. 1). The text also contains literary puns and wordplay: “let us confuse” is nabelah (from the root, balal; see v. 9), the reverse consonant order of the word used earlier for “bricks” (lebanim). God will reverse their efforts by confusing their language.
What does this have to to with the Evangelical church? The tower of Babel was a defining moment for the people of that day. Perhaps you didn't catch it but the author kinda drops a clue at the end of verse 9: And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Back in Genesis 9:7 God had commanded Noah and his family to disperse and fill the earth. Upon coming to the plain of Shinar the people ceased to obey that command. They began to make plans to actually bring the people together rather than settle all over the earth.

Today, the Church is at its defining crossroads. We have been commanded to preach the gospel. Not that we haven't been preaching it–in a loose, sort of a way, I suppose. But today, the Evangelical church, by and large has produced its own Tower of Babel in the gospel it proclaims. This gospel has proclaimed to men that are dead in their trespasses and sin (Eph 2:1, Col 2:13) that they may indeed raise their dead souls to life with but a mere prayer.

This man-centered gospel has produced false converts who believe that simply because they have "accepted Jesus" then they are eternally saved.





Scripture makes it abundantly clear that God is the author of salvation from start to finish! (John 6:37, John 6:44, Mat 11:27, Ro 9:16, Rev17:8, Eph 2:8-9).

Perhaps it is not too late for the Church to redeem the lost time it has squandered. Perhaps we can once again, as in centuries past, change, shape, and lead our culture to see the Great King, Jesus the Christ. Perhaps we will abandon our nonsensical efforts of salvation and finally leave it wholly to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Perhaps!

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I Cannot be Punished, for Christ was Punished


Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned—every one—to his own way;and the Lord has laid on himthe iniquity of us all.

This is an excerpt from a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on June 10' 1866 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The sermon was entitled, Sin Laid on Jesus. You can find the entire sermon here. I chose this portion of the sermon because of the great comfort it should bring to God’s elect. If Christ was punished, how can I be punished? Atonement is just that. It is atonement for every sin, past, present and future. If Christ bore all then there's nothing left to bear. I cannot be punished again for what Christ was punished for. I pray this helps you worship our Savior this Sunday Morning.

We cannot close the exposition of this verse without just remarking upon the "us" here intended. "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." It is usually conceded by us who hold the doctrine of particular redemption that there was in the death of Christ very much of generality and universality. We believe that the atonement of Christ was infinite in value, and that if Christ had decreed to save every man of woman born, he need not have suffered another pang; there was sufficient in his atonement if he had so willed it to have redeemed the entire race. We believe also that by the death of Christ there is a general and honest invitation given to every creature under heaven in terms like these:—"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." We are not prepared, however, to go an inch beyond that. We hold that from the very nature of the satisfaction of Christ it could not have been made for any but for his elect; for Christ either did pay the debts of all men or he did not; if he did pay the debts of all men they are paid, and no man can be called to account for them. If Christ was the surety of every man living, then how in the name of common justice is Christ to be punished, and man punished too? If it be replied that the man would not accept the atonement, then I ask again, Was there a satisfaction given, for if so it was given whether the man accepts it or not, or else satisfaction by itself is powerless until man puts efficacy in it, which is preposterous to suppose. If you take away from us the fact that Christ did really satisfy for those for whom he stood, we cry like Jacob, "If I am bereaved I am bereaved;" you have taken away all that is worth having, and what have you given us in its place? You have given us a redemption, which confessedly does not redeem; you have given us an atonement, which is made equally for the lost in hell and for the saved in heaven; and what is the intrinsic value of such an atonement? If you tell us that Christ made a satisfactory atonement for every one of the human race, we ask you how it was that he made an atonement for those that must have been in the flames of hell thousands of years before he came into this world? My brethren, ours has the advantage of universality in its proclamation and in its bona fide offer, for there is no man living who shall believe in Jesus who shall not be saved by Christ; but it has a greater advantage than this; namely, that those who do believe are saved by it, and they know that Christ made such an atonement for them that for them to be punished for sin would be as much a violation of justice as it would of mercy. O my soul! thou knowest this day that all thy sins were made to meet on Christ, and that he bore the punishment for them all.
"He bore that we might never bear,
His Father's righteous ire."
Here is a rock to stand on, a safe resting-place for those who trust in Jesus. As for you who trust him not, your blood be upon your own heads! If ye trust him not, ye have no part nor lot in this matter, ye shall go down to your own punishment to bear it yourselves; the wrath of God abideth on you; you shall find that the blood of Jesus has made no atonement for your sins. You have rejected the invitation that was given, and put far from you the cross of Christ, and upon your heads the pardoning blood shall never drop, and for you it shall never plead, but you must perish under the law, seeing you refuse to be saved under the gospel.


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Friday, July 25, 2014

Links to Last Night's Podcast

Here is the YouTube trailer of the upcoming documentary "Such Were Some Of You." I played this at the opening of the podcast.

I started the podcast out by reading a post by a former homosexual. This man was delivered from the sin of homosexuality by God's amazing grace and mercy. He has been straight now for 34 years. In this post he gives his testimony about the guilt and shame he experienced during his previous lifestyle. You can find the post here.

Finally we went through the Sodom and Gomorrah story found in Genesis 19 and saw that God destroyed the two cities for the sin of homosexuality.

Genesis 19:1-29 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the town square." But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof." But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door. Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it." So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city." But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away." And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!" He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. God Destroys Sodom The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

 

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Thursday, July 24, 2014

What is True Worship?

Emotion should be experienced in worship. Worship without emotion is not pleasing to God-Matthew 15:8 "‘This people honors me with their lips,but their heart is far from me; However, the Word of God should drive our worship.

Two elements of true worship

Worship without truth is not true worship. Jesus made it clear that the Word of God is what sanctifies us, not an emotional experience-John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. When speaking with the woman at the well Jesus told us what the true elements of worship are, spirit (emotion) and truth-John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." So,no truth, no genuine worship. No spirit, no genuine worship.

The average worship experience

Yet in many churches, especially Seeker Driven and Charismatic churches, there is a much greater emphasis on experiencing God through music and ecstatic praise rather than through the preaching of the Word. The music and praise supposedly brings the presence of God so His people can experience Him. One of the phrases you might hear in these churches is "Lord, send your presence!" or, "Lord, we want to feel your presence in this place tonight!" This is said usually by the Worship Leader as the praise band begins to play a song that's void of any deep theological substance. Now don't get me wrong. I have no problem with contemporary worship, or raising hands in worship, as long as long as the music itself is not the main focus of service. The preaching of the Word is to be the whole reason we come to Church.

What did Jesus and the apostles think?

Jesus and the Apostles had a high view of Scripture. They taught the importance of sound doctrine:

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

What shows that one is a true disciple? Abiding in the Word.

John 8:51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Sanctification comes through knowing "truth," (doctrine) rather than experience.

Acts 2:42 The Fellowship of the Believers And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

The early church "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching" (doctrine). Nothing here about ecstatic worship experiences.

Titus 1:9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Titus 2:1​ But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

1 Timothy 6:3-4 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,

None of the apostles or early church fathers would have ever elevated experience over the teaching and preaching of the Word. Yet as time draws nearer and nearer to the return of Christ, the Word of God will become less and less important to "Christians" and personal experience will reign. I truly believe we are in the midst of a famine. Not a famine of food, but a famine of hearing the Word. Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord God,"when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,but of hearing the words of the Lord. When asking today's average Christian about Church, rarely will you hear them emphasize the preaching and teaching of the Word. This is because worship has become more about experience than hearing from God through the preaching of His Word.

Here is a short video by John MacArthur on what constitute true worship.

 

 

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Links to Make You Think

 

The first link is by Paul Tripp from the Liberate blog entitled If God Weren't Angry. I promise, this post is not what you think.

 

Is the Christian Life More Like Colorado or Nebraska? In other words, is the normal, average Christian Life always filled with wonderful religious experiences, or is it just day to day?

 

Good article by the The Gospel Coalition on work. This post goes along well with the previous post. Trees of the Field: Thoughts on Work

 

 


 

 

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Cup of Wrath: A Sermon

This is a sermon I preached at Capital City Rescue Mission on July 19, 2014.

 

Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."

The point of this passage is the anguish, terror and suffering of of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Listen to His words spoken to His disciples in verse 38.

Verse 38 "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death."

The KJV says, "exceeding sorrowful." the word "sorrowful" in the Greek carries the idea of being "overcome with sorrow so much as to cause one's death." And this is exactly what Christ says in verse 38.

Why is He overcome with sorrow? Why is He suffering such extreme terror and anguish? The answer is found in the very next verse.

Verse 39, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me..."

What is the "cup" referring to? It refers to the cup of God's wrath.

The word "cup" that Christ uses often signifies the wrath of God in the Bible. For instance Isa 51:17; Job 21:20; Ps 11:6; Ps 75:8; Jer 25:15

Christ was about to suffer the wrath of God for sinners. He was about to drink the "cup" of God's wrath intended for you and me?

Think about it for a moment. This holy and righteous man. God in the flesh, who was from eternity in sweet fellowship and communion with His Father, One who had never sinned, nor had ever experienced any guilt over sin whatsoever was about to experience the full weight of His Father's wrath for sins that were not His own. And not just a a few sins, but the sins of the whole world!

This terrified Him. Why? Wayne Grudem in His book Systematic Theology

Now Jesus was perfectly holy. He hated sin with his entire being. The thought of evil, of sin, contradicted everything in his character. Far more than we do, Jesus instinctively rebelled against evil. Yet in obedience to the Father, and out of love for us, Jesus took on himself all the sins of those who would someday be saved. Taking on himself all the evil against which his soul rebelled created deep revulsion in the center of his being.

Having to take upon Himself our sins brought Christ overwhelming sorrow.

Think about the many times your own soul was overcome with sorrow from your own sins. Think about all the times you felt the weight of your own guilt and shame over the sins you committed. How horrible you felt. All of us with a conscience have experienced this.

Now imagine Christ, the holy One, Creator of the Universe, second Person of the Trinity, the God Man, perfect in righteousness and purity, about to take upon Himself the disgusting, putrid, rebellion and sin of the world "in his body on a tree," 1Peter 2:24, 2Cor 5:21

But not only did Christ suffer overwhelming sorrow over bearing our sins in His sinless body, He also trembled in anguish over bearing the full weight of the wrath of Almighty God. Listen again to Wayne Grudem:

As Jesus bore the guilt of our sins alone, God the Father, the mighty Creator, the Lord of the universe, poured out on Jesus the fury of his wrath: Jesus became the object of the intense hatred of sin and vengeance against sin which God had patiently stored up since the beginning of the world....at the cross the fury of all that stored-up wrath against sin was unleashed against God's own Son.

God's wrath against sin is so terrible that it brought Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh, to such anguish that His sweat was like great drops of blood, Luke 22:44. If the wrath of God terrified Christ for sins that were not His own, imagine the terror that sinners will face as they suffer the full wrath of God for their own sins.

Now, I want to apply this passage to three potential groups of people:

1. To those whom the Holy Spirit has awakened. You know that you are a sinner, and that you deserve the wrath of God. The judgement of God makes you tremble and quake with fear. You may even be questioning whether or not God will forgive you because your sins are too great. I want to encourage you not to be afraid to come to Christ. The reason that you feel the terror and guilt of sin is because God has awakened you, and if He has awakened you He will definitely save you. The arms of Christ are wide open. He has already drank the cup of wrath for your sins. He has already had the punishment of God poured out on Him for your sins. He was your substitute on the cross. Since He has already suffered for your sins, it is impossible for Him to turn you away.

Listen to His comforting words in John 6:37. He promises that He will never drive away anyone who comes to Him. God requires two things from us. First, that we obey His Law perfectly, without flaw. And second, that their be punishment for every sinner who breaks His Law at any point. This is bad news because all of us have failed to keep His Law, and are deserving of punishment. But there is good news! Because the very God who demands we keep His Law has done for us what He requires from us. He sent His Son to keep His Law for us. And then to go to the cross and suffer the punishment for every time we broke His Law! Again, it is impossible for Him to turn you away, because He has already drank the cup of wrath for you. The Father will gladly receive you, because His anger has already been poured out on His precious Son. Now by faith and faith alone you may receive this precious gift of forgiveness free of charge because Christ has paid the full cost required for your forgiveness!

2. The Second group I would like to speak to are Christians who are struggling with sin. Every Christian struggles with sin, and any one who claims to be a Christian and says that they don't struggle probably is not a Christian, 1John 1:8. Christians can find great comfort and encouragement in this passage because Christ drank the cup of wrath. We never have to fear that because we struggle with a particular sin, or sins that God will put us on a shelf, or even abandon us. Satan however, often whispers in our ears saying, "Now look what you've done. You have gone too far now. God is angry with you beyond measure. He will never forgive you for this sin. He has given you chance after chance and you've blown it again! Don't even bother going to Him for forgiveness. You are ruined. You might as well just quit." Now it is true. When a Believer sins he or she does bring displeasure to the Father. But that should never discourage us from coming to Him forgiveness and mercy. Remember, He is no longer our great Judge, but our loving Father. His discipline in our lives is for our good. Hebrews 12:5. God will not put His children on a shelf, or abandon them. He will not waste the precious blood of His Son. Christ drank the cup of wrath for all the sins of God's people. We have the promise of Philippians 1:6. We also have the assurance of our election: Ep. 1:4. Those whom the Father elected, or chose before the foundation of the world He will not ever abandon. We have these preciouse promises that speak of our election and are meant to bring us great encouragement and comfort; Ro. 8:28-29; 2Th 2:13. Election is meant to give us great encouragement by showing us that,

1. Our salvation is not dependent upon us.

2. God will never abandon His elect children that He forknew before the creation of the world.

3. The third group that I want to speak to are those here tonight who could care a less about what I am saying up here. Christ means nothing to you, and sin is a small matter to you. You love your sin, and you hate your Creator. You may have had some seemingly godly desires in the past, but those desires have been for your own personal gain. God's wrath doesn't scare you, and there is no fear of God before your eyes. This should terrify you because it means that God hasn't awakened you to your sin. Jesus trembled over bearing the wrath of God for the sins of the world. The Holy, Righteous One, the Creator of the world trembled over the wrath of God for sins that were not His own; How much more should we tremble for the sins that we have committed. Pray that God will awaken your hearts tonight so that you will be saved. Pray that God would show you your sinful state and would grant you repentance, because repentance is a gift from Him; 2Tim 2:25; Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18.

So again, tonight, you whom the Spirit has awakened, believe that Christ died in your place, repent of your sins and be saved!

And you who are saved, but are struggling with sin, remember, the loving arms of the Father are waiting for you, no matter how many times you have blown it! He will forgive you because Christ has already suffered for your sins. Don't be afraid to return to Him

And finally, you who are mocking this message in your heart, you have no guarantee that you will not meet your Maker tonight. "What is your life? It is but a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes away." I assure you, if you die tonight having rejected the only way of salvation you will stand in judgment before God for your sins, and be cast into hell until that final day when you will be thrown in the lake of fire. Repent, and turn to Christ that you may be saved! Amen.

 

 

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Sunday, July 20, 2014

The Free Garments of Righteousness

 

You and I come into this world clothed in filthy garments, the garments of sin. With these garments on we will never be able to enter through the gates of heaven, for only those who's garments are spotless may enter. But Christ offers us an exchange. He is wearing spotless garments, white as snow, and He offers a trade, His spotless garments for our filthy garments. There is no cost for this exchange. He has paid all of the expenses in order to offer them to us free, "without money and without price (Isa 55:1). We need not fear He will not give them to us because they have been bought for us with a great price, His blood!

This is a portion of a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on April 5, 1857. You can find the entire sermon here. May God give you joy in your worship of Him this Sunday morning.

 

 

And now, let me further go on to explain some of the characteristics of this justification. As soon as a repenting sinner is justified, remember, he is justified for all his sins. Here stands a man all guilty. The moment he believes in Christ, his pardon at once he receives, and his sins are no longer his; they are cast into the depths of the sea. They were laid upon the shoulders of Christ, and they are gone. The man stands a guiltless man in the sight of God, accepted in the beloved. "What!" say you, "do you mean that literally?" Yes, I do, That is the doctrine of justification by faith. Man ceases to be regarded by divine justice as a guilty being; the moment he believes on Christ his guilt is all taken away. But I am going a step further. The moment the man believes in Christ, he ceases to be guilty in God's esteem; but what is more, he becomes righteous, he becomes meritorious; for, in the moment when Christ takes his sins he takes Christ's righteousness; so that, when God looks upon the sinner who but an hour ago was dead in sins, he looks upon him with as much love and affection as he ever looked upon his Son. He himself has said it—"As the Father loved me, so have I loved you." He loves us as much as his Father loved him. Can you believe such a doctrine as that? Does it not pass all thought? Well, it is a doctrine of the Holy Spirit; the doctrine whereby we must hope to be saved. Can I to any unenlightened person illustrate this thought better? I will give him the parable we have given to us in the prophets—the parable of Joshua the high-priest. Joshua comes in, clothed in filthy garments; those filthy garments representing his sins. Take away the filthy garments; that is pardon. Put a mitre on his head; clothe him in royal raiment; make him rich and fair; that is justification. But where do these garments come from? and where do those rags go to? Why, the rags that Joshua had on go to Christ, and the garments put on Joshua are the garments that Christ wore. The sinner and Christ do just what Jonathan and David did. Jonathan put his robes on David, David gave Jonathan his garments; so Christ takes our sins, we take Christ's righteousness; and it is by a glorious substitution and interchange of places that sinners go free and are justified by his grace.

"But," says one, "no one is justified like that, till he dies." Believe me, he is.

"The moment a sinner believes,

And trusts in his crucified God,

His pardon at once he receives;

Salvation in full, through his blood."

If that young man over there has really believed in Christ this morning, realizing by a spiritual experience what I have attempted to describe, he is as much justified in God's sight now as he will be when he stands before the throne. Not the glorified spirits above are more acceptable to God than the poor man below, who is once justified by grace. It is a perfect washing, it is perfect pardon, perfect imputation; we are fully, freely, and wholly accepted, through Christ our Lord. Just one more word here, and then I will leave this matter of justification. Those who are once justified are justified irreversibly. As soon as a sinner takes Christ's place, and Christ takes the sinner's place, there is no fear of a second change. If Christ has once paid the debt, the debt is paid, and it will never be asked for again; if you are pardoned, you are pardoned once for ever. God does not give man a free pardon under his own sign-manual, and then afterwards retract it and punish man: that be far from God so to do. He says, "I have punished Christ; you may go free." And after that, we may "rejoice in hope of the glory of God," that "being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." And now I hear one cry, "That is an extraordinary doctrine." Well, so some may think; but let me say to you, it is a doctrine professed by all protestant churches, though they may not preach it. It is the doctrine of the Church of England, it is the doctrine of Luther, it is the doctrine of the Presbyterian church; it is professedly the doctrine of all Christian churches; and if it seems strange in your ears, it is because your ears are estranged, and not because the doctrine is a strange one. It is the doctrine of holy writ, that none can condemn whom God justifies, and that none can accuse those for whom Christ hath died; for they are totally free from sin. So that, as one of the prophets has it, God sees no sin in Jacob nor iniquity in Israel. In the moment they believe, their sins being imputed to Christ, they cease to be theirs, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to them and accounted theirs, so that they are accepted.

 

 

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

Who Pastors the Pastor?












Whether you attend a large church or a small church you've probably gone to your pastor for advice. Pastors deal with people's problems, anxieties, and "issues" on a daily basis. They are privy (not necessarily in a good way) to the ugly side of human nature. They carry with them a burden day in and day out of peoples' scars and hang-ups.

But what about those times when the pastor himself needs a pastor? No, you didn't read that wrong. I did just say that. What? You thought that all pastors are so super spiritual that they don't need counsel or advice themselves?

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but we are human, too.  Despite the popular belief, ministry cannot be summed up in a book. We get burdened, depressed, and distressed; we worry about our families, finances, and how we're gonna pay next month's mortgage; most of us are full-time pastors while working a regular 40+ hour a week job on top of everything else. We juggle our secular work along with our families, ministry, and sermon prep. Factor in that most congregations' expectations for the pastor include all, but not limited to:

  1. Evangelism
  2. Growing the church
  3. Hospital visitation
  4. New member discipleship                                                             
  5. Directing all the new programs that people desire
  6. Leading most, if not the entire worship service
  7. Door-to-Door visitation
  8. Visiting the widows
  9. Ministering to those in jail
  10. ...And so on and so on

In short, we can get easily burned out!

So the question for us as pastors to consider is, who pastors the pastor? Where do we go when we're feeling like everything is spinning headlong into insanity?

I can't really speak for anyone but myself. I know I have a group of men here locally that will share that burden with me. I am also loosely connected to a network where I can call upon another older and wiser pastor for advice. In fact, I have done so recently, even though that pastor lived 3 hours away from me! It's wonderful to have men that I can fall back on and glean wisdom from when I know I need to. For those pastors who may be reading this it is especially important to have some kind of network, not just for sanity's sake but for accountability. It is way too easy to give in to temptations when we have no one to keep us in check.

If you're a congregant please keep in mind that your pastor is not a machine. He deals with life just like you, along with the added burden of teaching God's Word. This is not to discourage you from ever seeking your pastor out again. It is simply a reminder to be patient and understanding if he seems a little distant or not "interested." He may have his own worries at present.

We do get burned out and need rest just like you. Pastoring is a God-calling vocation. It is tough, requires fortitude, and is never to be taken lightly.

I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!

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Friday, July 18, 2014

6 Reasons You Should Stop Listening to Joyce Meyer

Popular author and teacher Joyce Meyer has said some shocking things in some of her sermons and teachings. Many of those who listen to her have never heard her make any of the claims that I'm about to show you. These are clips that I have put together and uploaded to YouTube to show that I hope would cause any discerning Christian to have second thoughts about listening to Joyce Meyer. Folks, these teachings come straight out of the cults, and are extremely dangerous. All of these teachings can be found in the Word of Faith Movement.

 

1. Joyce Meyer said that Jesus went to hell to pay for our sins

Nowhere do the Scriptures ever even imply this. If this were true Christ's words at the cross meant nothing.

John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

 

2. Joyce Meyer claims to get her teaching from direct revelation

The Spirit wrote the Word. He would never say anything that contradicts the Word He wrote. Many of Joyce Meyer’s teachings contradict the Bible. Besides, the way God speaks to us today is not through direct revelation but through His Word. Red flags should start flying every time you hear someone say "God spoke to me."

 

3. Joyce Meyer said that Jesus stopped being the Son of God at the cross

This was also taught by the Father of the Word of Faith Movement, Kenneth (Dad) Hagin. Again, another teaching that contradicts Scripture. Jesus called God His Father while He was still on the cross.

Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.

 

4. Joyce Meyer said that she is no longer a sinner

Not much needs to be said about this. Here are a few verses that contradict Joyce Meyer:

Jesus calls His own disciples evil

Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

John says that Christians should confess their sins to God

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John says that anyone who claims to be without sin is deceived and without the truth

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John says if we say we have not sinned we make God out to be a liar

1 John 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 

5. Joyce Meyer said that Christians are little gods

Word of Faith teachers say that God created man as a little god. Kenneth Copeland for example teaches that Adam "was God manifested in the flesh." However, Adam lost his godhood when he disobeyed God and ate of the tree that God commanded him not to eat f rom. Through this sinful act, Satan became the god of this world and Adam lost his godhood. But thankfully God was able to thwart Satans plan and sent Christ to buy back our godhood through His death on the cross, and suffering in hell. Now through faith in Christ, Christians are given back their god status and by growing in faith (becoming more and more aware of who we are as little gods) use the "force of faith" to get all that we desire from this life.

Of course the Bible teaches nothing of the sort. There is only one God, and we are to worship Him alone. Adam was created a man and not a little god. Nowhere in Scripture will you see anything that even implies this. Satan told Eve that by eating the fruit she would become "like God, knowing good and evil." No! We were never created as "little gods." This teaching is blasphemous and to embrace it will ultimately damn your soul.

 

6. Joyce Meyer said that Jesus was the first born again man

 

This is another Word of Faith teaching that contradicts Scripture. Here Meyer echoes the words of Kenneth Hagin :

"Why did He need to be begotten or born? Because He became like we were, separated from God. Because He tasted death for every man, His spirit, His inner man, went to hell in our place."

No! Christ became human at His incarnation. The Eternal Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity is the God Man, our New Adam, keeping the Law for us and dying in our place to pay the penalty for our Law breaking. He was not born again. He never needed to be born again. If He did then how could He be a perfect sacrifice for His people. God required a perfect sacrifice to pay for sins. If Christ had to be born again, then He was not that perfect sacrifice.

 

My prayer is that you will listen to these clips, compare them to Scripture, and then warn your family and friends who may be caught up in the teachings of Joyce Meyer.

 

 

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Thursday, July 17, 2014

Links To Make You Think

The first link is from Liberate. The blog post is entitled Good and Angry. Are you Tom or Jim?

Here is a great link to a post by my good brother Pastor Murungi on Prayer. I had the privilege of interviewing him on the Charismatic Movement in Africa. You can listen to that here.

Here is a post by Pastor Tullian Tchividjian called Punk’d by Grace. One of the best illustrations of "double-imputation" I've read to date. We were rebels, and yet Christ bore our punishment and rewarded us with His righteousness!

 

 

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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Stupid Tweets: Paula White and Demonic Spirits

Here is another stupid tweet from another Word of Faith heretic. Paula White is the Senior "pastor" of New Destiny Christian Center. Her being a "pastor" is a problem in itself but that's for another post. She also hosts a television show called Paula White Today, produced by Paula White Ministries that has aired on networks such as Black Entertainment Television and Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Casting out sinful spirits

In her tweet she mentions two sins: procrastination and carelessness, but she doesn't call them sins. She calls them spirits. So according to Paula and many other Charismatics what the Bible calls sins such as lust, greed, slander, gossip etc. are really demonic spirits that the Christian has to rebuke in order to be delivered from them. Charismatics who teach this would say that these are genuine sins, but they are caused by demonic spirits. In other words, if you have a problem with lust, that sin in your life is caused by the demon of lust who possesses you and entices you to engage in lustful activities.

 

Nonsense!

 

However, nowhere in the Bible will you find such nonsense. The Scriptures implore the Christian to walk in a manor worthy of his or her calling. The sin that resides in us is not caused by an evil spirit but by an evil heart. Jesus makes it clear that our evil desires come from us:

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

James tells us that the temptations to sin starts with our own desires residing within:

James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

See any reference to demonic spirits? Paul tells us to put to death sinful, earthly things lurking within us:

Colossians 3:5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

God does allow Satan to bring physical suffering in our lives but nowhere in the Bible can you find demonic spirits with certain sins attached to them.

 

In this video you will hear "apostle" Cindy Jacobs rebuking the spirits of lust and homosexuality.

 

 

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Monday, July 14, 2014

4 Things To Do When You've Blown It

How many times have you seen the bumper sticker that says "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven?" I understand what the first part of that phrase "Christians aren't perfect" is trying to say, but the second part, "just forgiven" really bothers me. "Just forgiven?" As if forgiveness is thrown in as an, "Oh, and by the way." Forgiveness is a big deal, not an afterthought. It’s how the believer stands before God. Our sins have been taken away through the death of Christ. We stand perfectly righteous before God because we have been given the righteousness of Christ. That being said, we aren't perfect. We do blow it. We sin everyday, multiple times a day. This can bring guilt, shame and doubt into our lives and can often times cause us to despair. So what should we do when we've blown it? Here are four things.

 

1. Confess

 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Once we have been born again God is no longer our Judge but our Father. So John is speaking of parental forgiveness not judicial forgiveness. Judgement for all our sins is past tense. It has already taken place at the cross. Through faith we have been adopted into the family as sons and daughters of God. Now when we sin we go to God our Father and ask for forgiveness, not because if we don't we will be judged by Him, but because sin hinders our fellowship with Him.

 

2. Repent

 

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Holding on to sin brings chastening. After David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and then murdering her husband Uriah to cover it up (2Samuel 11-12) he describes how the heavy chastening hand of God was upon him sapping his strength:

Psalms 32:3-4 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted awaythrough my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.Selah

But after he confessed and repented of his sin he found forgiveness (yes, even for adultery and murder) and the joy of his salvation returned:

Psalms 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

3. Remember

I believe this is the most crucial point. Because we are fallen creatures we tend to go back to our default mode of trying to make up for our mistakes. Guess what? We can't. One sin is enough to condemn us to eternal judgement in hell. This is why remembering is so important. Christ was our Worker. He did all of the work that God requires of us. We need perfection in order to be saved and Christ was perfect for us. There must be a penalty for every sin we commit and Christ paid the penalty, absorbing the wrath of God for every time we've sinned. All of our sins have been dealt with at the cross our past, present, and future sins have been punished.

4. Preach

In his book The Gospel for Every Day Life Jerry Bridges speaks of the importance of preaching the Gospel to ourselves every day. He reminds us that the Gospel of Jesus is not just good news for the unbeliever, but for the believer as well. Because we blow it every day the Gospel must be preached everyday, to ourselves. This is why it is so important to know the Gospel. Start by reading the epistle of Romans. It's only 16 chapters so it can be read straight through in a about an hot and a half. Make it your goal to read Romans every day, even if it's only 3 or 4 chapters a day. Know the Gospel and know it well. This way you will have the content to preach to yourself.

In this video John Piper speaks of the importance of preChing the Gospel to yourself:

 

 

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Sunday, July 13, 2014

Nothing Left To Pay

Christ was our Worker. The two things that God demands from us, perfect obedience, and punishment for disobedience has been accomplished by God Himself. The infinitely valuable, infinitely holy, infinitely loved Son of God was sent by the Father to work on our behalf! Now, since the Creator of the Universe, the Second Person of the Triune God did the work that was required from us how much work is left for us to do? Our sins have been swallowed up by the Creator Himself. Christ drank the cup of God’s wrath down to it’s very dregs. There is nothing more for us to do but rest in the promise that Christ has paid the full penalty for our sins and failures.

Here is a portion of a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on April 5, 1857. You can find the full sermon here. I hope that it is an encouragement and helps you to worship our Savior this Sunday morning.

 

Now, concerning this ransom, we have to observe, that it was all paid, and all paid at once. When Christ redeemed his people, he did it thoroughly; he did not leave a single debt unpaid, nor yet one farthing for them to settle afterwards. God demanded of Christ the payment for the sins of all his people; Christ stood forward, and to the utmost farthing paid whate'er his people owed. The sacrifice of Calvary was not a part payment; it was not a partial exoneration, it was a complete and perfect payment, and it obtained a complete and perfect remittal of all the debts of all believers that have lived, do live, or shall live, to the very end of time. On that day when Christ hung on the cross, he did not leave a single farthing for us to pay as a satisfaction to God; he did not leave, from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, that he had not satisfied. The whole of the demands of the law were paid down there and then by Jehovah Jesus, the great high priest of all his people. And blessed be his name, he paid it all at once too. So priceless was the ransom, so princely and munificent was the price demanded for our souls, one might have thought it would have been marvellous if Christ had paid it by instalments; some of it now, and some of it then. King's ransoms have sometimes been paid part at once, and part in dues afterwards, to run through years. But not so our Saviour: once for all he gave himself a sacrifice; at once he counted down the price, and said, "It is finished," leaving nothing for him to do, nor for us to accomplish. He did not drivel out a part-payment, and then declare that he would come again to die, or that he would again suffer, or that he would again obey; but down upon the nail, to the utmost farthing, the ransom of all people was paid, and a full receipt given to them, and Christ nailed that receipt to his cross, and said, "It is done, it is done; I have taken away the handwriting of ordinances, I have nailed it to the cross; who is he that shall condemn my people, or lay anything to their charge? for I have blotted out like a cloud their transgressions, and like a thick cloud their sins!"

 

 

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Friday, July 11, 2014

5 Reasons Why Morality Won't Save You

Why is it that so many sermons, teachings, and even blog posts are about a moralistic Jesus that always did good deeds but wasn't concerned too much about doctrine. Why has doctrine become such a dirty word in our day? I even saw a blog post this morning called 5 Ways You Can Spot a Jesus Follower. According to this blogger Gandhi could have been a "Jesus follower". They forget that our Lord talked much about doctrine. He was concerned about truth. And the whole reason He came was to work for us, not have us work for Him. They focus specifically on the moral acts of Jesus not understanding that these acts were for us. These moral acts of Christ would one day be applied to all of God's elect by faith. So here are 5 reasons why morality won't save us.

1. All are born in Adam
1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die.....
We all have two major problems. First, Adam’s sin is counted as our sin. As our Representative Adam was acting on our behalf. When he sinned we sinned. God counted his disobedience in the garden as our disobedience. This means that even if we never committed any sin of our own, we would not be innocent. Our Representative failed therefore we failed (Romans 5:12-14). Second, we inherited Adams nature. Because of this we are all born dead in our trespasses and sins. We are slave to sin and children of the devil. So to try to do good before a Holy God is futile. Our works are tainted with sin.

2. God demands perfect obedience to His Law
Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God does not grade on a curve. There are no second chances. His standard is perfection. James makes it clear that if we keep the whole Law and yet fail in just one point, we are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10).
So if it were possible for you to go throughout your entire life loving God with all of your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself and then right at the end of your life have a covetous thought, everything good you have done up to that point will count as nothing. Failure to obey the Law at one point is failure to obey it at all points.

3. The Law was not given for the purpose of salvation
Romans 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
The Law has no power to make us obey. As a matter of fact the more we try to obey it the harder it becomes to obey. This is because the purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and not to save us (Romans 3:20). Paul speaks about his struggle with obeying the Law even as a Christian. He says in verses 14 and 15 "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." At the end of the chapter he cries out "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Then he gives the answer, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" The Gospel is what fuels our obedience, not the Law.


4. Christ obeyed the Law for us
Just as Adam was the Representative of the entire human race, so Christ represented those He came to save. Adam was placed in the garden by God and given this one command: Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Adam broke God's Law and as a result plunged the entire human race into sin. Christ came as the New Adam (1Corinthians:15:45) and kept all of God's commands. He represented us by doing what none of us could ever do, keep the entire Law perfectly. This is freeing news! God has done for us what He demands from us, perfect obedience to his Law, and punishment for every time we broke His Law. Christ did both as our Substitute.

5. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone
God has provided for us in Christ something we could have never achieved for ourselves- perfect righteousness. This righteousness is outside of us. It is not something that comes from us. It is a gift given to us for free.
Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man 's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Any non Christian can do "good works." Morality will never save. Only the work of Christ on your behalf received by faith will save!


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Monday, July 7, 2014

7 Reasons Why God Does Not Accept the Homosexual Lifestyle

Before I state the reasons let me start by saying that real Christians struggle with the sin of homosexuality. The key word is struggle. They fight against sinful desires in order to obey their Savior. Christians fight sin. Whether it is lust, drunkenness, slander, gossip, laziness, pride, or homosexuality the Christian must fight the evil desires that still reside within, even after being regenerated by the Spirit of God. So in this post I'm not saying their aren't genuine born again Believers who struggle with same sex attraction. That being said, the Bible is clear about it’s position on homosexuality. Here are seven reasons why God does not accept the homosexual lifestyle. Again the key word in the last sentence being "lifestyle."

1.God created man and woman
I know this may sound simplistic but creation itself testifies against homosexuality. God did not create another man for Adam. He created a woman. The command that God gave both the man and woman was to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth and subdue it:
Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Two men or two woman cannot multiply. The parts don't fit. God did not design the male body with the capacity to join with another male body in the proper way. The woman was designed for the man, and the man for the woman.

2.God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for the sin of homosexuality
"Gay Christian" advocates will say that God destroyed Sodom for being inhospitable to others as well as not aiding the poor. They get this from from Ezekiel 16:49.
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom:she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
Now certainly these were grievous sins. But what "Gay Christians" do not quote is the next verse:
Ezekiel 16:50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
The Hebrew word for "abomination" is to‘eba. It's the same word used in Leviticus 18:22 where God calls the sin of homosexuality an abomination- to‘eba: Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination-to‘eba.

3.God destroyed the surrounding nations for sins such as homosexuality
The nation of Israel was commanded to drive out and destroy the inhabitants of the land of Canaan for such sins as, human sacrifice, bestiality, and homosexuality.
Leviticus 18:22-24 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it:it is perversion. "Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean,
Notice homosexuality is one of the abominations for which God is driving out the surrounding nations and giving them to Israel.

4.Jesus only recognized marriage between a man and a woman
Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. ’ ‘ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
Notice what Christ says- "from the beginning God made them male and female." There was never any intention on the part of God for a male to be with a male or a female with a female. He also said that "the two shall become one flesh." Marriage is a covenant relationship between a man and a woman. This is something "God has joined together" and His command is "let not man separate." Gay marriage destroys the covenantal relationship of marriage.

5.Jesus never mentioned the homosexual lifestyle.
This is the common objection by the homosexual. The argument goes like this: "Since Jesus never even mentioned homosexuality you have no right to use Him in your arguments against it." The problem for the homosexual is that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. Weren't there homosexuals in His day that wanted what homosexuals want in our day, just to be accepted? Since people are supposedly born gay shouldn't Jesus have addressed the issue? Shouldn't He have stood up for the rights of gay people who were obviously treated worse than they are today? And yet He said nothing. Since "sexual orientation is from birth" homosexuals are born the way they are right? And yet nowhere does Jesus even mention it. Which brings us to the next reason.

6.Nothing positive is ever said about homosexuality in the Bible
Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Romans 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Notice the phrase "and such were some of you." Why would Paul say this if "men who practice homosexuality" were not in sin? "Were" is past tense. These are people who were saved out of the sins listed in this passage which includes homosexuality.
1 Timothy 1:9-10 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

7. Homosexuality undermines the gospel
How can those in the Church who accept the gay lifestyle as normative preach the gospel to homosexuals, or anyone for that matter, without destroying the gospel? In order to preach the gospel correctly, the way Jesus intended it to be preached, you must preach repentance!
Luke 24:44-47 Then he said to them, " These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, " Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
How can the Gospel be presented without repentance? It can't. The Gospel apart from repentance is a false gospel. Accepting and affirming the gay lifestyle is cruel and unloving. It leaves a person in their sin and will ultimately condemn them to hell.














For more information on this topic, listen to the debate between Michael Brown and Mattew Vines:










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