Rob Bell’s slippery slope

Posted on by kevinjandt

death

Recently my wife and I have come to the decision that faithfulness in marriage is no longer relevant.  We’ve decided that’s old fashioned Christianity.  Not that we want to partake in that ourselves, but we certainly don’t believe that those that are unfaithful in their marriage are in sin.  It’s just something that many people struggle with, so we’ve decided it’s no longer to be called sin in our vocabulary.

We are also debating whether to allow our children to lie.  We understand that there are times when it makes more sense to tell a little white lie.  Not big, fat and juicy lies that really destroy people, although if that happened on occasion it might be okay given the circumstances.  You know what I’m talking about right?

We read the Bible to our children and have a morning family devotional, we are currently going through Proverbs, but when I come to the part about a lie being an abomination to God, I just skip that one (Proverbs 6:17).  We believe much what the Bible has to say… we like the parts we like, especially about God’s love.  But we just can’t buy into all of it… (this is me being satirical)

Okay, that’s all I can stand to write.  Can you hear me screaming now?  Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Rob Bell is the former pastor of a well known church in Michigan.  Bell has a big following and is the author of several best-selling books.  He made the news again by coming out with his support for “homosexual-marriage”.  I don’t care to spend a lot of time on Rob Bell and his false teachings.  I have concern and compassion for his eternal soul and those that embrace “his theology”.  And I mean it’s “his” theology it certainly is not of God.

My focus today is to discuss the authority of Scripture and those that decide they can pick and choose what they want to believe about the Bible.

The authority of Scripture is fundamental to an understanding of God.  If we choose to pick and choose, or disbelieve the Bible, we choose to disbelieve God.  Wayne Grudem in Systematic Theology [1994] writes “Therefore to Disbelieve or Disobey Any Word of Scripture Is to Disbelieve or Disobey God” – Chapter 4 on the Authority of Scripture – Page 81.  This was a huge revelation to me when I was saved.  I liked parts of the Bible and I really thought some of the things Jesus said were pretty cool, but to believe it all?  That was crazy…

2 Peter 1:19-20 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart; 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.

This verse tells us everything we need to know about the truth and the authority of Scripture.  Peter is telling us we need to believe the Bible.  All of it!  It’s really that simple.  And of course he’s not alone.

Paul also tells us 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I could spend weeks providing Scriptural evidence and proof of the authority of God’s Word but it’s not about me showing more scripture to prove Rob Bell is wrong.  We only need to show why he disbelieves God and why those that follow him will continue to support him.

Why?

They want to suppress the truth because they don’t like the truth (Romans 1:18).

Romans 1:21-22 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools.

No matter what the sin, those that hate what God’s Word plainly teaches, will distort, adjust, or just ignore.  They will show their foolishness and disbelief, no matter how slick and cool the packaging.  Those that teach and those that follow them are heaping judgment upon themselves.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Can you see the amazing truth Paul is showing us and how true this is today?

If you believe adultery is sin and if you believe lying is sin, then you must believe that homosexuality is sin (1 Corinthians 6:9, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Timothy 1:10).  You can’t have it both ways.  You take all Scripture as truth or you take none of it as truth.

I hate who I was before Christ.  I hate when I sin.  But I can’t find a way to justify my sin and look for loop-holes in the law.  God’s Word is truth and I must cling to this truth as the only hope I have for salvation.

If I suppress the truth in unrighteousness, I’m not right with God.  As David said I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight… Psalm 51.

I pray God is merciful and will show Rob Bell his sin.  I pray God is merciful and He shows me my sin.  I pray God will do all according to His good pleasure and He will save those that can recognize their sin and fall on the finished work of Jesus Christ as the only One capable of saving them.  I pray they will repent and turn from their sin.  If they truly love Christ they will follow His commands (John 14:15).

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.

Kevin

That’s not my god!

Posted on by kevinjandt

who is your god

Have you ever heard anyone make this statement?  I think it’s a pretty common thing for people to say.  What they really mean is “I don’t like that God”.  Today I want to touch on a topic that will challenge most people’s thinking about God.  Understanding the true God of the Bible is a very difficult subject and all unregenerate people in the world have rejected the true God and serve a “god” of their own making; a direct violation of the first commandment (Exodus 20:3).

Today I’d like to take a quick look at God’s relation to evil.  One of the big stumbling blocks to Christianity is the age old statement, “how can a good god allow so much evil in the world?”  Today I will show that God not only allows evil but He is the creator of evil and He causes evil.  However He is never to be blamed for evil, does not directly do evil, and never takes pleasure in evil (James 1:12-15).

Before we begin I want to say this is in no-way a thorough study of this topic and I encourage you to dig deeper if this article troubles you.  This is a very delicate subject because evil is very real in the world and Christians should never participate in or approve of evil deeds.  We are to abhor evil just as God does (Romans 1:32, Proverbs 17:15).

God allows evil

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

The story of Joseph is a great example of God allowing evil to be used for good, as He providentially uses the evil acts of Joseph’s brothers to direct His ultimate plan for the preserving of life.  This seems tolerable for us today as we consider the life of Joseph but what if we draw it closer to home and look at the shootings in Newtown Connecticut?

Can we see the good that God will do by allowing this to happen?  Or do you detest His goodness even in the loss of life?

Is it possible God caused this for His ultimate purposes?  Do you like a God like this?  Will you serve a God like this?

God creates evil

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I the LORD, do all these things.

Can you buy into this God?  Some may reject this teaching and may accuse me of pulling this verse out of context or say this can be interpreted differently, but I can’t see how that is possible.  If we study what each one of these words mean it becomes very clear it means exactly what it says.

Let’s look at four of the key words

I form – yaw-tsar’ – denotes forming or molding into a shape

Create – baw-raw’ – means to create, choose or be the creator

Calamity – rah, raw-aw’ – bad or evil

Do – aw-saw’ – to do or make

So here comes the age old question.  “Why would a good God allow and cause evil to happen in the world?”  Let’s come back to that after we look at my last statement.

God causes evil

Job 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

Job 1:12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

Job 1:18-19 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

God used Satan to kill all ten of Job’s children.  Is God responsible for this act?  You might want to think so because that is where our minds naturally go.  Look at what God then says to Satan.

Job 2:3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?  And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.”

I find this an incredibly revealing yet difficult statement by God.

God asks Satan to consider Job.

Satan destroys Job’s children.

Could Satan have said no?  Who is responsible for the evil that happened?  Clearly Satan did the evil act, not God.  Satan is responsible.  Similarly, if you do an evil act, you are responsible.

Back to the question, why does God allow, create and cause evil?  The answer is surprisingly simple yet very difficult to understand completely.  He does it for His Glory.

When I was first saved I came to an understanding that the god I was serving was not the God of the Scriptures.  He was a concoction of my own mind.  It was difficult to understand “this God” without His work in my heart, but Scripture and the Holy Spirit allowed my mind to be transformed.

Ephesians 1:11-12 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

We will not have a full understanding of God’s purposes outside of His revelation.  Friends we have His revealed will in the Holy Scriptures and we must embrace those teachings no matter how difficult.  I pray that you are challenged by this today but won’t reject it.  This is God.  Worship Him today for who He is and allow Him to work in you mightily.

Kevin

Are you a wicked servant?

Posted on by kevinjandt

talents-3

The Parable of the Talents is well known, most people in the world of Christianity have read the parable many times.  Matthew 25:14-30.  I’ve read it so often I sometimes skim because of my familiarity with the text.  I began contemplating this parable on a deeper level recently.  I wonder if others, like me, really grasp what the Lord is saying or just take for granted they know it.

On the surface it seems pretty simple.  I’ve been given something by God.  I need to do something with that “talent”.  Yes that is true.  The deeper question is what have you been given?  Have you been given eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, are you redeemed from the dominion of darkness, and saved from eternal separation from God?  If you have then I hope you will really contemplate the magnitude of what this parable says and if your life really lines up with what Jesus has told us.

I believe many church going people think consciously or sub-consciously we really don’t need to spread the gospel.  Calvinistic leaning folks believe that God is sovereign and those chosen will be redeemed, or we should live out the gospel more than we should preach.  Have you ever heard someone say “you are so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good.”  I wonder if anyone ever said that to Paul or Jesus. More often I sense people are afraid to share the gospel, and I understand how big of a task this can seem.

In this parable the Master represents Christ and the servants represent professing believers.  Christ gives us something that doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to Him.  Believers are told to be faithful and multiply the Master’s goods it all seems pretty straight forward but there is one servant that decides he is going to bury his talent.

Charles Spurgeon preaching about this servant:

This unprofitable servant looked upon his master as one that reaped where he never sowed and used the rake to gather together what he had never scattered—he meant that his master was a hard, exacting and unjust person whom it was difficult to please. He judged his lord to be one who expected more of his servants than he had any right to look for and he had such a hatred of his unjust conduct that he resolved to tell him to his face what he thought of him.  Sermon No. 1541Unprofitable Servants

Are you profitable to the kingdom of God?  Here is someone that calls himself a servant of God but will not perform his duties.  If you start asking church going people who they’ve shared the gospel with lately you will be surprised at the answer you receive and often the indignation that comes back to you.  They will make excuses and they will tell you lots of things they “do” at their church.  Some of these are good things; some of these are biblical things.  If I’m speaking to you today I would like you to consider why you were saved?  And perhaps Jesus is even asking you if you are saved?

Ephesians 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.  

You “Believer” were purchased for His glory.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

So if Jesus says we are to make disciples and we are to observe all He commanded then it’s pretty clear we have our instructions.  Ask yourself today when you last shared the good news of redemption with someone.  If it’s been a while you are either disobedient or a wicked servant, I don’t see other alternatives.

Matthew 25:29-30 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Bring Him glory today by sharing what God has done in your life.  Bring Him profit.

Kevin

Cease from sin

Posted on by kevinjandt

cease-from-sin2

Last week I spoke about the topic of legalism and I made the assertion that most people will call you a legalist if you call sin, “sin”.  How do we balance grace with works?  John MacArthur says there are only two religions in the world.  There is the religion of human accomplishment and there is Christianity.  You can lump every false religion into the first category.  This religion of human accomplishment says you must do this to make yourself worthy of heaven.  You must do something to appease your “god”.

True Christianity says God came in human flesh and did the doing.  He lived a perfect, sinless life so sinful man could be reconciled to God.  There is nothing you can do to earn God’s redemption without the work of Christ.

Nothing! 

No prayer, no amount of sacrifice, you cannot be “good” enough to earn God’s favor; you can’t be part of a special group.  Jesus Christ went to the cross to drink the cup of God’s wrath to pay for the sins of those who would believe in Him that they could turn from their sin.

This IS the true gospel.

If you think you can do something to earn God’s forgiveness you are wrong.  If you think that being baptized or saying the sinner’s prayer or being part of a certain religious group will save you from the terrors and torture of hell, you need to stop and consider, carefully what you are counting on for salvation.

The gospel tells us we are dead in sins and trespasses, unable to save ourselves (Ephesians 2:1).  The gospel tells us we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).  The gospel tells us it is not of works so no one can boast (Ephesians 2:9).  Clearly, we can do nothing outside of God’s work.

1 Peter 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

Here is the rub…  This is the difference between false conversion and true conversion.  Do you now cease from sin?  If you claim to be saved and claim to be a follower of Christ, you must cease from sin.

Disclaimer, you won’t do this to perfection.

However, if you are not striving against sin, you are not saved.  If your sin does not sicken you, you are not saved.  I hope this sounds harsh.  I would rather this be harsh and have you see your sin than live in a world of illusion and deception.

If you claim to be a Believer you will resist and fight against sin.  It will be a lifelong battle but you will grow or you must examine your life.

Believer, you are under grace, you are no longer under the law (Romans 5:1-2).  This is not a license to willfully live in sin.  Romans 6:1 What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Are you striving against sin in your life?  Hebrews 12:3-4 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

If this is a concept that is unfamiliar to you, I hope you will sit down and examine your life by the truth of God’s Word.  God has supplied the world with the gift of His Word and the glorious sacrifice of His Son that some will be saved.  If you are saved, you now have work to do.

Kevin

Legalism

Posted on by kevinjandt

legalism

Colossians 2:20-23  Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations- “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using-according to the commandments and doctrines of men?  These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

What is legalism?  You hear this a lot in the world of evangelicalism.  I would assert most people use this term when trying to defend their sin.  Am I a legalist if I call sin, “sin”?  I think scripture is quite clear in most cases what constitutes sin.  Sin is ANY violation of God’s moral law.  That doesn’t sell too well today and most people really don’t like being called on their sin.

We are currently in the Lenten season and I see a lot of people that want to self-impose religion and false humilities but live in blatant sin.  I’m not sure they realize they are in sin because they’ve wrapped themselves in a religious blanket; they are deceived by the deceitfulness of sin.  However this blanket is damning unless they turn from this sin in repentance and faith in Christ.

Jesus was clear; no set of “rule following” will get you into the kingdom.

Then Jesus looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”  But he was sad at this word and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Mark 10:21-22 

He requires all of you, your entire devotion of heart, soul and mind.  Not just conforming to a ritual or a doctrine of man.  This is man’s response to feeling better about himself.  Doesn’t it seem easier if we could just do this or do that and then be okay with God?  If I say this prayer, or bow my face to the ground twice a day facing east then it’s all going to be okay?

Weren’t the Pharisees the most religious and righteous of the day?  What did the Lord mean when He said He desired mercy and not sacrifice?  Then He told them that He came to call sinners not the righteous. (Matthew 9:13)  How much more offensive could He have been to their neat little religious system?

Conforming our lives to God’s Word and following His commands is not legalism.  It’s love.  John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.”

Keeping a ritual in an attempt to make you right with God is legalism.  Jesus clearly shows us this truth.

Luke 18:9-14 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, an despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This is every bit as clear and in your face as it appears and raises questions for us all.  Are you made righteous by your deeds?  Or are you made righteous when you recognize your poverty and your need for Christ as Lord of your life and the only One that saves?  Do you trust in yourself?  Know today that won’t save you.  No religious system will save you.

Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the LORD said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.

Let’s not be legalists.  Let’s be servants of the Most High God; the God that wants your heart, not your lip-service.

Kevin