Sun., Jan. 2 Adult Bible Study: You Must Be Born Again, Pt. 2

Birth used to illustrate salvation

Physical Birth	Spiritual Birth
Initiated by parents	Initiated by God
You did not will yourself born	Not of the will of man (John 1:12,13)
9-month gestation	Indeterminate gestation
Life precedes birth	Life precedes birth‡
Does not come into the world against his will	Does not enter the Kingdom of God against his will.
Infant struggles to enter the world (labor)	Infant struggles to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt. 11:12)†

‡ Observable in a sinner under conviction and in his seeking after God. Not to be construed as “viable” life.

† The sinner is not passive in the new birth. His strivings are not the cause of the new birth but means to getting there.

To be continued….

Sun., Dec. 26 — Adult Bible Study: You Must Be Born Again, Pt. 1

PRELIMINARIES:

1. Hand out Bible reading plans. Discuss necessity of regular Bible reading. Resolve to read entire Bible in 2011.

2. Hand out Bible reading/study guides. Discuss how to use.

Lesson Text: John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

“Verily, verily” — lit., amen, amen = strong certainty.

    recorded only in John    25X

“except a man" — this means you, Nicodemus. It means every man, woman, and child regardless of status, birth, nobility, position, parentage, wealth, etc.

“born again” — ἄνωθεν — anōthen
   
    — also, from above ( John 3:31; John 19:11, James 1:17; James 3:15, James 3:17)

    doubtful that Nicodemus understood it this way (see his response in v. 4

    the new birth is from heaven, above. It is a work of the Triune God.

this state of Jesus repeated 2 more times (verses 5, 7)

Birth used to illustrate salvation

 

Physical Birth	Spiritual Birth
Initiated by parents	Initiated by God
You did not will yourself born	Not of the will of man (John 1:12,13)

 

To be continued….

Sun., Oct. 10 Bible Class Notes — John 1:29-34

There are no notes for last week, Oct. 3, 2010, because we used our time together to discuss the feminization of the Church.

John 1:29-34  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  (30)  This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.  (31)  And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.  (32)  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.  (33)  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  (34)  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

v.29 This is "The next day."

The previous day John had spoken of one coming. Today he points out who that One is.

"Behold the Lamb of God"  

Isaiah 53:7  cf. Acts 8:32 (Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch)

Passover: Exodus 12:3-5

Morning and Evening sacrifice: Exodus 29:38-39

Sin offering: Leviticus 4:32-35 (see also v. 29)

"which taketh away the sin of the world."

take away

Jesus came to carry away the sin [singular] of the world;

JFB: The singular number being used to mark the collective burden and all-embracing efficacy.

Jesus removes the bone of contention between God and man.

Salvation is not about going to heaven; it is about having our sins forgiven and our being reconciled to God in Christ Jesus.

To what does world refer?

It does not of necessity refer to every individual that ever lived or shall live.

     At the least it refers to Gentiles in addition to Jews. It corrects the Jewish mindset that not only was salvation of the Jews but that it was restricted to them.

     The Jews used the term “world” in the same way we do. There’s the  Church and there’s the world.

vv. 30- cometh a man (Jesus is truly human in every respect of the word. Jesus was — and is — a man. He is the paradigm of manhood.

v. 31   refers to Jesus’ baptism about six weeks or so previous. John the Baptist did not know Jesus until God revealed him at his baptism

v. 32  “like” a dove, not a dove.

v. 34 Son of God — of the same substance/essence as the Father.  The Son of God means he was Divine; so the Jews understood it.

Sun., Sept. 5 Bible Class Notes — John 1:17,18

We started this study last Sunday. In order to provide continuity, some portions are repeated.

John1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

NOTE: John says nothing demeaning about either Moses or the Law. Moses and the Law were held in high regard by the Jews, by Jesus, and by all the Apostles.

"The law was given by Moses" - Moses is known as "the great law giver."

The law was actually given by God through Moses.

This does not make the law an enemy to grace.  There was grace under the Law and there is law under grace.

The law is good (Romans 7:12; Romans 7:16  1Timothy 1:8) but it could not save. (Titus 3:5; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:10)

The law only condemns. The law shows us our imperfections.

The law prepared the way for Christ (Hebrews 10:1; Galatians 3:24-25)

Christ is the end of the law (Rom_10:4) and fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17-18; Romans 8:2-4)

"grace and truth came by Jesus Christ"

grace as opposite of law: under law, favor is earned; under grace; favor is granted

Under law: “Do this and live.” Under grace: “Live and do this.”

grace and truth = the Gospel

grace bestows God's blessing on those who should be receiving his wrath

truth - the law was the shadow; Christ is the reality

Jesus better than Moses: grace better than law (Hebrews 3:1-6; Hebrews 10:1)

John1:18 “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

"No man hath seen God at any time"

     — what about Moses?

Barnes: "This passage is not meant to deny that men had witnessed “manifestations” of God, as when he appeared to Moses and the prophets (compare Num_12:8; Isa_6:1-13); but it is meant that no one has seen the essence of God, or has 'fully known God.'”

Only Christ has seen the essence and the person of God the Father.

Because Christ has this intimate knowledge [who is in the bosom] and fellowship he can enlighten us with the knowledge of the Holy.

declared = fully revealed, drawn Him out = related to exegesis

Sun., Aug. 8 Bible Class notes – John 1:13, cont’d.

John 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

“but of God”

Things that will not save you:

     (in addition to blood, the will of man and the will of the flesh)

     Your desire to be saved (although desire should be there).

     Baptism (Mar_16:16)

     "The Sacraments" (Last rites, confession, penance)

      Saying or praying a prayer.

      Walking the aisle

      Making a decision for Christ.

      Keeping the Ten Commandments

      Doing good works

What is it that will save you: Jesus! Jesus saves!

[The following is from a forum that I participate in]:

To believe one possesses some volitional will to assent to the truth of the Scriptures despite their clear teachings is to assume one can believe without any initiative by God, that is, one is performing a work to save oneself. But the Scriptures are clear, in that the unsaved…

- is deceitful and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9).
- is full of evil (Mark 7:21-23).
- loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19).
- is unrighteous, does not understand, does not seek for God    (Romans 3:10-12).
- is at enmity with God (Romans 8:7-8)
- is helpless and ungodly (Romans 5:6).
- does not seek God (Romans 3:11)
- is dead in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).
- is by nature a child of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).
- cannot understand spiritual things (1Corinthians 2:14).
- is a slave of sin (Romans 6:16-20).

We are not “born again” as a result of something we have done, but solely on the basis of God's sovereign will and power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Father elects to salvation, the Son dies to procure salvation, the Spirit applies salvation

John 6:44         

Romans 9:15; Romans 9:16; Romans 9:18-26

Your Deceitful Heart

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

This is a verse that reveals man's true condition. Christians, who often quote this verse, have hearts that are just as deceitful and just as wicked as the worst of sinners. Getting them to admit that in a personal application is nigh unto impossible.

The immediate context of this verse starts at verse 5 and ends at verse 13. Look at what it says:

Thus says the LORD: “Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like the heat in the desert, and shall not see when good comes; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. As the partridge sits on eggs, and hatches them not; so he that gets riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. (Jeremiah 17:5-13)

The historical context was the impending collapse of the Northern Kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah and others had prophesied of this imminent event but there were few in those days who believed this man of God. “We have the temple. God won't destroy us because we have the temple.” That's much like those who think God will not destroy the United States of America because we are a “Christian” nation.

I have talked with many people who claim to have been born again and who think they are on the path to heaven who exemplify what this verse is saying. My mind goes back to more than one who told me that even though they knew that it was contrary to God's will for them to divorce they were going to do it anyway and God would still bless them. One young women in particular comes to mind. She sued for divorce, it was granted, and within a year she was far, far from God. The last time I saw her, which was several years later, she was a chronic drunk and was sleeping with anyone who would have her. She had not been to church at all since she turned her back on God. Oh yes, God was blessing her, wasn't he?

Many boast that when persecution comes they will stand strong and firm and not deny their Lord. Years later you see them again and they have compromised their faith and their testimony not to escape persecution but to escape the inconvenience and discomfort of owning their Lord in front of their friends and family.

I know a man since the early 1970's who has been a missionary, a college professor, a seminary instructor, on the Bible translation committees of over 20 translation efforts, is a Greek textual scholar and who is now sitting in jail because he got caught with his hands doing things to little children that are unseemly and unacceptable. Well-meaning mature Christian leaders had talked to him in his youth about his attitudes and behaviors. Then, as in this case, his answer was, “I didn't do anything wrong.”

No one sets out to make a disaster of their life. It happens because of the deceitfulness of our hearts uniting with the deceitfulness of sin. The Apostle Paul gives a New Testament version of Jeremiah 17:9 when he says:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

There it is again: “Be not deceived.” The worst deception is self-deception. Many who claim to be saved are not. They are deceived. Too often, they are self-deceived.

I once had the occasion to talk with a woman who was suicidal and committed to a mental hospital under constant guard. She told me that she had unsuccessfully tried to kill herself. In fact, the last time had been just a few days previous. As we talked she said, “The wrath of God is on me.” With that I would agree. Then she told me she was being punished because she had murdered her unborn child by having an abortion. I then tried to point her to Jesus Christ who forgives all that will come to him. “Oh,” she said, “I'm a Christian. I made a decision for Christ when I was twelve years old.”

That woman was deceived. If she was a Christian she was not under the wrath of God. If she was under the wrath of God she was not a Christian. But her deceitful heart had told her that because she had made a decision (a term and idea found nowhere in the Bible) she was saved. Decisions do not save you. She was trusting in a decision, a bruised reed, a false hope: she should have been trusting in Christ, the Solid Rock.

Do not be deceived. This is a biblical exhortation repeated and addressed to Christians. Paul, after telling us to not be deceived, goes on to say:

For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:8)

There are no weasel-words there. If you live like the devil you will find your lot with the devil. If you live like God you will find your lot with God.

Do not be deceived: you, too, have a deceitful heart. Don't let it fool you.

Jesus must be Lord of all or …

One of the clichés bandied about in Christian circles is “Jesus must be Lord of all or he can’t be Lord at all.” As with many other trite sayings that are in wide circulation, this one has passed into the warp and woof of modern evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity without nary a critical thought or a moment’s contemplation. The statement is not true. It is false. It is a lie. All lies have as their source Satan himself. This cliché is meant to encourage people to live all-out for Jesus Christ, but in some cases it has the opposite effect of comforting people who are presuming they are Christians and on their way to heaven but who are, in fact, spurious believers destined for the Lake of Fire.

Now, I’ve been so brazen as to declare this a false statement. I’ve contradicted what more learned men than I have said. The late Adrian Rogers, an iconic figure among many Southern Baptists, has written on his blog, “There is no middle ground for the Christian: Jesus must be Lord of all, or He can't be Lord at all.” Interestingly enough, he in that same blog, takes my position. I’ll show you that a little bit later. The pastor of a church in Houston similarly states, “Jesus must either be Lord of all or of nothing. The choice is yours.” This idea is prevalent in modern churchianity, as a search in Google will show. That it is echoed by so many does not, however, give it legitimacy. Follow me to the Court of the First and Last Resort.

Let us be “more noble than those in Thessalonica” and search the scriptures to see whether those things are so.

The first thing I would like to point out is that we do not “make Jesus Lord” of our lives or anything else any more than a British subject makes Elizabeth II the Queen. Jesus is Lord. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. That is one of his titles. It means something. It is not a mere sentiment. This is how Paul and Silas referred to the Savior when they addressed the Philippian jailor and said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house (Acts 16:31). It is God that made (past tense, completed action) Jesus Christ to be the Lord: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ,” (Acts 2:36).

Secondly, we do not “accept” Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (By the way, the idea of “accepting” Jesus was totally foreign to the apostles). The admonition that Paul gave the Philippian jailor says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” We cannot pick those elements of Jesus that we like while disregarding the rest. We must believe on “the Lord.” What does that mean? It means when we come to Christ we come with the recognition that not only is he the only Savior, the only way to God, but that he is also the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe and of ourselves in particular. His being Lord gives him the right to order us around, to send us where we do not want to go, to do the things that we do not want to do. It means we submit to him much as General Robert E. Lee submitted to General Ulysses S. Grant — unconditionally!

That brings me to the original thesis of this posting: The saying, “Jesus must be Lord of all or he is not Lord at all” is false. This bromide is, as I said above, supposed to encourage spurious saints to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Whether it is effective or not, I do not know. But God did not call us to be pragmatic. He called us to be truthful.

In Acts 10:36 we find these words: “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:).” Notice the words in parentheses: “He is Lord of all.” That is a present tense statement. He is Lord of all. Note again, that he is Lord of all. There is nothing not subject to his dominion, his lordship. He is Lord of all!

Adrian Rogers agrees with me (not that it makes what I have written truth) and says in the same blog from which I quoted above,

In the dictionary, the definition of the word lord is one with absolute power, absolute authority. We often speak of commitment, but the real question is surrender. When you're committed, you're in control; when you surrender, you relinquish control. If a robber puts a gun to your head, you don't commit your wallet; you surrender it!

To understand that truth is the beginning of kingdom authority. He is called Lord no less than 747 times in the New Testament. You can't make Him Lord; He has already claimed the title. Your questions are, first, will you recognize His Lordship, and second, will you submit to it? He is Lord of all you have and all you do. Do you live by that Lordship?"

The quality of our new converts suffers because of our misuse of terminology. How much different do you suppose a new believer would be if he was told that he needed to demonstrate repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ? Our superficial evangelism does not allow for this, of course. Sinners are in rebellion against the Almighty. They are avowed enemies. When one comes to Christ one must abandon his self-centered and egocentric thinking and living and surrender to the rule of a new master, the Lord Jesus Christ. He (or she) must be told that when they come to Christ their life is no longer their own (1 Corinthians 6:15-20). Then, their conversion will give proof to their confession that “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Philippians 2:11).

There's Only One Road to Heaven?

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Has this verse been excised from your Bible? I hope not, although I fear it has been removed from many. How clearer a statement than this could not be expressed.

Over the years I have heard many say that as long as one is sincere it really doesn't matter what one believes. That is, if the Hindu, Jew, or Mohammedan sincerely believes he is worshiping God, than that is all that matters. I would like to believe that, but it is simply not so. If you do not trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior you are not, nor can be, saved until you embrace him with all your heart, soul, and mind as the Redeemer.

Sad to say, those that once were luminaries have apostatized by giving credence to the possibility that Jesus Christ is not the only way of salvation. In 1978 Billy Graham, in an interview published in McCall's magazine, said "I used to believe that pagans in far off countries were lost going to hell if they did not have the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them. I No longer believe that. I believe that there are other ways of recognizing God through nature for instance and plenty of other ways of saying 'yes' to God". In 1997 he said essentially the same thing in an interview with Dr. Schuller of Crystal Cathedral fame:

"I think there's the body of Christ which comes from all the Christian groups around the world, or outside the Christian groups. I think that everybody that loves Christ or knows Christ, whether they're conscious of it or not, they're members of the body of Christ. And I don't think that we're going to see a great sweeping revival that will turn the whole world to Christ at any time.

"What God is doing today is calling people out of the world for His name. Whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the body of Christ because they've been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts they need something that they don't have and they turn to the only light they have and I think they're saved and they're going to be with us in heaven."

So Billy Graham and others that agree with him have a higher authority than St. Peter? They know more than God who put the words of Acts 4:12 into his mouth and had them flow from Luke's pen? How much clearer than, "Neither is there salvation in any other" can it be stated?

No one, no Christian, can take any pleasure in the death of the wicked or of relatively good sincere unbelievers. The recognition and acknowledgment that they all will have their part in the lake of fire is not a comforting thought. In fact, that knowledge presses upon any with the knowledge of God an urgency to declare the riches of God's grace in Jesus Christ to those that have not yet believed.

Jesus Christ himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) Notice, he did not say, "I am a way," but "I am the way." That one statement excludes all other paths, all other ways. All roads may lead to Rome, but only one leads to Heaven. Peter affirms this in the verse under discussion, the last clause of which states: "whereby we must be saved." The Greek indicates that if one is to be saved he must of necessity be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

The question then remains: In what or whom are you trusting for your salvation? Many have told me they made a decision and that's all they need to know. They have "put a stake in the ground." My friend, making a decision for Christ will not save you. Jesus saves, and he alone. Baptism does not save you, church membership does not save you, being born into a Christian family or a Christian nation does not save you.

Peter said, "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." The name is the person. Salvation is in a person and that person is Jesus Christ. However much we may want to believe that people can be saved some other way, the Bible tells us the only way is Jesus Christ. This we must boldly and unashamedly proclaim, for it is man's only hope.

(This post was originally published on my hermeneutics blog on August 22, 2007)

Are You a Christian Weasel?

But let your communication be,
Yes, yes; No, no:
for whatever is more than these comes of evil.
Matthew 5:37

I listened yesterday to an interview with a graduate of Patrick Henry College on KPLU, an NPR radio station. Patrick Henry College, or PHC, is a Christian college that was started specifically to provide a college education for Christian home-schooled children. The school has accomplished much in the few years of its existence and its graduates are among the best in the nation.

The interviewer, in his closing question to this former student, asked if he knew the Dalai Lama, to which the young man responded that although he did not know him, he was familiar with whom he was. The interviewer then asked him if the Dalai Lama was going to Hell. The graduate replied by telling a story about a previous Dalai Lama who, when he had died, was found with a crucifix. From that he concluded that it is not our place to say such a thing because we never really know what a person really believes. As Charles Spurgeon once said, it would take India rubber lips to get around that answer.

Why are we afraid to tell the truth? Certainly, God has not set us as judges over our fellow man. However, to say that the Dalai Lama may not go to Hell is a lie. Interestingly enough, the other interviewee was a woman that had written a book about PHC in which the male had been highlighted. The author had a female PHC student living with her. One day the author’s husband asked the student, “Do you think I am going to go to Hell?” She hesitated, thinking, then said, “Yes, but I am not jumping up and down with joy over it.” She told the truth in a polite, considerate, and kindly way.

I learned long ago that beating around the bush or using weasel words only exacerbates the offense. When people realize that, in effect, you have lied to them, they will respect you and your message even less. Tact, politeness, kindness, genuine love and concern, along with a respect for the other person, will allow you to say things that are painfully truthful. Some will receive it the way it was intended; some will not.

One thing that is critically important for every person to know is that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). About this there can be no equivocation. About this there can be no beating around the bush. There is only one way to Heaven: it is through faith in Jesus Christ, the only begotten of God. All other paths lead to Hell.

Certainly men and women who believe differently will take offense. That we cannot help. Some years ago I was witnessing to some men in a mosque and the conversation was congenial until I quoted Acts 4:12. Upon hearing that, the men became livid, excited, and for a few seconds I wondered if I would walk out of there without harm. Those men needed to hear that, though, and to have told them that if they were sincere in their desire to please God through their adherence and belief in Islam it would only rise up to judge and convict me of the most heinous and egregious cruelty at the last judgment. To have said, “Well, I really don’t know what is in your heart so maybe you’ll make it in the end” would not only have been a lie but would have served to further damn them.

The Bible gives us several examples in the book of Acts of how we should speak: Peter on the day of Pentecost, Stephen before the Sanhedrin, Paul before his tribunals. These men not only scorned weasel words, some of the things they said were blatantly offensive. But these men were filled with the Holy Spirit who gave them boldness. Maybe that’s the difference?

But let your communication be,
Yes, yes; No, no:
for whatever is more than these comes of evil.
Matthew 5:37

It's Not That Easy

Last week I wrote an entry titled, "It's Not as Simple as ABC." I had intended for that to be the last word on the subject, but this morning I was directed to a missionary's web site on which there was a page entitled, "Becoming a Christian is as Easy as ABC." A search on Yahoo revealed many more similar pages. This error is worse than the first. Celebration Church in Blountville, Tennessee has a typical presentation. The heading says, "Becoming a Christian is as Easy as ABC," followed by the same ABC enumeration mentioned in my previous article.

I believe this presentation is not only unscriptural but sends the wrong message. After all, easy come — easy go. What is easy is, in most cases, of little value. Our churches are filled with so-called believers who do not value the salvation they claim to possess.

I know that no two salvation experiences are alike. I cannot judge the manner by which you became a Christian with the way I was introduced to Christ. Some, like Zacchaeus and Saul of Tarsus, appear to have been saved with little preparation or mourning for sin. Martin Luther, on the other hand, agonized for years until he finally found peace in and with Christ.

The plumb bob of Scripture does not warrant our saying that becoming a Christian is easy. Let's examine the Scriptures to see if this is so.

"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many," Jesus said, "will seek to enter in, and shall not be able," (Luke 13:24). Does this sound easy to you? Strive is also translated in other versions as "try hard," "make every effort," "exert yourselves." The Greek word from which it is translated is the same word that we get agonize from. It seems to me that Jesus is saying that getting in at the strait gate isn't easy at all. For one thing, the gate is strait (not straight). The American Heritage Dictionary says of the word in its noun form that it is, " A position of difficulty, perplexity, distress, or need." The context of the quotation bears that out for "many will seek to enter in and shall not be able."

In another place Jesus lays down one of the requirements to be his disciple:

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first, and count the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, 'This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first, and consult whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends ambassadors, and desires conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that does not forsake all that he has, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26-33)

Does that sound easy to you? No, it isn't. Why don't we hear that from our pulpits? Because it doesn't preach. It doesn't build big churches. It isn't seeker-sensitive. It might chase off those we would like to reach.

To tell people that it is easy to become a Christian is first a lie. All lies have their origin with Satan (John 8:44). To tell people it is easy to become a Christian is to care more about the size of your church or the notches on your evangelistic rifle than to care about truth, Jesus Christ, or the souls of those that are misled by your attempts at getting them saved.

To tell people that it is easy to become a Christian is to set them up for a fall. It is easy to say A, B, C. It is much harder to become a Christian. It is easy to repeat a mantra; it is much more difficult to be a disciple of Christ. It is easy to join the Army: it is much harder to be a soldier.

Too often, we parrot that which we have been told without thinking much about it. Our desires and our motives are pure, but the message is faulty. We need to think biblically and we need to think critically. When we know the truth, we should tell the truth and let the consequences rest with God.

Not as Simple as A-B-C

The Southern Baptist Convention, and many other evangelicals, are enamored with the ABC's of becoming a Christian. For those not familiar with these "ABC's" they stand for admit, believe, and confess. My Sunday School teacher's quarterly says, "The ABC's of Becoming a Christian is a simple and effective way to share God's plan of salvation." I think it is defective.

"A" stands for admit: admit to God that you are a sinner. Some instances will include the need to repent. "B" stands for believe: believe that Jesus is God's Son and accept God's gift of forgiveness from sin. "C" is for confess: confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

The first reason I believe they are defective is that they are not biblical. They are "adding to His words." I have read the Bible umpteen times and have never seen these ABC's. They are a man-made concoction that confuse the issue and give a false sense of security. Let's examine them one-by-one.

Admit you are a sinner. Where does the Bible tell you to do that? Obviously, if sin separates us from God the recognition of one's sinfulness must be an issue. In today's parlance, admit doesn't mean much. "Oh, sure, I'm a sinner. So what?" I can admit that without the slightest hesitation. To see myself a sinner as God sees me is another matter.

Believe that Jesus is God's Son and accept God's gift of forgiveness from sin. Well, were getting closer here. This, though, is a false statement. The first part is a teensy-weensy correct: the latter is erroneous. The Bible nowhere speaks of us "accepting Christ" as either Lord or Savior. Granted that we are to believe that Jesus is God's Son, that still leaves a lot to be desired. We are to believe much more than that. The Apostle Paul tells us, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9 NIV). Belief is in a person, not a fact. Belief is in Jesus Christ, not that he is God's Son. Believing in the person requires a bit more knowledge than this one letter can give.

Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Now, exactly what does that mean? This statement is not found in the Bible. It is not what Romans 10:9 says, and I fear that we neither understand the statement of Romans 10:9 nor do we mean the same thing. To confess is to say the same thing as. Are we to confess our faith? Sure. Does that save us? No. What are we to confess? "Jesus is Lord!" When we confess that Jesus is Lord we are saying two things: Jesus is Jehovah and Jesus is our Autocrat. Jesus is the Creator who owns us (our not "accepting" him as Lord makes no difference) lock, stock, and barrel. Our confession of Jesus as Lord means we worship and serve him as God himself.

The second reason I believe the ABC's of Salvation are defective is because the Scriptures do tell us how to be saved. When the jailer at Philippi asked Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?" they answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household," (Acts 16:31 NKJV). Or this: "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,' " (Acts 2:37-38 NKJV). We'll take up the relationship between believe and repent in a future blog entry.

The third reason I believe they are defective is that they are too simplistic. They strive for the least amount of intelligence and cognition. I do not believe we need to make things difficult. Simple and simplistic are two things apart. Simple is fine; simplistic is over-simplification. We use these ABC's and gloss over a great many things that need to be addressed. Believe that Jesus is God's Son? Other belief systems claim to believe that but that does not save them. Salvation is acquired through faith. Faith is founded on fact. "A blind leap of faith" is an absurdity. You must believe something and that something must be substantive. You cannot worship God ignorantly (John 4:24).

The fourth reason I believe the ABC's are defective is they give a false sense of security. " Congratulations! If you have sincerely completed these ABC [sic]. Jesus said: 'there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.' Luke 15:10," says one web site. Besides being poorly worded, the statement is false. The writer assumes that completing these ABC's makes one a Christian. No so. Being saved is a sovereign work of grace and is a gift from God. It is appropriated by faith resulting in a changed life. Perhaps I am over-simplifying but it seems to me that the ABC's are mechanical. It's like marking off a checklist.

I find it amusing that most of my fellow Southern Baptists are against the using of creeds but have no problem with the ABC's. They wouldn't think of reciting the Apostles Creed (even though many would learn something) which is a time-tested concise statement of faith but yet reduce salvation to a formula. There's something wrong there.

I believe we should get back to the Bible. Let's say what the Apostles said. Let's press upon men, women, and children the necessity both to believe and to repent, to turn from idols to the Living God, to turn their backs on darkness and to walk in the light. Maybe then our baptized membership would be truly converted.

I started this poem who knows when and then filed it. Last May I came across it and read what I had written to my wife. She said, “You should finish that.” So I did. It has no title because I haven’t given any thought to that.

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Grace…

grace…

great grace…

amazing grace

Words of beauty, which found no place

Within this cold and wicked heart

That with my God would have no part.

I, who had in Adam sinned,

Thereby became corrupt within.

An enemy of God was I:

to his refuge I would not fly.

An enemy — yet so much more!

For against him I was at war.

A rebel who could do no good,

and wouldn't — even if I could.

I railed against His Majesty —

the One who had created me.

I fought with him at every turn;

his proffered mercies I did spurn.

I did not know nor understand

— for I am but a puny man —

that none can fight against the Lord

and wrest him of his mighty sword.

Sinner! Sinner! You are undone!

There is no place that you can run.

Put down your arms and quit your fight!

None can endure my awful might!

Turn ye! Turn ye! Why will you die?

Turn! Turn! — and to my bosom fly!

Lay down your arms, and to me come

Give up your fight, you are undone.

Yet, deaf was I and could not hear

the words of doom that reached my ear.

My heart was hard, and just as cold,

Weighted down with a heavy load.

A son of disobedience,

Spiritual things made no sense.

Dead was I — yes, dead in my sin —

But soon there’d be new life within.

Behind the scenes, within my soul,

God was working to bring me low.

Afraid,

afraid,

afraid was I

Afraid to live, afraid to die.

Then came love — such tender love

From God himself, who lives above;

Love that wiped away all my tears,

A love that vanquished all my fears.

A Love that entered deep within,

A love that paid for all my sin;

A love that brought God down to man,

A love that gave me life again.

Now I to him do belong, and

Within my heart he put a song —

A song of praise, a song of peace,

A song of joy and of release.

Soon I’ll be in heaven’s land

And before my Lord I’ll stand.

I who was a child of Hell

Will with my God forever dwell.

‘Tis more than I can comprehend,

That God loved me enough to send

His son to meet the Law’s demand.

That is so great, that is too grand.

Grace…

grace…

great grace…

amazing grace

Poured out freely on Adam’s race.

That I should stand before his face.

Grace…

grace…

great grace…

amazing grace.

(C) 2007 Willard Paul