Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Your True Colors (or what color is your net?)
Note: This is a rehash of an existing sermon which is stuck in my head.
2 Cor 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
The Bible says, "examine yourselves". What does that mean for me? It means putting my beliefs to the test - not just with my lips, or pious looking down on others, or rhetorical sacraments, or humble dietary restrictions. It means look at myself through the eyes of God to see how I measure up. Am I truly in the faith? Do I think I'm saved because I did something to earn it? Or is the Bible clear that there's none righteous - no not one. Do I think I'm saved because I prayed a prayer one time and asked Jesus into my heart? The Bible is clear there too.
I am seeing bumper stickers and hearing statements come from the mouths of people who profess to have a belief in God that totally contradict His Word. The Bible has a clear stance on proposition 8. The Bible has a clear stance on every proposition and candidate for that matter. The trouble is that we have been duped into thinking with our wallets and not our salvation. That's directly from Satan.
Someday, I will stand before a holy and perfect God and give an account for my every action. What will I say about my voting record? I already know that I'm going to be spending a lot on time looking at the floor - ashamed of many of my decisions. Through the grace that He gives me without cause and the faith that comes only through His son, Jesus Christ, will I ever have any ground to stand on. Not for any good work that I have done, because the Bible says that all my works of righteousness are like filthy rags before Him. Not because I did any sacrament or act, but because I have grace through faith alone that Jesus Christ.
I believe with my entirety and have Biblical foundation to show that my faith alone is not only enough to save me, but that there is nothing else I could do to save me. But let's be clear, salvation is preceded and followed by repentance. A hatred of the things that God hates and a love of the things that God loves. The repentance does absolutely nothing for my salvation, but is the fruit of it - according to Scripture.
Therefore, having been provided a way of salvation, I feel the cause upon me to walk the narrow path, for the path to destruction is wide and many will follow it, but narrow is the path and narrow is that gate that we are called to.
Nobody who gives an honest effort, reads the Bible intending to mislead themselves, but not everyone who calls themselves Christian has honestly taken the time to understand what they say they believe. I know this for a fact - I was such a person for many years.
to add to the confusion, many people who have taken the time to study the Bible disagree strongly with others who have taken the time to study the Bible. There are however (or should be), some non-negotiables:
1. We are all worthy of an eternity in a place called Hell.
2. God loves us.
3. He has sent His son to be the propitiation for our unworthiness.
4. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins, then we *shall* have everlasting life.
The grey area:
I get this question a lot. "How do I know that I believe enough?" or "How do I know that I know that I know that I really believe?" Well, off the cuff - just as much as I believe in gravity. If I believe in gravity, I'll be careful not to fall - as that will hurt. But even still, I sometimes fall. But even if I do fall, I have someone there to catch me and help me back up. That's what the Bible says anyway.
There is a fair amount of fear placed into people though. It is as if we are adopted sons and daughters of God. Actually, it's exactly like that according to the Bible. We are made joint heirs with Jesus. But if we should dare mess up, will God tear up our adoption certificate until we earn our way back into His graces? Will God take back the gift that He has so freely given us? What a cruel and manipulative parent that would be. My Bible states clearly that He offered this gift years before I was even born and long after I had begun sinning. While I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. He didn't die for my sins because I somehow earned that gift; it's a gift, freely given and freely received.
Now, read the Scriptures to see if these things be so, but read also those portions of the Bible that you feel contradict what I've said the Bible says. (I've intentionally left out all verse references). Now, ask yourself if God can adopt you as His own; give you a gift which we cannot earn (freely given and freely received); send His son to be the total propitiation for your sins [past, present and future]; and promise that if you believe that He did these things for you, that you could somehow loose it all if you look at a woman with lust in your eyes - requiring some act or deed other than contrite confession directly and personally to whom you have offended (in this case, God and possibly the woman) and repentance (a turning away). Yes, my friend, life on the straight and narrow is exactly like walking a tightrope. There is no one who walks the tightrope without correction in their step, and if they do happen to fall, they have a net. But woe to those who fall without a net.
2 Cor 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
The Bible says, "examine yourselves". What does that mean for me? It means putting my beliefs to the test - not just with my lips, or pious looking down on others, or rhetorical sacraments, or humble dietary restrictions. It means look at myself through the eyes of God to see how I measure up. Am I truly in the faith? Do I think I'm saved because I did something to earn it? Or is the Bible clear that there's none righteous - no not one. Do I think I'm saved because I prayed a prayer one time and asked Jesus into my heart? The Bible is clear there too.
I am seeing bumper stickers and hearing statements come from the mouths of people who profess to have a belief in God that totally contradict His Word. The Bible has a clear stance on proposition 8. The Bible has a clear stance on every proposition and candidate for that matter. The trouble is that we have been duped into thinking with our wallets and not our salvation. That's directly from Satan.
Someday, I will stand before a holy and perfect God and give an account for my every action. What will I say about my voting record? I already know that I'm going to be spending a lot on time looking at the floor - ashamed of many of my decisions. Through the grace that He gives me without cause and the faith that comes only through His son, Jesus Christ, will I ever have any ground to stand on. Not for any good work that I have done, because the Bible says that all my works of righteousness are like filthy rags before Him. Not because I did any sacrament or act, but because I have grace through faith alone that Jesus Christ.
I believe with my entirety and have Biblical foundation to show that my faith alone is not only enough to save me, but that there is nothing else I could do to save me. But let's be clear, salvation is preceded and followed by repentance. A hatred of the things that God hates and a love of the things that God loves. The repentance does absolutely nothing for my salvation, but is the fruit of it - according to Scripture.
Therefore, having been provided a way of salvation, I feel the cause upon me to walk the narrow path, for the path to destruction is wide and many will follow it, but narrow is the path and narrow is that gate that we are called to.
Nobody who gives an honest effort, reads the Bible intending to mislead themselves, but not everyone who calls themselves Christian has honestly taken the time to understand what they say they believe. I know this for a fact - I was such a person for many years.
to add to the confusion, many people who have taken the time to study the Bible disagree strongly with others who have taken the time to study the Bible. There are however (or should be), some non-negotiables:
1. We are all worthy of an eternity in a place called Hell.
2. God loves us.
3. He has sent His son to be the propitiation for our unworthiness.
4. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins, then we *shall* have everlasting life.
The grey area:
I get this question a lot. "How do I know that I believe enough?" or "How do I know that I know that I know that I really believe?" Well, off the cuff - just as much as I believe in gravity. If I believe in gravity, I'll be careful not to fall - as that will hurt. But even still, I sometimes fall. But even if I do fall, I have someone there to catch me and help me back up. That's what the Bible says anyway.
There is a fair amount of fear placed into people though. It is as if we are adopted sons and daughters of God. Actually, it's exactly like that according to the Bible. We are made joint heirs with Jesus. But if we should dare mess up, will God tear up our adoption certificate until we earn our way back into His graces? Will God take back the gift that He has so freely given us? What a cruel and manipulative parent that would be. My Bible states clearly that He offered this gift years before I was even born and long after I had begun sinning. While I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. He didn't die for my sins because I somehow earned that gift; it's a gift, freely given and freely received.
Now, read the Scriptures to see if these things be so, but read also those portions of the Bible that you feel contradict what I've said the Bible says. (I've intentionally left out all verse references). Now, ask yourself if God can adopt you as His own; give you a gift which we cannot earn (freely given and freely received); send His son to be the total propitiation for your sins [past, present and future]; and promise that if you believe that He did these things for you, that you could somehow loose it all if you look at a woman with lust in your eyes - requiring some act or deed other than contrite confession directly and personally to whom you have offended (in this case, God and possibly the woman) and repentance (a turning away). Yes, my friend, life on the straight and narrow is exactly like walking a tightrope. There is no one who walks the tightrope without correction in their step, and if they do happen to fall, they have a net. But woe to those who fall without a net.
