Month: February 2016

Running The Race

The idea of life in general being a race isn’t a new one.  It’s a race that we begin at birth when we enter this world, and we work hard towards the goals that we set before ourselves.  We’ve all heard of the term “rat race”, and certainly life does sometimes feel like a rat race, where we are just working and working, going through the motions to achieve success.  The apostle Paul used the analogy of a race while speaking to the church at Corinth.  Found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul writes, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”  

There is one point I want to make that goes along with the analogy of the Christian race.  There are many TV evangelists that mislead their followers by preaching what can be referred to as “health and wealth” type of sermons.  They urge their followers to just ask Jesus into their hearts (sinner’s prayer) and make a pledge (almost always a monetary gift) to their organization and God will bless them with health and wealth.  It would seem that being a Christian is just that easy.  Send in money and you will be saved.  But is that true?

Let’s think about Paul’s race analogy.  If living a Christian life is a race, that would imply that one would have to put forth effort in order to win that race and have the reward of Heaven as their eternal home.  Have you ever known a competitor who is running a race to remain on the starting line at the sound of the gun and win that race?  It just can’t happen.  Those competing must put forth an effort, work hard to compete in that race in order to obtain the prize.  Living a Christian life is no different.  The Bible lays out the work that a Christian must do to obtain the reward of Heaven.  One can’t simply believe and be saved, as that is equivalent to standing on the starting line while the race goes on.  Belief in Christ, repenting of sins, confessing Christ before men, and being immersed in the waters of baptism is only the beginning of the Christian’s “race” toward Heaven.  Do not be deceived by those who would have you believe otherwise.

Doomed To Repeat History

The Old Testament is full of rich history that any serious Bible student would do well to study.  There is much to learn about how God dealt with his people, the Israelites.  The Israelites were God’s chosen people.  He promised Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18, “blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”  Because of Abraham’s great faith, the people of Israel obtained great favor from God.  They were brought out of captivity by Moses and shown many great wonders by the Lord.  They were promised an earthly inheritance in the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.  They were blessed beyond belief, and yet……..time and time again, they turned their backs on God.  They disobeyed His laws and worshiped false idols.  God sent prophets to them to instruct them to turn from their wicked ways or there would be consequences.  God is a loving God, and he is a just God.  He cannot abide with sin.  You will find very similar stories in each of the books of the minor prophets, but for our purposes, we will focus our attention on Micah.

Not much is known of Micah, as far as who he was or what he did for a living before becoming a prophet of God.  He was chosen to deliver a message to the people of Israel.  The message was that of a coming destruction.  Because of their wicked ways, God determined that his wrath would befall them.  He speaks specifically to the rulers and prophets in chapter 3.  These were the “heads of Jacob” who ruled over the people at that time.  They were the ones who were supposed to provide justice and rule righteously.  Instead, they were oppressing the people, plotting in the night how they would take advantage of them for their own wicked gain.  They hated good, and loved evil.  Micah declares to them, “Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.” (Micah 3:12)  Their wickedness would bring them utter destruction.  All of the good that they had been blessed with would be taken away because they turned away from the love of God.

Throughout the Old Testament we see God’s relationship with his people.  It was very much a Father to children relationship.  And it is no different today.  God has blessed this great nation with so much good.  Yet evil seems to be making so much headway in our land.  Headline after headline reflects the fact that we are turning away from God, no longer seeing it necessary to seek His face.  Our pride has made us fools.  Instead of kneeling on our knees in prayer seeking forgiveness, we are boldly mocking and cursing the very One who gave us everything.  Like the people of Israel, we say, “…Is not the LORD among us?  No harm can come upon us.” (Micah 3:11)  Do we not think that destruction can come upon our land because of our own wickedness?  History proves it to be true.  It would behoove us to learn from past mistakes and make corrections before it is too late!

What Christianity Is Not

What comes to your mind when someone tells you that they are a Christian?  How deep is your thinking when that claim is made?  Do you recognize that that person is living their life as Christ would, or is it more shallow than that?  Perhaps you just make a mental note to watch what you say around that person, or watch how you act.  Maybe you don’t invite them to gatherings because they might be “boring” or make the situation awkward.  The label of “Christian” seems to have a wide variety of meanings in our society today.  I know of people in my own life who call themselves Christian, but you wouldn’t know it if you observe how they are living their lives and the things that they indulge in.  False teachings abound on the matter of what it is to be a Christian, so to help correct those teachings, we will focus on what Christianity is NOT.

First, Christianity is NOT a denomination.  In other words, Christ is not divided.  There are many denominations in our world today, each claiming to be the one true church.  The Bible is clear on this.  Beginning with the truth stated in Ephesians 4 beginning in verse 4: “There is ONE body(church) and ONE Spirit, just as you were called in ONE hope of your calling; 5 ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism; 6 ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Emphasis on each “ONE” mine) If there be only one of each of these things listed, how is it then that we have so many different sects of Christianity?  The answer is because of false teaching.  Jesus himself stated in Mark 3:24, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”  Scripture teaches that the church is the body of Christ, and Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “…..on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  Paul asked the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 1:13, “Is Christ divided?…”  They were labeling themselves according to who taught them, or who baptized them instead of recognizing that they were a part of the ONE church of whom Christ is the head.  Christians are to be united in Christ, not separated according to false doctrines promoted by man.

Christianity is NOT the “sinner’s prayer”.  Have you ever looked in scripture to find where the sinner’s prayer is recorded?  I’ll save you the time and let you know that this prayer is not recorded in scripture.  The sinner’s prayer is a false doctrine that has led many people astray from the truth.  If your place of worship promotes the sinner’s prayer as a means of salvation, I warn you that your soul is in grave danger.  Looking through scripture at each instance of conversion recorded, you will not find any reference to the sinner’s prayer being recited.  Instead, the convert is admonished to believe on the Lord, repent and be immersed for the forgiveness of their sins, and walk in newness of life in service to the Lord.  Simply reciting the sinner’s prayer will not save you from condemnation.  On the day of judgement, many will call out to the Lord and expect to be saved, but will be rejected instead.  Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’  Saying the sinner’s prayer is not sufficient for salvation.

Christianity is NOT warming a pew.  There are those who call themselves Christians, but are not found attending worship services when they are held.  Some only go on special occasions, such as Easter or Mother’s Day.  What’s the problem with that?  Well, we can’t claim ourselves to be in the ONE body of Christ and never be found among the brethren.  How do we foster relationships with our fellow Christians if we are never there?  Furthermore, how do we live according to Christ if we don’t ever hear the teachings of His word at worship services?  Should we not do as the early Christians did?  Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”  Acts 20:7, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”  Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  

There’s a lot more to be said on this topic, and maybe we will revisit it and add to it in future posts.  For now, I hope that you will reflect on these things and study the scriptures to make sure that if you are identifying yourself as a Christian, that you truly understand what it means to be a Christian and are making every effort to live up to that title.  God bless.