Tag Archives: Ephesians

The dangers of social Christianity

Posted on October 26, 2015 by | Comments Off on The dangers of social Christianity

Biblical-Studies-DegreeThere has been a trend in both American and western European societies that has led to a lot of scriptural misunderstanding. This trend, known as social Christianity, is a delusion that leaves the soul hungry for truth, is spiritually void, and does not have the power to save. It is a false gospel that serves no other purpose than to confuse, to distort the love of God, and to remake the faith that God has called Christians to have. Social Christianity, and the social gospels it teaches, is acceptable and appealing to the world because it sets aside the standards set by God and replaces them with a non-threatening interpretation of the gospel of Jesus where the distinction between unrepentant sinner and sinner saved by grace are distorted.

Social Christianity compared to biblical Christianity

The true gospel of Jesus is much different from the social gospel in many areas. The Bible is very clear in its presentation of the gospel: 1) there must be genuine repentance for sins [Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19)], 2) conversion (salvation) happens when we call upon the  Lord [For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10), For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16), and For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13)] and 3) our belief in Jesus is our only means of salvation [Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6) and 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)]. There are literally hundreds of other verses I could use to show the Lord’s plan of salvation that is freely offered through His grace and love for us, but I believe Paul said it best: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:5-9).

Biblical Christianity places the focus of the relationship between the individual believer and the Lord Jesus Christ. That focus is centered upon the concept of individual repentance, individual recognition of our original state of being a sinner and the recognition of our need for redemption from the wages of sin [For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23)]. It is placing our full and complete faith in the completed works of Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, the sacrifice of His sinless, spotless life in the place of our sin-stained life as our only hope of Heaven. The Bible clearly teaches that just one of our sins places us in need of judgment; Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life (Romans 5:18), but that through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are offered the free gift of salvation. Salvation is not earned by our own perception of righteousness, fairness, or by good works, but by the standards that have been set by God, of whom Paul wrote, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). 

Social Christianity has a number of teachings within its framework that cloud the simplicity of the true gospel of Jesus. Within the last three years, there have been a number of national-level politicians within the United States who have used the phrases national salvation and national redemption as calls for Americans to support their various agendas. Even Israel, a nation and kingdom established by God never had this kind of total and complete redemption for all its citizens. Even the Old Testament teaches salvation of the individual believer but does offer national blessings when the nation is in obedience to the will and teachings of the Lord. Will God bless our nation, if as a nation, we are obedient to the will and teachings of God? Yes. But this is not the same as national redemption or national salvation. Salvation is, even under the New Testament teachings, a relationship between the person and God.

Continued on next page.

Pages: 1 2 3

Comments Off on The dangers of social Christianity

Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Christian Living, Our relationship with God, Our relationship with ourselves

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Depression and faith: shared from the heart

Posted on August 19, 2015 by | Comments Off on Depression and faith: shared from the heart

depression and faithDepression and faith are in direct opposition to each other. Like many people, I struggle with depression and in the past, there have been times when it has gotten the best of me. We all have experienced family, friends, and even pastors make comments that are well-meaning but ill-received. I’m not writing this as psychological advice or for medical treatment purposes, but as a Christian man simply sharing what the Lord has laid upon my heart. For the last couple of days I have been struggling on how to share what the Lord has laid on my heart because I do understand how hurtful even some of the best intended advice can be when you’re dealing with depression. I’d like to share what I have learned about the real spiritual battle behind depression.

Defining depression and the medical definition

According to the website maintained by the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is defined as:

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings and sense of well-being. People with depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, ashamed or restless. They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience overeating or loss of appetite, have problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions, and may contemplate, attempt or commit suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, aches, pains, digestive problems or reduced energy may also be present. (NIMH – Depression)

Everyone has, at some time or another, suffered from depression. For many, it may be a temporary state that was the result of a single experience, event, or other trigger. For some, depression is a life-long battle. For nearly a century, there have been a variety of treatments used that includes everything from medications to electroshock therapy. Some are able to talk about their depression with others while some seem to be buried underneath it. As a Christian, the struggle becomes compounded when we hear from other Christians the platitudes of “it will pass” and “you’ll be ok” because at the depths of depression, it doesn’t feel temporary nor does it feel we will ever be the same again. In my own walk, I’ve struggled with depression and have tried to understand the relationship between depression and faith.

Whether it’s caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain or is the result of PTSD, depression and the extent of its effects differ from person to person. Some people have seasonal depression, others have severe chronic depression, and still others will slip into and out of depression on what seems like a cyclic pattern. With all this said, depression is a powerful emotion that can be managed through our faith in the Lord.

Biblical guidance to a better outlook

As regular readers know, 2006 was a major turning point in my life. I quit running and decided to fully accept Jesus as my personal savior and Lord. I also decided to study the Bible as seriously as I was studying the materials for my graduate degree. Like many people, I didn’t know what to expect nor did I realize how applicable the Bible is in today’s world. I was not raised in a Christian family and because of the various public schools, was a bit of a skeptic. What I began to realize was that the Bible is relevant and the advice contained within its scriptures is life-changing. Christianity is not merely a religion but an all-encompassing philosophy. Once I began to understand and accept that as fact, I really began to understand the beauty of the Lord’s advice.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus told his disciples, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). About three weeks ago, while facing depression, I came across that verse during my morning reading of the Bible.  On that particular day I was feeling incredibly low, and as I read that verse I began to see it from a different perspective. For those who suffer with depression, it can be a time of great tribulation – and here’s my Lord and Savior telling me that not only does He want me to have peace but be of good cheer. Jesus overcame the battle with depression; when He overcame the world, He overcame everything that the world could throw at Him, including depression.

Continued on next page.

Pages: 1 2 3

Comments Off on Depression and faith: shared from the heart

Posted in Christian Living, Difficulties and Trials, My Walk, Our relationship with God

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s just a building and NOT the church

Posted on July 13, 2015 by | Comments Off on It’s just a building and NOT the church
0617150907-01

Sanctuary of Gospel Light Baptist Church 06/17/2015

At some time in the life of any congregation there will be something happen to the church building. My current home church, Gospel Light Baptist Church, is no exception to this statement. June 17th started out like any other day. Being a Wednesday, I had already made plans to be at the church a little before the evening midweek service so I could print out the weekly prayer lists. Around ten o’clock that morning, one of our church couples that cleans the church called me and told me that the ceiling had collapsed in our sanctuary. A few minutes later, the pastor’s wife sent out a call to all our members cancelling Wednesday night service. Not only had the ceiling collapsed in the sanctuary, but throughout the church building there was a heavy layer of dust, insulation, and debris coating nearly every surface. The first thing that came to my mind is that while it is sad that our sanctuary was destroyed, it is just a building. No member was there when it fell – a miracle within itself.

Soon after, a local television began running a story about the damage to our sanctuary. While the report really didn’t mention a lot of details, it did pique the interests of many within our community. Nearly every member has been asked a variety of questions about what has happened and our congregation’s plans to rebuild. Just as other members have been asked, I have been asked how other members handling the collapse of our “church” ceiling. At first, I responded as anyone would – sharing that how I believe that the Lord had his hand on the entire situation. Then it dawned on me that many of the people who were asking me were equating what happened with the church building as actually happening to the “church.” There is a scriptural distinction between the two. What happened to our sanctuary happened to just a building. The church – the local assembly of born-again believers that meet in that building are what is important.

In Paul’s letter to Philemon, he writes, And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house (Philemon 1:2), he is clearly making a distinction between the church and the building where it meets. This is not the only time the distinction is made within scripture. Paul’s letter to the Christians in Colossus has a similar salutation, Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house (Colossians 4:15). In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul writes, The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house (1 Corinthians 16:19), again highlighting the relationship to the body of believers and the place where they meet. Even in Rome, there was a church meeting in the house of a believer: Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ (Romans 16:5). Each of these verses clearly show the church as not being a certain building or place but a group of local believers meeting together to worship the Lord, exhorting one another, and praising God.

Just a building 2The ceiling that once was in our sanctuary had been there for fifty years. It held its place over many weddings, baptisms, and other events that were special to nearly three generations of members. As you can see in the photograph to the left, it was made of beautifully crafted tongue in groove planking – and we took great pride in how beautiful our sanctuary was. But as much as it meant to so many people, it was not the church but just a building where we met. If you go to any church meeting across our country, you’ll discover that among the faithful, the church isn’t a building but a family. A family of born again believers who come together to do those very things Christians have done since the days of the apostles: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25), Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19); and to Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).

Comments Off on It’s just a building and NOT the church

Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Off the cuff

Tagged , , , , , ,