Grace and Faith

Grace is a gift of unmeasured value and like any other priceless treasure people have been fighting about it for centuries. Many Christians, bless their hearts, walk around in deep boundless faith simply accepting what they are told rather than investigating. In many cases the arguments are actually started by individuals who are looking at things through a narrow window of perspective. Our Heavenly Father is a being of infinite knowledge. How could we possibly think that his wisdom could be discerned in a quick and thoughtless fashion? I have realized as I grew spiritually that in todays world of deceit I needed to have a more thorough view of Christianity. I needed to be able to defend my faith for my family, myself, and my fellow Christians. I would beg of you as a Christian or as someone examining the faith to not do God’s word the dishonor of a light hearted inspection. We must look at the history surrounding the authors of the canonized Bible, the early church, and the church councils. Every piece of information ever reviewed eventually finds itself supporting the Grace of God. It is only when you try to take fragments that you get confusion and misdirection. The controversy of Grace is in my sights at this immediate moment. I prayed and researched to come to my conclusions and I hope that you will appreciate them. Is your salvation secure? There are many different arguments about our salvation. Some think that we can never lose our salvation once it is obtained, some think you can lose it. Some think you can lose your salvation and obtain it again. The list of human ideas just goes on and on. Well, it is my practice to look to the past to see if a problem or argument has happened before. Because I believe that no problem should be revisited unless there is new evidence to be examined. Something resolved should stay resolved. The most noted argument in the early church about salvation starts with a difference of opinion between John Calvin and Jacob Arminius. Of course neither of them was alive to disagree face to face. Their theologies differed and their followers warred about those differences. The lines were drawn and sides were chosen and the argument nearly caused a civil war in the Netherlands. A council was held to decide the correctness of the two theological views. The council, called the Synod of Dordrecht, decided in favor of the Calvinist view and wrote and ratified the Canons of Dordt. The Canons contained the five points of the Arminian view as stated in the Remonstrance of 1610, as well as, the five counterpoints that are now called, “the Five Points of Calvinism”. Let’s see what we can learn from this encounter and the supporting scripture. I have often found that in order to fully understand something you must know what raw materials formed it and how it was put together. Man is from his birth depraved. He is incapable of living up to the moral standard that tugs at his soul. He is incomplete. take a moment and think about the many different passions that men have embraced in order to fulfill a void that many of us admit to having. Some say they are fine and aren’t missing anything and I say if they are not Christ seeking individuals they are liars.

1 Timothy 1:15 

This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" —and I am the worst of them.

The Apostles knew our hopeless state and they did not waste time philosophizing about it. They called us sinners unworthy of the face of God.

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Some Christians would like to empower themselves by believing their free will allowed them to choose God. Our will is not equal to or greater than God’s. In our original condition we are unable to select or deny something we can’t even grasp. Without the GRACE of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice you cannot even know God. This is an invitation only party. Just as the author of 1 John tells us, “ we love, because he first loved us.” Then there is the ever famous John 3:16 telling us how the Father loved us enough to sacrifice the Son. If you believe you are great enough to have chosen Jesus then you might want to fall on your knees and get a different perspective.

John 10:26-28

26 But you don't believe because you are not My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish —ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.

I know of no instance in the world’s existence where man chose God. Only Jesus Christ is doing the choosing. So open your eyes, ears and heart and pray that you are one of his sheep. In Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus tries to explain that no man can reach heaven without being born again of water and the spirit. Jesus was pointing out that with his gift of grace we are saved and that no amount of groveling or works could change us. Salvation is a work done in us by God. So we seek Jesus Christ, publicly proclaim our faith in Jesus through baptism, and the Holy Spirit enters us. We as saved Christians can resist at that point if we choose. However our bad choices will distress the Holy Spirit in turn causing painful guilt in ourselves. Through these labor pains the Holy Spirit reforms the Christian into a regenerated, sanctified child of God. When someone says that you can lose your salvation they are implying that God’s grace is not sufficient. The work is done by God. He knows that we are weak and gives us the strength to persevere so that we can overcome temptation. I really believe that there are too many interpretations of the scripture. Read Romans chapter 8 and think about it. Read several different translations if that helps and don’t interpret it, rather, take it at face value.

Why We Need The Church

The church, over the many centuries of it’s existence, as an institution has done nearly as many bad things as it has good. So I know that some of you won’t want to hear what I have to say, because I am now one of them. However, for many of my Christian years I was an expert church hopper. I never committed my name to their books for fear that I would get trapped in the evil institution of organized religion. I fell into the enemies trap. As Christians we need other Christians. (Hebrews 10:24-26) Of course Satan wants you to believe you don’t need church! If you go to church you may get the advantage of learning something from a more experienced Christian. It’s called being discipled, and it is the training model given by Jesus and (Matthew 28:19) you can’t get it without gathering with other Christians. Jesus commanded us to partake in communion when we gather. (1Corinthians 11:23-25) God commanded his people to raise up their children in the way. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) We were also instructed to gather in fellowship so that we might encourage each other.     (1John 1:6-8) The world is very obviously not a Christian place and if you are in the world you are not in Christ. I was a hard person to convince myself. Common sense should tell anyone that your not going to grow spiritually if you don’t participate in church. To put it simply; you are not obeying God.

Dust Off That Bible

Christians often wonder why they get to a certain point and start finding their spiritual growth has nearly stopped. What do we do? What has happened? The key item in our Christianity must be either missing or unused. The scriptures fuel our spiritual growth like no other item. As Christians in a hostile environment we are surrounded by numerous opposing views. We must retrain our minds in order to maintain our ongoing regeneration. Now, I am not going to throw scripture at you to implore you to believe that the Bible tells you that you need the Bible. You can use almost anything without an instruction manual given enough time and or injuries. Just reminding you that some things are more dangerous than others. I can tell you that I am an incorrigible corrupt reject of society. It is by grace that I am even believed to be a decent person. You could find hundreds who I have scarred and done wrong to. Those people would tell you a story of a despicable person. The people who have known me for most of my life and still speak with me say something different. What makes me a new man? God’s word makes me a new man. Right at this moment I feel angry, alone, and faithless. Perhaps, I should dust off my Bible like I have in every trial in the past. I see it on the shelf. It has sat there for over a month while I shook my fist at God. My anger keeps me from the Word. Go and pick it up is what the Spirit tells me. Knock the dust off of it and find your healing.

The Discipleship Model

Somehow in the life and lessons of Jesus the model that he portrays gets lost. I am not saying all Christians have missed this concept. I am just saying that; myself and many others could have greatly benefited from a genuine discipleship. Not only is this modeled by Jesus Christ, but it is fairly common throughout society where the passing of knowledge is needed. The protege, apprentice, trainee, learner, cadet, pupil, or disciple is nothing new. In this modern information age people have stopped teaching each other in informal settings. Humans believe in the search for self awareness. The kind that you can find without being forced to have a meaningful relationship with others. What good could happen in this world if we could not just share our goods; but our knowledge, time, and emotional support? The first thing Jesus did upon finishing the Father’s training was to seek a specific group of men to train as well. (Matthew 4:17-22) The exact circumstances of the first calling of disciples varies from source to source, however all agree that upon Jesus return from the desert he began preaching and gathering disciples. Jesus did not announce his greatness and then tell everyone what was right according to him. This is unfortunately what happened to the Medieval Church. When the Roman Empire fell the public centers of learning it funded fell as well. Literacy was only for the wealthy and devout clergyman. The Church saw the power they held and it took many years and much bloodshed before Martin Luther was able to present a printed Bible in a common language. While the knowledge is accessible for self examination it does not mean the model Jesus gave us is no longer needed. He did not just give knowledge; He gave an example to follow. Any mature Christian watching a young Christian floundering in despair should be ashamed of themselves. Where is your example? Jesus didn’t pick twelve men and hope they noticed how he dealt with things. He said, “follow me.” Of course then you have to decide who to disciple. Our instinct would lead us to the easy ones to disciple. “I could be friends with that person,” is what we say to ourselves. (Matthew 9:9-13) The Priests were puzzled by Jesus choice of disciples. From their viewpoint it would make more sense for him to be hanging around them. Jesus chose his disciples by need not want or comfort. In his own words, “the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. I came here for the sinners not the righteous.” Some will say, “ I’m not against this discipleship thing. Anyone who wants to be discipled is welcome to come to me.” Well, here is the truth as I see it in the Word of God. In the parable of the sower Jesus spoke of the man who grasped the message and the harvest from his one seed brought forth a multitude of fruit. How do you think that happens? (Matthew 13:23) In Jesus’ ministry he allowed anyone who wanted to learn from him to follow him. They came to be disciples and Jesus was more than happy to share what he knew. (John 6:66-70) He spoke openly with the Twelve He chose and when the lessons he taught got too hard for the others he turned to the Twelve and said, “Don’t you want to leave?”  When they said no, Jesus replied, “That’s why I chose you twelve.....” It’s time for more guidance from our elders. With the exception of God’s own hand I have had a pilgrimage devoid of guidance. How many have we lost because we didn’t follow them through maturity as a follower of Christ? 

The Truly Fearless Ones

In the book of Acts we are given a vision of men who were divinely driven, because who could explain such bold and fearless behavior? Some would say that there are men who face discouragement and death all the time. For these men it was everyday and then to be happy about it on top of everything. Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin and refused an order to stop speaking the name of Jesus Christ. Stephen rebuked the Pharisees and praised God as they stoned him to death. Paul and Barnabas were beaten and jailed and when the Lord released them they chose to stay and minister the Grace of Jesus to the jailer and his family. But, what was there for them to really fear? Not death! I am sure that Paul would have welcomed death after being stoned and thrown from a cliff. God wasn’t done with him. The Apostles had an intimate knowledge of what their purpose really was. They sought the return of Jesus. They worked to prepare for the coming kingdom of the Lord. They all knew that there was no place for fear in the heart of a Christian. It would have been devastating for them if they had not pushed the boundaries and been put to a martyrs death. Step forward today and you find those who are afraid to wake the bear crying out for the new kingdom. If we do not regain our hope and our fearlessness I would imagine it won’t come until a more devoted generation comes to put in the work.

There are no ex-Christians

There is no such thing as an ex-Christian. Common complaints of those who claim to have lost their faith are a combination of improperly placed faith and selfishness. An argument with a church member or a silent disagreement with their behavior can often be seen as a failing by God when it is really a failing by another human. The falsehood that God is represented by his emissaries of human descent. Another common issue is that a man who cannot get above the concept of man's inability to free himself from pride inevitably will question the motives of God. Some forms of audacious questioning include the how can God allow so much evil, or how can a loving God be so cruel and condemn so many... Others, simply without noticing, because they are focused on man, compare the affairs of God and man on the same level. They confuse God's affection for need. I am not God and I am not Adam, but I am fairly sure that pride is the original sin. The dangerous doctrine that salvation is unsecured allows individuals who have never felt the spirit of the Lord to claim that they are ex-Christians. Once again humans are claiming control over Jesus’ sacrifice. The unsaved are welcomed in church, however it doesn't mean they are saved just because they are participating in human fellowship. The doctrine of free will is being misrepresented. Man always has free will, however, this will is not absolute. We have the freedom to make decisions within the boundaries of our imperfect will. Man has no will to save himself apart from God providing his perfect will in the incarnation of the Holy Spirit. It takes being released from our pride. He loved us first and not because he needed us but because it pleased him to do so. PRIDE! Sin is caused by man exerting a will contrary to God's. Many will say that this is ridiculous because there are many who are not Christians who are good. Good by who’s standards? If you compare the standards of a good person to a fruitful Christian I assure you that you will find some very disparaging differences. People exclaim that without free will how can we willingly love God? Christians react like children and test boundaries. We have our own will at all times, however it always has limits from left to right. It is human pride that leads men to think that they would even want to say no to a revealed God. I loved God from the moment he revealed himself to me. Why would I not? I am so sure of the greatness of Jesus Christ that I would not believe for a second that someone turned him down after his presence was revealed. If I was able I would have always praised his name. Scream Calvinist if you want, biblical truth is biblical truth. While predestination maybe debatable, salvation’s finality is not. Once saved, always saved. Someone I love very much said it best," to say that you can lose your salvation is the same as saying my Lord’s sacrifice is incomplete. Jesus saves completely for the enduring of the saints in hope of the promise of a resurrected body. ( Just a few scriptures related to this subject: Romans 8, 2 Peter 1:3-11, 1 John 2:15-17,25-27 )

Some Conversation I Heard

We will just call person number one Mr. Religion Unknown because I am not sure what his religion was because I never heard him specify. He mentioned God in the part of the combination I heard in a favorable manner. We will call person number two Mr. No Faith because he totally dismissed the supernatural. I know I shouldn't be listening to other people's conversations. I apologize. I found it interesting. So hear is what I heard.

Mr. Religion Unknown: So you don't think the universe was created?

Mr. No Faith: None of the scientific facts would lead you to that kind of assumption.

Mr. Religion Unknown:You can't seriously say that you don't see a design in any of the organisms around us.

Mr. No Faith: That designed look could just as well be coincidence.

Mr. Religion Unknown: So you think this is all an accident?

Mr. No Faith: I am not saying that, however I am saying that the  mathematical equations of the universe show a more random appearance based on the full circuit of possible outcomes.

Mr. Religion Unknown: So you are saying there is no possible intelligence or design behind the creation?

Mr. No Faith: You sure love throwing the creation word around. The universe's origin is better related to Russian Roulette. 

Mr. Religion Unknown: So what caused that very initial spark that caused the universe? You do believe in cause and effect do you not?

Mr. No Faith: Don't patronize me about basic scientific methodology. Nobody knows yet what the initial cause was.

Mr. Religion Unknown: So it wasn't God?

Mr. No Faith: There is no God. Only an ignorant person would acclaim the origins of the universe to a delusion of grandeur for weak minded fools.

Mr. Religion Unknown: Those are harsh words and there are over eighty billion people in the world who might disagree with you.

Mr. No Faith: No God created the universe. It may be possible that the earth was seeded by a higher evolved civilization.

Mr. Religion Unknown: You think we may have been created by aliens?

Mr No Faith: Not created but planted here and allowed to evolve.

Mr. Religion Unknown: Then I am a science experiment for aliens.

Mr. No Faith: It is just a theory.

Mr. Religion Unknown: Like evolution?

Mr. No Faith: And your theory is a mythological delusion who cannot be found to be a force in our very surrounding.

Mr. Religion Unknown: Why would an almighty being present himself for your experiments?

Mr. No Faith: As usual you are simply trying to bait me.

Mr. Religion Unknown: Just one serious question. I mean it.

Mr. No Faith: So what do you have?

Mr. Religion Unknown: What started the universe?

Mr. No Faith: We don't know, but we think we may be able to come up with an idea with the right studies.

Mr. Religion Unknown: So you don't know?

Mr. No Faith: We don't know.

Mr. Religion Unknown: But it wasn't God?

Mr. No Faith: It wasn't God. When are you going to bring proof instead of punching holes in my on going work?

Mr. Religious Unknown: I'm not saying God has to be part of the talk but I think there are things to intelligent design that should be discussed.  

So as I walked away with a busy thought running through my head I realized that I have an answer and the athiests don't. At least I can fill in the blanks. There you have it.

One guy pains over life with no driving purpose/While another has a mission. A dangerous mission that he may not even finish while living in the flesh. He has a battle to fight, a purpose to life eternal. Thank you lord for calling me.