Category: lost souls

No “Sin?”

Monday, July 25, 2016

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3,4 KJV).

Is there really such a thing as “sin?” If there is, a good many preachers will literally not say it!

Not long ago, a feel-good pastor was featured on a news show to comment on a recent tragedy. When the news anchor asked him why there was all this craziness in society, the pastor just could not bring himself to say the word “sin.” The best he could do was repeat, “It is just our fallen nature, humanity’s fallen nature.”

Beloved, “sin” is such a negative word, and this man was used to pleasing people. He would not dare say “sin” on television. It might offend someone “too sophisticated” or “too positive” to think about something so unconstructive as “sin!” Overall, the pastor’s spiritual insight was that of a first-grade Sunday School student. He never gave any real comfort and no in-depth commentary from the Bible. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say he quoted as much Scripture as the news anchor! (None.)

People just cannot handle the truth, especially the truths of the Holy Bible. One of the ways we know the Bible is not of human origin is its negative portrait of mankind. It offends our flesh; it contradicts our sin nature that wants to perform. The Bible is always negative toward man and always positive toward God. But, today’s Scripture says people will more and more gravitate toward error. They do not want to be called “sinners.” Oh, no! They do not want to be called “lost,” either! Let us call them “diseased,” “debilitated,” and “un-churched!”

Friends, there is a negative reality called “sin.” This offends people, but so what! God gave us that bad news so He could then give us good news, the Gospel of Grace. “Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). We can have righteousness—His righteousness—when we trust Him and Him alone as sufficient payment for our sins!

Light and Understanding

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130 KJV).

Behold, light and understanding are in the Word of God rightly divided!

Today’s Scripture is so simple that even a small child can grasp it. Unfortunately, many seminary-educated preachers, many “scholarly” persons, and many religious leaders could not comprehend that verse even if their lives depended on it! They have been so “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14)—their minds scrambled and their hearts hardened. When the spiritual light of God’s Word shines, they hide behind an intellectual or religious argument, lest the light expose them and convert them from their wayward path!

Still, despite all the willful ignorance described above, there are a handful of genuine souls. They are really trying to find the truth; they are waiting for some Bible-believing Christian to help them. Dear brethren, dearly beloved in the Lord, we should not be lackadaisical. There are some very confused people out there seeking answers; they need the light of the Gospel of Christ to shine on their hearts so they can be saved unto eternal life. There are some very confused Christians out there; they need the light of the Message of Grace to shine on their hearts so they can learn sound Bible doctrine. Let us not sit around waiting for some other person to do it. We should get out and do it. Win souls to Jesus Christ, and edify Christian souls to His glory! Go! Go! Go!

Some have no interest whatsoever in learning the truths of God’s Word rightly divided. But, there are others who are praying for God to enlighten them. We need to be ready to reach them whenever they request our assistance. Let us study and be prepared to answer their questions! In this world of increasing darkness and confusion, God’s Word rightly divided is a beacon of understanding. It shines ever so brightly. Let us be “mirrors,” reflecting that light so all can see and come to Christ Jesus! The fruit in eternity will be so much more exciting than we could possibly imagine here! 🙂

Busy with Idols

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

“Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32 KJV).

Why did Israel forget about JEHOVAH God?

A minister wrote many decades ago: “The only way to stay alive today is to run—even in the supermarket. If you’re not careful, someone will run a grocery-cart right over you if you stop moving!” Friends, we live in a much busier world. What would that dear brother say about today’s world if he were not enjoying heaven right now?

Our highways and interstates abound with people in quite a hurry. With speeds exceeding high, so are tempers! Road rage is a common problem; people just cannot get out of the way quickly enough, and they cannot travel quickly enough even if they manage to get from behind those travelling reasonable speeds! Just how many of these busy people give God even one minute of their time? He has given them so much—oxygen, food, water, shelter, life, and so on. What have they given Him? Only when they need Him to do something for them, when they are in a tight spot and need help, then they think about Him, call on Him, and ask Him for deliverance. Sound familiar?

The context of today’s Scripture says of preoccupied, idolatrous Israel: “[27] Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. [28] But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah…. [32]… my people have forgotten me days without number.”

Frankly, even people today are too busy with idols—self, money, education, religion, work, sex, entertainment, and so on—to think about the Lord Jesus Christ. What a sad reality, friends, what a sad reality indeed! As ancient Israel did, so many people today have forgotten all about the one true God. May we not be among them!

Forgiven for Christ’s Sake #7

Sunday, July 17, 2016

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32 KJV).

What is true forgiveness?

At a Bible conference, I overheard a man talking with one of my pastor friends. Steeped in denominationalism, he was chiefly confused about whether God had forgiven him. He struggled with the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” (“Our Father” Prayer). Specifically, Matthew chapter 6: “[14] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” The poor man needed to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The “Our Father” Prayer was spoken to Israel (Matthew 15:24)—not us Gentiles (Matthew 10:5-7)!

God’s spokesman to us, the Apostle Paul, on this side of the Cross, tells us God has forgiven us all our sins. We do not have to beg or wonder! In Christ, forgiveness is total, free, and forever. He forgave us because of what Jesus Christ did at Calvary, not because of our religious performance (today’s Scripture). We are already forgiven in Christ. As God forgave us, we forgive others. Lost people will have their sins taken care of at two places—the cross of Christ if they trust Christ before physical death, or eternal hellfire if they do not trust Christ before physical death.

One of Satan’s schemes to destroy the local assembly is when Christians do not forgive each other as God for Christ’s sake has (past tense) forgiven them. Second Corinthians chapter 2 warns about bitterness: “[10] To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; [11] Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Forgiveness is not pretending like nothing happened. You have been wronged, and God punished Jesus Christ for that sin. Forgiveness is sending the shame, guilt, and pain to Jesus Christ’s cross (where God dealt with our sins). We need not keep dredging up the past, beloved. We learn from our mistakes, and are thankful Jesus Christ has already provided our forgiveness forever! 🙂

Penance in Eden

Sunday, July 10, 2016

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:7,8 KJV).

Itchy, itchy, itchy!

Friend, have you ever picked figs? Their leaves are prickly, and can make you itch! As I recently picked figs, I constantly thought on Genesis chapter 3, when the parents of the human race sinned against a holy God and attempted to cover their nakedness. What did they use to clothe their bare skin? According to today’s Scripture, they grabbed prickly fig leaves! They preferred this—suffering in uncomfortable clothes—to coming to God and admit their failure. Human nature is prideful; it has never changed in all these years.

While not explicitly stated in the Bible, perhaps Adam and Eve used fig leaves to make themselves suffer, possibly attempting to make God feel sorry for them. After all, some religious people make themselves suffer so as to appease some deity. They have the twisted idea that they can suffer enough for their sin and “God” will be happy with them. It is called “penance.” They are to give up pleasures and recite complicated prayers. They wear various torture bracelets on their fingers or arms and torture rings around their legs. They may don itchy hair shirts or pants. They whip themselves with leather straps. Every drop of blood they make themselves shed is assumed to make God just a tad happier with them. Allegedly, the more they suffer, the “holier” they become, and that much closer to heaven!

Beloved, on Calvary’s cross, the Lord Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). We have no reason to suffer for our sins because Jesus already did. Still, if we want to suffer for our sins, God will grant us our wish. He has prepared a lake of fire and brimstone in which unredeemed souls will suffer forever. Something far worse than itchy fig leaves and hair shirts!

Remember, the online grace Bible conference runs until Thursday! http://understandgrace.com/2016-summer-family-bible-conference/

Do Not Lose It All!

Saturday, July 9, 2016

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26 KJV).

In this world, you can lose most. In the next, please do not lose all.

I recently saw a documentary about one of the world’s most famous couples of the 20th century. Despite wealth and royalty, they were no exception regarding the curse of sin. While they appeared happy on the surface, their marriage gradually disintegrated—insecurity, exorbitant spending, extramarital affairs, health problems, depression, and eventually separation and divorce. Near the close of this last century, the lady died in a tragic automobile accident. Her two young sons grew up in luxury, albeit without their mother. Her husband married his extramarital lover.

See, dear friends, money is not everything. While it is not a sin to be rich, it is not easy either. If you are trying to fill your heart’s “God-shaped hole” with money, sex, fame, drugs and alcohol, education, religion, and the like, let me just tell you right now you will never be satisfied. Apart from Jesus Christ, you will always struggle to find purpose, meaning, acceptance, and love. It makes no difference whether you are poor or rich, sexually active or celibate, famous or unknown, inebriated and high on drugs or not, educated or non-educated, religious or nonreligious!

The ground is level at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Friend, you can have all the wealth of this world, all the fame, all the education, but you die without a personal relationship with the God of the Bible through Jesus Christ, you will live all of eternity without Him. Your conscious soul will burn alive forever in the righteous fury of a holy, offended God. Oh, but do not go there! You do not have to go to hell! God sent Jesus Christ to die for your sins. The Prince of Heaven came to give His life a ransom for the spiritual paupers of Earth!

Trust exclusively Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins. You will become a child of God—true royalty, love, acceptance, security, and spiritually rich beyond your wildest dreams!

ATTENTION: The 2016 Grace School of the Bible Summer Family Bible Conference will begin streaming online tonight live beginning at 7PM Central U.S. Time. It will continue through Thursday, July 14. Please see the following link for the schedule and video feed: http://understandgrace.com/2016-summer-family-bible-conference/.

Freed from Sin

Friday, July 8, 2016

“For he that is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:7 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us?

Friend, notice the Bible does not say we are free from sin, as in sinlessness. It says we are “freed from sin,” “sin” (singular) being the nature rather than the actions the nature causes (“sins”). As verse 6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him [Christ], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Our Adamic sin nature does not have to control us anymore because God crucified it with Christ on Calvary. Certainly, it is a supernatural event. When we trusted Christ Jesus as our personal Savior, God credited Christ’s death (which happened 20 centuries ago) as our death to sin. He also credited Christ’s resurrection as our resurrection unto eternal life (verses 1-5,8-23).

In stark contrast, the natural man, a person outside of Jesus Christ, one who is dead in trespasses and sins, he or she has no choice but to sin. We read in Ephesians 2:1-3: “[1] And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; [2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

There is no power for lost people to do righteousness because the flesh is weak. They need God’s power if they are to walk in righteousness. They need to be liberated from the power of Adam and Satan. Today’s Scripture says that we have been freed from the power of sin, “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21).

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did Jesus say, ‘My God, my God?’”

For the Ungodly and For Sinners

Sunday, July 3, 2016

“For when were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8 KJV).

Did Christ die for the godly? No. Did Christ die for the righteous? No.

How human nature is stubborn! Pride operated first in Lucifer, and so he became Satan. Likewise, pride operated in Adam and mankind fell into sin. Friend, you stay in the ministry just a short time, and you will meet some very prideful people. The most prideful people in all the world are those in religion. Regardless of religion and/or denomination, you will always find someone who is “good enough,” “diligent enough,” “faithful enough.” In their minds, they “never sin” and they “do enough good.”

You can have numerous pieces of evidence to the contrary, and some people will deny all wrongdoing whatsoever. They will shield themselves and others from blame. They will blame-shift, and point out other people’s sins before their own. In short, they are in denial. People who do not realize they are lost and going to hell, will not be saved and go to heaven. They are ungodly. They are sinners. That is why Christ died for them! They needed Him!

Why, oh why, would God ever want anything to do with us, the human race, when we are so willfully unbelieving and disobedient to Him? We will never fully understand it, but God’s grace can plummet the depths that sin reaches. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20b). While mankind was sinning and rubbing his sin in God’s face, God sent His Son to die for those sins (today’s Scripture). Would you die for your enemy? Jesus Christ did (for all 10 billion-plus!). Again, this truth just completely goes over our heads. Our minds are too small to fathom it.

They can continue to deny, ridicule, and laugh at it, but the finished crosswork of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only reason why God still tolerates this world!

Ye Would Not!

Friday, June 24, 2016

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37 KJV).

As in Christ’s earthly ministry, so today—God never takes free will away!

Recently, a brother in Christ shared his heavy burden with me. One of his relatives is in dire health, suffering 99 percent brain damage. His doctors say, even if he survives, he will be in a vegetative state. The brother explained to me that he shared the Gospel with this man years ago, but had not heard from him since. He is still worried the now-dying man never did anything with the Gospel—especially sad now that he is holding to life by a thread and maybe drawing closer to hell.

This brother had to understand it is beyond his control. He has shared the Gospel most faithfully, and there is nothing he can do for his relative but pray for him now. His brain is not functioning properly anymore, but he still may be aware in his soul. We cannot be sure just how alert such people are spiritually. If they so desire, God can always bring His Word to memory in those who have heard it years before.

Beloved, we should never beat ourselves up wondering if we shared the Gospel enough with someone who is dying or who has since died. If they only heard us share the Gospel with them once, that one time was all that we were able to do. While we care for them deeply, we cannot force people to trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. The God of the Bible is all about freedom. If people do not want Him, He will not force them to accept Him. After three years of ministry, with a heavy heart, Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept. They had no interest in Him or anything He had to say to them (today’s Scripture).

God has done everything to keep people out of hell by sending Jesus Christ to die for their sins. If they want to ignore that, that is their choice. Let it not be ours!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Can you explain Jude 9?”

Not Intimidated But Exhilarated

Thursday, June 23, 2016

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4 KJV).

Therefore, onward in Christ we go!

Not long ago, a girls softball team lost a game 5-15. After this discouraging loss, their coach told them the opposing team was “beatable,” but that they had allowed the opposing fast-throwing pitcher to intimidate them. The losing team disagreed: the winning team was not “beatable” as their coach suggested. Yet, the next day, they practiced and determined within themselves to win the rematch. How excited the former “losing” team was to win 7-2! They were stunned to learn that the team that seemed “unbeatable” was actually beatable!

Recently, I had a discussion with a discouraged sister in Christ. People had done her much wrong. Her Christian life was still greatly damaged. Satan had had—and was having—a great time destroying her life. I reminded her of today’s Scripture: “…Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” She could not help but reply, “Amen, brother!”

Friends, we are surely in a spiritual battle—the most important war ever. Yes, many are sleeping while it is being waged, but there is a conflict between God and Satan, good and evil, over the eternal souls of men and women and boys and girls! As Christians, we see Satan as “unbeatable.” Wielding so much influence, using so many allies, and implementing so many schemes, he seems invincible. No wonder so many poor Christian souls just throw up their hands in complete helplessness and hopelessness!

Like the aforementioned girls softball team, they are focusing on the opposition and ignoring their provisions. They have been equipped to fight the battle in Christ, but they focus too much on the enemy and they ignore their commander’s instructions. Israel’s believing remnant will endure a very difficult and wearisome time during Daniel’s 70th Week; despite the innumerable false prophets (verses 1-3), the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John exhorts believing Jews to remember that the Creator God is in them, and He is more powerful than Satan who is in the world (1 John 5:19)! Let us remember likewise. 🙂