Missing the Point

When we read Scripture

If Christ doesn't become more beautiful,

If we do not see more of God's heart,

If the depth of the sin in our heart is not exposed,

If our souls aren't stirred to praise God,

If we seek merely to understand the meaning of Scripture apart from it's application,

If it doesn't drive us to prayer,

If we do not love God more,

If our love is not stirred for our neighbors, 

If our heart is lifted up in pride and we make a mental list of all the ways we are obeying,

If we focus on a list of to do's, and our goal is changed behavior rather than adoring and worshipping Christ,

If we study looking first for lessons to teach others seeing ourselves primarily as the one that needs to deliver God's word to people rather than one who needs to receive God's word,

If we are hearers and not doers,

If we seek knowledge over intimacy with God,

If we hide it in our heads and not our hearts for any purpose other than so that we might not sin against Him,

If we search Scripture to support our theological positions, 

If we half heartedly skim,

If we twist it to justify our sins,

If we look merely for "answers" rather than for questions to ask ourselves,

If we are fascinated with deep mysteries but don't look in the mirror,

If our Sword stays in the sheath when Satan attacks,

If we use the Bible like a harlot just to get what we want,

If our main focus is meeting our own emotional needs, 

If we search the Scriptures because we think that in them we have life,

If we do not imitate what we learn of Christ, 

If our feet do not follow the path to calvary, and we do not take up our cross and follow Him,

If Christ isn't what we seek when we read Scripture,

Our Bibles would benefit us more if we never opened them because when we read them in this way We get further from Christ and look to ourselves,

We condemn ourselves,

We claim to be wise but become fools,

We dishonor the Name of God before men,

We build false confidence that the act of reading the Word will transform our sinful desires without any effort on our part. The more we trust in our action of reading, the more we see our reading of Scriptrure as meritorious. The more we see our action as meritorious, the more we worship the idol of study. The more we worship the idol of study, the more we are blinded to the fact that we are actually not studying God; we are just working. 

We are working like a Pharisee who knows the Word in and out but who completely misses that Jesus is in our very presence. We are actually mad that He takes away our glory from our good work and we seek to rid ourselves of Him. Oh, what a tragedy to read the word of God and miss Christ! 

What a subtle lie that Satan would have us to believe! In fact, satan is twisting the very Book that should renew our minds to blind them. He is calling idolatry worship of the true God. He is making men twice a son of hell. Satan is not opposed to men reading the Bible and never has been. He even used Scripture when tempting Jesus. Satan's goal is not to destroy Scripture but to twist Scripture to become an instrument of destruction to men.

Our hope is not in the Bible, it is spoken of in the Bible. Our hope is in Christ! Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone, and Scripture alone is our authority. Scripture is not our righteousness. The blood of Jesus, and the blood of Jesus alone can make atonement for our sin. May we cling to the grace of God and put no confidence in the flesh or our abilities to study the Bible. 

However, this message is not just to the lost pharisee. It is to the saved pharisee. What do I mean? Christians can miss the point when they study Scripture. They too can look to complete in the flesh what was begun by the Spirit ( Galatians 3:3). The Christian must cling to the Christ not only for justification but also sanctification. They must abide in the branch in order to produce the fruit of the Spirit (hence the name "the fruit of the Spirit" not "the fruit of study").

What can Christians do about this serious but subtle danger? First, they must pray that God would give them true understanding and true fear of Him. Second, they must continue in prayer as they read. Third, they must worship God truly in love (not in order to merit God's forgiveness). True worship is love to God which works obedience. 

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;" John 5:39

I say this from experience: If you miss Jesus, you've missed the point. For too long, I missed the point, but God has been gracious and shown me that HE is the glorious point! Seek Him! Don't trade him for a counterfeit hope of righteousness. Don't get lost in trying to understand all the mysteries in Scripture, just get lost trying to understand the mystery of union with Christ and obey what you do understand. Christ is the true treasure, and the purpose for studying Scripture is so that we might Him! 

"More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ," Philippians 3:8

Scopus Vitae Christus, 

Dallas

What is a Biblical Worldview?

Suppose that you are going to take a trip to Hawaii. As you are seated on the plane, you introduce yourself to the passenger next to you who looks nervous. He replies, “I'm sorry if I don't seem very friendly. This is my first flight, and I don't like heights. Would you mind if we closed the shade on the window?” You smile and politely pull the shade. While preparing for takeoff, a voice over the intercom announces, “This is your pilot speaking. Can anyone tell me how to get to Hawaii? I can't find the compass on this thing. Since I've never been in a plane before either, I could use some help figuring out what all of these buttons are for.” Upon hearing this announcement, only a lunatic would remain in his seat. It is essential to have an experienced pilot in order to first make it off the ground, and then arrive at your destination. If the person next you had never been in an airplane before, it would have little effect on you. However, it would matter immensely if your captain had never been in a plane. His lack of experience as a pilot would affect his choices, everyone else in the plane, and your destiny. Many people think that their beliefs are irrelevant, but all beliefs have consequences. They affect our choices, they affect those around us, and they affect our destinies. Our beliefs are not just a passenger in the mind; they are the pilot of the entire body. Having the right beliefs is vital because our beliefs will determine the course of our lives.

It Matters

What we believe matters, but how can one know what to believe? There are many different belief systems, but the Bible alone is consistent with itself and reality. Author Susan Schaeffer Macaulay compared the search for truth with finding the right key to a lock. She recounted a time when she had a large ring of keys and needed to find the correct one for the door that stood locked before her. Mrs. Macaulay explained that just as only one key fit the lock, only one belief system fits the facts around us. The Bible gives the philosophy and explanation of life and truth that fits reality. The Bible offers the key to understanding the past, present, and future. It explains creation and its purpose and reveals why pain, disease, and death exist. It accounts for why we have a sense of right and wrong. The Bible also offers a living hope¹ for mankind and provides truth to guide us through life. The Bible contains the only correct belief system.

Worldview

Another word for a belief system is worldview. Francis Schaeffer said, “No man can live without a world view; therefore, there is no man who is not a philosopher.” Everyone has a belief system even if they do not believe in a god. A worldview can be broken down into what one believes about seven basic categories: truth, God, origins, man, purpose, morality, and destiny. Hence, a biblical worldview is viewing all of these areas through the lens of Scripture and letting the Bible govern one's beliefs. In order to understand what a biblical worldview is, we must answer the question, “What does the Bible teach us about each of these topics?”

Truth

Every worldview begins by laying the foundation for truth. By necessity, a Biblical worldview begins with the belief that God is the source of all truth, and that truth is revealed to us through His Word.² God cannot lie, so His Word is true.³ Thus, truth is not relative or subjective to our opinions. God's Word helps us to discern what is true and provides direction much like a compass does. It would be impossible for a pilot to navigate without a compass. Likewise, it is vital that we rely on God's Word in order to discern truth. Understanding where to acquire truth lays the foundation for the entire Biblical worldview.

God

What is a Biblical worldview of God? Having established that Scripture is God's revealed truth, we should investigate what Scripture teaches about God. However, this does not prove to be a simple task. God is eternal,⁴ and it is difficult for finite man to understand and explain a being who is infinite. While it is not possible for man to know God as God knows Himself, God has revealed Himself to us in His Word and we can know Him to the extent that He has revealed Himself in Scripture and through His Son.⁵ Not only can we know about God; we can know God Himself and have a relationship with Him.⁶ What He has revealed to us in His Word is sufficient for life, faith, and practice.

We learn in Scripture that God is independent from everything and does not need anything to sustain Himself.⁷ He is unchangeable and eternal.⁸ He is omnipresent (in all places), yet He cannot be contained by space.⁹ He is immortal,¹⁰ invisible,¹¹ omniscient (all-knowing), and wise.¹² He does not have a body but is spirit.¹³ He is truthful,¹⁴ faithful,¹⁵ good,¹⁶ and holy.¹⁷ He is righteous,¹⁸ jealous,¹⁹ sovereign,²⁰ and orderly.²¹ He has wrath towards sin and demands a payment for it.²² However, He is merciful, patient, and loving too, and He offers salvation to all men.²³ He is omnipotent (all powerful), free to do all His holy will;²⁴ and He is perfect.²⁵ He is blessed,²⁶ beautiful,²⁷ and glorious.²⁸ God is three persons in one: each is fully God, and there is only one God.²⁹ Although man has tried to use language to describe God, there are no words that can fully explain Him; He is indescribable. A Biblical view of God is that we cannot know God fully, but we can know Him personally as much as He has revealed to us in His Word and through His Son.

Origin

What is a biblical worldview of the origin of the cosmos? Many theories exist, so we must rely on our “compass” to guide us through the philosophies of this world. The very first sentence in the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”³⁰ We also read that without Christ nothing was made.³¹ All creation has its' origin in God. It is important, however, to clarify that God did not create sin. God's creation originally existed in a perfect state. All that He made was good, but because man sinned, creation was subjected to futility.³² This is the reason that pain, disease, and destruction are rampant today. The evil in this world is not a result of God's actions. Evil entered the world through man's disobedient choice. Scripture is clear on the origin of the cosmos, and the biblical view is that all creation originated from God and was originally perfect.

Man

What does the Bible teach us about man? We learn four basic things about man from Scripture. First, man was originally created perfect in the image of God. The Bible says, “...all that He had made... was very good,”³³ and, “God created man in His own image.”³⁴ Second, when man sinned, all mankind was doomed to death. In Romans we read, “all have sinned”,³⁵ “the wages of sin is death”,³⁶ and “...by the transgression of the one the many died.”³⁷ Third, man can still be redeemed. Jesus said, “In Him we have redemption through His blood”³⁸ Fourth, even when man is redeemed, he will still struggle with sin until he is made perfect when Christ returns. In First John 1:8 we read, “If we say that we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves....”³⁹ A Biblical perspective of mankind is that he fell from his original perfect state; he is doomed to die; he can be forgiven; and once he is redeemed he will not be made perfect until Christ returns.

Purpose

What is the purpose of creation? This question has been asked for ages because we all want to know why we are here and why everything else exists. Everyone longs to have meaning and purpose. In desperation some have tried to create their own purpose, but a purpose must come from a creator. People can only have purpose if they were created intentionally. Similarly, one can only know his purpose if his Creator reveals it. Once again, our compass is a vital tool for discovering what we were intended to do. Scripture teaches that God made all things for His own glory.⁴⁰ It is true that God does do things for our sake,⁴¹ but the ultimate reason He does anything is for His own sake and His own glory.⁴² If man's purpose is to glorify God, the question we are left with is, “How does one glorify God?” Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commands,⁴³ and that the Father is glorified when we bear fruit.⁴⁴ We glorify God when we obey His Word. A Biblical view of creation's purpose is that everything was created for God's glory and that we can glorify Him by submitting our lives to the teachings in His Word and bearing fruit.

Morality

How can one decide what is moral or immoral? This is the question of right and wrong. The Bible teaches that right and wrong do exist. Wrongdoing is synonymously called sin in Scripture. The book of First John tells us that all unrighteousness is sin, and sin is lawlessness. Hence, sin is any transgression of God's Holy Law. While sin is lawlessness, it is not merely lawlessness because according to Romans 5, sin existed before the law was ever given. Sin is anything that is contrary to God's character.

Galatians 3:24 teaches that God's laws were given to reveal our sinful state and point us to the perfect God who is the only One able to save us. The law was not given to be kept, for it had already been broken before it was revealed. Rather, the law was given to show us that we have broken it, that we are not like God, and that we need the power of the Spirit to obey His commands.⁴⁵ The Bible also teaches that we know right from wrong in our consciences.⁴⁶Therefore, we are held responsible for our sins. Since the beginning, man has made excuses for his sin because of his pride, but God will not excuse man's sin unless he is covered by the blood of Jesus. A biblical worldview of morality is that right and wrong are determined by God's Word, and man will be held accountable for his actions because his conscience tells him what is right and wrong.

Destiny

A Christian's view of eternity and destiny varies from all other religions, in that salvation is a gift of God that cannot be merited. In Isaiah 53:5 we read,“He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.” Salvation is received through repentance and faith. In Scripture we learn that without repentance we will all perish.⁴⁷ Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches us that we are saved by grace through faith and not our works. Once a person is saved, they pass from death into life, become a new creature, and are sealed with the Spirit. Salvation is initiated and sustained by God's power, and one cannot lose it.⁴⁸ Only those who have trusted Christ will enter heaven. Acts 4:12 teaches that salvation is explicitly found in Christ.

If salvation is a free gift to those who exercise repentance and faith in Christ, what happens to those who do not obey the Gospel? The Bible teaches that God has planned a day in which He will judge the world through His Son whom He appointed.⁴⁹ On this day, He will say to the unbelieving to depart from Him into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.⁵⁰ In Matthew 13 we read that God will throw those who commit lawlessness into the furnace of fire, and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Both hell and heaven are eternal and once in either place you cannot pass to the other according to Luke 6:26. A Biblical view of destiny is that those who repent and exercise faith in Christ will spend eternity in heaven with Him because of His blood, and those who are unbelieving will perish in their sins and spend eternity in hell.

Conclusion

All areas of life are influenced by our worldview because our beliefs are the pilot of our entire body. Our beliefs about truth, God, origins, man, purpose, morality, and destiny are important. They affect our actions, those around us, and our destinies. The more biblical a Christian's worldview, the more equipped he will be to carry out the Great Commission, understand the world around him, discern the will of God, and ultimately bring glory to Him. God has not left us without a compass to try to figure things out on our own. He has given us His Word to show us the way to salvation and to help us know His will. Having a biblical worldview is to view the world in truth and actuality because the Bible is truth. May we be as the Bereans who tested everything against scripture,⁵¹ and may we accurately handle the Word of Truth.⁵² Soli Deo Gloria.

Supporting Scriptural References

¹1 Pt. 1:3

²Jn. 14:6, Jn. 17:17, Ps. 119:160, 2 Tim. 3:16

³Heb. 6:18, Num. 23:19, Tit. 1:2

⁴Psalm 90:2

⁵Ps. 147:5, Ps. 145:3, Rom. 11:33, Is. 55:9, Col. 1:10, 2 Pet. 3:18, Matt. 11:27, Deut. 29:29

⁶Jn. 17:3, 1 Jn. 5:20, 1 Jn. 2:3, Gal. 4:9, 1 Jn. 2:3, Phil. 3:10, 1 Jn. 4:8, Jer. 9:23-24

⁷Acts 17:24-25, Job 41:11

⁸Ps. 102 :27, Mal. 3:6, Jas. 1:17

⁹Ps. 90:2, Job 26:36, 1 Kgs. 8:27, Isa. 66:1, Acts 7:48

¹⁰1 Tim 1:17

¹¹Jn. 6:46, Jn. 1:18, 1 Jn. 4:12, Ex. 33:21-23

¹²Job 37:16, Rom. 16:27, Job 9:4, 1 Jn. 3:20, Heb. 4:13, Job 28:24, Rom. 11:33

¹³Jn. 4:24

¹⁴Jn. 14:6

¹⁵Deut. 32:4

¹⁶Ps. 34:8, 100:5, 106:1, 107:1

¹⁷Isa. 6:3, Ps. 71:22, Ps. 99:9, Ps. 99:3, Ps. 22:3

¹⁸Deut. 32:4, Ps. 19:8, Rom. 3:25-26

¹⁹2 Cor. 11:2, Ex. 20:5, Ex. 34:14, Isa. 48:11, Deut. 4:24, Deut. 5:9

²⁰Isa. 46:9-10, Ps. 139:15-16, Jer. 1:12, Ps. 127:1, Dan.2:20-21, Rom. 8:28

²¹1 Cor.14:33

²²Deut. 9:7-8, Deut. 29:23, Rom. 1:18, 1 Thess. 1:10, 2 Kgs. 22:13

²³2 Cor. 1:3, Ex. 34:6, 1 Pet. 5:10, Rom. 3:23-24

²⁴Jer.32:17, Gen. 18:14, Jer. 32:27, Lk. 1:37, Matt. 19:26, Matt. 3:9

²⁵Ps. 18:30, Matt. 5:48

²⁶1 Tim. 6:15, 1 Tim. 1:11

²⁷Ps. 27:4

²⁸Ps. 24:10, Lk. 2:9, Rev. 21:23

²⁹ Matt. 3:16-17, 2 Cor. 13:14, Isa. 45:21-22, 1 Tim. 2:5, Rom. 3:30, Jn. 14:26, 1 Jn. 2:1, Jn. 16:7, Lk. 4:14, Acts 10:38, 1 Jn. 1:1-4, Matt. 28:19, Jn. 20:30-31, Jas. 2:19

³⁰ Gen. 1:1, 1 Cor. 8:6, Col. 1:16

³¹Rom. 8:20

³² Jn. 1:3, Heb. 1:2

³³Gen. 1:31

³⁴Gen. 1:27

³⁵Rom. 3:23

³⁶Rom. 6:23

³⁷Rom. 5:15

³⁸Eph. 1:7

³⁹see also Rom. 7:19

⁴⁰Isa. 43:7

⁴¹Ex. 32:11-14, 2 Kgs. 8:19

⁴²Jn. 17:4,5, Eph. 1:11-12

⁴³Jn. 14:15

⁴⁴Jn. 15:8

⁴⁵Gal. 5:16

⁴⁶Rom. 1:19-23

⁴⁷Lk. 13:3

⁴⁸Rom. 8:30, 2 Cor. 5:17, 1 Jn. 3:14, Eph. 1:13-14, Rom. 6:4, Gal. 2:20, Eph. 4:24, Ez. 36:26-27, 1 Pet. 1:5, Lk. 22:31-32, 1 Pet. 5:10, Jn. 6:37-39, Jn. 10:27-30, 1 Cor. 1:8-9, Phil. 1:6, 1 Thess. 5:23-25, 2 Tim. 1:12, 1 Jn. 2:19, Matt. 7:22

⁴⁹Acts17:31

⁵⁰Matt. 25:41

⁵¹Acts 17:11

⁵²2 Tim. 2:15

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Why?
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get the other side, right? (Okay, you can stop laughing now.) Why did God  part the red sea? So the Israelites could get to the other side, right? Wrong. Why did God part the red sea? To trap Pharaoh's Army...maybe? Not quite.

The Passage Begun
Let's take a look at the passage. Exodus 13:17 says, "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, 'lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.' Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt."

No Accident
One of the things that we learn from this passage is that God intentionally lead the Israelites "around by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea". It was no accident that they came to the Red Sea; God led them there to fulfill His purposes. 

Ready For Battle
I also found it interesting that, "the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt." They were ready to fight, and there would indeed be a fight. The battle would not be fought by them, however. Once again Pharaoh changed his mind and decided that he was not going to let the Israelites get away that easily. Pharaoh and all his army went with him in pursuit of the Israelites, but God had a plan.

The Passage Continued
Exodus 14:10-18 says,"When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, 

"'Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.'  And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.' "

"I will get glory"
Within chapter 13 and 14, God mentions getting glory three times. In Exodus 13:4 He says, "I will get glory over Pharaoh."Again in 14:17 God says, "I will get glory over Pharaoh." Yet again He says in 14:18, "When I have gotten glory over Pharaoh." The recurring theme in this passage is God's glory. Yes, this is the main reason God parted the sea. He was going to deliver the Israelites, and He was going to triumph over the Egyptians. More than that though, He was going to get glory, and the Egyptians would, "Know that [He] [was] the LORD," This is why God parted the red sea.

God the Deliverer, God the Destroyer
Before I draw this to a close, I have two more point to make. First, God was not only glorified in delivering His people but also in destroying those who were not His. His love and mercy were shown by providing a divine way of escape for the Israelites, and His power and righteous judgement was shown in destroying the Egyptians.
Secondly, In the same way that God was glorified by delivering some and destroying some, He will one day receive glory in condemning some to Hell and saving those who repent and trust Christ. This is  a difficult thing to understand. Isaiah 55:9 says,"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Sometimes we cannot understand God's ways, but who are we to question Him?

"You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, "Romans 9:19-23

It is true that God's glory is His main objective in all His actions, and His glory should also be our main objective in all our actions. Whose glory are you seeking?

No Place Wither You May Flee

I do not really know who wrote this, but I thought It was worthy of being quoted. I read it in a book, and the author was not cited. It was actually a quote, of a quote, of a quote, of which I am now going to quote.

"When you wish to do something evil, you retire from the public into your house where no enemy may see you; from those places of your house which are open and visible to the eyes of men you remove yourself into your room; even in your room you fear some witness from another quarter; you retire into your heart, there you meditate: he is more inward than your heart. Wherever, therefore, you shall have fled, there he is. From yourself, whither will you flee? Will you not follow yourself wherever you shall flee? But since there is One more inward even than yourself, there is no place where you may flee from God angry but to God reconciled. There is no place at all wither you may flee. Will you flee from Him? Flee unto Him."

You can hide in your house, in your room, or in your thoughts. You cannot hide from yourself though, and you cannot hide from God. You will know what you have done, and God will too. The only way to flee from God's anger is to be reconciled to Him. Are you fleeing from God? Does your conscience bother you? Do you wish you could be at peace in your soul and at peace with God? "as though God were making an appeal through [me]; [I] beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20. Trust in Christ for your righteousness and turn from your sins! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved."When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."Colossians 2:13-14. Your debt can be canceled, and you can be set completely free! Will you flee from Him? Flee unto Him!

Too Bad for Heaven?

What About Them?
Did you ever wonder who you will see in heaven? Have you ever wondered if you will see that friend you have not talked to in years? What about your that person who died unexpectedly or the people you read about in history? Chances are you have wondered about this, but have you ever wondered if cereal killers, rapist, jihadist, murderers, thieves, drug addicts, child abusers, and abortion doctors will? Did you ever wonder if some of the past famous criminals will be in heaven?

Immoral and Impure
Ephesians 5:5 is an interesting verse :"For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."Does this verse mean that there will be no cereal killers, rapist, jihadist, murders, thieves, drug addicts, child abusers, or abortion doctors in heaven then? These would certainly be immoral and impure people would they not? Is there no hope then for these people? Are they too bad to go to heaven? I would like to make two points concerning this verse.

1. The only people who will be in heaven are immoral, impure, and covetous people. 
2. Every person who has ever lived is immoral, impure, and covetous (Rom 3:23).

In Context
What then? Do I stand opposed to the word of God? By no means! We must not pull scripture out of context. By reading the surrounding verses and chapters, we can understand what Paul meant. The next three verse say. "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord."

1. One thing we see in this passage is that these people are sons of disobedience. These are people who habitually disobey. In 1 John 3:10 we read, "By this the children of God and the children of the Devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God." Christians do disobey, but they are not sons of disobedience. This passage in Ephesians is not saying that people must be perfect to go to heaven. It is saying only those who have been born again and are no longer sons of disobedience will be in heaven. We are all sinners and if we had to be perfect no one could go to heaven. 
2. The next thing we see is that Christians all formerly live in darkness, but after salvation are light in the Lord. All Christians used to walk in darkness. No one is born a Christian. The only people who will be in heaven are immoral and impure people; however, they do not continue to live in darkness after salvation. They become light in the Lord.

The "Too Bad Myth"
The truth is we are all too bad to go to heaven, but no one is too bad to be forgiven. Most people have the idea that there are degrees of sinfulness; however, there are degrees of sinning but not of sinfulness. What do I mean by this statement? I mean that one may not sin as much as another, but they are no less sinful. Adam and Eve were separated from God after their first sin. All they did was eat a piece of fruit. James 2:10 says, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." If you break one law, you are a law breaker. You can break more laws, but you were already a law breaker the first time you broke the law.

By Grace Through Faith
In Ephesians 2:8-9 we read, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works so that no one may boast."We are not saved by works but by grace through faith. It is all a gift. Even the faith we have is a gift from God. We cannot even trust in Christ unless we are born again by the spirit. (Eph 2:1-7) We are all just as lost as the worst man who ever lived, and we are all saved by grace exactly like everyone else who is saved.

The Only People
I do not know the list of names in the book of life; however, I do know who the only people who will be in  heaven are. Only sinners who have been saved by grace through faith.

Out of Comfort Zones

"You're really making me feel uncomfortable right now. Can we please just not talk about this any more?"

Walking on Eggshells
I had been sharing my faith with a group of people around my age. This girl had already told me she was an atheist, and I must admit to you, I was a bit out of my own comfort zone. I was not intimidated by her beliefs, but I just don't like to make people feel discomfort. I like people to think I am "Such a nice girl" and that I am "So sweet". We can come up with many different reasons not to share the gospel. Sometimes we just do not want to make others feel uncomfortable though, and we feel like we are walking on eggshells. Whatever our reasons are, we must put them aside. We do not have to feel comfortable or make others comfortable; we just have to be obedient and share the gospel.

Time
I had one evening to spend with these strangers, most of which was quite interrupted. There was only a  short window of time that I could actually talk to these people. As I prepared my mind for the evening, I thought about what I wanted to say to them. I was determined that I would not let my opportunities slip through my fingers. I knew that I would probably never see these people again. Ephesians 5:16 says to "[make] the most of your time because the days are evil." One reason we must not be too concerned with  others' momentary comfort, is because we have limited time with them. We may not ever get another chance to share the gospel, and we cannot count on tomorrow. We must have eternity in view, not just the moment.

Loving Your Neighbors!
Christ did not command us to make others feel comfortable; He commanded us to love others. The most loving thing we can do for another person is to share the gospel with them. We must love them more than we love ourselves, our popularity, and even their opinion of us. Love for others must drive us to share the gospel. If we aren't sharing the gospel, then we do not truly love others.

Our God-given Ministry
What is a Christian's ministry? Are we supposed to end world hunger, lessen poverty levels, care for the sick and the elderly? Yes, we are supposed to do all of these things, but that is not our primary ministry. These causes cannot replace our main ministry. According to scripture Christ, "gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." Our ministry is to share the gospel! This takes effort and we might not always feel comfortable doing it, but this is the work that God has given us to do.

Squirmy Syndrome
I replied to the girl,"Sure we don't have to talk about this anymore, but please think about what I said, because it doesn't matter what I believe if it's not true. If I didn't believe in gravity and jumped of a building, I'd still have to face the law of gravity. I guess if I die and I'm dead, then I won't even know it. But if I'm right, and you die then you will have to face God on judgement day."OF COURSE SHE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE! She was uncomfortable because her conscience told her that there was a God and she had been suppressing the truth (Romans 1). She knew there was a God but she didn't want there to be one. She was uncomfortable because deep inside she wasn't convinced of her own beliefs. Truly, if I had tried to explain to her that I had a little man who was one inch tall that lived in my pocket she would have laughed. She would not feel uncomfortable at all. She was uncomfortable because she thought she might be wrong and she didn't want what I said to be true. In fact she went to the restroom three times during the fifteen minute period I was sharing the gospel. She literally couldn't stay still.

Do not be surprised if no one claps for you, shouts encore, or ask for your autograph after you share the gospel. Others will probably be uncomfortable, and you may be uncomfortable too. If you share the gospel though, you have been successful! Your job is just to share the gospel faithfully. For some of us, that may be out of our comfort zones. Sometimes Jesus calls us to walk on raging seas though. The key is to fix our eyes on Jesus not the waves. It is outside our comfort zones that miracles happen, and if we fall Jesus is faithful and will pull us up when we call out to Him.

Judicial Abandonment and Conscience

"Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience."- President George Washington

What is Conscience

Many of us think of our conscience as the little angel that stands on our shoulder and urges us to do the right thing, while a demon stands on the other and tries to convince us to sin; however, our conscience is something God has given us.There are laws that are written on men's hearts universally, and we know they are wrong to violate. Many have suppressed these truths and tried to ignore them so long that God gives them over to a depraved mind, degrading passions, and to the lust of their hearts. (Rom 1:18-28)

Given Over

In R. C. Spoul's Commentary on Romans, he says of verses 22-25 in chapter 1, "Three times in this passage we read about human beings being given up by God. They are given up to their vile passions, tho lust of the flesh, and their reprobate minds. When God judges people according to the standard of His righteousness, He is declaring that He will not  strive with mankind forever. We hear all the time about God's infinite grace and mercy. I cringe when I hear it. God's mercy is infinite insofar as it is mercy bestowed on us by a Being who is infinite, but when the term infinite is used to describe His mercy rather than His person, I have a problem with it because the Bible makes very clear that there is a limit to God's mercy. There is a limit to His grace, and He is determined not to pour out his mercy on impenitent people forever. There is a time, as the Old Testament repeatedly reports, particularly in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, that God stops being gracious with people, and he gives them over to  their sin. The worst thing that can happen to sinners is to be allowed to go on sinning without any restraint." Sproul is not talking about the grace of God unto salvation, but God's common grace. We cannot loose our salvation; however, God gives people another grace called conscience. He placed this restraint upon us lovingly to spare us the consequences of committing these acts, but when we suppress the truth and will not acknowledge God, He finally removes all restraints.

Judicial Abandonment

Sproul continues,"At the end of the New Testament, in the book of revelation when the description of the last judgement is set forth, God says, 'He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still' (Rev 22:11). God gives people over to what they want. He abandons them to their sinful impulses and removes his  restraints, saying in essence,'If you want to sin, go ahead and sin.' this is what theologians call 'judicial abandonment.' God in his His just judgement abandons the impenitent sinner forever."

Unrestrained

Our conscience can be squelched. I believe this is why George Washington warned us not to go against it. It is a terrible thing to be left to do whatever you please without any restraint! Consider a lion for example. You probably would not go see one at the zoo if it where unrestrained. Why? Because lions by nature are carnivores, and you are considered fair game in their sight! When humans are unrestrained, we do what we do by nature too, namely, sin! Ephesians chapter two says that we are by nature children of wrath! The world would be a nightmare if God put no restraint upon people!

Without Excuse

Not only does your conscience know right from wrong, it also knows there is a God. All men know that God exists. Romans 1:19-21 says," because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." You will be without excuse on judgement day if you do not honor Him as God, because God "has made it evident to you" that He is God. Atheism is not the belief that there is no god, it is the suppression of the knowledge that there is.

Not Without Hope

We are all guilty of sin and are in desperate need of a savior because the wages of our sin is death. God's wrath against sin must be satisfied. God would not be good if He did not punish sin. We deserve hell, and that is where we will all go unless we believe in Christ and repent. The price for sin had to be paid, so Christ paid that price for us on the cross. He bore all of God's wrath in our place! Jesus says,  "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me."(John 14:6) There is no other way to heaven! Trust in Christ for your righteousness! Ask him to forgive you today! You could die at any moment and be thrust into eternity. If you do this God will give you a new heart with desires to obey Him and eternal life. You will have to face God's righteous judgement! Only Christ' blood can pardon your sin! Call out to Him, and He will save you! (Originally posted on 2/6/13)