Twenty Things I Have Been Learning Along the Way:

The most important thing in life is knowing God Himself. Even if we gain the whole

world, nothing will profit us if we lose our soul. The only way we may know God is

through faith in Christ, renewal by the Holy Spirit, and reading the Word of God.








Seeking satisfaction with God is better than seeking satisfaction through the world.

Actually the hungrier I get for God, the more satisfied I become! And yet, the more that

I've realized that God is enough for me and am satisfied in Him, the more I am discontent

to only have what I have now of Him. All of my life I want to constantly hunger for Christ

and to become more satisfied in Him.






Without personal application, understanding the meaning of Scripture is worthless.

This is true of all knowledge. In my own personal study of Scripture, I often made

understanding the meaning of it my goal instead of understanding what implications it had

for my life. God showed me my sinful pride and the vanity of this pursuit. By God's grace,

I've learned that the goal of Bible study should never be simply to understand, but also

how to apply the knowledge in my daily life.



Correct doctrine is important, but having correct doctrine without humility and love is worthless. Spiritual knowledge doesn't equal spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is walking by the Spirit, and in love. Love is the fulfillment of the law. It is so much more important to be an expert at keeping the law of love than an expert at understanding spiritual concepts. “If I ...know all the mysteries and all knowledge...but do not have love I am nothing.” 1 Cor. 13:2

Memorizing Scripture is very important. Memorizing Scripture is important because it is our weapon against sin. David said, “I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11When Jesus was tempted, He fought with Scripture and said, “it is written...”Memorizing Scripture is important because we can meditate on it when we have it memorized. It is very useful for taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. (1 Cor.10:5)Memorized Scripture is also a source of comfort when I'm afraid or upset. Memorizing scripture is important because we will always have it with us. I've found it very helpful when I'm witnessing, when I have to make a quick decision, when I am without my Bible, and even when I'm trying to understand other passages of Scripture. I get many of my ideas for my writing from the Scriptures that are in my heart. There are so many benefits to always having it with you.





True greatness isn't accomplished by skill, rank, or power but by being a servant and

by humbling ourselves. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”

Matt. 20:26 Jesus Himself said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to

serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” The truly great man follows Jesus's

example and washes the feet of others.



The most important priority is one's relationship with God, not one's ministry to

others. Ministry shouldn't be our focus. It is easy to become people-focused, but as soon

as this happens, we are only doing humanitarian work. We should be God-focused and our

ministry should flow from that.






We must fight sin every day, because we are in a battle. If we let our guard down, and

if we aren't intentional and persistent with fighting sin, we will lose important battles. (See

Eph. 6:10-18)

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around

like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him firm in your faith...” 1 Peter

5:8-9a.








It is important to set aside personal prayer time and Scripture reading. Scripture

says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth

of God.” It is so important to read all of Scripture. While everything we read in the Bible

will benefit us, it is important to make sure we are reading all of Scripture and not missing

anything. I've learned that it is helpful to periodically read straight through Scripture, and

then take time to study individual books. It is by reading all of Scripture that we

understand any of Scripture. Some passages are difficult to understand without the rest of

Scripture. I've found that I pray more throughout the day if I have already spent time in

secret prayer. Jesus frequently went off by Himself to pray. We have a great need to be in

prayer. Jesus was a man of prayer, and Christians should be too. Often, I feel like I wish I

knew better words to say when I pray, but God is pleased with our prayers when they are

spoken with an attitude of childlike humility and a submissive heart that says, “Not my

will, but yours be done.”An excellent book on prayer is, “A Simple Way to Pray” by 

Archie Parrish. It's a tiny book with big print, and inside is Martin Luther's letter to his

barber who wanted to know how to pray. I would highly recommend this book!






It's important to be faithful in little things. The little things are the hardest. We all want

to do great things that make us feel important, but doing the small things well is one of the

most important challenges we'll ever have. I've learned God prepares us for great things in

small ways. When we are faithful with little, He entrusts us with much. Nothing done out

of worship for God is insignificant. The best way to do great things is to yield yourself to

the potter and be faithful where you are. He has to shape you before you are ready for use,

and the greatest thing you can ever do is fulfill God's plan for your life no matter how

many little things it takes. After all, God's will for us is that we be conformed to the image

of His Son (Rom. 8:29).






We must guard against distractions. One of Satan's oldest tactics is distraction. It's easy

to become distracted, but our focus must be on Christ. Even good things can become a

distraction. In fact, Satan loves to make us busy with good things as long as we are

distracted from Christ. The solution to this problem is not to rid ourselves of all our

distractions but to learn how God would have us think and act in regards to whatever is

distracting us. We must learn to exercise self-control and to glorify God in each area of

life. And we must “be of sober Spirit” and “be on the alert” (1Peter 5: )






It's important to honor authority. We may not always agree with the authority figures in

our life, but we must submit to them as to Christ because God put them in our lives and

commands us to obey them. Our hearts are selfish and we want to do things our own way.

From the time we were toddlers, we said, “I can do it all by myself!” God is gracious and

He places authorities in our lives to teach us to submit. Submission is a hard lesson to

learn. Ultimately, we must learn to submit to the Holy Spirit. It is through submission to

the Holy Spirit that we are able to submit to the other authorities in our lives. This is a

lesson I'll always be learning. Christ will always be teaching me to say, “Not my will, but

yours be done.” He obeyed His father perfectly and even submitted himself to men!

Christ's submission amazes me! It is paramount as a Christian to learn to submit our will

to our Father's will. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but it's end is the way to

death.”Proverbs 14:12








God can be trusted. He is always faithful to His promises and His Word. He never

changes! Over and over again He has proved this in my personal life and in His Word!








God provides. When I have a need I take it to Christ and He always provides what I need.

It isn't always what I want, but He is faithful to give me all that He knows I need. I'm

learning to Pray (instead of worry) when I have a need. 








Relationships are the most important investment I can make on earth. I've learned

that relationships should always take priority over my plans and goals. It is so easy to

forget this when I have a long list of things I want to do. God is gracious to keep

reminding me of this. The longer I live, the more I understand this truth. Sometimes I

have to chose between finishing my list and loving the people I'm with. I'd rather invest in

people than my plans. 








Handling conflict in a Christlike way is better than avoiding it, responding in our

flesh, or trying to ignore it. Because relationships are valuable, it is worth taking time

to study how to handle conflict. Scripture gives us all that we need to know in order to

do this. One of the things I've learned is that when I am upset at someone else, I need to

spend time in prayer examining why I am upset. Sometimes I am upset because of selfish

reasons and not because the other person has sinned. Sometimes the other person has

sinned, but I can overlook it whenever I remember all that God has forgiven me. If I

cannot overlook it and I'm still offended, I try take time examining my own part in the

conflict. I ask God to show me how the other person is feeling and any sins that I need to

repent of. Then I ask God to help me to be humble and truly listen, and I go seek

restoration. First, I ask for forgiveness if I have sinned. (It's important not to make excuses

when asking for forgiveness. Like Adam and Eve we often have the desire to make

excuses, but God doesn't accept them, and we aren't truly repenting if we are still making

excuses.) After, this I tell the other person as graciously as possible how they have

offended me and what I would prefer them to do in the future. Then it's time to listen and

ask questions to try to understand the other person because they are usually frustrated too.

The goal when talking about conflict cannot be to prove ourselves innocent or to retaliate.

It must be done in a loving way and we must be ready to forgive. We must seek

restoration when we have conflicts and not leave them unresolved. I am still learning to do

this. God's grace and Word is sufficient to guide and help us in every conflict we will ever

face. Handling conflict is definitely one of the most important skills I've learned. An

excellent book with Biblical principals for handling conflict is, “If you Bite and Devour”

by Alexander Strauch. He explains in depth that when we are faced with conflict,

Christians must act in the spirit with love and humility; control their tongue, anger, and
criticism; and pursue reconciliation and peace. There are hundreds of helpful scriptures in
this book!



It truly is more blessed to give than to receive!






It's important to be teachable and to seek counsel. I've learned the hard way that pride

is destructive, and that I won't learn what God wants me to learn, unless I am humble and

I listen to others. Instead of resisting instruction, I should actually seek it! Wisdom is

precious and should be sought above riches. It can only be gained through humility.






Momentary pleasure is a destructive and subtle idol. I've learned this from experience.

Living for pleasure and seeking to live a comfortable life is dangerous. If that is our

ultimate goal, we won't be willing to obey God. He said, “If anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matt. 16:24 Following Christ

isn't comfortable. It's downright hard and will cost you everything, but true joy is found in

following Christ. We can easily be tricked, as Adam and Eve were, to trade eternal joys

for momentary pleasures. Worldly pleasure is counterfeit. Scripture teaches, “In [God's]

presence there is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm

16:11. This is a very important thing to learn, and one of the most important things God

has been teaching me. Satan still entices people with momentary pleasures, but we can

resist him through Christ's strength and he will flee from us.






It is important to be thankful and enjoy God's gifts. I'm learning to say, “This is the

day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Sometimes I forget to give God

the praise He is due for all the ways He has graciously blessed me. I don't want to be like

the lepers who were healed but forgot to come back and thank Jesus. I want to remember

to praise Him. Scripture commands us to do this, and I'm learning to bless the Lord at all

times and ascribe to Him the glory He's due. Psalm 34:1 Psalm 96:8






Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory

alone, and 

Scripture alone is to be our authority. These are known as the five solas of

Scripture and are central doctrines in my faith. These are the very heartbeat of the Bible

and Christianity.






Christ is returning and it's important to be ready! Scripture teaches He will come like

a thief in the night. We should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Because He's coming back, it is important to be saved and to be faithfully living for

Christ!


In Christ,
Dallas

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!

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)

Unthinkable Forgiveness

The Unexpected Reunion

There she was. I could not believe my eyes! I had never thought I'd see her again, but she was standing in front of me! I was shocked and lost myself in the mixed emotions I felt from my past. It had been nine years, but I still remembered so many things. This woman had hurt me and many other students in my class. I had struggled with scars from this woman my whole life, and now I was staring into her eyes. Did she know the grief she had caused me? Did she know how much I had struggled? Had she changed? Did she even remember me? One million thoughts were running through my mind.  As I stood face to face with her, I stood face to face with all the past pain, memories, and struggles she had caused me. I looked into her face with sorrow, but not bitterness. I looked into her face with a smile and forgiveness. I looked into her face with a deep longing for her to know the one who had offered me unthinkable forgiveness and who enabled me to forgive her when the thought of forgiveness seemed unthinkable to me.

The Unexpected Blessing

I was too young to know how to handle her abuse and thought I must deserve it. When my parents found out what was going on, they removed me from the school. I remember to this day what my mom told me. She told me,"This can make you bitter, or this can make you better. This experience can help you or it can hurt you." She encouraged me to forgive her and to have compassion for her. She also encouraged me to let the experience shape me into a more compassionate person. 

I do not regret having the experience that I had in first grade. If I had never been hated, I would not understand true love. True love enables you to love your enemies and to pray for those who mistreat you. I would not be able to sympathize with others in the same way that I can now if I had not had those experiences. I know how it feels to be hated, and I am determined to love others with Christ' love. God has used what man intended for bad in my life to work together for my good. He has turned my pain into progress and my grief to gratefulness. 

The Unthinkable Forgiveness

Forgiveness seemed unthinkable to me until I thought about something. I had sinned against the God of the universe and violated His holy laws. My just penalty was to receive God's wrath, but He did the unthinkable! The creator of all things humbled himself and became like the creature! Jesus Christ, the one and only son of God, bore God's wrath in my place on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin! Philippians 2:5-8 says ^"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." This forgiveness is incomprehensible and incredible!

The Unthinkable Empowerment
Because I have been forgiven everything, I can forgive anything! In Matthew 18:21-35 we read, ^"Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus *said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

 ^'For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.  When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.  But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and beganto choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.  So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

The Unthinkable Offer

Have you been forgiven for your sins against God? The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible also says the wages of sin is death. We are all going to be judged by God and we will either get our just wage of death, or we will receive His mercy if we have been forgiven through his blood. Call out to Him, and He will save You! God offers you unthinkable forgiveness! If you trust Christ, God will grant you eternal life and give you a new heart. He will give you the power to forgive the unthinkable!

The Pursuit of Happiness

What's He Searching For?

What is man searching for?  He is pursuing happiness. Yes, this is what I see man searching for. He looks for something to fill the deep emptiness inside of himself. He is constantly consuming but is never able to satisfy his void.

What Does He Need?

Christians often try to address man's felt need for happiness and offer God as the solution to man's emptiness. Happiness is not man's true need though, salvation is.  Peace and joy are legitimate outcomes of salvation; however, Christians will have trials, tribulations, and persecution in this life. It's true that God fills the longing soul, but that is not why we need Him. We need him because we are sinners. We are separated from God because of our sin. We need a right standing with God. Man's greatest need is holiness not happiness! We are all going to die and face God on judgement day. It will not  matter how happy you were in your lifetime. All that will matter on judgement day is if you have been made righteous by the blood of Christ.

Why Should We Share the Gospel?

Sinners can be happy in their sin. They can find gratification from sinning. Eve was not forced to eat the forbidden fruit but did so for her own momentary pleasure. Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat the fruit because it would cause death and separation from God. It was not because it would be unpleasant and they wouldn't be happy. Man does not need God in order to be happy. Man needs God in order to be holy! We need to share the gospel with people because they have sinned and are unrighteous in God's sight. They are headed for hell and their only escape is Jesus Christ. This should be the reason we give a sinner for why they need salvation. The issue is not happiness but holiness and righteousness. It is not this moment but eternity. It is not their life but their death. We must share the gospel! (Originally posted on 1/7/13)

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. Sproul'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, to 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!