Instant coffee, instant grits, microwave popcorn, and super fast broad band internet, are all indicative of a people who are accustomed to having what they want NOW!
Christian book stores are filled to the brim with book after book written for an audience looking desperately for a “quick fix” to cure spiritual immaturity. Savvy marketers use attention grabbing words like “New”, “Improved”, “Supersized”, etc to draw super market shoppers to their products. We in America are conditioned to be impatient, to want instant gratification, and over night success.
Church folks, just like the world, go from one fad to another. A spiritual hula hoop comes along, everyone gets one, and then when the newness is gone we go searching for another. I can’t remember how many seminars I have attended in local churches focused on discovering and using spiritual gifts and I didn’t notice my life, or my friend’s lives changing one iota.
The writer of Hebrews characterizes the live of a believer as a marathon, not a hundred yard dash! Hebrews 1:1-2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The picture given is of a runner clothed only in a loin cloth running a marathon with steady patience and endurance thinking only of the finish line and the reward for finishing well.
Jesus is our example. For 3 1/2 years He faithfully taught, preached, warned, corrected, healed, did miracles, and all the time was despised, rejected, hated, scorned, and finally killed by His own people. Yet, He never veered to the right or to the left, but kept on course for the future glory that awaited Him at the Father’s right hand.
We must, like Jesus, not become encumbered with the love of wealth, success, and “things” as we live our lives. And, unlike Jesus, we must forsake the sins that take us off course. It is the hardly noticeable sins that are the most likely to hinder.
Just as a marathon man in the 1st Century would strip off completely everything possible that might hinder the run, we too must pattern ourselves after Jesus who “humbled Himself” by stripping Himself of His place of glory and "learned obedience by the things He suffered".
Is it houses and land, friends and family, sports or even church activity? What is it that you and I need to lay aside so that we can run effectively?
Not only do we need to lighten the load, we need to be patient as we endure the months and years of our race. There is no “quick fix” to spiritual maturity. Further in the same chapter we are reminded that chastisement will be involved along the way. The idea is all that is involved in child rearing, including the trips “out behind the barn” for the rod of correction.
Only those believers who are fixed on the goal and are well equipped with patience will be able to keep running well. We must remember that Jesus is the author and completer of our faith. He is literally running with us and empowering us if we do not get ahead or lag behind. Patiently enduring enables us to make steady progress and to run and not faint.
How’s your marathon going?
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Got Worship?
Over the last several decades I have witnessed phenomena in the churches that I have been a part of and ones I have observed through broadcast media and print. There has been a paradigm shift away from worship to a certain sort of activity passed off as worship.
“Worship leaders”, “worship teams”, and “worship music” are fairly recent terms that are now as common as pews and pulpits. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these. I question though, just how much they contribute to genuine worship of the Almighty God of the Bible.
In today’s Christian world, worship has been defined as some particular activity that takes place primarily on Sunday morning before the preacher delivers his message. That activity is singing. And, worship has been more narrowly defined as not only just singing, but singing only a certain kind of music, “worship music”, or “praise and worship” music. So the implication is that if you are singing “worship” music you are worshipping. That is foreign to the Bible. Am I to believe that none of Charles Wesley’s songs, Fanny Crosby’s songs, or any of the old hymns were ever used in worship?
The dead give away that this so called worship might be bogus, is the way most of the so called worshippers critique the so called worship. Comments usually follow along this line of thought. “We had a great worship service this morning. The music was so beautiful!” Or, some of our more uninhibited friends might say, “Worship was great today, you could really feel the Spirit in the service”. When worship is measured by the experience or the skill of the human participants, I promise you it is not Biblical worship.
Worship is not something to be experienced, but something given to God. Worship is not about me and you, but rather about God. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria that worship is to be done “in Spirit and in truth”. I fear that we as believers in modern times have not faired well in the “truth” department of worship.
Worship is first and foremost about surrender. I can be bold to say that a person who has hardly given God a thought all week long is not likely to worship on Sunday morning. He or she might go through the motions, sing the songs, or even lead the songs, but in the end, not have worshipped. Paul in Romans 12:1-2 gives some great insight into the real meaning and method of true worship.
My paraphrase goes like this. “I beg you brothers, in view of the fact that God did not condemn you to hell as you and I deserve, but has shown us mercy; Present the whole of who you are to God as a living sacrifice. Surrender yourselves completely to God for His pleasure and purpose. This dying to self in complete surrender to God for his use, is not unreasonable in view of His mercy, but is rather, “reasonable worship”. And, don’t be conformed to this culture, but rather be transformed by having your thinking made new by the word of God.”
Being “transformed by the renewing of your mind..” speaks again to the “truth” part of the equation of the elements of worship. It doesn’t matter how spiritual you might feel after doing a religious exercise, unless you have conformed your activity to the truth of the word of God you have not worshipped.
Not only is worship about surrender, it must be God centered and not people centered. Worship is akin to faith. Faith is vain and useless unless it is directed toward the right object. The strength or measure of faith is not nearly as important as the object of our faith, the Lord Jesus. Worship is exactly the same. Unless the object of our worship is God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our worship isn’t worship, it is religion.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
“Worship leaders”, “worship teams”, and “worship music” are fairly recent terms that are now as common as pews and pulpits. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these. I question though, just how much they contribute to genuine worship of the Almighty God of the Bible.
In today’s Christian world, worship has been defined as some particular activity that takes place primarily on Sunday morning before the preacher delivers his message. That activity is singing. And, worship has been more narrowly defined as not only just singing, but singing only a certain kind of music, “worship music”, or “praise and worship” music. So the implication is that if you are singing “worship” music you are worshipping. That is foreign to the Bible. Am I to believe that none of Charles Wesley’s songs, Fanny Crosby’s songs, or any of the old hymns were ever used in worship?
The dead give away that this so called worship might be bogus, is the way most of the so called worshippers critique the so called worship. Comments usually follow along this line of thought. “We had a great worship service this morning. The music was so beautiful!” Or, some of our more uninhibited friends might say, “Worship was great today, you could really feel the Spirit in the service”. When worship is measured by the experience or the skill of the human participants, I promise you it is not Biblical worship.
Worship is not something to be experienced, but something given to God. Worship is not about me and you, but rather about God. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria that worship is to be done “in Spirit and in truth”. I fear that we as believers in modern times have not faired well in the “truth” department of worship.
Worship is first and foremost about surrender. I can be bold to say that a person who has hardly given God a thought all week long is not likely to worship on Sunday morning. He or she might go through the motions, sing the songs, or even lead the songs, but in the end, not have worshipped. Paul in Romans 12:1-2 gives some great insight into the real meaning and method of true worship.
My paraphrase goes like this. “I beg you brothers, in view of the fact that God did not condemn you to hell as you and I deserve, but has shown us mercy; Present the whole of who you are to God as a living sacrifice. Surrender yourselves completely to God for His pleasure and purpose. This dying to self in complete surrender to God for his use, is not unreasonable in view of His mercy, but is rather, “reasonable worship”. And, don’t be conformed to this culture, but rather be transformed by having your thinking made new by the word of God.”
Being “transformed by the renewing of your mind..” speaks again to the “truth” part of the equation of the elements of worship. It doesn’t matter how spiritual you might feel after doing a religious exercise, unless you have conformed your activity to the truth of the word of God you have not worshipped.
Not only is worship about surrender, it must be God centered and not people centered. Worship is akin to faith. Faith is vain and useless unless it is directed toward the right object. The strength or measure of faith is not nearly as important as the object of our faith, the Lord Jesus. Worship is exactly the same. Unless the object of our worship is God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our worship isn’t worship, it is religion.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Thursday, September 21, 2006
"There for I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence; For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior."
(1 Timothy 2:1-3 NKJV)
"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For the is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
Therefore whoever resists the authority resist the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
For he is God's minister to your for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake."
(Romans 13:1-5 NKJV)
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
Agree. However, I want to be quick to say that I agree with the 5th point of Calvinist because of my belief in the Perseverance of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the child of God will persevere but only because of the predetermination of a sovereign God. As I have previously written, all of those whom God calls He justified, and all of those whom He justified, He glorified. The final step in the process of salvation, glorification, is the point of this post. How is it that the "wicked sinner" (God's characterization of the lost, not mine) gets from "wicked" to "blameless"? The subject of this study is not focused on the "how?" of this incredible journey to glorification, but rather is focused on "how many?"
I could post dozens of pages of Bible verses that prove up my belief that every person saved will make the trip to final glory when at the resurrection the saved are resurrected to life everlasting and those saved who are alive will be instantly changed and the mortal (flesh) will put on immortality. We shall then be "like Him", sinless, blameless, in a glorified body, and there in His presence forever more. It is only then that our salvation is complete.
This is an important piece of the puzzle and if misunderstood, leads to many errors and false teaching concerning the doctrine of soteriology, which is a technical term for the study of how a poor sinner can take advantage of the atonement provided by the life and death and life of Jesus. For all of those of us who have saving faith in Jesus we are presently saved.
I could post dozens of pages of Bible verses that prove up my belief that every person saved will make the trip to final glory when at the resurrection the saved are resurrected to life everlasting and those saved who are alive will be instantly changed and the mortal (flesh) will put on immortality. We shall then be "like Him", sinless, blameless, in a glorified body, and there in His presence forever more. It is only then that our salvation is complete.
This is an important piece of the puzzle and if misunderstood, leads to many errors and false teaching concerning the doctrine of soteriology, which is a technical term for the study of how a poor sinner can take advantage of the atonement provided by the life and death and life of Jesus. For all of those of us who have saving faith in Jesus we are presently saved.
So first, we are saved from the penalty of sin. "For by grace you have been saved, through faith". "Therefore, having been justified by faith". There is a moment in time when we "believed God and it was counted to us as righteousness" just as our father in the faith Abraham. The result is that we have been given the right to be called "sons of God" because we have "received" Jesus as Savior. Our previous condition was spiritual death but our present condition is spiritual life. And, that life is eternal.
Secondly, we are being saved from the power of sin through a process called "sanctification" in the seminary class room. God, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, is at work in us and on us to conform us to the likeness of Jesus. His presence in us provides us the absolute power to overcome sin. And, the work of the Holy Spirit produces in us the "fruit of the Spirit" and pours out into our hearts the love of God. The gift of God's love and the fruit of the Spirit are nothing less than the character of Christ being formed in us. We move through the process of sanctification at different rates of speed depending on our exposure to the truth of the Bible and our willingness to fully surrender to the will of God for our lives.
Thirdly, we will be saved from the presence of sin. When finally God's mission of redemption is complete and everyone who was called by God has been justified, Jesus will come and the believers both physically dead and alive will be changed in the "twinkle of an eye", sin and its effects will be history. Our salvation will be complete! Not one of God's children will be left out and not one of us can say that we had any part whatsoever in our completed transformation from "wicked sinner" to glorified child of God. We will be put on display so that every created thing can see the glory of God. Even the earth will be reclaimed and changed to its pre-sin cursed condition. The curse of sin will be finally broken.
This is the process of salvation. Saved, being saved, and finally completely saved.
I contend that every person whom God determines should begin this process, will finally complete it. In the strongest terms possible I disavow the terminology "Perseverance of the Saints" and instead hold up the doctrine of the "Perseverance of the Holy Spirit". I might be accused of splitting hairs because the end of the teaching is the same. I only believe it is right to focus on the work of God by the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, rather than to leave the tiniest hint that the believer can make this journey on his own.
I am well aware of objections to my position. I can already see the first comment posted by someone who is horrified that I believe the Baptist doctrine of "Once saved, always saved". In our coC brotherhood, it is a rare bird who openly professes belief in such an unacceptable doctrine.
I will state in terms that can not possibly be misunderstood my position. With every fiber of my being I believe in the perseverance of the Holy Spirit, eternal security, and that once saved you will always be saved.
This is not subject matter that I have recently become familiar with. When I came to Christ as a fifteen year old boy in the hills of North Carolina, my understanding of the gospel was simple. I had a sin problem. Christ had fixed the sin problem and stood ready to forgive my sins and make me His. I understood the promise of the gospel to be eternal life with Christ. I trusted Christ the best I knew how based on those elementary facts.
In the ensuing years I was confronted by a strongly held belief that Christians could loose their salvation. This came from Freewill Baptists and Pentecostal family members who worshipped at the Church of God. I was shocked at such an idea! If what they were saying was true, one of two things was not true. Either my sin problem was not really solved, or worse, I could not believe the promises of Jesus that I had read over and over scores of times in the gospel of John. I was driven to the pages of my King James Bible and I poured over its pages for months and could find nothing but the grace of a loving God who Himself had provided ALL of the necessary elements of salvation and His promise of eternal life was good. That was about 45 years ago. After hearing every possible objection, being rejected by my own father for believing such a lie, and seeing most of the believing world flatly reject my belief in the eternal security of the believer, I still happily maintain that firm conviction in my heart. Furthermore, I contend that if it is not so, none of us will make it to heaven.
Salvation is of the Lord. That simple statement is either true or it is not. Either man contributes to his salvation or he does not. There is no gray area here. It is a black and white, yea or nea doctrine.
The following Bible passages are given here for the consideration of the reader.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."(Jn. 10:27-28).
"And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:26)
"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Ro. 5:9)
"Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees" (Ro. 8:23-24)
"who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."(Ph. 3:21).
" And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Ro. 8:28-29).
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against GodÂ’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ro. 8:31-39).
"who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Co. 1:8)
"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"(Ph. 1:6)
"For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."(Col. 3:3-4)
"and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." (1 Th. 1:10)
"For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ"(1 Th. 5:9)
"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." (He. 9:15)
"to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pe. 1:4)
These are only a few of the wonderful passages from the Bible that teach our safety in Christ. In addition to these great and precious promises, I invite you to carefully read Jesus' great prayer in John 17. As I read those words where He said "I pray also for those who will believe because of their witness.."I know He was praying for me.
So we can say, Halleluiah what a Savior!, With confidence now, and the promise of a certain future. "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe."
Your comments are welcome.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
IRRESISTIBLE GRACE
My first impulse is to completely disagree. Then on the other hand I hear Jesus say in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." This is one of the proof texts for Calvinists. Those who believe strongly in "free will" would then argue that while God does call everyone who is saved, not all who are called respond positively to the call.
However, I must go to the word of God and when I do I read Paul's words in Romans 8:30 "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified". Here it is made plain that all of those who were predestined were called and all of those who were called were justified. And in John 1:13 after saying that those who believed were given the right to become children of God, John says of them, "who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
I think of the Apostle Paul who was anything but a "seeker". He was a well educated Jew, well versed in the Jewish religion, and was working as hard as possible to imprison those who believed Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus himself showed up and said to Paul, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:4b-5) Is there any doubt that Jesus tracked Saul down and did a work of grace on him and he became a mighty apostle for Christ?
I think of myself, at 15 years of age in the hills of North Carolina, I had no appetite for the things of God. I was interested in the things all the other boys my age were interested in. But suddenly, in the matter of a few days, I became fearful and strangely aware of my sinfulness and God put someone in my life to tell me about Jesus and I was saved. "Not by the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" is my testimony. God called, He convicted, He made the gracious invitation, He granted repentance and faith, and I was born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit. I can only claim that I furnished one sinner. He did the rest.
Irresistible Grace? Absolutely.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
However, I must go to the word of God and when I do I read Paul's words in Romans 8:30 "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified". Here it is made plain that all of those who were predestined were called and all of those who were called were justified. And in John 1:13 after saying that those who believed were given the right to become children of God, John says of them, "who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
I think of the Apostle Paul who was anything but a "seeker". He was a well educated Jew, well versed in the Jewish religion, and was working as hard as possible to imprison those who believed Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus himself showed up and said to Paul, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:4b-5) Is there any doubt that Jesus tracked Saul down and did a work of grace on him and he became a mighty apostle for Christ?
I think of myself, at 15 years of age in the hills of North Carolina, I had no appetite for the things of God. I was interested in the things all the other boys my age were interested in. But suddenly, in the matter of a few days, I became fearful and strangely aware of my sinfulness and God put someone in my life to tell me about Jesus and I was saved. "Not by the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" is my testimony. God called, He convicted, He made the gracious invitation, He granted repentance and faith, and I was born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit. I can only claim that I furnished one sinner. He did the rest.
Irresistible Grace? Absolutely.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Thursday, September 14, 2006
The Lord's Church
What is “The Lord’s church” and how do you recognize it. What sets it apart from other churches? Who are its members?
In church of Christ circles the descriptive phrase, “The Lord’s church”, is common and is most often used to describe the several churches of Christ world wide. And, perhaps sometimes is used to describe the catholic (universal) body of Christ.
It is a descriptive phrase, but it is also sometimes a pejorative term. At times, when a person speaks of “the Lord’s church” it is said with the understanding that all others are decidedly not “The Lord’s church”. There are several criteria used to reach such a conclusion.
There is an interesting hermeneutic at play here which causes well meaning people to reach inaccurate conclusions. The hermeneutic that is employed is extra-biblical rather than biblical. The doctrine of the church has evolved primarily based on the distinctives of churches of Christ rather than from the word of God.
The first of those distinctives is baptism for the remission of sins. It is not my purpose here to argue the merits of water baptism. However, baptism in water for the remission of sins is the primary doctrine that “marks out” churches with Restoration Movement roots. So, the thread of hermeneutic idea begins here and becomes the foundation stone of “The Lord’s church” in the minds of many. Each appraisal of every other church must pass through the prism of water baptism for the remission of sins, and by that standard an opinion is formed as to the validity of that group.
Our more “conservative” brothers (I use this term because it is commonly used, not because it is accurate) use water baptism for the remission of sins as a litmus test and justify sectarianism on that basis. If you hold that only those who have been baptized in water for the remission of sins are Christians, the only logical end of that line of reasoning is that everyone else in the world is lost. There can be no other conclusion.
The second of those distinctives is the name “church of Christ”. Brothers will argue long and loud that “church of Christ” is the only Bible name for the true church. It is amusing to me that 2nd Street, or Airplane Rd., or Crooked Fork, or any other words to describe geography is perfectly acceptable on the sign at the “building". It would be unacceptable to have on the sign names like KJV Only church of Christ, or The New Testament church of Christ, or Grace Church of Christ.
Never mind that “church of God”, “church of the firstborn”, “the way”, “bride of Christ” and “Christian” are every bit as biblical as “church of Christ”. Someone long ago decided that church of Christ was a better name than all the others used in the Bible to describe Christ’s body of believers, and it stuck, and is not up for discussion. It is as much a fact in many folk’s minds as John 3:16.
The third distinctive is singing a cappella. There are some of the Lord’s churches that use the dreaded “instrument”, but they are “liberal”. In the mind of some they are saved but “liberal”, and in the judgment of others they are lost. Again, never mind that the New Testament makes no such demand about the inclusion or exception of musical instruments when the folks are together for worship. This is the way it has been and that is the way it is. You can get brothers more heated in defense of a cappella singing than any other topic, even baptism. Because the Bible does not directly address this issue, almost all of the loudest voices supporting a cappella only rely on history to make their arguments. And often that history is questionable.
Then, depending somewhat on geography, history, and religious education, there are even more distinctives which are not common to all of “The Lord’s churches”. The number of communion cups, the type of fluid in the cups, should it be a cup, or cups, when the cups or cup is passed to others, and who can legally pass the cup or cups from pew to pew? Women can pass it from right to left but not from pew to pew. Sunday school, or no Sunday school, five or six song leaders (praise team) or one, raised hands or hands down, KJV or NIV, clapping of hands or no clapping, paying the preacher or telling him to trust the Lord, joining other congregations to help orphans or not cooperating, steeple on the church building or not?; and the list is overwhelmingly endless and is dependent on the whims of those who make the rules.
Astonishingly, almost all of these issues are so important that one is supposedly authorized to withhold Christian fellowship from anyone who does not comply with them, although they are not in the Bible or even hinted at on its pages.
The next hermeneutical blunder is more subtle. Many of our friends believe that each local church of Christ is exactly the same as the universal body of Christ. If only one person, who is a member of a local church of Christ, at any time in history, was or is unsaved, the theory is blown apart. The fact is that in almost ALL churches on earth there are imposters, actors, hypocrites, and wolves in sheep’s clothing, who are not Christian’s. Not all professors are possessors! (Matthew 7)
The erroneous idea that the churches of Christ on earth are the same as the mystical body of Christ grows out of the belief that baptism in water is synomonous with salvation. Of course it might not be. Once one of our elders asked those who had been baptized more than once to raise their hands and I was shocked to see dozens of people lift their hands. He then admitted that he had been baptized more than once, I believe it was three times, himself. I wonder how many people in our congregation have not made it to the final baptism yet?
The point of this discussion is to point out a simple truth. The body of Christ, composed of all those who have been born again from above by the Spirit of God, does not have one person in it who is unsaved. The same can not be said for certain about any local congregation, no matter what the name on the sign. When a person is baptized in a church of Christ it does not hold true 100% of the time that they have also entered the family of God, the body of Christ. All one must do is to observe the lives of some of those who have been immersed, and if you believe the Bible, their lives scream that they are not saved.
We almost never refer to the time in our life when we came to Christ in any other terms than “I was baptized” or “she was baptized”, etc. We seem to avoid “saved”, “born again”, “trusted Christ”, “received Christ” and even “became a Christian” in favor of a reference to water baptism. It is unfortunate that without doubt many people are depending on that event for their salvation rather than the person of Christ. Salvation is not mechanical. Dipping a person in water does not automatically trip a lever in heaven that compels God to grant forgiveness of sins and eternal life to the one who just got wet. Faith in Christ must accompany water baptism or the baptism is vain and of no effect. I doubt that anyone would argue against that truth, but baptism is continually elevated to a place where it is in competition with Jesus for our trust. This is simply true and very unfortunate.
“The Lord’s church” by definition is not the churches of Christ on earth, but rather those who have been born from above, not by the will of the flesh, or by the will of man, but by the will of God. That number includes those genuine Christians of every stripe and creed, including the churches of Christ, who were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, Ones who are found in Him not having their own righteousness, but that which is from heaven, which is by faith. They have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ, they have been made partakers of the divine nature, are priests before God, they have an eternal inheritance, are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, are waiting for the Lord from heaven, are members of each other, dependent on each other, and love one another. They are those who love God, their fellow believers, and even their enemies. They have access to the throne of God in prayer, the have the right to address the Creator God as “Daddy, Daddy”, they stand in grace, they have been made alive, they have been translated out of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love, they have new hearts, they are God’s workmanship, they are created to do good works. And one day they will be put on display to show the glory of God to the universe when their redemption will finally be complete. They will put off the tent and enter a building not made with hands. They will be like Christ for they shall see Him as he is. And they will finally be at home where there is no sin, no sickness, no sorrow, in a place where the Lord is the light. And they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This is “the Lord’s church”, those whom He has called to be his own family. The gates of hell will not prevail against this church. No created thing can ever separate them from God’s love. He spared no expense to save them and make them into the image of Jesus. God the Father loves them as much as He loves Jesus. They are His own possession and He will not loose even one of them ever.
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30) All of those he forknew he purposed to make like Jesus. All of those He predestined to be like Jesus He called. All of those He called He justified. All of those He justified He glorified. How many? All!
In church of Christ circles the descriptive phrase, “The Lord’s church”, is common and is most often used to describe the several churches of Christ world wide. And, perhaps sometimes is used to describe the catholic (universal) body of Christ.
It is a descriptive phrase, but it is also sometimes a pejorative term. At times, when a person speaks of “the Lord’s church” it is said with the understanding that all others are decidedly not “The Lord’s church”. There are several criteria used to reach such a conclusion.
There is an interesting hermeneutic at play here which causes well meaning people to reach inaccurate conclusions. The hermeneutic that is employed is extra-biblical rather than biblical. The doctrine of the church has evolved primarily based on the distinctives of churches of Christ rather than from the word of God.
The first of those distinctives is baptism for the remission of sins. It is not my purpose here to argue the merits of water baptism. However, baptism in water for the remission of sins is the primary doctrine that “marks out” churches with Restoration Movement roots. So, the thread of hermeneutic idea begins here and becomes the foundation stone of “The Lord’s church” in the minds of many. Each appraisal of every other church must pass through the prism of water baptism for the remission of sins, and by that standard an opinion is formed as to the validity of that group.
Our more “conservative” brothers (I use this term because it is commonly used, not because it is accurate) use water baptism for the remission of sins as a litmus test and justify sectarianism on that basis. If you hold that only those who have been baptized in water for the remission of sins are Christians, the only logical end of that line of reasoning is that everyone else in the world is lost. There can be no other conclusion.
The second of those distinctives is the name “church of Christ”. Brothers will argue long and loud that “church of Christ” is the only Bible name for the true church. It is amusing to me that 2nd Street, or Airplane Rd., or Crooked Fork, or any other words to describe geography is perfectly acceptable on the sign at the “building". It would be unacceptable to have on the sign names like KJV Only church of Christ, or The New Testament church of Christ, or Grace Church of Christ.
Never mind that “church of God”, “church of the firstborn”, “the way”, “bride of Christ” and “Christian” are every bit as biblical as “church of Christ”. Someone long ago decided that church of Christ was a better name than all the others used in the Bible to describe Christ’s body of believers, and it stuck, and is not up for discussion. It is as much a fact in many folk’s minds as John 3:16.
The third distinctive is singing a cappella. There are some of the Lord’s churches that use the dreaded “instrument”, but they are “liberal”. In the mind of some they are saved but “liberal”, and in the judgment of others they are lost. Again, never mind that the New Testament makes no such demand about the inclusion or exception of musical instruments when the folks are together for worship. This is the way it has been and that is the way it is. You can get brothers more heated in defense of a cappella singing than any other topic, even baptism. Because the Bible does not directly address this issue, almost all of the loudest voices supporting a cappella only rely on history to make their arguments. And often that history is questionable.
Then, depending somewhat on geography, history, and religious education, there are even more distinctives which are not common to all of “The Lord’s churches”. The number of communion cups, the type of fluid in the cups, should it be a cup, or cups, when the cups or cup is passed to others, and who can legally pass the cup or cups from pew to pew? Women can pass it from right to left but not from pew to pew. Sunday school, or no Sunday school, five or six song leaders (praise team) or one, raised hands or hands down, KJV or NIV, clapping of hands or no clapping, paying the preacher or telling him to trust the Lord, joining other congregations to help orphans or not cooperating, steeple on the church building or not?; and the list is overwhelmingly endless and is dependent on the whims of those who make the rules.
Astonishingly, almost all of these issues are so important that one is supposedly authorized to withhold Christian fellowship from anyone who does not comply with them, although they are not in the Bible or even hinted at on its pages.
The next hermeneutical blunder is more subtle. Many of our friends believe that each local church of Christ is exactly the same as the universal body of Christ. If only one person, who is a member of a local church of Christ, at any time in history, was or is unsaved, the theory is blown apart. The fact is that in almost ALL churches on earth there are imposters, actors, hypocrites, and wolves in sheep’s clothing, who are not Christian’s. Not all professors are possessors! (Matthew 7)
The erroneous idea that the churches of Christ on earth are the same as the mystical body of Christ grows out of the belief that baptism in water is synomonous with salvation. Of course it might not be. Once one of our elders asked those who had been baptized more than once to raise their hands and I was shocked to see dozens of people lift their hands. He then admitted that he had been baptized more than once, I believe it was three times, himself. I wonder how many people in our congregation have not made it to the final baptism yet?
The point of this discussion is to point out a simple truth. The body of Christ, composed of all those who have been born again from above by the Spirit of God, does not have one person in it who is unsaved. The same can not be said for certain about any local congregation, no matter what the name on the sign. When a person is baptized in a church of Christ it does not hold true 100% of the time that they have also entered the family of God, the body of Christ. All one must do is to observe the lives of some of those who have been immersed, and if you believe the Bible, their lives scream that they are not saved.
We almost never refer to the time in our life when we came to Christ in any other terms than “I was baptized” or “she was baptized”, etc. We seem to avoid “saved”, “born again”, “trusted Christ”, “received Christ” and even “became a Christian” in favor of a reference to water baptism. It is unfortunate that without doubt many people are depending on that event for their salvation rather than the person of Christ. Salvation is not mechanical. Dipping a person in water does not automatically trip a lever in heaven that compels God to grant forgiveness of sins and eternal life to the one who just got wet. Faith in Christ must accompany water baptism or the baptism is vain and of no effect. I doubt that anyone would argue against that truth, but baptism is continually elevated to a place where it is in competition with Jesus for our trust. This is simply true and very unfortunate.
“The Lord’s church” by definition is not the churches of Christ on earth, but rather those who have been born from above, not by the will of the flesh, or by the will of man, but by the will of God. That number includes those genuine Christians of every stripe and creed, including the churches of Christ, who were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, Ones who are found in Him not having their own righteousness, but that which is from heaven, which is by faith. They have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ, they have been made partakers of the divine nature, are priests before God, they have an eternal inheritance, are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, are waiting for the Lord from heaven, are members of each other, dependent on each other, and love one another. They are those who love God, their fellow believers, and even their enemies. They have access to the throne of God in prayer, the have the right to address the Creator God as “Daddy, Daddy”, they stand in grace, they have been made alive, they have been translated out of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love, they have new hearts, they are God’s workmanship, they are created to do good works. And one day they will be put on display to show the glory of God to the universe when their redemption will finally be complete. They will put off the tent and enter a building not made with hands. They will be like Christ for they shall see Him as he is. And they will finally be at home where there is no sin, no sickness, no sorrow, in a place where the Lord is the light. And they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This is “the Lord’s church”, those whom He has called to be his own family. The gates of hell will not prevail against this church. No created thing can ever separate them from God’s love. He spared no expense to save them and make them into the image of Jesus. God the Father loves them as much as He loves Jesus. They are His own possession and He will not loose even one of them ever.
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30) All of those he forknew he purposed to make like Jesus. All of those He predestined to be like Jesus He called. All of those He called He justified. All of those He justified He glorified. How many? All!
The church is His, He calls, He justifies, He glorifies, and all of those are "the Lord's church".
Your comments are welcome.
Your criticism will be accepted.
Your correction will be considered.
And your condemnation will be tolerated.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
LIMITED ATONEMENT
Disagree: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:5-6)
"Behold the LAMB OF GOD, which TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD." (John 1:29b).
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. " (Romans 5:6)
When Jesus cried from the cross "It is finished" He had paid for the sins of every person of every age. He suffered the full wrath and fury of a Holy God against sin and the sinless one uttered one of the most sorrwful questions of all time, "My God my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Every person who now or will inhabit hell is there with his sins paid for. Precisely the reason that rejecting Christ (unblief) is THE sin that dooms men to hell is that He suffered for them and they have said no to His gracious offer of cleansing from sin and the gift of eternal life.
When John the baptist said "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", he did not say "who takes away the sin of part of the world".
The word "limited" as a modifier of the word "atonement" doesn't sit well with my understanding of the nature of God. Will the man who holds to the doctrine of "limited atonement" tell me God loves those for whom the atonement is not available? And He proves His love by His eternal decree that they will suffer in hell forever?
"Whosoever will let him come" is inclusive and this statement alone says to the 5 point Calvinist "Go back and read your Bible again son, you missed who God is".
God's power is not limited, His love is not limited, His grace is not limited, and His atonement for sinners, purchased by the terrible price of His only begotten Son, is not limited either.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
"Behold the LAMB OF GOD, which TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD." (John 1:29b).
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. " (Romans 5:6)
When Jesus cried from the cross "It is finished" He had paid for the sins of every person of every age. He suffered the full wrath and fury of a Holy God against sin and the sinless one uttered one of the most sorrwful questions of all time, "My God my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Every person who now or will inhabit hell is there with his sins paid for. Precisely the reason that rejecting Christ (unblief) is THE sin that dooms men to hell is that He suffered for them and they have said no to His gracious offer of cleansing from sin and the gift of eternal life.
When John the baptist said "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", he did not say "who takes away the sin of part of the world".
The word "limited" as a modifier of the word "atonement" doesn't sit well with my understanding of the nature of God. Will the man who holds to the doctrine of "limited atonement" tell me God loves those for whom the atonement is not available? And He proves His love by His eternal decree that they will suffer in hell forever?
"Whosoever will let him come" is inclusive and this statement alone says to the 5 point Calvinist "Go back and read your Bible again son, you missed who God is".
God's power is not limited, His love is not limited, His grace is not limited, and His atonement for sinners, purchased by the terrible price of His only begotten Son, is not limited either.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
The doctrine of Unconditional Election was first codified into a summation called a "creed" about 1500 a.d., plus a few years. What does it mean?
In eternity past, God made a decision as to whom He would extend His gracious offer of salvation through Christ and wholly upon Christ's merits and not upon any worthiness of the sinner. And, by necessity, He decided that all the rest of mankind should be forever separated from the Godhead and be punished in hell for their sins. This is admittedly a very simplistic definition, but I believe it conveys the basic elements of the particular doctrine. I invite any corrective comments and will gladly correct any error.
While I make NO claim of being a theologian, I do hold personal views and have long held beliefs formed over my 40 plus years of inquiring into the things of God. So, take my view of this doctrine with that in mind. You, of course have the absolute right to disagree and to have your own formulation of the doctrine as you see it. With that disclaimer out front I submit my beliefs.
I disagree completely! While I do believe in the doctrine of election, I disagree with "Unconditional Election". I believe that before creation God's foreknowledge of all peoples of all ages allowed Him to know who would receive his gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith upon the merits of Christ alone. Given that infinite knowledge He chose some to life and some to death. In my tiny brain this view in no way infringes upon the free will of man, nor does it dilute the sovereignty of God. Every man is still completely free to receive God's graceful offer, or to reject it. God's knowing does not effect the decision of man. And, though man can still exercise free will, his will in no way changes God's predetermination of man's final end because God infinitely knows.
For over 30 years I struggled with the doctrine of election and then one day I read this passage of Scripture. "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30).
The very essence of God is Love. How could God be infinitely loving and doom some men to hell and others to heaven? John 3:16 states in part, "God so loved the world.." The scope of God's grace is every man. Then 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." I don't see how the Bible could be more plain. It would please God if every person repented and embraced Christ. He does not find pleasure in the loss of one soul. However, He knows each of us and how we will treat the knowledge of Him. Romans 1 teaches that wicked men have chosen to not retain the knowledge of God in their minds.
Finally, those whom God knows will receive His graceful offer, He effectively calls. The Holy Spirit "draws" them to Christ. All of those who are called Jesus said would come, and every one of them will be justified, and every one of them will one day be glorified. Those who have trusted Christ will be put on display for the universe to witness the greatness of God the Father and His Son the Lord Christ. It is not now nor ever shall be about us. He saved us for His glory and for no other reason.
There are dozens of other passages that I could offer to prove up the same truths but in the interest of brevity I will stop here.
Elected? Yes! Unconditionally elected? Absolutely not.
Comments?
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
In eternity past, God made a decision as to whom He would extend His gracious offer of salvation through Christ and wholly upon Christ's merits and not upon any worthiness of the sinner. And, by necessity, He decided that all the rest of mankind should be forever separated from the Godhead and be punished in hell for their sins. This is admittedly a very simplistic definition, but I believe it conveys the basic elements of the particular doctrine. I invite any corrective comments and will gladly correct any error.
While I make NO claim of being a theologian, I do hold personal views and have long held beliefs formed over my 40 plus years of inquiring into the things of God. So, take my view of this doctrine with that in mind. You, of course have the absolute right to disagree and to have your own formulation of the doctrine as you see it. With that disclaimer out front I submit my beliefs.
I disagree completely! While I do believe in the doctrine of election, I disagree with "Unconditional Election". I believe that before creation God's foreknowledge of all peoples of all ages allowed Him to know who would receive his gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith upon the merits of Christ alone. Given that infinite knowledge He chose some to life and some to death. In my tiny brain this view in no way infringes upon the free will of man, nor does it dilute the sovereignty of God. Every man is still completely free to receive God's graceful offer, or to reject it. God's knowing does not effect the decision of man. And, though man can still exercise free will, his will in no way changes God's predetermination of man's final end because God infinitely knows.
For over 30 years I struggled with the doctrine of election and then one day I read this passage of Scripture. "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30).
The very essence of God is Love. How could God be infinitely loving and doom some men to hell and others to heaven? John 3:16 states in part, "God so loved the world.." The scope of God's grace is every man. Then 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." I don't see how the Bible could be more plain. It would please God if every person repented and embraced Christ. He does not find pleasure in the loss of one soul. However, He knows each of us and how we will treat the knowledge of Him. Romans 1 teaches that wicked men have chosen to not retain the knowledge of God in their minds.
Finally, those whom God knows will receive His graceful offer, He effectively calls. The Holy Spirit "draws" them to Christ. All of those who are called Jesus said would come, and every one of them will be justified, and every one of them will one day be glorified. Those who have trusted Christ will be put on display for the universe to witness the greatness of God the Father and His Son the Lord Christ. It is not now nor ever shall be about us. He saved us for His glory and for no other reason.
There are dozens of other passages that I could offer to prove up the same truths but in the interest of brevity I will stop here.
Elected? Yes! Unconditionally elected? Absolutely not.
Comments?
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
T.U.L.I.P.
Reformed Theology (Calvinist)
Am I a 5 point Calvinist, a 4 point Calvinist or do I agree with any of the 5 points of Calvin. I will discuss each briefly and try to decide how I fit on the Reformed scale of theological thought.
Where are you? I am curious how much we are alike, or different.
I will address each of these in different posts over the next few days. I will give my views in very simple, easy to understand statements.
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Depravity: This one is easy for me. Absolutely! Sinful men are unable to stop sinning. Paul said of himself "I know that in me, that is in my body, there is no good thing".(Romans 7:18 )"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"(Jer 17:9) "There is none righteous, no not one." (Rom 3:10)
Most of you have children or grand children. May I ask a question? Do you have to teach children to be good or to be bad? I have never heard of anyone having to teach a little child selfishelfesh, to take other kids toys, to then lie about it, and so on. They "naturally" tend toward doing wrong. Original sin? You tell me. David thought so.
Never in the history of civilization has any society had to make rules to keep people from doing so much good. The reverse is true of all men in every century in every ethnic group.
I submit if we were not totally depraved why would we need Jesus? We could simply, with the help of religious training, knock off a few rough edges and be just fine. There is a rather large school of thought that says mankind is basically good and just needs to be understood. I believe mankind is basically wicked and needs Jesus and His righteousness.
Comments?
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Saved by Faith
It was necessary to remove the lengthy post of Sept 10th "Saved by Faith". It was far too large for a blog and made loading troublesome.
For the record, I believe it. Thanks to those of you who read it and responded with kind emails or comments on the blog. If anyone cares to read it I can send it as an email attachment.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
For the record, I believe it. Thanks to those of you who read it and responded with kind emails or comments on the blog. If anyone cares to read it I can send it as an email attachment.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Bro' Edward Fudge strikes again!
Please follow this link to Edward Fudge's article.
If you are a member of a church with Restoration Movement roots, or have an interest in the subject, this article is a must read.
Enough said. Please comment once have read and digested the article.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
If you are a member of a church with Restoration Movement roots, or have an interest in the subject, this article is a must read.
Enough said. Please comment once have read and digested the article.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
