Christians and Secularism

Secularism in the Socialist Society is founded on a rights based discourse. Groups within society compete for a position within the secular framework. Advocates of feminism, gay rights, race relations, abortion, euthanasia, Islam and a plethora of other groups including Christianity battle against each other for a share of the governments attention and the media limelight.

When the government focuses on socialist dogma then they begin the work of social engineering using the media to control the dominant discourse. Over time they begin to make progress and here in New Zealand we can now clearly see how over the last decades societal attitudes have indeed changed drastically. From a nominally Christian society in 1970 we are now becoming a strongly pagan society.

The incredible thing is that most people don't realise that women's rights, homosexuality and abortion are all strongly connected to the naturalistic religions like Baal worship, the worship of Diana of Ephesus and the worship of the pantheon in general. In fact, most people would not identify with pagan worship at all preferring to hold to some version of atheism. All the while they are being gradually duped into paganism by stealth.

Christianity is sadly not immune to this process of social engineering with liberal Christianity delving deeply into Buddhism and Yoga and even the Martial Arts. Conservative Christianity is adopting the rights based dialogue and complaining about the moral decline of society in general while demanding that their rights be respected.

Of course, the media is the perfect tool to portray Conservatives as bigots who are intolerant of other people in society. Science of course is the perfect scourge to beat Conservatives with saying the Gay folk can't help but be gay as that's how they are wired. Women need abortions for their mental health and so on. Fundamentalist Christians are just backward folks with a negative mindset. I've heard that there is research which even backs that argument which says conservatives have a mental mindset that predisposes them genetically to be negative and intolerant. This would tie into the New Age mantra that there is going to be a great jump forward which will leave the backward people who are mentally unprepared for next evolutionary leap behind.

So what should Christians do in the face of a changing reality? The Church is not as numerous as it was and society is now almost post secular as it becomes more and more pagan in nature. A world where from a Christian perspective the pervasive attitude is rapidly becoming the embodiment of Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" From <https://biblehub.com/isaiah/5-20.htm> NASB

I think that Christians should take a watching brief as many of the prophets of the Old Testament did. Though rather than whine about our downtrodden rights and the wickedness of the wicked. I think we focus on being salt and light in the rapidly falling darkness. We be Christians and shine like a bright light on the horizon. We walk the righteousness of God and the love, joy and peace of the Holy Spirit. We share our Christ centred wisdom but not our self-centred condemnation.

We focus on the Great Commission. Matthew chapter 28 verses 18 to 20 "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” From <https://biblehub.com/nasb_/matthew/28.htm> NASB

We follow the example of John Wesley and George Whitfield and ignore the sin of a fallen British nation given over to alcoholism and social evils of much the same ilk as we find our world descending into right now. As they did we kneel before a willing Saviour and Lord, Yahweh Elohim, and take every step to share the gospel with all and sundry, all that will hear, in the certain hope that God will prevail. Our nation can be redeemed.

This is the Day

I guess from a Christian point of view today is fraught with peril. Even in the Western World being a Protestant Christian is not the peaceful existence that it was fifty years ago. With the passing of the Great Generation and the general falling away from Christianity many Churches have closed their doors. Liberalism has spread through what is left and repentance is no longer proclaimed as a part of the gospel as it once was.

 

I don't know if you're familiar with the account in the book of Kings in the Bible of the time when the prophet Elijah stood against the prophets of Baal and their queen Jezebel (1 Kings 18). The wicked queen Jezebel had murdered the prophets of the Lord except for one hundred that Obadiah, the kings servant, had hidden away fifty to a cave and fed there.
 

Elijah told Obadiah to  tell King Ahab that he would meet with him. He instructed the King to bring all of the prophets of Baal and Asherah to Mount Carmel. He had them prepare a sacrifice of a bull and place it on an alter to Baal and put no fire under it. Baal was to light the fire to make the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal cried out to their God until the evening and no one heard their pleas nor took notice of them.

Elijah had the people rebuild the alter to the Lord and placed the sacrifice of a bull on the alter and at his instruction dig trenches around the alter and pour water over the sacrifice three times. He prayed that the God of Abraham and Isaac would show that he was the God of Israel that day. Fire came down and consumed the offering and alter and lapped at the water. Elijah told the people to capture the prophets of Baal and Asherah and they were all executed then and there.

 

He then prayed for rain upon the land as there had been a drought for three and a half years as Elijah had asked God to hold back the rain at the beginning of that time. God answered Elijah and he sent rain upon the land. Immediately following this huge victory given by God against the forces of evil. Jezebel threatened Elijah's life and in a very human way he panicked and ran away to hide.

And here we are in the present day again. So what can we take from this recount of Elijah's works on behalf of the Living God - Yahweh and apply to our lives? Well God was with Elijah throughout this three and one half year battle for the hearts and minds of the people of Israel. He protected him and at the end gave him a resounding victory over Baal and Asherah. Baal worshippers sacrificed their babies to a brass image of Baal by laying them on the heated arms of the image which were heated until they glowed red or placed in an oven within the image.

 We live in a time when evil is on the rise and we are as a population being seduced to abandon God and to do the bidding of governments that claim to be scientific and godless but who in reality are bringing into being a Satanic World Empire. We are being dupped into being citizens of that empire who will worship a coming world king who will claim to be the Christ.

 

As Christians we will have to stand for Jesus Christ in this time just as Elijah stood for Yahweh Elohim in his time. He was human and fallible and we are human and fallible but God was with him just as Christ Jesus is with us and we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. It will be a hard road and it may well come to believers dying for their faith. But remember when we are brought to account for our Lord the Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak (Luke 12:12). That he will give a crown to those who overcome (Revelation 2:10).

 

A parting thought, take up the Full Armour of God  (Ephesians 6: 11-13). "Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6&version=NKJV>

Salvation: What You Need to Know...

Biblical salvation can be a difficult thing to grasp but it can also be very simple. There is one verse in the bible that you need to understand before any of the others. That verse is found in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in chapter two and is verse thirty eight "Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." From <https://biblehub.com/acts/2-38.htm> If you realise that you have sin issue and repent in Jesus name making sure that you receive the sacrament of Baptism. You are saved once and for all.

 

As the apostle John puts it in chapter three verse sixteen “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." From <https://biblehub.com/john/3-16.htm> So, if you believe on the only begotten son of God, Jesus Christ, you will not perish but have eternal life.

 

Now, there are a handful of other verses that can be helpful in gaining a understanding of the sin problem that we all have as members of humanity. For instance Romans chapter three verse ten "…as it is written: “THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE…"From <https://biblehub.com/romans/3-10.htm>  Romans chapter three verse twenty three

"…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…" From <https://biblehub.com/romans/3-23.htm> Romans chapter six verse twenty three "For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." From <https://biblehub.com/romans/6-23.htm>

So in short you are not the only sinner in this world in need of the Blood of the Lamb to justify you and cleanse you of sin. In fact every human being is a sinner and needs to access the redemptive work of Christ Jesus on the Cross. None but Christ is righteous and all are guilty and deserving of death except Christ. But God is  gracious and merciful and His freely given gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. So what about it?

 

Intangible Calvinism versus Practical Arminianism

 

Have you ever considered that Calvinism is totally intangible? I have been thinking deeply about the Sovereign Will of God versus the Freedom of Choice in salvation issue. It occurred to me that Calvinism exists completely hypothetically. Here is the link to an Open Bible Info search on Predestination Scriptures - https://www.openbible.info/topics/predestination

 

Now what I mean by Calvinism being Totally Intangible is that Calvinists believe that God is sovereignly responsible for choosing the elect. They believe that through Grace God draws people to the Saviour. That he makes those people able to accept salvation and changes their nature so that they love God and repent. Through Christ Jesus they are justified. Through the Holy Spirit they are sanctified and stay with Jesus Christ. God makes them so they cannot be lost and enables them to coexist with God for eternity. The elect are all fallen humanity and totally depraved so could not even choose to ask God for salvation of their own volition. God does it all. This is generally speaking how Calvinists see the issue.

Now my question here is, other than the predestination scriptures in the bible can we see any evidence of these Calvinist presumptions taking place. Can we see God's grace enabling elected persons to choose Christ? As far as I can see no we can't. Can we see them being justified or sanctified? Again no we can't. Can we see God changing them according to His sovereign will? May be, but not really. So Calvinism is dependent entirely on the faith of the Calvinist to exist. None of its claims can be verified in the real because God is Spirit and He does it all. It has been argued that by Calvinists that men are like puppets and all that we do comes from God. I know this may seem to be a simplistic way of viewing Calvinism but bear with as we consider the Wesleyan Arminian view point.

In a complete reversal of the intangibility of Calvinism. Arminianism is almost completely observable. Arminians believe that Grace enables a person to accept or reject the gospel. This is the gospel plainly stated by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3-4 " For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."  From <https://biblehub.com/nasb_/1_corinthians/15.htm>

Now, Arminians follow the Great Commission laid down by Christ Jesus in Matthew chapter 28 verses 19-20 "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. From <https://biblehub.com/nasb_/matthew/28.htm>

 

Arminians believe that the lost are given the choice to accept or reject the gospel as it described by Paul in First Corinthians and that God given Grace enables them to do this. In this vain we share the gospel and push hard for the lost person to accept the gospel. You can see people convicted of their sins by the Holy Spirit standing before you. You can see them make the decision to accept or reject the gospel. You can see the change made in the lives of those who accept the redemptive work of Jesus on the Cross. You can see those who have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and His work as He quickens them in the service of the Saviour. All of these are visible and tangible in the reality of daily life.

 

So what can we conclude? Well you can see that Calvinism is a hypothetical anomaly that generates considerable disruption to the Church. It also generates considerable friction among believers thus creating division in the Church. It may be said the Calvinism largely on focuses on believers and how they became saved rather than unbelievers who need salvation. It can disincentivise believers to evangelise as there seems little point to share the gospel to someone who may be predestined already to salvation by God. Arminianism on the other hand is simply a practical bible based methodology centred on sharing the gospel among the nations in obedience to Christ Jesus by enacting His Great Commission of Matthew twenty eight. At its core it is the single act of each believer picking up their cross and following Jesus Christ. To me Arminianism is the truth and way that believers have functioned since the first century Church. It is what we do in daily life as Christians.

 

Matthew Chapter 9 verse 37-38 "Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” From <https://biblehub.com/nasb_/matthew/9.htm>

Sin Separates Us from God

 

Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/sin_separates_us_from_god>

 

You may ask why did God send His only Son to die for us upon the Cross while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). The prophet Isaiah said in the verse above that our iniquities, sins, made a separation between us and our God. God is Righteous (Psalm 11:7), and he cannot tolerate sin and evil (Proverbs 6: 16-19).

 

God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but inherit eternal life John 3:16. Where sin separates us from God. The redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross was to pay our sin debt and to reconnect those who believe on Him the living God. To reverse the fall of man. To make those who believe on Jesus Christ forgiven of their sins in justification and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, in repentance and baptism, lead those believers to sanctification and the righteousness of God.

 

So that where Romans 3:10 says "There is none righteous, not even one." Where Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned all fall short of the Glory of God." Where Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death but the freely given gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Then when realise the truth of Isaiah 53 verse 6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." And, with our eyes wide open to our sins we fall to our knees and cry out to our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation of our souls. That we might washed clean with His blood in sacrifice for our sins with garments washed in the blood of the Lamb of God, Yeshua.

 

Listen my friends. Repent for Jesus is coming soon.

Virtuality or Reality

 

I've been labouring over trying to understand the Reformed position on Predestination. As you may know with this issue you have the Calvinists who hold to the idea of a Sovereign God who predestines those who are saved and by proxy, or design, those who are consigned to damnation. How you view the later depends on what you believe God to be capable of.

 

The other side of the Reformed ledger is held by the Arminians who hold that the lost have freedom of choice in relation to accepting the gospel and on seeing that they will have faith He predestines them to salvation. Those who reject the gospel are doomed already as described in John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God…" From <https://biblehub.com/john/3-18.htm>

 

These are simplistic descriptions of the theology involved in this issue. However, these are not the thoughts I want to share with you today. I have been troubled by an idea that has been on the edge of my mind for some-time now that I believe is central to predestination and its impact on the way Christians lead their lives. It goes something like this: Calvinism and the Doctrine of Predestination are a virtuality. What I mean by this is that you can contemplate Calvinism with your intellect but you cannot verify predestination in your daily life or reality.

 

So what I'm saying is that Predestination can be read about in the bible and it can be thought about in your mind but it is a matter of faith. Much as believing on Christ Jesus or being an Atheist is a matter of faith. There is no sound or solid evidence in our life that we are predestined and that the actions that constitute our lives are predestined by God. We can believe the bible that we are predestined but as far as we can go with it is to decide what that means to us and what we will do about it. Calvinism and Predestination are in a virtuality. They do not constitute reality.

 

The reality is that God has given us a life with the intention that we should find Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son, and believe on Him to eternal life. We can then live that life to the glory of God. Whether we are predestined or not is irrelevant because to us it appears we have the choice about how we live our life.

 

Every-day we have the very real responsibility to make scores of decisions that affect ourselves and those around us. If this is all predestined then it really doesn't appear that way. It seems more like we are grabbing the steering wheel of life, white knuckled, in the face of an onslaught of adverse and at times downright dangerous events than can and will affect us and those we love. It really seems like most of humanity are just doing the best they can.

 

I mean if this is all predestined why do I bother to get up in the morning. It doesn't matter if I get out of bed anymore because whatever I do it isn't going to change anything is it? It's all predestined. I sure don't need to be concerned anymore. I mean what can I do. Nothing right?

 

Actually, and thankfully. I don't subscribe to that particular nonsense. I believe as I mentioned earlier that God has given us a life for a purpose. Firstly, to choose or reject the gospel and secondly to use that life to the glory of God if we accept the gospel. Which brings me to another important indicator that God expects us to choose and to choose wisely. Christ Jesus told the disciples that he was going to the Father so that he could send the helper (the Holy Spirit).

 

John 14 25-28 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said ,‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. From <https://biblehub.com/nkjv/john/14.htm>

 

Now Jesus said he was sending the Holy Spirit to help believers. One assumes that since the Holy Spirit is being sent to help and that His work in our hearts is going to produce fruit. That the changes that the Helper makes in our hearts are real and genuine. The question that I'm asking here is if we are all predestined and everything in our lives is foreordained why would the Father bother to send the Holy Spirit? If everything is predestined then there can be no changes made. Essentially any further intervention is pointless.

 

This brings me back to my main point. Predestination is all very well and it may be true but it exists in a virtuality whereas life as we experience it is reality. All of the struggle that accompanies life that includes love, hate, kindness, anger, friendship and competition is real. So we have a life to live and if we are Christian and saved then we have to use it glorify the Almighty God. So my advice is that virtuality's are all very well but reality is what you are faced with in Christian living. You have decisions to make and a righteous life to live.

Choice or Predestination

 

Ezekiel 18:23 "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/i_take_no_pleasure_in_the_death_of_the_wicked_i>

 

Just looking at some scriptures that appear to indicate that God wants the wicked to repent and that it appears it is the choice of the wicked to do the repenting. Rather than the wicked being predestined at the whim of God. Of course I have no doubt that those of a mind to double predestination have all the facts sorted for the argument that counters this proposal.

 

Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/i_take_no_pleasure_in_the_death_of_the_wicked_i>

 

So, once again Yahweh is instructing Ezekiel to tell the wicked that they have the option to repent and to turn back from their evil ways. Reminds me of 2Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14 where Yahweh says that if the people repent and turn from their wicked ways he will heal the land.

 

 

Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. " From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/i_take_no_pleasure_in_the_death_of_the_wicked_i>

 

It certainly  seems as if Yahweh is offering the wicked the opportunity to make a decision here. Can there be any doubt that this is not about predestination but about choice. Could it be that predestination relates to corporate Israel and the Bride of Christ and that salvation is purely about making a decision which Grace in the gospel gives us the ability to make that choice?

 

1 Timothy 2:4 "Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/i_take_no_pleasure_in_the_death_of_the_wicked_i>

 

 Do all of these scriptures that speak of Christ dying for all and desiring all to be saved really only mean the remnant? Does Yahweh lock out people from salvation on a whim just to ensure His sovereignty?  There would certainly seem to be more than a little doubt about this theology.