Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Rightly Dividing - Part 2

2 Timothy 2:9b-17a “The Word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer.”

Just last week at my Men's Bible Study, an 18 year old asks "Can you believe in God & Heaven, but not believe in Satan and Hell?' Why doesn’t he know? A college aged young lady, that was raised in the church, asks me, "Since Jesus died for the sins of the world, isn't everyone going to Heaven, whether they believe in & follow Him or not?" Why is this not known? A famous Talk Show host says: "I am a Christian who does not believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven", when in John 14:6 Jesus clearly says “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” It's tough when everyone is now being indoctrinated with a flawed "all roads lead to Heaven" Theology, and have totally wrong views and perceptions of Christianity, Christ, and God. I love Theology - the study of God, and feel that it is a natural affect of sanctification (growing, maturing, learning and applying faith)."

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 (NKJ) says: I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I've never taking a "Comparative Religion" college course, but have heard from many that it has changed from examining the "truth claims" of the world religions, to now “embracing” the truth claims of all religions and “accepting” them on the same level us your own. All roads lead to Heaven? Sounds like "Universalism" and a globalist world view by secular humanism. A "There is not us and them, there is only us" One-world type thinking that rejects the God of the Bible. As the popular phase goes "we have a God-shaped hole in our heart." But trying to put anything beside Jesus Christ in to fill our heart desires, because the Lord is the "uncommon" denominator – the only way in God’s Plan of Salvation for us. This is the message of eternal life that God has put in each and every heart, that the unknowing world does not see and the unbelieving world does not want to hear.

We need to recognize that though God wishes none to perish, many make the personal choice not to accept the free gift of salvation by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins, and some are even hostile toward God & Christianity. But we also need to realize that there are many in this lost & dying, prepared by the Holy Spirit of God, that are just waiting to hear about the Lord’s salvation from us … and that begins in our own families. Pastor Gregg states that Christianity contains very specific beliefs or doctrine, feelings and emotions that are to be utilized for God’s glory and the good of others, and a pattern or lifestyle of living. Walking in the Spirit, Living for Christ, Seeking the Lord, Looking at the world through the Biblical Christian world-view, Staying devoted in the Holy Word, Praying continuously, Loving God & love others are specific out-pouring from the regenerated heart. But isn't the transformed heart by the Holy Spirit by way of redemption through the blood of Christ, that leads to a restored relationship with Father God though the finished word of the Lord Jesus, the root goal?

Lord Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJ) “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." I want people that are blindly going down the wrong road to see that the wide road of unbelief and other gods leads to “their” destruction (meaning that they are on it and not going to heaven), to repent of their sins, reject the sinful world system, get off that broad road and separate themselves from all that which does not please God. To seek, find and follow Jesus, the Savior of the world, through the narrow gate of salvation by grace through faith, and thereby find the true love, joy and peace in their heart, spirit and soul that they've been missing and looking for in all the wrong places; a restored relationship with their heavenly Father God and eternal life. To stop living egocentric lies that leads to death and start living the abundant life in the TRUTH. Jesus Christ came to give His life, to be “life giving”. Popular or not, it is the gospel truth, the way and the life … and must be told to all. Not just for this side of Heaven, but for eternal happiness.

In Christ, Brian

1 comment:

Alice said...

We have to study His Word to be able to divide truth from error. I find that the more we know about scriptures, the more we find that most people don't know who HE really is, but only who they think Him to be.