"If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free...So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed!" (John 8:31-32,36)

God’s Relation To The Unregenerate World

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“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”(Romans 1:18 NASV)

Where is God? He is where He has always been, creator of and ruler over His creation.

God’s wrath is an exercise of his justice and abhorrence of man’s rebellion. God’s wrath hangs like Cicero’s Sword of Damocles over every man and woman walking on the face of this earth. Our lives hang by less than horsehair. Indeed, the very breath of God suspends them.

But why is God so angry and wrathful, you ask. Was the Psalmist correct when he said, “God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalm 7:11)

 Romans chapter 1 gives us the reasons why God sits in wrathful judgment over mankind.

Mankind suppresses the knowledge God has given regarding Himself. “That which is known about God is evident with them for God made it evident to them.” (v. 19).

  1. Mankind has deliberately failed to honor God as the God of the universe. “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God.” (v. 21)
  2. Mankind fails to “give thanks to God” for who He is. (v. 21)
  3. Mankind has become “futile in their speculations; and their foolish heart was darkened.” (v. 21)
  4. Mankind professes to be wise, but “they became fools.” (v. 22)
  5. Mankind is idolatrous. “They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” (v. 23)
  6. Mankind is enslaved physiologically and psychologically by the lusts of their thoroughly depraved nature. (v. 24)
  7. Mankind has elevated the philosophy of humanism denying theism. (v. 25)
  8. Mankind has turned to the acceptance and practice of the LGBT lifestyle. (vs. 26-27)
  9. Mankind has been self-subjected to every form of evil, contrary to the laws and nature of the righteous, holy nature of the Creator. (vs. 28-31).
  10. Mankind practices and gives approval to the evil actions of other men. (v. 32)
  11. Mankind ridicules any idea of future judgment by God. (v. 32)

There are a dozen divinely revealed reasons why God’s relation to man puts man in danger of eternal damnation in hell. [Read more…]

Really Getting to the Truth

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“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
(John 8:32)

All truth is God’s truth. There is truth that is natural and truth that is supernatural. Natural truth may be discovered and known by most observant individuals. Supernatural or divine truth can only be discovered from God, the author and originator of all truth, by means of supernatural revelation.

In school I learned that 2 plus 2 equals 4. That’s natural truth, verifiable by mathematical law. If I throw an apple up into the air and it comes straight down to land on my head, I have discovered a natural truth of physics – gravity. We are told that gravity is “approximated by Newton’s law of universal gravitation, which postulates that the gravitational force of two bodies of mass is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them” (Wikipedia). So much for scientific truth. I accept it, I believe it and I experience it in everyday life. [Read more…]

Paul’s Forgotten Last Words

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“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”
II Timothy 4:22)

Years ago I discovered a biblical truth that has changed my thinking about my life here on earth. It changed my approach to evangelism and my sharing Christianity with those to whom God leads me. It is a very foundational and simple truth; however it is a truth long neglected and seldom taught by those who claim to minister the Word of God. It is the truth of God’s Word relating to man’s creation and existence today; and that includes both the redeemed and the lost.

You may not have heard teaching about this before. I’m sure it is something about which you have wondered. You may not agree with the way I have attempted to unfold this truth; but I encourage you to read this. If you feel so led, I would appreciate your comments.

Why did Paul, in his last sentence to his son, Timothy, say, “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you”? Why is it that we find so many references in the Bible to that part of both Christ and man that is called “spirit?” Please note the following biblical references:

  1. At the angelic announcement of Christ’s incarnation: “And Mary said: ‘My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior’” (Luke 1:46-47).
  2. At the death of Jesus: “And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit’” (Luke 23:46).
  3. At the martyrdom of Stephen: “And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’” (Acts 7:59).
  4. From Jesus’ teaching on the new birth: “That having been born of the flesh is flesh, and that having been born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
  5. The biblical description of Christ’s redemptive work: “So also it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit’” (I Corinthians 15:45).
  6. Concerning the believer’s union with Christ: “And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10).
  7. Concerning the Holy Spirit’s witness to the believer: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16).
  8. Concerning the Word of God in its work in the believer: “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
  9. The only way to worship God is by means of a quickened spirit in communion with the Holy Spirit: “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
  10. Concerning the divine preservation of the believer: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:23).

These are my convictions, after over 55 years of studying the Bible:

  1. Like the Triune God, humans are tri-parted beings, possessing body, soul, and spirit (Genesis 1:26).
  2. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, their spirit – having been indwelt by the Holy Spirit – became dead. Death for them was the withdrawing of the Holy Spirit, who is the life of God in action in this world (Genesis 3:3).
  3. Every individual born into this world has a spirit. Men and women are born having a spirit that is void the presence and communion of the Holy Spirit. They are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-7).
  4. Regeneration is the instantaneous, sovereign, divine act of God, whereby the Holy Spirit quickens our spirit by becoming the Life of God in us (Titus 3:5-7).
  5. Believers worship today in the very presence of God, where the people of God eternally live in spirit with God (Hebrews 12:22-24).

It grieves me that we, in the evangelical world, have neglected to realize and teach that we are spirit beings. Some have distorted the biblical teachings on the Holy Spirit, thus scaring off those who should be teaching the Bible’s truths. Evangelicals have marginalized the person and work of the Holy Spirit and we continue to grieve His Person, thus marginalizing His blessings in our individual, family, and corporate life of worship and service.

May the Triune God be pleased to once again visit us with revival and spiritual rejuvenation; and may the Holy Spirit continue to exalt Jesus Christ, as He builds His church in this fallen world.

Come, Holy Spirit, heav’nly Dove,
with all Thy quick’ning powers,
kindle a flame of sacred love
in these cold hearts of ours.

In vain we tune our formal songs,
in vain we strive to rise;
hosanas languish on our tongues,
and our devotion dies.

Dear Lord, and shall we ever live
at this poor dying rate,
our love so faint, so cold to Thee,
and Thine to us so great?

Come, Holy Spirit, heav’nly Dove,
with all Thy quick’ning powers,
come, shed abroad a Savior’s love
and that shall kindle ours.

Isaac Watts

May Isaac Watts’ prayer be ours today!