But to Those Who Are the Called

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. – 1 Cor. 1:18, 21-24

Well, our Winter Bible Conference featuring Dr. James White has come and gone. As quickly as it started, it was over. Dr. White concluded our conference weekend with a message on the difference between those to whom the cross is foolishness and those to whom it is the power of God. His text was 1 Cor. 1:18-31, part of which you will see posted above. What a great truth in Scripture concerning what distinguishes one group from another. It is not man’s ability to understand or receive the truth, but rather God’s calling that makes the difference. Here is the sermon from Sunday:

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Job’s Example for Us to Follow Is Not What You May Think

Nobody wants to peer too deeply into Job’s story. I know I don’t. The fear is that, if I consider and contemplate for too long what happened to Job, some of what happened to him might happen to me. Silly? Maybe. Truthfully, though, it goes against our natural bent to think that someone who was “doing it right” would still experience so much pain and loss and grief from the hand of God. And yes, it came from God. Even Job recognized that: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

I don’t want to focus on Job’s suffering in this post, but rather on Job’s character and what it was about him that resulted in his being respected by the world. Was it his wealth? Not according to Scripture. What was it that caused young men to withdraw, and aged men to stand in honor of Job when he came near? What was it about him that caused even princes and nobility to not be able to utter a word against him? Why was his reputation a blessing and seeing him in action met with approval from the world? Well, we don’t have to speculate or spin something of our own imaginations, because Job himself tells why in chapter 29:

“I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth…Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them…I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down…I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.” (Job 29:12-17, 21-22, 24-25 ESV)

We always look to Job for a model of what to do in times of suffering, but we would do well to look to him also for a model of how to be a true servant and follower of the living Christ. Even God called Job, “my servant”, when talking to Satan about him. They may hate your message, but the world should be able to look to you and your life and give glory to God (Matt. 5:16). The question I must ask myself is, “Can this be said of me and my life?”, and I must sadly answer in the negative. How about you?

So, What Does God Do with Fruitless Branches that Are In Christ

In my last post on John 15:2, I attempted to make a case that the ones referred to by Jesus as being in Him and not bearing fruit are truly IN Him. That is really where the rubber meets the road on this issue of fruitless branches in this verse. As I stated before, verse 6 appears to describe branches that are truly not in Christ, and every reference I could find to being ‘in’ Jesus in the New Testament indicated truly being a part of the elect of God. So, where does that leave us with respect to verse 2, and what God does with branches that are in Christ but not bearing fruit? As I told my class, this past Sunday, this is when you have to get under the English and see what is actually there in the original languages. And when we take a look at the Greek word that has been translated over and over again in this verse as “taken away” or “cut off”, we find something pretty significant worth considering.

The Greek word for “taken away” in John 15:2 is the word AIRO. It is Strong’s number 142. It is a verb that is in the present tense, active voice, 3rd person, singular. The present tense means that it is a repeated, ongoing action. The active voice means that it is something that is being done to the subject (in this case, the non-fruitful branches). The tense of the verb itself should cause us to stop and think and ask how is it that branches “in” Christ are being presently taken away. But that’s not the real kicker. When we look at the meaning of AIRO, we find that its first two primary meanings are the following:

1) to raise up, elevate, lift up
2) to take upon one’s self and carry what has been raised up, to bear

So, could it be that Jesus is not saying that those branches in Him that bear no fruit are taken away, but that they are instead lifted up and carried? Could it be that Jesus meant what he said when he said those branches were “in” him? Granted, a possible interpretation is that the ones Jesus says are in him are not really in him. But Jesus says that they are. And I think this interpretation allows the text to stand on its on and remain consistent with the rest of the verses following verse 2 concerning those who truly are not in Christ.

Another consideration is the verb tense itself. As I said before, AIRO is in the present tense, which is an ongoing, repeated action. Interestingly enough, it is in the exact same tense and voice and person as the Greek word for “prunes” (KATHAIRO), which is what Jesus said the Father does to those who are bearing fruit. If this is a repeated, ongoing action on the part of the Father, and the ones in Christ not bearing fruit are actually taken away, then in what sense is this taking place in an ongoing, repeated manner?

My position is that the ones Jesus says are in him are truly in him. And if they are not bearing fruit (how often are we ourselves not bearing fruit), the Father lifts them up – supports them and carries them – until they do begin to bear fruit. And once they begin bearing fruit, then the Father prunes/cleanses them so that they will bear more fruit. Again, I admit that it is possible to simply view the branches not bearing fruit as not really being in Christ and therefore being taken away. However, I think the consistent view, the one that leaves the text most intact, is the one that sees the fruitless branches as truly being “in” Christ and supported rather than being taken away.  And this is, I think, a real possibility of what Jesus was saying in light of the primary meaning of the word used in verse 2 being to raise up/lift up/carry.

Are Free Will and Calvinism Compatible? Greg Koukl Says they Are

Greg Koukl, of Stand to Reason, does an outstanding job in these video clips of first professing that he is a Calvinist, and then explaining how free will and Calvinism go hand in hand. If you are skeptical of Calvinism, or what can also be called Reformed Theology, please take the time to watch these. Greg always explains things in very simple and biblical terms.

John 15:2 – Are Branches IN Christ Really Taken Away

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. – John 15:1-2 ESV

If you go look at every English translation available, you will find what I did (the ones I could find), that every one of them states that the Father will “take away”, or “cut off” every branch that is “in” Christ but not bearing fruit. Along those same lines, practically every commentary, with the exception of a couple, simply affirm what the English versions display at this point. They basically say that, since these branches, though described as being “in” Christ, bear no fruit, then they were never truly IN Christ. It was this point that I noticed a problem with that reasoning.

The passage does not say these branches profess to be in Christ or even appear to be in Christ. It says these branches are IN Christ. And what does it mean to be in Christ. Well, simply put, to be in Christ is to be a new creation. It is to have heard the shepherd’s voice and followed Him. It is to be given eternal life and, according to Jesus Himself, NEVER to perish and always to be in both the hands of the Father and the Son (John 10:28).

In my study of being in Christ (and I admit that I may have missed it somewhere), I could find no mention of someone being in Him and yet not being a true disciple of His. There are a lot of promises in Scripture for those “in” Jesus. Here are a few of those truths:

- “you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge” – 1 Cor. 1:5
- “all the promises of God find their Yes in him” – 2 Cor. 1:20
- “in him…we become the righteousness of God” – 2 Cor. 5:21
- we are chosen “in him before the foundation of the world” – Eph. 1:4
- “in him we have redemption through his blood” – Eph. 1:7
- in him we have “the forgiveness of our trespasses” – Eph. 1:7
- “in him we have obtained an inheritance” – Eph. 1:11
- in him we are “being built together into a dwelling place for God” – Eph. 2:22
- “found in him”, we have a righteousness “which comes through faith” – Phil. 3:9
- we are being “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith” – Col. 2:7

There is nothing in the text to suggest that these non-fruit-bearing branches are not actually IN Christ. I certainly admit that it can be viewed that way. But I propose that nothing in the text itself automatically lends to that conclusion. In fact, I think the rest of what Jesus says in this passage goes against the notion that these branches in verse 2 are not really in him and that they are taken away or cut out from the true vine. In contrast to the branches in verse 2, verse  6 appears to describe those who profess faith, but who do not remain in Christ (false professors), and who are then thrown away (cast out – of the church maybe, and ultimately into hell at the judgment):

If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

So, as far as I can see, we have a bit of dilemma here in John 15:2. We are told that fruitless branches IN Christ are taken away, yet the context seems clear that these branches really are IN Christ. Unless you deny the perseverance of the saints (which I affirm), you have a bit of a conundrum here. So, what do we do about that? That’s what I will answer in my next post…

Their Photograph Flatters Them

We recently had pictures taken of our family to give to the grandparents for Christmas. My sister took them at a local park filled with historic buildings that have been brought in from all over the county (great job, sis).  We all got cleaned up and dressed nice in order to put our best smile forward for the camera. I am sure you do the same, as no one wants a picture taken of them while they are not looking their best. If you don’t believe me, just try snapping one when the person is not ready or dressed for it.

Reading the following excerpt from J.R. Miller got me to thinking about that. I hope that my picture doesn’t outdo who I really am. For some, what people see on the outside is nothing but the tip of the iceberg. For others, it is a false snapshot of the filth that really lies within. I pray that what people see of me on the outside doesn’t flatter what is really there, though that is my fear. Consider the words of Miller:

A person may be better than his reputation; his external manner may do him injustice. Some men, by reason of their shyness, their awkwardness, or some limitation in power of expression, fail to appear at their true value. The world knows only a man’s outward life, and there may be good things in him which it does not know.

Then some people, on the other hand, are worse than their reputation. Their photograph flatters them! What they pretend to be exceeds the reality. They practice tricks which give a glamour to their lives, so that they pass in public for more than they are. They wear veils, which hide defects and faults in them, and thus they seem better than they are.

Are we better than our photograph (reputation), or actually worse than it? I fear that I know the true answer concerning myself. Oh, if people really knew what goes on in this mind of mine, they would be revolted. If I were to judge myself from true standards rather than external standards, I would surely be condemned. But thanks be to God that he has overcome this body of death! Consider further what Miller says:

But there is another man in us – the man GOD sees. And this is most important of all. We do not even know all the secret things of our own hearts. There is an Eye that sees deeper than ours! It is pleasant to have people commend us, when we have tried to do our duty. It gives us great joy to have the approval of our own hearts. But if we do not have the commendation of the Master, human praise and self-approval amount to nothing! “What does GOD think of me?” is always the final question.

Men are cruel. They judge often harshly. They know only part of the truth concerning us. They are not patient with our infirmities. But we are safe in the hands of God. He knows the worst in us, but He also knows the best. We may trust our lives, therefore, to God’s judgment, even if they are full of defects and flaws. He knows all, and will bring to light all the hidden things.

Can the Gospel be Proclaimed without Words?

We’ve all heard the saying before, “Preach the gospel; if necessary, use words.” It sounds really deep and thoughtful, but is it really? Can the gospel be preached without using words? Can someone come to saving faith in the risen Jesus apart from a verbal/written proclamation of the gospel? Isn’t Scripture clear that faith comes from hearing?

Yesterday on Twitter I posted a quote from pastor JD Greear in NC which said,

Saying, “Preach the Gospel; when necessary use words” is like saying “Tell me your phone number; if necessary, use digits.”

My tweets automatically post to my FB page (thereby killing two birds with one post), and that comment has sparked a controversy over the nature of the gospel. You can find the thread HERE. I must confess that I am a little shocked at what some will say concerning the gospel and it being the means by which God saves sinners.

Some believe the gospel can be lived without having to be spoken. What do you think? And more importantly, what does Scripture say?

My brother in Christ (and my brother-in-Law) Jeff made the great observation that a witness is not a witness unless he speaks, to which I responded:

Could someone on the witness stand in a courtroom convey his testimony about a historical event without speaking? I think not!

Simply put, our actions do not proclaim the gospel, they affirm or deny it.

Thoughts?

Is Muhammad the Paraclete that Jesus Promises

My goal for this coming year is to teach my adult Bible Study class (and myself) a new Greek word that is found in the text being studied that week. My text for tomorrow is John 14:16-31, specifically the texts that deal with Jesus’ promise of “another Helper” who was to come after He ascended back to the Father. I sent out an email to my class letting them know that we would be looking at the word ‘paraclete’, or in the Greek, ‘parakletos’.

My wife, being the studious teacher’s pet that she is, began to research the word last night. She told me this morning that she came across an article that discussed this promised “helper”, and that at the end of the article the author concluded that Muhammad was the paraclete that Jesus promised in John 14:16 and elsewhere. In briefly scanning some articles myself this morning, it is apparent that Muslims do in fact claim that Muhammad is the one that Jesus was promising the disciples as the one who would come to be their helper and counselor after He had returned to the Father. I immediately thought of at least three problems with this position:

1. In John’s gospel, Jesus clearly identifies the paraclete as “the Spirit of truth” (14:17), “the Holy Spirit” (14:26), “the Spirit of truth” (15:26), and again “the Spirit of truth” (16:13). This does not leave any doubt to whom Jesus was referring when He promised the disciples that He would not leave them as orphans.

2. Jesus, in promising another Helper, tells the disciples in John 14:16 that this paraclete would be with them forever. Muhammad is dead and in the grave. He is no longer alive. By virtue of his death, he cannot be with Jesus’ disciples forever. Believe it or not, some Muslims believe that Muhammad is alive in his grave. However, in a Q&A I read on this topic on islamonline.net, a sheikh responds to this question by saying Muhammad cannot even hear the words from the living that are spoken to him, but he learns of them when the angels convey the messages to him. If he cannot even hear our words, then in no real sense can he be with us.

3. Finally, Jesus, in giving instructions to his disciples after His resurrection and just prior to His ascension, in Luke 24:49, said, “I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you”. He then tells them to stay put in the city until this promise arrives. We know from Acts 2:4 that this occured when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, at which point they no longer remained in the same place, but went forth proclaiming the gospel with boldness. Muhammad was not born until the sixth century, hundreds and hundreds of years later. The disciples were given specific instructions that they were not to go out until the promise had been received. Muhammad, not being born until centuries after the disciples had died, cannot be the paraclete promised by Jesus in John 14:16.

In conclusion, a simple examination of inspired Scripture reveals that Muhammad is not the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy of  “another Helper”. Thoughts?

Is Brit Hume Right about Christianity

Forget the golf game. Brit says that what Tiger Woods really needs is redemption and forgiveness, and that those things can only be found in the Christian faith. Hume reiterates that truth even stronger while on the Bill O’Reilly show…

The Righteous Shall Hear the Word of Christ

Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. – Habakkuk 2:4

That truth, that the righteous will live by faith, is quoted at least three times in the New Testament: Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. According to Martin Luther’s son, this is what Luther said of this text:

Before those words broke upon my mind I hated God and was angry with him because not content with frightening us sinners by the law and by the miseries of life, he still further increased our torture by the gospel. But when, by the Spirit of God, I understood those words – “The just shall live by faith!” “The just shall live by faith!” – then I felt born again like a new man; I entered through the open doors into the very Paradise of God.

Scripture is quite clear that the one who is justified before God – the one considered, declared, and accounted as righteous – shall live by faith. That same Scripture is also quite clear as to where that faith comes from, the hearing of the word of Christ. I believe that that “hearing” of the word includes not only the word read, but also the word preached, or explained. The preaching of the word surely includes the word itself being proclaimed, but it also includes the faithful exposition of that word. To the extent that the man of God faithfully exposits the Scriptures, he is the very voice of God Himself.

With that thought in mind, I would like to recommend to you the faithful exposition of the letter by Paul to the Romans from one of our modern-day voices of God, Dr. R.C. Sproul. His book on this letter is simply called Romans, and is the first in what will be a series called the St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary. Here is a brief excerpt from Dr. Sproul’s exposition on what is known as the golden chain of salvation, found at Romans 8:29-31, specifically, verse 29 (for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son):

The word predestinate in the Greek text also contains the prefix pro-. The word is proorizo, which means, according to the Greek lexicons, “a sovereign determination in which a fixed or definite limit is sovereignly decreed.” So, as the English word suggests, there is a destiny for certain people that God, from the foundation of the world, has established. He has fixed it. He has determined it according to the sovereign good pleasure of his will. Nowhere in Scripture is a foreseen, conditional, human response ever given as the rationale for the eternal decree by which God fixes for all eternity those whom he ordains and chooses for redemption. – p.289

Sproul’s expositional sermons on Romans, which have been compiled and put into this one book, along with the others that are yet-to-be-released, will, I’m sure, become a part of my favorite possessions other than Scripture itself. With much enthusiasm, I recommend Romans to you.