The Fundamental Blog

How is your ministry doing? “I’m not in the ministry,” you say. I beg to differ, we are all in ministry, the only question is what are we ministers of? Every one of us carries a banner for all the world to see as we walk through this life, what does yours say? Do we promote the world and the ways of the world, or do we stand for Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world? We may never stand in the pulpit, but that notwithstanding, we still carry the message of grace, (or fail to do so), by the lives we present to the world for examination.


There are several places where Jesus gives the instruction that we are to spread the Gospel: Acts 1:8, “… and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth;” Mark 16:15, And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation;” and perhaps the most familiar, in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” I agree that we may not all be Peter, we have not all received the gift of evangelism, but we still carry a message to the world, and the world judges us.


This is not a message that is reserved for only a select group, it is not one that only comes out on Sunday for those within the church to see, it is for everyone. Look at the wording that Jesus uses, “all nations,” “ the whole creation,” “to the end of the earth.” When we , “Go into all the world,” we are on display, we are the advertisement of God’s grace through Jesus Christ; which is available to all who are called to His purpose. The ways that we respond to the things that happen in our lives, are seen by everyone. We may think that nobody notices, but they do!


I know of a woman who lost her husband and child in a traffic accident on a rural gravel road. Two pick-up trucks arrived at the crest of a hill, from opposite directions, both in the center of the one lane width of rock paving, at the same time. The impact set the one truck on fire and despite the efforts of the other driver, there was no hope of saving the occupants of the burning truck. At the funeral, the wife and mother of those who had died spent her day serving the guests who had come to pay their respects. If you were a member of the surviving driver’s family, how would you respond to this woman asking, “Is there anything that I can do for you?” That’s a true testament of grace. The woman who had just lost two family members offering service to the man who was driving the truck that killed them.


When we respond to the call of God to acknowledge Jesus as our saviour, we separate ourselves from the rest of the world. The world has the same opportunity to hear the call as we do, but God has not yet unstopped their ears. When the world sees anyone accept salvation in Christ Jesus, they do everything possible to dissuade the convert and drag them back into the filth of the world. They have to! If they don’t, then they must accept that they are failing. They know God, we all do. But to know and then deny the divinity that is made apparent to each of us, is to spit in the face of God. The only way for the world to justify their worldliness is to make it wrong for the saved to realize the Godliness of a life lived in Christ. If they can not reach the top of the hill, the next best thing is to try to keep anyone else from getting there either.


The world looks at the one who has been saved and begins to pick them apart. Of course, none of us are perfect, but the world seems to think that we should be, or that we think we are. When we fail at any point the world says, “And you call yourself Christian! You are nothing but a hypocrite!” It seems ironic that the Christian, (who is saved by no deeds or accomplishment of perfection), is looked upon by the world as one who is expected to be perfect. As unreasonable as this may be, it illustrates the necessity of guarding our actions and living in the most holy way possible. If we revere the Gospel of Christ and live for Him, then we are, as we stand before the world, proclaiming our faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are fulfilling the Great Commission.


We are called to let our light shine, we are not responsible that some have not had the blinding scales of darkness removed to enable their sight. We are to shine regardless of who can, or can not, see the light. God elects those who will see and when this sight will be made manifest to the blind of the world. “But what about those who don’t know God? How can they be guilty if they don’t know any better?” This is an impossibility according to Paul. Turning to Romans 1:18-22 we read, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools…”


We are things that have been made so this speaks to every one of us, telling us that not only has God’s power and deity been available for us to see, but that we have in fact perceived it clearly. Then we denied it and our minds were darkened. The world hates us, not so much for what we are reclaiming, but for showing that they are denying the very existence of God. By the recognition of our error, by repenting of our folly, the world ends up being convicting more deeply of theirs. Most times, (and I say most because I can not be 100% certain that this applies all of the time [but I think it does]), when I find myself face to face with an unbeliever, the discussion I hear from them is not about why they are right, it is aimed at why I’m wrong. They can not uphold their own position and instead, placate themselves in the attempt to tear down our position.


If truth stands as the truth, they have no hope of justifying themselves, their only chance is to invalidate the truth by professing that truth is subjective. If they can succeed in negating truth, (in their own minds), then their lives are as virtuous as any other. But truth DOES stand as truth and it does not require that the world accept it, in order to be true. We must live according to the truth of the Gospel of Christ and if the whole world rejects the Good-News, it doesn’t change our standing one whit.


If you have the ability to reach out by speaking or writing, then, by all means, do so. If you do not have these abilities, then you still have the ability to live a life in Christ; to shine as a light before the whole world. When the cashier over-changes your purchase, give it back; when you see someone struggling, help out; when the call comes that you really don’t want to take, don’t teach your children to lie by saying that you aren’t home. Make the commitment to learn the Word of God, as Psalm 119:11 says, “I have laid up thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” If we ever hope to stand for what’s right, we must know what’s right; in order that we can know what‘s right, we must learn what’s right; in order that we can learn what’s right, we must learn it from the one who establishes the unchanging standard of morality which is our Lord.


The commission given by Jesus is, “Great.” But it is not one that lies beyond our ability to carry it out. We may not be the most eloquent carrier of the message, but there may be someone in need of the message who is not the most eloquent of hearers. Your plain and simple version of the Gospel, lived out in your daily walk, may be the only thing that can reach that person. There is not one of us who, when acting in obedience, can not serve the Lord in the most perfect way, according to His perfect plan. Moses was not the best speaker, yet God chose to use him to carry the message to Israel. To overcome the obstacles in speaking, God allowed Aaron to speak the words that God gave to Moses. In a similar manner, God will supply any need that presents itself in the completion of His assignment through you. God never lays down an assignment but that He equips His charge to be able to carry it out.


God has a history of selecting the most unlikely people to complete the most outrageous feats. Each of the prophets had a specific role to play and God enabled every one of them to succeed. The ministry of Christ on earth was unique. Each of the Apostles was selected for a unique purpose. Paul was converted in an extremely unique way, to carry a very unique message in a way that only he could. You also have a unique ministry, trust in Jesus to allow you to carry it out and let it ever be…


All for the Glory of Christ

I came across a point of view the other day that I had never considered before, that being, It is only the apostle Paul who preached salvation by faith alone. Even Jesus, when asked by the rich man what was needed to gain eternal life, seems to rattle off a laundry list of things that must be done. Now the Christian faith is built upon the teaching that salvation is a gift of grace from God to those who accept it by faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by the works of any man lest we should boast. The thing is, that it seems to be the words of Paul that give us this doctrine which gives rise to the complaint that Paul made the whole thing up. If Paul’s expositions can not be trusted as being the very word of God then we a problem because Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament!


I intend to show that the doctrine of salvation by grace, is not unique to Paul. It is one that was preached by Peter and Christ, Himself. I have always contended that if we can establish the reliability of the Bible, all other questions can be reconciled easily. We have, in the Bible, a set of rules, a collection of paradigms, that are extremely useful in guiding our every action but if you throw out most of the New Testament because you deem Paul untrustworthy, then not only must we discard all he wrote, but also question the rest of the text on the basis that it is intertwined with the constructs of Paul. Let’s look at what Peter had to say about faith and grace, then we’ll see who Paul was, what he became, the message he preached and then consider the supposed list of required works that Christ gave as the necessities of salvation.


Peter was one of the first Apostles, a bit exuberant in his zeal, he walked the same paths, ate the same meals and experienced the miracles of Christ like no other. It was Peter who Jesus called out of the boat to walk with Him on the water, and though he swore that he would be true to the point of death, it was Peter who denied the Lord three times. It was also Peter who, “got it,” when Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ, the Son of the living God.” He understood, better than most the significance of the events unfolding around him. Peter, believed in salvation by grace.


Speaking before the council at Jerusalem, Peter said, “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Acts 15:11. Even as they…Who? Gentiles! If we look back a few chapters, we see in Acts 10:44, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Peter is saying that the Gentiles who heard and believed were saved by grace. He knew that salvation was given by the grace of God for nothing except a heart of faith in Christ.


So what about Paul, Saul of Tarsus? What kind of a man was he? When we are first introduced to him, he is a fanatic Pharisee. He sees this new cult, the Way, as defiling the very nature of the eternal God. He is determined to put all this right by hunting down every believer he can find and throwing them in irons, or worse. He tended the clothes of those who martyred Stephen, giving his approval to the stoning. But he did it for what he thought were the right reasons. The law stipulated that the blasphemer must die. Saul, as a noble Jew, was doing only that which his religion mandated. And he was zealous for the cause.


Speaking of his earlier life, Paul recounts who he was before his conversion in Philippians chapter 3, we read; “… If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Here we see a man who is extremely staunch and convicted in what he believes to be right, but all of that was about to come crashing down.


Acts 9:3-6, “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven: And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, “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.” And he trembling and astonished said, “Lord what wilt thou have me to do?” And the Lord said unto him, “Arise and go into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” The Lord then appears to Ananias to have him go to Saul and open his eyes from the blindness that occurred when the Heavenly light flashed around him. To allay Ananias’ fear, Christ tells him not to worry because, “…he is my chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” Christ chose Saul/Paul to do exactly what he did, preach the gospel message. Saul spent three years preaching before he ever went to Jerusalem to meet the other Apostles, so where did his message come from?


Paul, himself, tells us. In the book of Galatians, Chapter 1, verses 11-12 we read, “But I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” So, Jesus knocks Saul to his knees to tell him that he is going to become His servant to carry the message to the world, confirms to Ananias that Saul is, indeed, His chosen vessel, and then we have Paul telling us that the message he preached was neither given, nor taught to him by men, but that it was given directly from Christ! But what if he got the message wrong? Paul was preaching some pretty radical stuff. Jesus came to Paul in a vision after a particularly trying occasion saying, “Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee.” Acts 18:9-10. How cool is that? Jesus is saying that He approves of the message that Paul is Preaching. But what was that message?


Paul was saying several things that would have been revolutionary for the times. He proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ of God , Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and he was explaining that God is not served by human hands. In Acts 16:31, Paul says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” That’s it! Believe and be saved. In Acts 13:38-39 he goes on, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, [Jesus Christ], is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Paul proclaimed justification by faith in Christ and not by works, but this is where some say, “Christ did not teach this, what about the rich man who asked what he must do to inherit eternal life?”


Jesus told the rich man to keep the commandments, but look at the ones He listed; Honor your mother and father, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal nor give false witness. It is interesting to note that all of the commandments pertaining to God were omitted! Where was Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul; Do not take the name of the Lord in vain; Keep the Sabbath? These are the primary commandments and yet Jesus neglects to name these as needing to be kept, instead focusing on the ones that pertain to relationships between men. It could not have been oversight because in Mt. 22:37 He is clear, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and Great Commandment.” Yet in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”


This seems to say we are required to believe in Jesus Christ AND keep all of the commandments, but take a closer look. “…will be called least,” where? In the kingdom of Heaven! We will be in Heaven but not established in as high a regard as we might otherwise be. It is not the keeping of any command that earns acceptance into Heaven, that is through faith alone in Christ Jesus, our obedience simply helps to determine our standing once we arrive there. If you think that all of this is only inference, let me show you a couple of places where Jesus is very plain about faith being the only key to the kingdom.


Jesus said to the woman, “thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” He doesn’t say, “God,” nor, “Me,” nor, “rituals,” nor, “deeds;” but faith that saves. Of course it does require that the object of that faith be worthy, and that is Christ alone; but Christ does not save us unless we invest our faith in His ability to do so. The gift is there for all, but it is not ours until we receive it. John 3:16 is well known to every Christian but it is also the most adamant proclamation of justification through faith in Christ, by Christ! Here it is along with 3:17-18: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already.”


Here, from the lips of Jesus we are told that it is he who believes in the Son of God that has everlasting life. Jesus did not come to shake His disapproving finger at us for our failures, but to show us the way of salvation regardless of our failings. This is the message that Paul delivered, and upon which never wavered; that we are saved by our faith in Christ Jesus as an act of grace; a gift from God. Paul’s message was received through the divine revelation of Christ, beginning on the Damascus road. Paul is absolutely trustworthy and every bit as much an authentic Apostle as were any of the other eleven. This means that the letters of Paul are to be included under the umbrella of, “Scripture,” and Jesus, through Paul tells us that all Scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching and rebuking and training in the ways of righteousness.


To attempt to discredit the testimony of Paul is to attempt to create problems, where none exist. When you find yourself trying to tear down the teachings of the Bible, ask yourself, “Why?” What is it that you are trying to justify in yourself that requires you to first destroy the tenets of Christianity? Christ, (and the whole Bible is the revelation of Christ, Old and New Testaments alike), is not to be dissected and picked through to determine which doctrines we find acceptable. It, “IS.” Accept it or reject it but do not mince it. Understand that the Bible is God’s Word, first to last, and that it is given to us so that we might live…


All for the Glory of Christ