I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Posted on 08/12/2010 by Paul Pavao

I think Romans 1:16 is the key to unlocking all the deep secrets of the letter to the Romans.

In that verse Paul says he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. But why does he say that?

There are three reasons he says that. Two are directly stated, and one is implied.

  • Because he was being questioned about his Gospel.. (This one is implied.)
  • Because it is the power of God to salvation.
  • Because in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.

If you understand those three things, you will not be confused about Romans any more, nor ever again use it to justify unrighteous living.

Let’s go backwards through those issues …

In the Gospel the Righteousness of God is Revealed

Due to misunderstandings that have prevailed since the Reformation (not during; Luther and Calvin did not make this mistake), many Protestants believe that Romans is about going to heaven without having to do any good works.

This contradicts the main point of Romans, which is that Paul’s Gospel is nothing to be ashamed of. The reason it’s nothing to be ashamed of is because the righteousness of God is revealed in it … and that from faith to faith.

In other words, when people believe Paul’s Gospel, the righteousness of God is seen in their lives. That’s how it’s revealed.

As Paul says later:

For [the Jews], being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. (10:3)

God’s righteousness is revealed in those who believe and thus submit themselves to it. It’s a righteousness that is different from our own righteousness, but it is a real, tangible, visible, and experienced righteousness, not merely an imputed one.

The apostle John tells us that only those who actually practice the righteousness of God can claim to have imputed righteousness.

Little children, don’t let anyone deceive you. He that does righteousness is righteous just as [Christ] is righteous. (1 Jn. 3:7)

Notice that John warns us not to be deceived about this! He’s not the only one who warns us …

Don’t Misunderstand This

It’s amazing that people can read Romans 1:16-17 and think that it could possibly mean that you can live however you want and go to heaven. The very next verse—yes, verse 18— says …

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

After warning that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against people who hold the truth in unrighteousness, do you really think that Paul would then spend the rest of the letter telling unrighteous people that they’re going to heaven as long as they believe the truth?

Or maybe you believe that Paul disagrees with John when John tells us that only those who do righteousness are righteous as Christ is righteous?

Paul doesn’t disagree with John. He issues almost exactly the same warning …

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived … (1 Cor. 6:9)

Revealed Righteousness

After spending verses 19 through 32 castigating those who hold the truth in unrighteousness, Paul then starts on the Jews who oppose his Gospel, upbraiding them for their hypocrisy …

Therefore you are inexcusable, oh man, whichever of you judges someone else … for you that judge do the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them who commit such things. Or do you think, oh man, you who judge those who do such things yet do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? (2:1-3)

The fact is that yes, a lot of us Protestants think that we can do the same things as the world and yet escape the judgment of God.

Paul has something to say to such people …

After your hardness and impenitent heart you store up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay every man according to his deeds. (2:5-6)

This is not the only place Paul says this …

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things [in context, this is uncleanness, immorality, and greed] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. (Eph. 5:6-7)

Clear enough, don’t you think?

And he even issues another warning not to be deceived about this. It’s as though he knew what was coming.

The Power of God to Salvation

The Gospel is the power of God to salvation. As we have seen, it is a salvation that can be seen.

Later in Romans, Paul gives a very clear—almost amazingly clear—description of salvation. We miss it because we don’t understand it, and some of us simply don’t believe it, but it’s a wonderful description of just what the power of God to salvation is.

In Romans 7, Paul describes what we need to be saved from. We are powerless to obey God. We may love righteousness, but we can’t perform it.

Jesus died to change that.

Romans 7 explains that the Law was powerless to change that. It could not empower us to obedience.

But Jesus can …

For what the Law could not do, God did. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh so that the righteous requirement of God might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Rom. 8:3-4)

Notice something there. Jesus’ death accomplished something, but it only accomplished it in those who do not walk according to the flesh but choose a spiritual walk instead.

What did he mean by that? Did he mean that the choice of which to do was up to us?

Just a few verses later, he answers those questions.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if we live according to the flesh we will die. But if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live. (Rom. 8:12-13)

Those sure seem to say something clearly, don’t they? Do you really want to bank your hope on the possibility that the choice of which to do is entirely up to you?

Again, this isn’t the only place where Paul says this. Look up Gal. 6:7-9. Peter says it, too. Try 2 Peter 1:5-11 for that.

Sin will not have power over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace. (Rom. 6:14)

That verse sounds a lot like Romans 8:3-4 that we just looked at, doesn’t it?

Romans 8:3-4 is a description of real grace. Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is the power of God delivering you from the power of sin so that you can make the choices given to you in Romans 8:12-13; Gal. 6:7-9; and 2 Pet. 1:5-11.

You can find a terrific description of the grace that brings salvation in Titus 2:11-14.

Answering Jewish Questions About Paul’s Gospel

Romans is all about Paul defending his Gospel.

He gets to drop that by chapter twelve. In the first eleven chapters he dispenses with any objection that any lover of the Law could have to his Gospel, and then in chapter twelve and afterward he gets to move on to exhortation and encouragement.

3:8 specifically says that negative things were being said about Paul and his Gospel, but the whole tenor of the first eleven chapters makes it clear that he’s defending himself.

Romans 1:16 is the beginning of that: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel."

But note, the reason he is not ashamed, as we saw above, is because the Gospel is producing righteousness. It is producing people whose lives are to be admired; not like the Jews who are powerless to do good (re: all of ch. 2).

What About Me?

Now comes the biggest question of all. What about you? What about me?

Have you believed the Gospel and found no change? Has the Gospel failed to be the power of God for salvation to you?

Gratefulness for the death of Christ is not going to be sufficient. It is by the Spirit that we put to death the deeds of the body, not by gratefulness. The death of Christ is effective for those who "do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

How do you obtain that power?

Truly, it is only by believing, but is what you have believed the truth?

Jesus said that you cannot be his disciple unless you hate family, possessions, and even your own life (Luke 14:26-33).

You have to despise everything and everyone and follow Christ. You do this not by treating them badly, but by making Christ your sole influence in life.

This is the Gospel. Jesus doesn’t know about another one.

That Gospel will bring you the Spirit, and you will receive the Spirit just for believing it.

Know, however, that Jesus is serious about that Gospel. He is the author of eternal salvation to those who obey him (Heb. 5:9).

Will you become his disciple? Will you forsake everything to have him as Teacher, Guide, and Lord?

Everything else comes later. Theology doesn’t matter. Christ will teach you your theology. Will you follow the One who is risen, who is Lord, and who will judge everyone on the last day according to what they have done?

Not of Works

Some of you reading this may be wondering, "What about Paul’s statements that salvation is not by works of righteousness which we have done?" (Tit. 3:5).

I can’t address that every time I teach from the Scriptures. Overthrowing modern traditions and confused Bible interpretation can be a time-consuming process.

I have a number of pages addressing that issue. You might try Christian Salvation, Sola Fide, or Not by Faith Alone.

If you’re having a negative reaction to my entitling a page "Not by Faith Alone," I want to remind you that’s a Scripture quote (James 2:24).

Posted in Gospel, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Bible and a Closed Canon:(Should There Only Be 66 Books?)

Posted on 08/11/2010 by Paul Pavao

One of these days I’m going to have time to do justice to the series I was doing on the appearance of Paul from 1 Thessalonians 2. There’s one post on exhortation I really want to get to, but I have to have a good amount of time to write it.

I got another email from the Eastern Orthodox fellow I wrote to a couple days ago. It made me realize there’s some very un-Protestant ideas I hold to.

What I’m about to write is not going to be very popular because most Protestants prefer to trust their intellect than to trust God.

There’s 2 reasons for this:

  • Protestants greatly overestimate their ability to understand something as spiritual as the Scriptures.
  • Protestants greatly underestimate God’s ability to reveal his will to men.

1. Having an official canon of Scripture is bad

It’s not historical.

Even as late as A.D. 399, Augustine wrote …

Among the canonical Scriptures [the skillful interpreter] will judge according to the following standard: to prefer those that are received by all the catholic churches to those which some do not receive. Among those which are not received by all, he will prefer such as have the sanction of the greater number and those of greater authority to such as are held by the smaller number and those of less authority. (On Christian Doctrine II:8:12)

While most of the books we have in our Bible were accepted by all churches, some were in dispute. Other books that didn’t make our canon, like The Shepherd of Hermas and First Clement, were accepted by some churches.

The Apocrypha, subject of much dispute between Catholics and Protestants, were in dispute until modern times. Even Martin Luther quotes the Wisdom of Solomon as though it were Scripture.

It leads to a "magic book" mentality.

Protestants today honor the Bible almost to the point of idolatry. They won’t set another book on top of it, and they’d certainly never toss one or set a coffee cup on it.

Protestants would never allow anyone to say that the Bible has contradictions or scientific errors in it, nor would they ever acknowledge disbelieving anything in the Bible.

Nonetheless, a majority have never read the whole thing. There are dozens of verses no self-respecting Protestant would ever repeat. It’s okay if the Bible says it, but we shouldn’t!

(For example: God will give eternal life to those who pursue immortality by patiently continuing to do good—Rom. 2:6-7. Or, there’s the well-known, "so we see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone," which is, as you may or may not know, the only occurrence of the phrase "faith alone" in the whole Bible.)

We use the Bible like a magic book. We proclaim verses in defense of our traditions as though they were incantations from a spell book, driving away evil beliefs. Other verses—the ones that directly contradict the things we believe—we ignore. They are true, we acknowledge, but we can give no practical way in which they are true, nor can we ever say them ourselves.

Not having a closed canon of Scripture means that the faith has to be handed down, as it was meant to be. It means that we have to find our own answers to many problems of life, guided by the Holy Spirit, as one of the undisputed books of Scripture commands:

I have written these things to you about those that are trying to seduce you. The anointing you have received from the Holy One remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. As that same anointing teaches you everything, and is true and not a lie, so you will remain in him, just as it has taught you. (1 Jn. 2:26-27)

Paul agrees:

… the house of God, which is the church of God, the pillar and support of the truth. (1 Tim. 3:15)

Oh, wait. I’m not supposed to say that. That’s one of the verses we don’t believe. It’s only true when Paul says it. We’re not allowed to repeat it.

Protestants Overestimate Their Ability To Understand Something as Spiritual as the Scriptures

This should follow from what I’ve written above.

The very fact that we have Scriptures we don’t believe, don’t agree with, and can’t repeat, all the while saying we do believe them, should be enough to prove that our intellectual approach is failing badly at understanding the Scriptures.

Our incredible, widespread division ought to be proof enough that we are not able to understand the Scriptures.

But we don’t get it.

The Scriptures were not meant to fuel our debate. The Scriptures were meant to equip us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16). They were meant to get us to obey Christ.

Not perform religious rituals … obey Christ.

Have you ever paid attention to what you’ll be judged for?

Look at those Scriptures you claim to believe (but mostly don’t; you believe your traditions instead). They say you’ll be judged by whether you fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and imprisoned. Other verses say "good works," leaving things kind of general. 2 Peter 1 adds things like virtue, knowledge, goodness, patience, kindness, and love. (And I highly suspect that "knowledge" is a knowledge of what’s good, not a knowledge of systematic theology.)

You search the Scriptures because you think that you have eternal life in them, but these are they which testify of me, and you refuse to come to me so that you may have life. (Jn. 5:39-40)

What’s my point? Some new doctrine different from Protestant doctrine.

No, my point is that Christianity is all about exalting and obeying Christ. That’s what the Scriptures teach; they don’t teach something else.

In fact, they don’t teach anything else.

Protestants Greatly Underestimate God’s Ability To Reveal His Will to Men

Protestants—in general, I’m not speaking of all of them—don’t trust God.

Protestants really prefer to trust their interpretation of the Bible. They figure that if you start following the Spirit, being led by God, as the Scripture commands, then you’ll go astray.

Figure that one out.

The Scriptures—that set of 66 books you say you believe—say that if you follow the Anointing, it will be true and not a lie.

God is able to make his will known.

If we gave any indication—an honest indication—that we cared what God had to say, rather than saying the Scriptures are wrong wherever they disagree with our infallible Protestant traditions, then we’d find God has myriads of ways of getting our attention.

In the 1st century, back when John was on the Isle of Patmos, he actually appeared to John and sent letters to seven local churches.

Wouldn’t you like to get a letter from Jesus?

No, I don’t mean the Scriptures. Those are written to everyone. I mean a letter just for your church and its situation.

We might see things like that if we gave any indication we cared.

But as long as someone can read us a Bible verse telling us that the church is the pillar and support of the truth and we can reject that Bible verse because we believe the Bible is the pillar and support of the truth, then why will God speak to us? If we reject 1 Tim. 3:15, which we claim is the Word of God, and warn people against Rom. 8:14 because they might go astray, then why would God bother speaking through a human by letter or by prophecy? If we reject 1 Timothy 3:15 and Romans 8:14, then we’re certainly going to reject the letter or the prophecy.

Final Note

Well, that’s an abrupt ending. This post isn’t very organized. The paragraphs in each section don’t all fit the section they’re in.

What I wrote is true, though. I hope you’ll look at it without being offended by my generalizations about Protestants. Obviously, those things are not true of all Protestants, nor even all denominations of Protestants.

The magic book mentality, though, is pretty pervasive in conservative Protestant circles.

Posted in Bible, Church, History, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Eastern Orthodox Church

Posted on 08/09/2010 by Paul Pavao

The same day I was asked about the Roman Catholic Church, I got an email about the Eastern Orthodox Church as well.

This was my response to the Orthodox person.

Note: The Eastern Orthodox Church, described too simply, is the Roman Catholic Church of the Eastern world.

Eastern Orthodoxy

At the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 (yes, 1700 years ago), 3 "patriarchs" were set up with authority over whole nations: in Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome. Constantinople was added within a century.

When the western Roman empire fell, the Roman patriarch was the only one in barbarian Europe, and he ended up declaring himself the sole authority over Christianity on earth.

The other 3—with the excommunicated Alexandrian patriarch replaced by a Russian one—lead the Eastern Orthodox Church to this day.

The Eastern Orthodox Church and Historic Christianity

Thank you for writing me.

I have considered the Eastern Orthodox church. In fact, I was asked to leave a small church of which I was an elder for opposing their joining the Russian Orthodox Church. I have also attended (just once) an Assyrian Orthodox Church and spent several hours talking with its priest.

The funny part of that is we still make jokes (friendly, pleasant ones) about that day because he had 3 very large turtles in his back yard and he was a trekkie (as in Star Trek trekkie).

The primary reason I can’t go Orthodox–or any other denomination–is complicated.

The simple version of it is that I don’t believe in a church other than the local church.

The saints, those who are sold out to Christ, are supposed to be family to each other in their local area. Yes, the local churches should be in fellowship with one another and correcting one another, but there’s nothing apostolic about regional or national church leaders.

There are secondary reasons, the biggest one being that I believe the veneration of icons to be idolatry, but the primary one is the one I just gave.

Posted in Church, History | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Confused About Christianity?: Titus 2, Real Christianity, and the Pastoral Epistles

Posted on 08/08/2010 by Paul Pavao

Confused about Christianity?

Let’s wipe out all the confusion in one blog post.

Yes, deliverance from all the competing doctrines of Christianity, and a straightforward, you-will-agree-with-this, Biblical description of the Gospel.

Are you ready?

Titus 2:1-10: Sifting Down to Sound Doctrine

I talk about Titus 2:1-10 all the time. It says what sound doctrine is.

It’s not the sort of thing you’d expect …

Sound Doctrine According to Titus Two

  • Older men should be serious, sensible, self-controlled and good at faith, love, and patience
  • Older women should live holy, avoid drunkenness, and teach good things
  • Younger women should love their husbands and children, be chaste, good, and keep a good home.
  • Young men should be serious and sensible
  • Titus himself should be an example of good works and teach this doctrine in sincerity without changing it.
  • Employees should obey their employers, please them, not talk back, and not steal.

Is that what you’ve heard sound doctrine is? Is that on your church’s statement of faith?

Maybe we have some things to change.

Before we get back to the rest of Titus 2, let’s talk about what sound doctrine isn’t …

1 Timothy 6:3: What Sound Doctrine Is NOT

This blog’s title mentions the pastoral epistles. All this wonderful, freeing, confusion-crushing information comes from Titus and Timothy.

In 1 Timothy 6:3 Paul tells Timothy that everyone ought to consent to "sound words." (Whatever English word your Bible uses, the Greek word is the same as Titus 2:1. I’m using sound in both cases.)

He also says that everyone ought to to consent to the doctrine which is according to godliness.It’s probably not too hard to figure out he’s talking about the sound teaching found it Titus 2:1-10. Be serious, live holy, love, be patient, obey your employers, love your children, etc.

When we get stuck on other things …

Which would be the things modern Christians are stuck on …

And we call those things sound doctrine …

Then …

  • We are proud
  • We don’t know anything
  • We have a mental illness causing us to obsess about questions and arguments. (Really, that’s how the Greek reads. The NASB calls it a morbid obsession.)
  • We produce envy, strife, suspiciousness, slander and numerous other things

So, let me ask …

Doesn’t practical experience prove Paul right? Aren’t we obsessed to the point that it could be called psychopathic with arguing about questionable issues, while we ignore patience, faith, raising children, and being sensible of mind in following Christ? Isn’t the result envy, strife, suspiciousness, and slander?

I’d like to suggest that this is what Paul said it was …

The result of ignoring sound doctrine.

2 Timothy 3:16-17: The Whole Point of the Bible

Let’s keep this section short.

The point of the Bible is to equip you for good works.

That’s what 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, right?

Titus 2:11-14: What Grace Is and Why Jesus Died

According to THE BIBLE, grace—the real grace that brings salvation—teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly.

According to THE BIBLE, Jesus died to purify for himself a people that would be zealous for good works.

That’s what it says, right? Am I missing something?

What Grace Is NOT

Grace is not an excuse for loose living. Grace is not a reason to reject the admonition of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

"Are you the Holy Spirit? Why are you rebuking me? Remember, WE’RE UNDER GRACE."

How many times have you heard that nonsense.

"Yeah, exactly, brother. That’s why I’m rebuking you. Grace has destroyed sin’s power over you (Rom. 6:14), so I know when I admonish you, you have the power to obey."

Last Little Bit

I hope I’m not exaggerating when I say today’s post has the power to change your life.

The Bible isn’t written to solve the useless issues in your systematic theologies. It’s written to equip you for good works!!!

No wonder none of us have been able to resolve all those doctrinal things denominations fight over.

We’re supposed to ignore them!

And get busy being those people that are zealous for good works.

This is a faithful saying, and I want you to constantly affirm these things, that those who have believed in God would be careful to maintain good works. (Tit. 3:14)

‘Nuff said.

Posted in Holiness, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Roman Catholic Church and the Gospel

Posted on 08/07/2010 by Paul Pavao

I got an email from a Roman Catholic yesterday. It was very nice this time. Most of the vitriolic (um, harsh and negative) letters I receive are from Catholics. This one was very kind.

On the other hand, he asked me to go view a video that would set me straight. I didn’t go view it. I already know that even the best RC apologists go quickly to deceit when appealing to the early fathers on behalf of their church.

But the issue is much simpler than what the father say.

Here’s the email I sent back; it applies to Protestants, too …

Why I Reject the Authority of the Roman Catholic Church

And Why You Should, Too

Thank you for your kind letter.

I really can’t back off on my stance on the Roman Catholic Church. I was raised Catholic. You may be surprised at my biggest objection to the RCC.

Back in the 4th century, the church began to let people in who had made no commitment to Christ. This is true for the vast majority of Roman Catholic members. They are not taught the Gospel, that Jesus Christ calls people to deny themselves, take up their cross, forsake their possessions, live separate from the world, and join themselves to the family of Christ.

Protestants don’t do much better.

Either way, Christ, the apostles, and the early churches knew only one Gospel, leaving the old life to become a part of the family of God that cares nothing for the things of this world.

The RCC doesn’t teach that to its members. Protestants don’t teach that much, either, but then, Protestants don’t claim that to have a worldwide leader who is the vicar of Christ on earth.

I want those who are wholly committed to Christ to join themselves to one another and quit fellowshipping with nominal Christians, who, according to Scripture, are no Christians at all. And I certainly want them to reject the RCC as an authoritative representative of God when they are telling over a billion people that they are in fellowship with God because of rituals while they live lives that testify against the Gospel of Christ. (See Luke 14:26-33 and note the “cannots” in there.)

Posted in Church, Gospel, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

My Son Goes to Kenya, Africa

Posted on 08/06/2010 by Paul Pavao

My son Noah leaves for a 6-week mission trip to Kenya, Africa on Tuesday.

He’ll be blogging about it the whole trip, and he’s started already …

Noah in Africa

My oldest sons, Zerubbabel and Noah
That’s Zube on the left, Noah on the right

 

Posted in missions | 2 Comments

Doing Hard Things

Posted on 07/31/2010 by Paul Pavao

I ended up going through some web sites this morning, looking at what others have to say about following Christ. There was some encouraging things …

and then there was this one really convicting one …

I thought I’d share it with you. For me, it’s not the part about misusing the phrase "do hard things"; I’m not doing that.

It’s the part about being my kids’ manager and mentor so that they are on the road to doing hard things. Unfortunately, I’m not doing that, either. (But I am mentally kicking that lazy part of myself out of its rest …)

From ClipArtConnection.com with permission
Get out of bed!

You can read it at The Rebelution, a blog you will never go wrong reading.

 

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Truth Even If It Condemns Me

Posted on 07/30/2010 by Paul Pavao

I don’t want to write posts like the one I just wrote without telling you what I’m about to tell you. That post discussed true and false Christians—or disciples vs. mere believers—and I don’t want you to misunderstand what I mean by disciple.

I’m not going to explain it to you; I’m going to give you an example, which is a much better explanation anyway.

As we were coming back from helping some friends in California come together as a church, my wife told me, "Most people aren’t willing to say the things you say."

I’ve been told that before.

Let me instantly pull you up to freedom of speech the way I was pulled up to freedom of speech.

Someone once wrote, "I am going to preach God’s Word unchanged and completely, even if the truth of his Word condemns me."

I believe that.

The Truth Because It’s True

I don’t preach the truth because I’m living it. I preach the truth because because it’s true

Does that make me a hypocrite?

I don’t believe so, and I have the testimony of the church—friends who know me intimately—that I’m no hypocrite.

But let’s look at this because like me, you have to say what’s true even if it condemns you. You can’t change or ignore the truth just because you find yourself unable to live it.

The Greek word translated—or, rather, left untranslated—hypocrite is hypokritos. It doesn’t mean hypocrite, or at least it didn’t in the 1st century. It means actor.

I like to translate it pretender.

I am not a pretender. I do not lie about who I am. When I teach about something that I am finding myself unable to live (at the moment), I say so.

If I’m not living it, all the more reason to teach it!

Why? Because then my brothers and sisters can help me live it. As I said in that last post, there some sins that you cannot be delivered from without the help of the church.

Being a Real Christian

There’s a terrific example of a real Christian, and what a real Christian needs, in one of the men I went to visit in California.

Bill (not his real name) has some problems. That’s not a surprise. We all have problems. His are particularly difficult to confess because they would be easy for him to hide.

He’s older, and he’s already had very high and very low experiences as a Christian. Recently, though, he was ready to give up. He had reached a state of hopelessness.

When we came along, the hardest thing for Bill to do was to hope again. Hoping means gathering up strength, devotion, and diligence one more time, and it means confessing his faults and taking a risk that we’ll really come along side to help him.

He did it.

That’s a real Christian.

I don’t look down on such a man for his problems. I look up to such a man for his faith.

We need to be people who can be trusted. I don’t have to be perfect. I have to confess my faults.

We will not succeed, we will not be saved, unless we are willing to encourage one another every day, while it is called today, so that we are not hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13). We will not succeed unless we confess our faults to one another and pray for one another that we may be healed (Jam. 5:16).

That’s real Christianity.

Real Christianity is not perfection. Real Christianity is going all the way.

Real Christianity is choosing not to change the commands of Christ, even if they condemn us. Real Christianity is giving ourselves wholeheartedly to the Spirit of God so that God can deal with us and change us even—no, not "even"; especially—when it hurts.

Real Christianity is confessing our faults to one another and praying for one another so that we can be healed.

Don’t think you can have real righteousness otherwise. Sin is too deceitful, and humans, even saved humans, are too easily deceived.

Parakaleo

The blog’s over; this is just a note. If you’re reading this after skimming the rest, please read the previous section instead.

Hebrews 3:13 says that we are to "encourage" one another every day. Other translations say "exhort." The Greek word is hard to translate. The KJV translates it with no less than 7 English words, including words like "beg" and "plead."

I did a study on that Greek word once. The word is parakaleo. From my study, I’d say the best definition is "to speak in such a way as to get someone to behave differently than the way they’re behaving."

Sometimes that means exhorting; sometimes it means encouraging; sometimes it means caring, begging, pleading, or even rebuking or warning. In the end, what it means is that we have to give ourselves to helping each other, and not everyone is helped in the same way …

Now, brothers, we parakaleomen you: warn the unruly, console the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone. (1 Thess. 5:14)

Posted in Bible, Church, Holiness | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Salvation

Posted on 07/30/2010 by Paul Pavao

I like to say that there are two things we preach, which are two reasons for changing the way we "do" church in America.

  1. The Gospel is a life for a Life. Jesus calls us to give up our lives and enter into his. In the mind of Christ and the apostles, you can’t be a Christian without forsaking your life (dying to self) and giving yourself to follow Jesus Christ.
  2. Such disciples are called to do that together. Not together as in holding a couple meetings a week or attending the same Bible study. Together as in family: together for our whole lives, taking care of each other’s needs. Christ’s family, filled with a love given by the Holy Spirit, should be far closer than biological families.

Our churches don’t preach that Gospel … that’s a problem.

Our churches are in the way of disciples being together. When disciples are forced—whether by false teaching or by an obligation to attend an institutional church—to be in fellowship with those who are not disciples, then their unity is destroyed.

That, too, is a problem.

But I don’t want to write about those things today. Instead, I want to write about a practical application of those things. I want to address …

What is Salvation?

Today I got an email notification that someone I once knew is becoming a pastor of a denominational church.

I wish him the best, but his situation is a perfect illustration of what is wrong with today’s Christianity.

This person lived at Rose Creek Village, very close to me, for a year or two. I got to know him very well. Really nice guy. If you met him, you’d like him. I liked him.

But he has a problem that is fatal to following Christ. He is unable to deal with difficult situations, even to the point of dishonesty. There are many problems he’d rather dodge than deal with.

You can’t do that and help people.

You certainly can’t do that and be a shepherd in the church of God.

In almost every denominational church I’ve been a part of, such a problem would go on forever, never dealt with.

Nor is it a minor problem. It affects his happiness and the happiness of his family on an ongoing basis. Because he can’t face problems, his family’s problems go along, never dealt with. Indeed, they had been compounding for decades when I met him.

Is such a man saved?

It depends what you mean. Is he going to heaven? I hope so. I hope he’s made enough of a real commitment to Jesus Christ and that he’s a kind (and thus loving) enough person that God will have mercy on him and let him into heaven.

But if you ask whether he is saved from himself, from the world, and from the devil, the answer is a clear no. There are areas where the devil has a free reign in his life and his family’s life to bring difficulties and torment, intense heartache that could be avoided by the teaching of Christ and power of the Holy Spirit … teaching and power that he cannot bring because he can’t face the problems.

He’s not unusual. He’s typical.

How many men and women have I seen weeping about the problems in their life that they can’t overcome despite a real faith in Christ?

I’ve seen many. And many others have simply learned to live with their difficulties, their addictions, and their conflicts because preaching is not enough to help them.

A Salvation That Comes Only from the Church

Dare I say that a real faith in Christ and good, Scriptural preaching are not enough to deliver men from their sins?

I do dare, and I dare because the Bible says so.

Exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb. 3:13)

There are sins that can only be overcome by being in the church, and a Biblical church at that … like the ones the apostles started. Churches that are family, that share their possessions and their lives, that take care of one another like brothers and sisters. Nay, not just like brothers and sisters, but like brothers and sisters empowered with a love that comes from heaven.

Until the day we’re willing to overthrow the traditions of men and reject a concept of church that accepts anyone who walks through the front door, we will not see the salvation I’m speaking of in this blog.

 

Posted in Church, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Gentleness: The Appearance of Paul, Part 3

Posted on 07/25/2010 by Paul Pavao

Let’s start with an unusual introduction …

The Middle Age Brain

I’m listening to a book on the Middle Age Brain—well, my wife is, and I’m eavesdropping—as we drive across Nevada on I-80.

The author is telling a story about looking for milk in the refrigerator one morning.

"What are you looking for?" her husband asked.

"The milk," she replied. "Did you drink it all."

His response? "It’s over here on the counter; you poured some in your cereal just a minute ago."

Oops.

Her point is that middle-age people really do have memory lapses, but apparently in most other areas there’s no loss at all. Experience is a great teacher, and middle-age adults tend to be very capable and possess that undefinable quality called "wisdom."

So why am I telling you this?

Where Were We?

I’m 49, and my middle-aged brain has real problems remembering what I’ve already written about.

So I’m going to get back into a series on the appearance of the apostle Paul, and we’ll hope I’m returning to the right spot. I have no internet here in the Nevada desert, so I can’t check.

We’ll also hope there’s actually some wisdom to pass on …

Gentle Among You

The phrase "gentle among you" comes from 1 Thessalonians 2:7 …

We were gentle among you, as a nurse cherishes her own children.

The passage we are talking about concerns building the church, and it takes gentleness.

Paul had two tasks; all apostles did.

  1. Evangelize
  2. Shepherd

Those are two separate gifts, unless you are an apostle. In that case, you must have both. (Proving that is a long study, especially involving the interchangeable Greek words kerusso and euaggelizo.)

When Paul discusses being gentle among the Thessalonians, he’s talking about the shepherding part of the work—making people strong enough to continue together after he has preached the Gospel to them.

In the Scriptures, "preaching" is always directed to the lost, "teaching" to the church. Thus, when Paul says he’s a preacher (1 Tim. 2:7), he means that he’s called to evangelize.

Gentle Shepherds

So often today, we picture a good shepherd as a good speaker. He’s a preacher, but as I just pointed out in the text box above, "preaching" is for the lost, not the church. You’ll never find an example of the church being preached to. The church is taught.

And the church is nursed.

When Paul compares his gentleness to that of a nurse cherishing her children, he’s not talking about a nurse like Cratchett from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Nothing gentle about her, and she doesn’t have any children in relation to her career as a nurse.

Paul is talking about a nursing mother, or a nursing mother hired by a rich person to nurse their baby.

(Gerber’s Baby Foods was not around in the 1st century, so they actually had to breastfeed their babies then. No plastic bottles with rubber nipples to suck on.)

So, let me ask you a question …

If you’re not a pastor, then the question is this. Do you feel like your pastor gently takes care of you like a nursing mother takes care of her baby?

If you’re a pastor, my question is the opposite. Do you feel that your job is to gently take care of the flock like a nursing mother watches her baby?

Thundering Sermons

Thundering sermons, heaping conviction from on high … is that your picture of a good pastor?

Why?

Do you have examples of this in Scripture?

Even in Paul’s most admonishing letters—1 Corinthians and Galatians—he heaps love and care on them along with the conviction. 1 Corinthians 1 is full of praise, not admonishment.

Galatians is a little different because unlike the Corinthians, who were merely giving in to the flesh (possibly to their own condemnation—1 Cor. 6:9-
11), the Galatians had left the Gospel. Paul leaps immediately into the problem because without the Gospel there is no fellowship.

But everywhere his appeal is evidently and clearly from love … and personal.

Notice that Paul saves all his invective for the condemned Judaizers. They are anathema. They need to be cut off. The Galatians, however, get pleading …

Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?

You have not injured me at all.

Where is the blessedness you spoke of?

My little children, for whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you. I long to be present with you and to change my tone.

I have confidence in you in the Lord … but he that troubles you shall bear his judgment.

There is simply no Scriptural precedent for thundering sermons.

I’m not saying a thundering sermon should never happen. Dear friends who are trying to serve Christ together will need to raise their voice to one another occasionally.

However, thundering sermons week after week from one man to an audience resembles nothing found in Scripture or in the early church.

Thundering "Prophets"

"Well, my pastor is a prophet," you may say.

First, not all prophets are called to be harsh. Prophets are only harsh when they’re speaking to people who have departed from the way of God.

Second, prophets—plural—are supposed to speak one by one, and everyone can prophesy … at least, according to Scripture.

Ah, but I’ve forgotten. Evangelical Christians believe THE BIBLE, not what the Bible actually says. THE BIBLE is to be honored, praised, and never questioned … unless it says something that requires us to change what we’re doing—like having every member participate in our meetings—in that case, we should never bring that passage up again.

Oops, slipped into a little sarcasm there. In fact, I have a thundering sermon I’d like to give on that BIBLE believers who don’t believe or care what the Bible says …

Gentle Shepherds, the Bible Way

But the point today, my Bible-believing brothers—those who actually love what God says—is that we shouldn’t let tradition get in the way of obeying God, especially in an area as important as this … shepherding the flock.

Sheep will perish—no, sheep are perishing en masse—if we don’t change this.

Sheep need gentle, caring shepherds who know their name (Jn. 10:3).

Do we need thundering sermons, or do we need shepherds (they were plural in the early churches) who will actually notice when 1 sheep is missing from the 100. After all, you can’t leave the 99 to go after the 1 unless you know the 1 is missing!

Cultivating Gentleness

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. That means that if you don’t do anything to cultivate spiritual fruit, then the fleshly fruits of strife, envy, and jealousy will grow instead.

Gentleness will not just happen, and human gentleness is not what the church needs.

There is always no better example of any spiritual fruit than our Lord Jesus Christ. It is obvious that Jesus was not always gentle by the human definition of gentle.

Nonetheless, note that both children and sinners wanted to be around him.

Is that true of you?

As for his disciples, they were half-terrified of him, but they wanted to be around him. They knew that he had the words of life, and they knew he was to be followed. He was clear and occasionally frustrated with them, but he took the time to teach them to be like him.

This was the gentleness of Jesus Christ.

It is the gentleness we need as well.

 

Posted in Gospel, Miscellaneous, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment