Doesn't the Bible Say???

Recently, I was commenting on a "daily Bible verse" application on my Facebook Wall, and when I, as sometimes happens, attempted to correct the understanding of another commentator regarding the original intent and proper hermeneutical understanding of the passage, I was challenged in my own understanding of who God is... For your consideration, I would like to share the Scripture passage, the original posts from the application, as well as the email exchange that followed...

"For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation."
(Psalm 149:4)

Bridgette wrote:
"Never forget that the Lord adores us. He hates the sin but still loves us; we're his children. "

To which I replied:
"@Bridgette, God is not up in heaven swooning over us - the phrase, "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner" is one made famous by Ghandi, who, by all accounts died in his sins... And God calls all people everywhere to repent of their sins... To die in our sins brings about eternal condemnation...

Now, God DOES love the world - so much in fact that He died for it. (John 3:16) As one Pastor I love once put it, His love is not a pampering love, but a perfecting love... And make no mistake, He hates workers of iniquity (evildoers, sinners - those who hate Him) which is anyone who does not love Him... Psalm 5:5

And there is no neutral gear with God, by nature, we are at war with Him, but by His grace we are able to receive His forgiveness - without it, we are not His children, rather we are still children of the devil... John 8

When I returned home from work this afternoon, I was met with the following message in my inbox...

Brittney wrote:
It's mind blowing to see the millions of Christians that think the Lord HATES sinners and is even angry at us. When quite the contrary, he is a loving and fair God. In fact, the Bible states that "God is LOVE" and even describes him as a father figure caring for and loving his children. So how could the God of Love be angry and condemning towards us?

Now, that is not to say that he allows us to get away with sinning. As do all fathers, he corrects his children if we do wrong. Romans 2:9-11 (the message bible) says this clearly,

"If you go against the grain, you get splinters regardless of which neighborhood you're from, what your parents have taught you, what schools you attended."

So does this mean he is hateful? When your parent's corrected you as a child, it did not mean that they hated you. They did it out of love, as does God who is the perfect parent and example to all.

Here are some examples of his love for us:

God your thoughts about me are priceless. No one can possibly add them all up. If I could count them they would be more than the grains of sand. If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up you would still be there with me.
Psalm 139:17 -18

17The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

(These are just a few of the scriptures that tell of his love for us)

That doesn't sound like a God we are "at war with."

And with that, I got out my Bible, said a prayer, and after three hours of searching the Scriptures, considering how I might respond, the following is what I came up with...

Brittney,

I appreciate your response, and thank you for using scripture to back up your point - it is really refreshing in light of the culture that wants to define their faith according to their feelings, rather than the very words the faith was founded upon...

I agree with you that God IS Love, the Bible clearly states that - however, what I wrote and quoted WAS scripture that states that "God hates all workers of iniquity" (Psalm 5:5 - NKJV). The Amplified Bible uses the word "abhor" which is to regard with disgust or hatred.

I'm sure you've looked up the passage for yourself, though I'm not sure you saw the same thing I saw because of the type of Bible you are reading, which is known as a "paraphrase" edition. It is not based upon the original greek and hebrew texts used to compile the books and letters that make up the holy canonical text - it is based in the idea that God's Word can be brought down to a level that anyone can understand by attempting to put His Words into popular and even culturally relevant thoughts and phrases...

For instance, Psalm 5:5, which is the very passage I reference in my original comment, as well as above - THE MESSAGE reads: "Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you; you shake your head over Mischief-Maker." I have to say that I've been around the block a time or two, but without knowing the original texts, I would have never guessed that "hot air boaster collapses in front of you" would equate to "the foolish (boaster) shall not stand in Your sight." This is just one person's opinion here, but THE MESSAGE doesn't seem to make the same impact that the original Hebrew does, and as we move on to "you shake your head over Mischief-Maker" it appears to make light of sin, which Jesus says is worthy of eternal condemnation if one should die in the midst of them...

To move on to your other references - Psalm 139:17-18 - I'd like to point out that the passage you've referred to is written to believers, while the point I was making was aimed at those who are in the midst of willful sin - these two people are different people and of different fathers. The author is clearly a believer, full of faith in the coming Savior - those words are not written about a person who is a "worker of iniquity" (John 8:34-35) but rather a "worker of righteousness" (Romans 6: 15-23) not without sin, mind you - but one of God's children, rather than the devil's. (1 John 3:10-15)

Again, in the second reference you made, note the opening words of the passage, "the Lord your God... ...a Savior..." Those who are not yet forgiven have no part in this passage... Those who have been saved, and who are (in the process of) being saved do... sort of...

You see, that passage is not for you and me - or for any other modern-day believer for that matter... I was part of a prophecy meant for the people of Israel in Jerusalem at that time... It DOES proclaim a truth about God, there is no denying that, but we cannot today latch onto it and say, 'that is what God wants me to know about Himself for me today..." Because that is simply not the case...

When you read the whole chapter in it's context, you'll see that the first part of the chapter is pronouncing God's judgment for the people, and God's hope for the people - Israelites in Jerusalem... We cannot simply pull a scripture out of the context and claim its truth for our lives today without considering the setting in which it was originally intended to serve...

Like you, I too, am opposed to people running around telling people, "God hates you if you don't love Him..." I'd be writing the same type of letter you've written to me if I were to come across someone who brought that type of message to a public discussion of faith and scripture...

But please notice that I not only mentioned God's hatred, but also His grace... This is one arena that the "millions" you referred to in your message to me are not interested in going into - for whatever reason... But we, as believers are commanded to warn of the wrath to come, and testify of His grace to save... Remember Jude's admonition in verses 20 through 23...

When it comes to being "at war with God" - consider Romans 8:1-11... Notice that it is addressed to those who are "in Christ" and then goes on to describe the differences between those who are "in the Spirit" compared to those who are still "in the flesh"...

Verse 7 says clearly that "the carnal mind is 'enmity' with [or against] God" one way (the most commonly accepted way) that enmity is defined is, as hatred for, or a state of war against someone... Once again, the person being described here is the person who still lives in their sins - they have not been forgiven, they have not repented and believed, they are not a child of God...

THE MESSAGE says the following... "Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing."

Nowhere in that text is the seriousness of the error of hostility toward God displayed, and once again, a very low view of what God has written has been offered giving preference to an easier way to consider what might otherwise be taken as harsh words... It's ironic to see that the paraphrase of THE MESSAGE speaks of ignoring who God is and what He is doing, in the very verses that in the original greek point out that what we are ACTUALLY doing is acting out in a hostile way toward God - not just "focusing on self."

And I'll close with this... God DOES love the world, the proof is in the fact that, as you pointed out, and I agreed that the Bible DOES say, He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever would believe in Him, might have everlasting life... However, His ETERNAL love is for those He saves, those who love Him - those who are convicted of their sins in the light of His holy law, and believe the gospel... To them, he gives the gifts of repentance and faith, which leads to salvation... The work involved is, and has been done, by Him alone - the only thing we can do is receive it... Acts 17:30

Thank you again for your response, I hope that we can talk about any concerns you might have regarding anything I've written - I am not at all interested in dropping all of this in your lap with the hope that you'll never question another person's opinions ever again... When Paul preached, the Bereans searched the scriptures to see if what he was telling them was true according to the very words that God had given...

Be encouraged, keep on questioning that which does not line up with what you've been taught - and never stop seeking His understanding above and beyond your fellow man...

May God bless you in your questioning...


-Benjamin

Refuting popular ideas with righteousness

Recently, a college acquaintance of mine found me on Facebook. When I write "recently" that is to say, the day before election day. Now, being a "tolerant" Christian, I'm able to be friends with people NO MATTER WHO they choose to vote for...

Please understand though, that if they choose to vote for someone who would approve of legislation that would allow the indiscriminate murder of pre-born human beings, we probably won't be BFFs, and that's why I previously characterized him as an "acquaintance."

With that said, I'll now bring you up to speed. On election day, the people of California overwhelmingly amended the state constitution by way of Proposition 8. And now there is a movement to subvert the will of the people - AGAIN... Note that in 2000, 61% of Californians voted to establish a definition of marriage that is not long, drawn out and politicized - but rather, simple, easy to understand, fair and only 14 words long...

The entire text of Proposition 8 (the same text as Proposition 22 in 2000) is as follows:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman
is valid and recognized in California."

Earlier this week, my friend joined a "group" on Facebook that is organized to "get one million people to overturn prop 8" which caught my eye, and raised the point that he is from Wisconsin, why would HE care? He didn't respond... no matter, I'll write it off as a rhetorical statement... However, I went on to write...

"...it took a million just to get the prop on the ballot - half a million MORE Californians voted to pass it than voted to bring it down... The bottom line is this - no one's rights have been taken away - men still have the right to marry women - that right has not been taken away, and women still have the right to marry men... The will of the people is what has been taken away when activist judges change the law arbitrarily..."

Once again, my comment went without response - fair enough - I'm willing to scream into a vacuum as long as there is someone with a conscience and ears that work or eyes that can see somewhere in the vicinity that might recognize truth when they hear/see it...

Today, he updated his status... And whether or not it was left-handedly pointed at my comment from the other day the other day - I could not let what he quoted go without pointing toward God's perspective... I'm nowhere NEAR where John the Baptist was in his day, but in the same spirit that he pointed out the sins of those who were in his vicinity... I humbly submit the following:

------------------

My friend's quote...
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss.



My reply...
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" - Isaiah 5:20

"Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it."
- Psalm 34:14.

"who you are" is a sinner in need of a Savior... and "what you feel" is rooted in a heart that is deceitfully wicked...

Just a thought from someone who doesn't matter...

------------------

Now, I do not write these things in order to be contrarian (regardless of whether or not I AM a contrarian, that is not my motivation) - and I am in no way legalistic in my faith practices... Well, no more than Paul was - and again, as with John above, I am not comparing myself to Paul, rather I am pointing out that Paul is where I get my justification to stand against these issues - and the Word of God is where I get my mandate...

On the contrary (hehehe) I write these things, in order to stand for what is right, when so many are not willing to stand - in order to call evil, "evil" rather than to allow society to slide into hell without any opposition.
Jude 17-23.

Did I mention that I met my friend while in Bible College? Back when I was a false convert - back when I would have fought for Gay Rights and a woman's right to choose what she thinks is best for "her body."

I do not believe that I'll be able to atone for the sins of my time as a false convert - fortunately, Christ has done that for me on the cross - however, I cannot stand by while others who profess faith in Christ promote discrimination, hatred and intolerance while they accuse me of the same...

I've already lost one Facebook friend over this, and I anticipate at least one or two more - though, I've NEVER been popular, and woe to me when the whole world loves me... John 15:18-19, James 4:4

To you... You know who you are...

Yesterday, someone left a card with a gift and some beautiful words of encouragement in a note and greeting card for my family at our home quite anonymously.

Now, because the saint spelled our names correctly, and based upon the contents of the note, knows our family intimately, we are assuming that they are members of our church.

And because they gave the gift anonymously, we are not at all interested in asking around to figure out who it is, we simply wanted to thank you on the off-chance that you might someday read this, and know that we are grateful beyond any words we could convey in the form of a blog posting.

You have obeyed Christ's command in John 13:34-35 to love the brethren, and we hope to someday be able to share the blessing you shared with us, with another family...

Thank you, and God Bless you - you know who you are...

Is "Repentance" Necessary for Salvation?

It is true that numerous Bible verses speak of the promise of salvation with no mention of repentance. These verses merely say to "believe" on Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). However, the Bible makes it clear that God is holy and man is sinful, and that sin makes a separation between the two (Isaiah 59:1-2). Without repentance from sin, wicked men cannot have fellowship with a holy God. We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ. The Scriptures speak of "repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). We turn from sin to the Savior. This is why Paul preached "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).

The first public word Jesus preached was "repent" (Matthew 4:17). John the Baptist began his ministry the same way (Matthew 3:2). Jesus told His hearers that without repentance, they would perish (Luke 13:3).

If belief is all that is necessary for salvation, then the logical conclusion is that one need never repent. However, the Bible tells us that a false convert "believes" and yet is not saved (Luke 8:13); he remains a "worker of iniquity." Look at the warning of Scripture: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). The Scriptures also say, "He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them [repentance] shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). Jesus said that there was joy in heaven over one sinner who "repents" (Luke 15:10). If there is no repentance, there is no joy because there is no salvation.

When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, he commanded his hearers to repent "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Without repentance, there is no remission of sins; we are still under His wrath. Peter further said, "Repent . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). We cannot be "converted" unless we repent. God Himself "commands all men everywhere [leaving no exceptions] to repent" (Acts 17:30). Peter said a similar thing at Pentecost: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you" (Acts 2:38).

If repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)? With so many Scriptures speaking of the necessity of repentance for salvation, one can only suspect that those who preach salvation without repentance are strangers to repentance themselves, and thus strangers to true conversion.

Commentary re-printed from The Evidence Bible - All scripture references come from the New King James Version Bible unless otherwise noted.

Re: Your visit to HELPinChrist.com

This young man wrote in to HELPinChrist.com rather distraught over the belief that he is unsavable because he continues to sin...  How would you have responded?

On May 1, 2008, at 10:10 AM, Not Fred wrote:

Benjamin,

Thanks for the link to that message. I watched it but I am not sure what it did for me. Since I last wrote in, I have completley stopped what I was doing that I knew was wrong. I didn't stop because I felt guilty; rather, I stopped because I had knowledge that it was wrong. I don't understand why I am not feeling guilty, hurt, depressed, mad at myself, etc. It's like nothing ever happened when I know it did.

I have never felt this way before. It was always my conviction and guilt and remorse for wrong that made me leave the past and get back into a relationship with God. Now I feel so below even the worst sinner that I can't even think of coming back. I don't see how I could be accepted back again. Not when I willingly left him. I have gone through the steps so many times and I really meant it. But over time it seems I got stagnent and little by little it just came up again. And I would get involved and then be sorry and repent. It's like this has happened at least four times and I am even ashamed to think that I would even think of trying over again when it's almost inevitable that I will mess up again. I don't want to. I want Christ to be the center of my life and live for nothing but him... I am missing something that makes my committment so strong that I would never be tempted by my past sins again. I am so confused and bothered and don't know what to do or where to start.

Thanks for taking time out of your day to read this.

Not Fred

-------------------------------------------

And then I replied...

Dear Not Fred:

Your message has me intrigued...  First off, that message was supposed to help you see the importance of self-examination, which, by the words of your response, it seems that you already have...  Next, I want to assure you that if you have stopped doing what you knew was wrong on your own power, by your own will - then you've stopped nothing...  As you've already admitted, the next time you're tempted, you're sure to fail again, and I have to agree with you there if for no other reason than my own personal experience and the Bible tells me so...  (Proverbs 26:11)  Now the question in front of you is...  Are you a wise person who simply needs to submit completely to God - or are you a "fool"?

Understand as we begin that I am not judging you in any way that I would consider to be arrogant - I have no right, and I am undoubtedly, a bigger filthy sinner than you ever could hope to be.  Not that anyone would hope to be a big sinner...  Anyway, what I'm saying is this:  no matter what I tell you in these emails, the content is going to be coming primarily from the Bible because frankly, my opinion is not worth anything in eternity, whereas God's Word will prevail forever - so let's go with the information that will last, because that's information that will truly help you in your predicament...  Therefore, if the things I write tend to sting or hurt a bit when you read them, believe that I'm only telling you the truth, and that I will ALWAYS encourage you to check what I'm sharing with you against the Bible so that you'll know the information is sound...

Now then...  Because I cannot see your heart, although I CAN see some of the fruit you're bearing, it's difficult to tell whether you are truly a Christian who is just having some doubts, or a false convert (as I was for over 12 years) who simply needs to repent once and for all, and truly trust in Christ and believe what the Bible says...  You've asked if you're missing something - and again, I feel that I should agree with you.  It seems as though you either haven't read that if you have repented of your sins and put your faith in Christ, that Christ's sacrifice on the Cross has blotted out all of your sins; past, present and future... (Hebrews 9:12, 24-26) or you just don't believe it...

It is clear that your conscience is tender - you know what you are doing is wrong...  If you don't feel guilty after you've committed a sin, it may be because you are a Christian, and when you were converted God took your guilt and placed it upon Christ...  As a believer, you have been given a new heart with new desires according to the Bible...   The Bible also says that when we follow Him, we will begin to love the things God loves, and hate the things God hates...  Again, it appears to me that you know the difference, you simply are not embracing your salvation and living accordingly.

You are SUPPOSED to feel low and wretched - consider again, the Apostle Paul, who said that he was the "Chief of Sinners" and it's difficult to argue with him because he previously held legal paperwork that gave him permission to kill those who followed and believed in this Jesus character the Pharisees hated so much that they murdered Him...  He also said that it was God's Law that showed him the sinfulness of his sins - which is what I hope you are considering while you are examining yourself...  

When you mention that you cannot even think of coming back, or how you could be accepted again...  Let's break this down...  "[You] cannot even think of coming back is just an expression - if you don't feel worthy - not to worry - you're not...  None of us are - we ALL deserve God's wrath and punishment, and our own place in Hell because of our disobedience against Him through the breaking of His Law...  When you say that you "don't see how [you] could be accepted back again" because you "willingly left Him."  Rest assured, if you left, you were never there in the first place, and if that's the case, He never accepted you either - which is why today is the day of salvation for you if God is preparing your heart... (1 John 2:19 - 2 Corinthians 6:2)

Now we're at the point where I ask you: 

1.  When the last time was that you read your Bible

2.  How often do you read it

3.  How often do you pray

4.  When was the last time you intentionally went out of your way to share your faith with a stranger

5.  How often do you attend church services

6.  Are you a member there? 

Please answer those questions and we'll have a whole separate email to fill up with conversation about what the Bible says you need to do...

Here's some nitty gritty "I'm going to tell you what you should do" dialogue comin' straight at you...  'Course, it's from God, not me...  The NEXT time this temptation comes around, instead of "messing up again"...  FLEE!!!  Get out of there - don't stay for even a second to determine if what you think is happening is actually happening...  Move your feet and go somewhere else, do something else...  One sure way to ensure that you won't mess up again is to stay away from the temptation...  The Bible says, "Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you..."  I can tell you without a doubt that this verse is true.  

You want Christ to be the center of your life a live for nothing but him...  It seems to me that God has been working on your heart, and has given you the opportunity...  Understand that He will resist the proud heart, but give grace to the humble heart.  You come off as pretty humble to me - just unbelieving...  

So let me ask you a question - what would you think of me if I'd have started off this email with "Dear Fred"?   You'd probably think I was responding to someone else's message at first - so you'd send me a message back letting me know that I'd made a mistake...  HOWEVER, what if I wrote back and assured you that there was no mistake, you're Fred, and this message is for you...  Perhaps you'd be a little annoyed at this point - so you'd write back and tell me that I was wrong, your name isn't Fred.  To which I would respond, "Dear Fred  Please understand that I'm not trying to offend you, it's just that this is your name, and that's why I'm using it..."

Pretty absurd scenario, huh?  But what does it mean if I continually refer to you as Fred?  Simply that I don't believe you when you insist that your name ISN'T Fred, it's Not Fred...  When I call you Fred it means that I think you're lying to me...  SO...  When we go on sinning, we are calling God a liar, and how much MORE angry should God be when we do not believe His Word that tells us to walk righteously...  

Almost done now...  Jesus didn't promise you a perfect life...  He promised you a "full" life...  (John 10:10)  He didn't promise you riches or prosperity...  He gives you your daily bread...  (Matthew 5:45)  In fact, Jesus only promises those who follow Him four things...  Persecution...  (John 15:20)  Tribulation...  (Matthew 24:9)  Temptation...  (Luke 22:40)  and Eternal Life...  (John 10:26-28)  Temptation isn't really a promise I suppose, but Jesus was quite adamant about the danger of temptation...

Read Psalm 1 - determine for yourself...  Are you the person described in the first half of the Chapter, or the second half?  

The last thing I can suggest that you do is to do what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5 - examine yourself - see if you are truly a Christian who simply needs his faith strengthened, or if you are a pagan who needs to get this settled once and for all...  Because it is clear that you want to follow Christ - why don't you believe, why don't you trust?  That part is between you and God to figure out once and for all...  And I'm not throwing a cliche at you - I'm being honest...

LISTEN TO THIS...  Go 15 minutes and 30 seconds in to the mp3 file...  Does this letter sound anything like where you're coming from?  

I'm going to be praying for you - that God would reveal Himself to you through His Word - I firmly believe that's the only way you are going to be changed...  Bottom line...

Consider His promises...  and your response...

-Benjamin

An Online Witnessing Encounter

From time to time I'll submit an email I've either received or sent out to someone who has written in to an Online Counseling Website that I set up several years ago to help people with their challenges while trying to, at the same time, be a Christian in today's society.

The website is HELPinChrist.com.  And I admit that when I set up the website, I was not yet a Christian, I was, in fact, what Jesus refers to in the Parable of the Sower as, a false convert or, one upon whom the seed of the Word of God had fallen on thorny ground.  Matthew 13:3-9

In December of 2004, God sent a messenger to where I was at to share His Laws with me to show me that I was still in need of salvation, and the salvation I thought I had was false.  The image I held in my mind of who God was, and the real reasons why Jesus died on the cross were all without a true Biblical foundation.

I was living in the midst of transgressing the 2nd of His 10 Commandments.  I had created for myself a god to suit myself and my own sinful desires.  One that would overlook my sins, and still let me into heaven - and it was at the point of salvation that I knew if I was going to have anything more to do with this website, I would have to share the same truth with anyone who was in danger of being deceived by the same delusions I had previously been mired in myself.

What you will read below is my reply to a young man who is living a similar life to the one I lived the better part of my adult life...  He is a Youth Leader, therefore, he claims to be a Christian...  However, he struggles with pornography - but he doesn't just struggle with that particular sexual sin, he has been dabbling in, and quite recently, as you will find out, he has given in to the lusts of his flesh - namely, homosexuality...

This is not an easy post for me to share because I realize now as I read, and re-read what I've written to him, that I am exposing a lot of my own personal past.  A LOT of which I prefer to leave out of my testimony whenever I share it in mixed company for obvious reasons - not the least of which is that I wouldn't want to cause you to judge me in any way that was not righteous in it's intent.  Though, I have decided to post it here in the hopes of possibly encouraging even one person, while warning others as I myself had been warned.

His name has obviously been changed, and I have left out any references to personal, geographic or otherwise distinguishable information for the sake of total anonymity.  My purpose is to edify, not embarrass.

Joe:

In case you haven't thought I was being serious up to this point, I want you to understand that I am absolutely serious now...

Your problem with porn and homosexuality is sin, and the Bible says that sin brings about death in the life of the person who is living in it.  Jesus said that the person who dies in their sin will be cast into hell.  And the primary reason I'm here, doing this, is so that you won't end up in hell...  I haven't asked you for money, I'm not telling you to join my church or buy my cassettes or videotapes - I'm pleading with you to get this fixed between you and God before another day goes by because you do not know when your soul may be required of you...

It is clear that you understand that your situation is sinful, no doubt there...  What is not clear, however, is how real you believe God's punishment to be for those who sin against Him.  You mention that you hate yourself for some of the things you do - and you should...  You are committing offenses against the one who gave you life and breath and every good thing that you have...  It was your sin that put Christ on the cross - therefore, based upon your own admissions and testimonial, it is difficult for me to talk to you as a person who is a follower of Christ because you continue in your sins.  1 John 1:6, 2:4, 15-17 & Hebrews 10:26-27

At this point, I have to insist that you post-pone your organization and participation in any youth-related activities including the youth conference you are organizing, particularly because of your unresolved, un-repented of sin.  I'm not trying to be mean here, I'm trying to help you get the help you need...  You don't need someone to tell you that everything will be alright, all you need to do is pray to God and believe that He answers prayer.

Joe, I have to be honest with you here because my position in all of this, and the Word of God compels me; I am not telling you these things with a smile on my face.  I am fully aware that this is the exact opposite of what you want to be told when it comes to your involvement in ministry...  However, I have to think about those you have been put in charge of. (the teens in your Youth Group)  This is a situation that you need to take to your Pastor, whether you repent of it or not...  Obviously, if you repent of this sin, it will be easier to share with him because you will simply be asking him to help you through the sanctification that God will bestow upon your life.

What you need is to put everything on hold and get on your knees before God and repent of ALL of your sins once and for all.  Cry out to God for mercy Psalm 51 and confess your wretchedness against God. 2 Corinthians 7:10 You are aware of your lawlessness, but do you realize the severity of the offense?  God will not overlook your sins because you serve in youth ministry, on the contrary, you will be judged more severely because you put yourself in the place of a teacher, one who should know better. Romans 2  You do not want to be one of those who God gives over to the desires of their hearts Romans 1:22-32

And I speak to you as one who was once in your place.  I am not sitting up on my high horse looking down on you as some would.  I've been where you are at.  I once acted upon my sexually sinful desires with another man.  Things didn't go as far as they could have because my conscience (God's Law written on my heart) was screaming at me, telling me that what I was doing was wrong!  As a Youth Leader, I was living in a sinful relationship with a girl I knew, while all the while immersing myself in pornographic lusts...  I was truly playing the part of the hypocrite.  Telling the teens I was working with to be holy because God is holy, while living like the devil in my private life.

Therefore, until you repent of your sins and trust in Christ completely to deliver you from your sins - rather than your own ability to overcome "the moment" you are getting wrapped up in, you will continue this cycle of temptation, lust and sin...  Yet there are four factors in that equation...  And if you are not reconciled to Christ before you come to the final factor, death, and you will suffer eternally for what only happened in a moment.

You wrote in to HELPinChrist.com two months ago today, letting us know that you were addicted to pornography, and struggling with homosexuality.  That you hadn't yet had sex, and now you write in mentioning that "last week for the first time ever..." "...some very bad things happened..."  I have to take some responsibility here for not writing these things to you when you first wrote in - because I am terrified of the idea that you could have died within the past two months, let alone the past week, without hearing the Truth...

It is appointed unto every person once to die, and then the judgement...  Sin is the transgression of God's Law.  If you've ever lied, stolen, blasphemed God's name, disobeyed your parents, hated someone or even called them a "fool" - wished that you had someone else's stuff as your own, or created a God to suit your own personal way of life...  Then you are guilty of sinning against God Himself.  He made your eyes, don't you think He can see what you are doing when you think no one else knows?  He formed your ears, do you not realize that He can even hear the thoughts you are thinking?  He requires truth in our inward most parts...

And He has set aside a day in which He will judge every person in righteousness, according to what they have done...  Acts 17:31  And He will by no means clear the guilty...  The soul that sins shall die and be cast into the Lake that burns with fire...  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  

But that's not the end of the story, and God's desire is not to send you to Hell...  2,000 years ago, He became a man, filled a body as a hand fills a glove, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  He lived a perfect, sinless life, fulfilling the Law and then giving Himself up to be murdered to take upon Himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would repent and believe in Him.  He did not come to condemn the world, because the world, because of it's sin, is already condemned...  Rather, He came to seek and to save those who are lost in their sins and trespasses.  John 3:14-21  And He calls all people everywhere to repent of their sins against God because His kingdom is at hand.  

He became the propitiation (substitutionary sacrifice - the sacrificial lamb that was slain) in our place - taking upon Himself God's Wrath for us.  Because we sinned, Christ came to die...  And if you will repent, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ Romans 13:14 as a skydiver puts on a parachute before jumping 10,000 feet, His Word promises that He will save you...  You will be Born Again and brought into a right relationship with God. John 3:3  Just as quickly as you can lose control of your situation (a moment) Christ can save your soul...  He can bring you from death into life, from darkness into light - He can give you a new heart with new desires and replace your heart of stone with a heart of flesh.  I believe that He is calling out to you today to be reconciled to Him through repentance and faith. Matthew 3:8 & Hebrews 3:15

All of this is not to say that you will be perfect this side of heaven...  But you will be "made perfect" in God's eyes - meaning, you will be given Christ's perfection...  You are still human, however, and will sin from time to time - however, you will fall into sin, rather than your current situation where you wade around in sin, ready to dive in the next time temptation presents itself as a viable alternative to whatever you may be doing at the moment.  Remember, I've been in your shoes...  Paul talks about how before we are Born Again, we are slaves to sin, and we commit sin because it is in our nature...  But when we are regenerated by Christ's sacrifice, we become slaves to righteousness - which is what God's Word calls us to, live lives of righteous behavior... Matthew 5:20 & Luke 1:68-75 & Acts 10:35 & Romans 6

I'm sorry if this all seems a little overwhelming, however, God is just that...  God is a consuming fire, and His Word is sharper than any two-edged sword...  Surgery is painful, that's why they sedate you first...  Removing the sin from a persons life is a spiritually surgical procedure...  I'm sure that's why Christ calls us to love one another...  If I didn't love you, and care for your eternal fate, it might be impossible for you to accept what I'm sharing with you.  That's the way it was for me when I heard this message, and the one I shared with you, Hell's Best Kept Secret,  I'd been a self-professed Christian for over 12 years at that point in my life, and a Youth Volunteer (and self-professed Minister) for over 10 years...  When I heard a man who was reading from the Bible tell me that if I was living in sin, that the Bible, and Jesus Himself offers me no assurance of my salvation.

My deepest prayer is that you receive this email with the same heart I received his words.  Because my deepest fear is that you would be one of those Jesus spoke about when He said that many will come to Him in the Day of Judgment saying, 'Lord, Lord...  have we not done many great things in Your name?'  and He would tell you to depart from Him, because He never knew you, because you were one who went on practicing lawlessness...

Jesus didn't promise us that following Him would be easy, in fact, He encouraged those who were not fully committed to following Him to simply return to their homes and families...Matthew 8:18-22  He didn't assure His followers a full moneybag, a new well, or healthy livestock...  (Today I suppose that would be equivalent to the modern-day gospel promise of a full bank account, large house, and a 4-car garage without an empty space in it...)  Nope, he promised that we would be hated for His names sake, that we would suffer tribulation, Matthew 24:9 and persecution, and not the least of which - and this is where Christ's promise hits home for you - we will be tempted... Luke 8:13 The call is for us to overcome temptation and endure until Christ's return...  And we will be blessed if we endure until the end...

I care about you, and don't want you to end up in hell - please consider what God has written, and I have been blessed to share.  And don't take my words for it, please look this stuff up for yourself.  Be like the Bereans and make sure that what I'm sharing with you lines up with God's Word...

I'm praying for you, and those you serve...


-Benjamin, Counselor
HELPinChrist.com

p.s. - Perhaps consider the words of my pastor - listen to the July 27th sermon, I believe you will find the message speaks to your specific challenge...  Not homosexuality, but unbelief...

Questions, questions, questions...

What's going to happen when I die?  

Invariably, whenever I am involved in a conversation with someone where important issues are brought up, the dialogue steers toward eternity... Whether there's a heaven or a hell the way the Bible says there is - and ultimately, the question of whether they believe they are good enough to get into heaven...

The Bible says a couple of things that are worth noting in order to begin to answer "the big question." First off, we are told that, "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." (Hebrews 9:27) So, according to God, and His Word, reincarnation is out... We also see that, "...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) If the wages of a day of work is a paycheck, then the answer to the question "why do we die" becomes an easy one... We die because we've sinned...

Perhaps now you're asking yourself the question, "well, I've heard the word 'sin' used a million times, mostly flipped about by televangelists and those weirdos yelling on street corners, but what IS sin?" Well, once again, the Bible gives us the answer... "sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4) And the law the Bible is referring to is God's Law, the Ten Commandments.

Now, if you're honest with yourself, you'll have to admit, as I have, that you've lied, stolen, and used God or Jesus' name as a swear word, or in a fashion unbecoming of your Creator - but do you realize that Jesus said that if you hate your brother, or even call someone a fool, that you're in danger of being condemned to hell? (Matthew 5:22)

And most people think that the command "thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14) refers only to people who are married meaning that they're not supposed to have an extra-marital affair - but check out what Jesus said... (Matthew 5:27-28) You see, God is not merely concerned with what we do with our hands or our mouth, in fact, the Bible says that God requires truth in our inward parts... (Psalms 51:6) In the Day of Judgment, God is going to look at our hearts and our minds, and without holiness, and righteousness written thereon, He will turn His back on us as though He never knew us... (Matthew 7:23)

But that's not the end of the story - in fact, there IS Good News! You've been told before that "there's 'good news' and there's 'bad news'" and then you've been asked which you'd like first... And, like most everyone, you most likely requested the bad news first - well that was it... You, like me, are a sinner in need of a Savior - like a criminal walking into a court of law, you have a fine to pay, and believe me, you cannot afford to pay it.

Then what's this "Good News" already? You're asking, and here it is... 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ, God Himself came to Earth in the form of a man - the Bible says that he "became flesh" (John 1:14) and lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:25) a performed many miracles and wonders to establish His deity. Over 700 years before Jesus' birth, the Prophet Isaiah wrote about what He would go through for those who would believe in Him...

"...There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins—that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.

But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief..."             Isaiah 53:2-10

So you can see, perhaps for the first time, that Jesus went to the cross, to bear the punishment (pay the fine, if you will) for the sins you committed against God. The Bible says that God showed His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, He sent Christ to die for us. (Romans 5:8) God knew you were going to break His laws, and His judgment, as powerful as it is, cannot be appeased by our own 'good works.' We need to have a 'fine payer' a representative in that heavenly courtroom. And that is what Christ has done for us - He stepped forward and offered Himself up as a ransom (1 Timothy 2:6) for those who would believe.

You've read or heard no doubt that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Please note that "He gave His only Son" for those "who believe[s] in Him" and not for the WHOLE world... Therefore, everyone is not going to heaven - remember up above? The soul that sins, it shall die... (Ezekiel 18:20)

So how do we get this "eternal life"? Do we just "believe" and poof, we're Christians bound for heaven when we die? Well, it would be fun if it were that easy - a LOT more people would be bound for glory, and a lot fewer headed for hell. Jesus' first words of public ministry were "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 4:17)

Now, a lot of people claim that they are "OK" with God - they grew up in church, maybe they were even baptized at some point - but the question is, "is God 'OK' with you?" If you were to drop dead right now, before even reaching the end of this writing, and the next thing you know, you're on your knees before The One who made you - would He be 'OK' with you, or say He never knew you?

Have you repented (realized your sins against the Creator God - and turned away from them) forsaking your sins, and turned toward Christ in faith for the forgiveness of your sins? I put it that way because many people believe that because they haven't killed anyone, or because they go to church, or give money to charities, that their good will outweigh their bad (Ephesians 2:8-9) they are therefore, trusting in their own goodness, and not Christ's sacrifice to make the payment I referred to above...

If you've never done that - repented of your sins, and put your faith in Christ, I want to encourage you to do that right now, right where you are... Contrary to what many people might tell you, it is a GOOD thing to question your faith if you're not 100% sure that you'd go to Heaven if God were to take you right now... (2 Corinthians 13:5) You cannot do anything to save yourself, Christ has already done everything necessary - and He calls you to repent of your sins and trust in Him alone.

The Bible says that when you cry out to Him for mercy, He will save you - you will begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and He will fill you with it... (Matthew 5:6) Whereas you once loved the darkness and hated the light, He will cause you to step out into the light and shun the darkness... (Isaiah 5:20)

If you believe that God is preparing your heart, then do not let another day go by without making your calling and election sure. (2 Peter 1:10) For today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) and even if its not your last day, it is undoubtedly the most important.

May God Richly Bless the prayers of your heart - I hope to see you heaven one day.

Sincerely,

-Benjamin