Love's Role in Salvation

Without Love….none of us will see God.  So, brag all you want about how much faith you have. According to Paul, there is Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of these is Love. When we look at this list, one should wonder if Love, being greater than Faith, is a necessary component to Salvation. I think it goes without saying, that without Faith one’s salvation is questionable at the very least.  We shall see in a bit, that not only is Love greater than Faith, it is by which we have our confidence before God.  I realize one may argue that it is by the cross we have our confidence.  Yes, the sacrifice of the cross is the debt paid, but many are perishing in spite of the cross. We have Faith and we may have the Hope or Expectation, but we see examples in the scriptures of those who apparently had both yet are denied entry.  We can brag about how much Faith we have. We can brag about our Hope or Expectation of coming eternal life, but we cannot brag about our Love.  Pride and Love cannot co-exist.

Starting at the very basics:
1. People are either saved or not saved.
2. People can believe they are saved or believe they are not saved.
3. People can believe they are saved and actually be saved.
4. People can believe they are saved and actually NOT be saved.
5. People can be sure they are saved.
6. People can be unsure they are saved.

Some popular responses from well meaning Christians to the person who is not saved are …”Have faith…”, “Trust in Jesus…”, “Turn your life over to Him… “, “Acknowledge Him as your personal Lord and Savior…”, “Confess Him as your personal Lord and Savior…”, “Repent and be baptized …”
Some popular responses from well meaning Christians to the person who has done all this but wonders about his salvation …”Do not doubt…”, ”This is Satan talking to you trying to get you to doubt…”   Refer back to #4. If one doubts their salvation, is it because they doubt God’s ability to save or is it because the Spirit is urging them to walk according to Jesus and they know deep inside that they aren’t? Somehow they sense that they are not His servant.

Why is it some view that it is the Spirit convicting a person who has never ‘confessed’, but when the person who THINKS he has ‘confessed’ and is unsure, wanting to be sure … it is Satan talking to him?  What if…he actually ISN’T saved and this is the Spirit convicting him, prompting him to confess the truth whatever that be. Ironically, these same people say we aren’t to judge whether a person is lost, yet we are quick to judge a person saved.  I would think it is more dangerous for the person to tell him they are saved when in fact they aren’t.  Would not this be judgment too?

Is there a way to KNOW FOR SURE?

Let me first challenge the notion of ‘confessing with the mouth.’  Biblically we are to confess our belief and His Lordship. Biblically we can do nothing to earn our salvation. So, the ACT of confessing with our lips theoretically should have no impact on God’s mercy. We cannot earn our salvation or through works merit good standing with God.

If ‘confession’ does play some part in our justification or salvation, then there must be more to this confessing than the mere formality of uttering a pre-written, rehearsed speech or phrase. First, there must be truth in a confession for the confession to mean what it is … a confession.  I can say just about anything, confess to murder, confess to a profession such as doctor or lawyer, profess my faith, confess that I believe a philosophy of life or political view, but if the evidence (faith as translated from the Greek) does not support the confession, or if one’s works (behavior) do not evidence his profession, then he is found to be a liar and the truth is not in him (to quote Paul). If I say stealing is wrong, then I’d better not steal.
We are used to saying we love something or someone, but when push comes to shove, we often bail then minimize our offense or lack of integrity to any number of excuses. How many times have we said, “I love you sweetheart,” then a hour later we are in a fight?  How many husbands out there say how much they love their wives, but first thing when they come home is to ask, “What’s for supper?”  Bottom line is we often say things we don’t really mean. What is unsettling is that we may not be aware our words are shallow and when tested, they would fail.

For centuries, innocent people have confessed to crimes under threat of torture for the quick release from the inquisitor's tools by means of a speedy death.  Likewise, people have confessed to good deeds for the promise of a good name or favorable public opinion. With our lips we can both bless and curse. So, it is not difficult to understand why God doesn’t or man shouldn’t place much stock in lip service. In fact, the scriptures are littered with examples.

Proverbs 12:22 (NIV) ²²    The LORD detests lying lips,     but he delights in men who are truthful. Proverbs 26:24 - 28 (NIV) ²⁴    A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,     but in his heart he harbors deceit. ²⁵    Though his speech is charming, do not believe him,     for seven abominations fill his heart. ²⁶    His malice may be concealed by deception,     but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. ²⁷    If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it;     if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him. ²⁸    A lying tongue hates those it hurts,     and a flattering mouth works ruin. Isaiah 29:13 (NIV) ¹³The Lord says:     “These people come near to me with their mouth     and honor me with their lips,     but their hearts are far from me.     Their worship of me     is made up only of rules taught by men. Matthew 15:8 - 9 (NIV) ⁸    “‘These people honor me with their lips,     but their hearts are far from me. ⁹    They worship me in vain;     their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”

Luke 22:31 - 34 (NASB) ³¹“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;  ³²but I have prayed for you, that your faith (evidence - proof) may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again (returned to your senses), strengthen your brothers.”  ³³But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”  ³⁴And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

This last example is a perfect illustration of the psychology of man’s deception. Pride can get in the way of a good confession.  We may even ‘accept Jesus’ for recognition or from peer pressure. Peter illustrates the point. I am sure he was adamant, truly believing he would go to death before betrayal or denial. Here is the test. Later when faced with threat, Peter bailed. Likewise, we bail everyday and what is sad, we justify this retreat by a feigned confession of weakness. In truth, we love the sin more than Jesus. In truth, we are not under His Lordship, but we are contending with it. In truth, sin still reigns in our lives and we are still slaves to it. When we fail this test, rather than admitting our destiny of eternal conflict with God, we assure ourselves that our weakness is overlooked and that God will forgive us. Keep in mind that Satan used  similar logic.  He quoted scripture and told Jesus that He would send His angels to protect Him. Read the rest of the story…

Matthew 4:5 - 7 (NASB) ⁵Then the devil took^* Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,  ⁶and said^* to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,     ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and     ‘On their hands they will bear You up,     So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” ⁷Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

According to the thinking of some popular evangelists and if Jesus is put under the same microscope, He didn't have enough faith that the Father would protect Him. Are we not in a way putting God to the test when we so casually excuse our wanton lusts in the guise of leaning on God’s grace or putting trust in our faith?
Real Love removes all deception, but understanding love is difficult. Part of the difficulty is cultural. Our understanding of love is blurred by emotion, desires and motives. Songs have been written about love, but are often descriptive more of animal instincts such as lust and revenge rather than the Biblical definitions of love, thereby supporting the misdirected and misinterpreted feelings wrongly associated with love.  

* tangent time *  These same evangelists talk about taking a 'leap of faith' ... well ... the above scripture is the only example of this 'leap of faith'. I won't go into a lengthy diatribe about this word 'faith'. Just let it suffice for now to say this word 'faith' has been polluted, corrupted, twisted, raped, molested and beaten out of its original meaning since organized religion circa 250 AD took over and filtered the scripture from the people, telling them 'just trust' the learned men, the religious experts. Sound suspiciously like the rhetoric of the Jewish leaders of Jesus day. This empty philosophy has replicated into various virulent forms of denominations playing on the 'easy road' to salvation.  * end of tangent *

Falling in love…
Falling in love sounds like one begins to love out of a mishap, a man and woman lose control on a slippery surface and collide. Love is no accident. Love is deliberate to the same degree as lust is deliberate. People do not just fall in love, neither do they just fall out of love. Any relationship that fails, fails because love was never there. I am responsible for my love.
“We just don’t love each other anymore…the passion has gone out of it.”

“… it’s important to remember that the very concept of ‘romantic love,’ which is so celebrated in movies, songs and cheap paperbacks, was virtually unknown to the ancients.”1
“Love and romance are not necessarily bed fellows. Authors such as Byron, Shelley and Keats…passionately argued that it was a crime against oneself to marry for any reason other than ‘love’ (which was defined largely by feeling and emotion)…” 2  

Love is not an emotion, but neither is it devoid of emotion, passion or desire. Love could be better understood as the motivator of good behavior. I want to stress this connection between love and behavior, because love is not seen until it is manifested in behavior. That behavior reveals the motive of the inner man. I will expand on this later. 

What others say about love…

“When you make a commitment to a relationship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because you now experience ownership of that relationship.”  --- Barbara de Angelis

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” --- Dr. Seuss

“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs. Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers eyes. Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, a choking gall and a preserving sweet.” --- William Shakespeare

“To say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days.” --- William Shakespeare

This last one is sadly true.  Scriptural love is NEVER absent of reason.

“I adore him… I have never been so happy. I have real love.” --- Princess Diana of Wales 

“Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. you only need a heart full of grace. a soul generated by love.” --- Martin Luther King

“If Jack's in love, he's no judge of Jill's beauty.” --- Benjamin Franklin

“But love is blind, and lovers cannot see What petty follies they themselves commit.” --- William Shakespeare

“You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” --- Sam Keen

“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish it's source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.” --- Anais Nin

As you can see, many people have many different views of love. Even these people miss the subtly.  Little wonder there is confusion. As we continue, hopefully we will see that some of these quotes come very close to what the Bible says about real love. Martin Luther King and Sam Keen are the best because as we shall see, love is important not only in salvation, but it is the driving force behind the works and services which are pleasing to God. Barbara de Angelis associates love with ownership. Investment and commitment are good qualities, but not if a relationship is the target out of a motivation of ownership. Love does not seek it’s own.  Ownership implies one’s own self interests. Love seeks the best interest of others. Love is ALWAYS reasonable, contrary to William Shakespeare. Love is more than sighs, not even close to madness, often greaves, never blind and never dies as Anais Nin so states …period. 
What the Bible says about love…
Love never fails…NEVER.

1 Corinthians 13:4 - 8 (NASB) ⁴Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,  ⁵does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, ⁶does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;  ⁷bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 

1 John 4:15 - 20 (NASB) ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  ¹⁶We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  ¹⁷By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.  ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.  ¹⁹We love, because He first loved us.  ²⁰If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 

How love is connected to salvation…

First of all, we can’t take credit for loving God.  We love, because He first loved us. Had it not been for the Father’s first steps toward this sinful world thorough Jesus, we would never know God and would never have a reason to love God. Had it not been for His efforts through the Word we would never know God intimately. God’s love is instrumental in the salvation plan. If God didn’t love us, He would have abandoned us long ago.

What is the reason for this salvation/reconciliation if our love is not of some credit or merit? It isn’t really about credit or merit, but relationship. Love adds dimension to a relationship. In love my focus is upon the object of my affections. If I love someone because they make me feel good, then it is likely my feelings are the focus and if those feelings should evaporate because of the heat of everyday life, then that love is also going to evaporate. One’s beauty, intelligence, money, public notoriety or charm have all been reasons people have fallen in love. When that focus is challenged, their love disappears. In truth, they never loved the person and never had a relationship other than physical.

Relationships are never one sided. Love can be, however. Relationships can be of a legal nature, physical nature and a spiritual nature. Husbands have a legal relationship with their wives at the very least, sons have a legal as well as a physical relationship with their fathers (they are related), business partners have a legal relationship to the company and with each other. Now regarding marriage, a man marries, thereby forming a legal relationship with his wife. She later develops a disease which hinders all physical, mental and emotional communications between she and her husband. She is physically and mentally incapable of showing any affections or fostering any physical or mental relationship. They still have a legal relationship and this will never change until she dies or he legally breaks the marriage. This relationship is still a relationship in legal terms. Even though she is a vegetable, the legal relationship between he and her still exists and is not one sided. He cannot be legally married to her without her prior knowledge. She may not be able to physical acknowledge him and a physical relationship be impossible, but this does not negate the contractual agreement between the two.

God and man are physically related in the sense that God created us and this will always be. Like a father has a physical DNA relationship with his son which will never change, God is Creator and we are the created. We can also have a legal relationship with God, performing duties, rites, liturgy and following lists of rules. We can acknowledge Him as God, verbalize His authority and yet be void of any affections for Him. This leads us to another type of relationship, a spiritual relationship with God.

Spiritual relationships, like legal relationships are never one sided. To be a legal partner, one must have a partner. To be related physically (DNA) to one’s offspring, one must have offspring. Whether they are dead or alive is irrelevant. Both legal and physical relationships are mutual.  It is the same with the spiritual relationships.  If I have a spiritual relationship with my wife, she must have a spirit.  I cannot have a spiritual relationship with a dead women.
 
In our example of the husband and his invalid wife, we see a legal relationship, but no spiritual relationship. Also we see his love for her, but we do not see her love in return. This is how Love can be one sided but a relationship not be. God loves us. We may not love Him in return, but we are always loved by Him. Love can be one sided.

I can have a legal relationship with God, obey rules, rites, verbalize my faith, confess His Lordship and still lack a spiritual relationship with Him. The question remains, what is the point of salvation if there is no spiritual relationship between God and myself. Yes we could continue to obey rules and regulations, but all these things are temporary. 

1 Corinthians 13:8 - 11 (NIV) ⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part,  ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.  ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 

There are a couple of key ideas found in this verse. One, that which is imperfect will disappear.  The law was imperfect in the sense it could not justify. The law was incomplete for if it had to be fulfilled then it was only a beginning to what was to be greater. The second, as a child needs a tutor and restrictions, so to we learned through a tutor and was lead to Christ. When we mature, the tutor is no longer needed and we continue to walk as men by the Spirit and not carrying out the desires of the flesh.

I have complied a short list of verses which I think will help establish the understanding of 1 Corinthians 13:10 

Matthew 5:17 - 19 (NASB) ¹⁷“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  ¹⁸“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  ¹⁹“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 7:12 (NASB) ¹²“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 22:36 - 40 (NASB) ³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  ³⁷And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  ³⁸“This is the great and foremost commandment.  ³⁹“The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  ⁴⁰“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Luke 10:25 - 29 (NASB) ²⁵And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  ²⁶And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?”  ²⁷And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”  ²⁸And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”  ²⁹But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Galatians 2:15 - 17 (NASB) ¹⁵“We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;  ¹⁶nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.  ¹⁷“But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 

Galatians 3:23 - 26 (NASB) ²³But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.  ²⁴Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.  ²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  ²⁶For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 

Galatians 5:16 - 18 (NASB) ¹⁶But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  ¹⁷For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

Hebrews 7:18 - 19 (NASB) ¹⁸For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness  ¹⁹(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.  Hebrews 8:7 (NASB) ⁷For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 

There is some confusion among Christian circles that because the Law saves no one that we are somehow exempt from obeying the Law. Well, we don’t have sacrifices anymore (or do we), one Sacrifice, Jesus, once for all. However, this setting aside of the Law does not give us license to murder, steal, lie, cheat, fornicate, break oaths, etc. We are saved by GRACE through faith (the evidence).  BOTH grace and faith (the evidence) are gifts. I cannot believe in the truth until the truth is revealed. God revealed the truth both in nature and though His Word. He left his fingerprints all over the crime scene. Our faith (evidence) comes by hearing the word. BOTH are gifts from God.  I cannot take credit for the evidence (faith) He chose to leave behind. IF I claim I have faith (evidence) then I am OBLIGATED like law enforcement or mandated reports such as doctors, teachers and counselors to act on it accordingly. Faith or evidence by itself is useless unless we act on it. This part is very important. James makes it clear. (More on this a little later, I’ve jumped the gun a bit.)

James 1:22 (NASB) ²²But prove (γίνομαι) yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 

James 2:18 - 21 (NASB) ¹⁸But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  ¹⁹You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe (verb form of faith), and shudder.  ²⁰But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?  ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 

We see in these verses a great many things related to law, faith and love. Paul places love above faith in 1 Corinthians. If we are justified by faith and love is greater than faith, I move that love is the very reason we are saved.  Eternity in the presence of God, without love for Him would be pointless. In fact, to be in the Presence of God without love for Him, would be Hell. James point out with the use of the Greek word γίνομαι, translated here as “prove”, more accurately “cause to be”, “generate” or “be known as” yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. Moreover, we cannot forget what James says about the demons and their behavior.  They believe (verb form of faith) and shudder. James implies in his letter that faith by itself is not enough, for if just the presence of faith, justifies, then the demons are justified, because there is no doubt in their minds that God is Who He is. So, the differences must be that we can love God and they do not.  They have faith, but shudder in His Presence. They have the evidence and know without a doubt their destiny.

More on Love’s Role in Salvation in the next blog. 
_______________________________
1. Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas, Zondervan,  p.13.
2. Sacred Marriage. Gary Thomas, Zondervan.  p.14.

What was God Thinking?

Most of us are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:15).  God commanded Adam not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for in the day that it was eaten, he would surely die. Later (Gen 3: 1-6), Eve is approached by the Serpent, told to the contrary and the rest is history.

Before we begin, let us ask ourselves a couple of basic questions.
Is God all-knowing?  (Omniscient)

The answer is either YES or NO.

Is God all-powerful?  (Omnipotent)

The answer is either YES or NO

If God is omniscient, He would have seen the outcome of Genesis 2.  Likewise, if God is omnipotent, He could have NOT created the Tree of Knowledge or could have prevented Eve from eating it. Even if He couldn't stop or protect Eve, His sight into the future would have been sufficient warning for precautionary measures. Therefore, He could have prevented the Fall of Man and the whole mess that followed. But He didn't.

One might conclude that He didn't see what was coming and is, in fact, partially ignorant. One might also conclude that He couldn't prevent Eve from eating. If either of these are true then He is not worthy of our attention.

Now for the alternative, which isn't very comforting either. If God IS omniscient and omnipotent, then He did it knowing full well Eve would succumb to the serpent's proposition and His inaction to protect Eve was deliberate.

Romans 8:20
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope (expectation)...

God deliberately set Adam and Eve up.  Sounds cruel? God allowed our father and mother to fall and thereby setting our DNA on a self destruct course toward death.  Every loved one who has died, suffered the pains of disease and persecution, has done so because a long time ago God 'subjected' creation to futility.  What God did is like a parent leaving a loaded handgun in the sight and reach of a child telling the child not to play with it knowing full well the child will, does and dies.  At the very least in today's American society we call this child endangerment.

Romans 9:19 - 23 (NASB) ¹⁹You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”  ²⁰On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?  ²¹Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?  ²²What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  ²³And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 

Romans 9 opens up lots of controversy. This controversy is needless as we will soon see. Let me say just briefly, Paul was a vessel of dishonor, prepared for destruction only to become a vessel of mercy prepared beforehand for glory. Putting it another way, the potter makes a spittoon and he makes a chalice. One is a vessel of honor while the other is a vessel of dishonor. Both are useful to the Potter. Furthermore, it does not prevent their roles being exchanged.
As to the matter of the forbidden fruit …
What was God thinking? Well, two things come to mind.

• Free Will

The Sunday school answer is that God wanted man to have free will.  Picture someone standing over you with a sword, forcing you to sign a contract without reading it. He is acting against the free will of the one signing.  God did not coerce Adam and Eve to eat, nor did He act contrary to their choice to disregard His directive. Some argue that because of the Fall we do not have free will any longer.  They use Romans 9 (incorrectly) as proof we are predetermined to be saved or to perish and there is nothing we are able to do about it.  Once a spittoon, always a spittoon. Out destiny has been decided and any change in that destiny dictates that God must intervene. These theologians say we are unable to make a godly decision, because we are totally depraved. Some say that because of this God must first enable us, that Grace is not up to us and is unmerited.  Okay, all this is true. Being born is not our decision and by default we are predestined for either Glory or Perdition. Death is at the end of our lives, a given, plain and simple fact.

By our very DNA, death has entered through “…one man’s sin.”  We have been separated from God, not able to have fellowship with Him without some help from Him. However, FREE WILL is not set aside by this predetermination to defective DNA. It is not complicated, not contradictory to total depravity, not a circumvention of choice but an absolutely brilliant way (Praise God and His Wisdom) of removing personal merit from the equation without rendering humanity to the level of puppet. Imagine we are at sea, shipwrecked, tossed about on the ocean waves, too far from land to swim. We are lost and without hope. Suddenly, a Coast Guard Helicopter circles, drops a line and a voice yells, “Grab the line!”   We have a choice.  We are still completely dependant on being found by another, hoisted by another, carried to safety by another and nursed to health by another. As we are raised we are not deliberating on whether or not I have merited my rescue nor are we measuring the work which aided in my way to rescue. Had it not been there to begin with, my ‘grabbing’ would have been a striving after the wind. All is asked of me is to “Grab the line!” 

Let me say this again.  God is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!! He gets the glory for the rescue and we can express our trust in Him by ‘grabbing the line.' We can take credit for nothing other than declaring He is trustworthy.  He is still the focus in the declaration. 

I’ll come back to this in later studies.  Right now, it is important to understand that 'free will' is not only a given and is part of my design, but it is not isolated. Free will does not stand by itself. Okay, no brainer time … Choice is not choice unless there are choices … dah.  Free will choice is more than choice of ‘this or that’ as in our example. In the salvation choice it must coexist with another factor. Our belief or mental assent is really meaningless.  Demons have a better understanding of God than we do and they are not saved. But the expression of their faith is to shudder. Our expression of faith can be obedience yet this obedience can be deceptive. The age old dilemma of works based salvation slithers into the picture.
Here is how God clarifies this age old dilemma. Using the second part of our contract, God makes belief and obedience secondary by requiring this be without hypocrisy.  My obedience CAN be for show. My belief CAN be based upon deception or error. The only way for me to be absolutely sure is through the heart felt surrender of the things which I have grown to love for the heart felt devotion to Him.

• Full Disclosure

In signing a contract one is faced with the choice of signing or not, but not just the act of signing.  The contract must fully disclose the terms. "If you eat, you will die." “If you sign, this is what you will experience and what you will be RESPONSEable to do.”  When you buy a car, sign up for some sort of media service, or employment agreement, details must be included … dah. 
So where are we going with this?

Mankind was subjected to futility. This is not cruel, but a act of Sovereignty.  God had total sway over His creation.  He set it up exactly the way He wanted it and nothing overruled His plans. He, by an act of choice, released his grip and granted free will to Adam and Eve. God did not want puppets but free will agents.  Furthermore, God did not want mindless flukes of behavior, but informed creatures who would be able to deliberate upon the disclosed terms and intelligently agree or disagree.

Now there is a word of caution. The illusion of choice and linking it to free will can be a mistake.  There are many things in this world that we will experience and will not have a say in it.  Government edicts, sickness, our birth and death are just a few of the many things we honestly have no choice over.  Back to Romans 9 … God made me the way I am, the country I was born in, the parents I was born to, the exposure and influences I have witnessed, my intelligence factor, etc. Whether one would consider me a vessel of honor or dishonor is subjective.  Amos was a farmer while Solomon was a man of means. One had more ‘influence’ and ‘public notoriety’ than the other.   A professor may have more influence (honor) than a janitor. It is not the man that is important, but the message that vessel contains. This is predetermined by many many factors which are out of our control. As to the rest of the verse, let’s go back into the Old Testament and look at Pharaoh of  Egypt. He was born (no choice on his part) into a family of influence ( no choice on his part), allowed to grow up thinking he was a god (his choice to believe the lie – which God allowed to circulate), for the purpose of being humiliated by the Truth of the One True God.  He had every opportunity but the Truth (God) hardened his heart like the sun hardens clay yet melts wax.

Psalms 81:11 - 12 (NASB) ¹¹    “But My people did not listen to My voice,     And Israel did not obey Me. ¹²    “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,     To walk in their own devices.

Romans 1:20 - 25 (NASB) ²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  ²¹For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  ²²Professing to be wise, they became fools,  ²³and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. ²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  ²⁵For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

We have always had the ONE CHOICE.  Focus upon God in order to … make further choices … informed choices. God has negated our ‘total depravity’ through that which He created.

Now the rest of the story.  God created man in His image, after His likeness, gave him a free will and subjected him to the lusts and weaknesses of the flesh so that man could completely understand the meaning of sacrificial love.  You see, if God is love, and we are created after His likeness, then we are capable of making a deliberate choice to love from the heart. We must choose to neglect what we have grown to love for the Purity of Him.  Our choice is the focus of our deliberation. The rest is His glory.  We ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ by our choice of focus upon His ‘fireworks’ show, but the SHOW is HIS.  We can not take credit for that which we did not create.

God gets the glory for the very choice of free will HE HAS GIVEN.

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

Challenging the Dream

Since Genesis 3, mankind has been locked in battle against the Great Dreamweaver.  Satan will promise peace and tranquility. His lies do in fact bring a real peace and real tranquility, but it is only temporary. He satisfies the empty stomach and takes away the pain of loneliness, but he does this with a lie. He promises and he delivers, but he does not tell you the price tag attached to its fulfillment. In the Garden of Eden, his dream weaving cost mankind’s physical immortality and through the one man, death entered the world (Romans 5:12).

We find another such incident in Matthew 4. Three times Satan tempted Jesus, yet upon closer examination, the first requests didn’t seem all that big of a deal. 

Matthew 4:3 (NASB) ³And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 

Jesus, in fact, is the Son of God. 

Satan was not asking Him to admit to a bogus identity. 

Jesus could have easily proven Himself, but chose not to make bread out of stones.

Eating was not a matter of gluttony in that Jesus had already fasted for 40 days. Jesus was understandably hungry.

What was the big deal here? 

In verse 1 of Matthew 4, Matthew writes that Jesus was lead up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. The purpose of this was not fasting, but the tempting.

Jesus replied, "It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’"

Jesus didn't even rely on His own authority, but referred that authority to the Father, siting scripture. He put the Word ahead of wheat.

What does that say about our behavior when asked to prove ourselves?

Matthew 4:5 - 6 (NASB) ⁵Then the devil took^* Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,  ⁶and said^* to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,     ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and     ‘On their hands they will bear You up,     So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Satan now uses the scripture in his attempt to get Jesus to admit His identity. If scripture can be used by Satan, then certainly man’s understanding of the scripture (theology) can be used to motivate us to admit our identity. 

What is behind all of Satan’s cloak and dagger?

Matthew 4:8 - 9 (NASB) ⁸Again, the devil took^* Him to a very high mountain and showed^* Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;  ⁹and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 

Looking at the three in a nutshell, Jesus was going to reveal His identity anyway, why go hungry? What is wrong with taking in  nourishment? 

Secondly, Jesus came on a mission, sent by His Father Who would fulfill His Word prophesied thousands of years ago. Surely, the Father would send angels to guarantee His Son’s safety.

One tangent thought, this is the ONLY Biblical example of 'taking a leap of faith'. I don't want to go into this now, but I will only say that the concept of "Leap of Faith" is satanic ... period.

Finally, Satan’s last temptation was out right desperate. 

True, Satan wants worship, but the glory of this world which could have been immediate does not compare to the glory set before Jesus and is yet to come.  Jesus had to suffer many things before all this could take place. Furthermore, being aware of Who Jesus is, Creator and owner of all of creation, Satan sought to give what wasn’t really his to give. 

One must see his diabolical nature and skill at deception in these verses in order to be on guard against him. I think the answer to this complex interchange between Satan and Jesus can be found in First Peter. Jesus could have eaten, but it was Satan commanding it. Jesus could have been protected, but it was Satan's contrived circumstances. Jesus had the whole world in His hands in the beginning, having created it and held it together by His power. What Satan offered Him ... Jesus already had until a quiet night in Bethlehem when "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." 

1 Peter 5:6 - 9 (NASB) ⁶Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,  ⁷casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  ⁸Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  ⁹But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 

Out of this passage we see elements of a coming series, “Who Am I," with the same elements woven into Matthew 4.  Jesus humbled Himself, allowing His identity and His exaltation revealed by the Father at the proper time. On the more practical note, perhaps we try to prove ourselves before the Father’s time has come. In proving ourselves, are we not putting ourselves in front?  Would defending ourselves fall under this as well? Jesus did say to turn the other cheek. We also fret about our clothing and our sustenance when the Father cloths the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air.   

For me, one of the most disturbing passages in the scripture is Matthew 7:21-23 and its connection with the title of this article:
Matthew 7:21 - 23 (NASB) ²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²²“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  ²³“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Some will say this verse has to do with those who believe in Salvation through works, that it has nothing to do with Christians. Well, this may be true to a degree, but notice Jesus’ phrase, “…but he who DOES the will of My father who is in heaven will enter.” Hardly restricted to the law keeper, this verse should be disturbing to everyone in the church as well. Note He is including those who call Him LORD, those who prophesy in His name, those who cast out demons and those who, in His Name, performed many miracles. Jesus is NOT exclusive about the Jewish Law keepers. He is NOT exclusive about those who call Him Lord and obey Him.  He is talking about those who are living the dream of salvation and are refusing to admit that their failures and weaknesses are rooted deeply in rebellion.  The Great Dreamweaver has sung these guys to sleep. Cradled in a bed and breakfast of false security, they are surprised to awaken to the words, “I never knew you.” 

What exactly is the Will of My Father?

I would think humility would rank high on the list (see 1 Peter 5:6-9), but first let’s look at the connections.
“…he who does the Will of my Father who is in Heaven will enter.”
“… I never knew you; depart from Me 

Doing the Will of the Father seems to be connected to His statement, “I never knew you…” in that only those who do the will of My Father…may enter. Furthermore, I never knew you is connected to “depart from Me”. At least the result of not knowing and not doing the Will of the Father is the same. So, all things being equal, I think it is fair to assume the connection exists.

Secondly, the word knew or know denotes a relationship beyond the casual knowledge of someone. There are many people we know, but few people we can call close in association, submission or intimacy. By intimacy I do not mean in a sexual context. Although submitting to one another is understood, total strangers can be sexually intimate, submitting to one another and yet remain complete strangers. For this reason, marriage is not a good example, especially in this country’s culture. After years of marriage, couples have found themselves strangers after the kids grow up and move away, spending less time together because their focal point has moved out. 

Better examples of this intimacy is found in an organized group like a football team or a military SF (Special Forces) team.  One must have more than a passing knowledge of the team roster if expected to perform with top efficiency. Top notch performance as a team requires regular and consistent practice (something lacking in the modern church). Each  member must be able to perform their own assignment, but know the other team assignments well enough to adapt given one member is injured or situation takes a radical change. Radical changes can occur quickly, leaving little or no time to reissue detailed directives. The group must act in reflex. Personally, I love the imagery of a law enforcement dynamic entry team (SWAT).  They are so closed-in they can touch one another. When the point man moves, the whole team knows to move without vocal queue.  

But, how does knowing Jesus in this close and intimate way connect to the will of the Father, and what does this have to do with salvation?

The tie between Jesus and the Father is common throughout the New Testament. I can’t KNOW the Father without KNOWING the Son.  I can’t SEE the Father except I go through the Son.

• If you receive me, you receive the Father Who sent Me.  (Mark 9:37)
  
  John 4:34 (NASB) ³⁴Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”
  
  (Does this passage help establish a connection between Matthew 4 and Matthew 7?)

 

• I am the Way…no one can come to the Father except through Me (John 14:1-6). We see Matthew 7 again and a reference to salvation.
• If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. (Denotes solidarity)
• I and the Father are one. (John 10:25-30)
• I do not act on My Own… (John 5:30) John 5:30 - 32 (NASB) ³⁰“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. ³¹“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.  ³²“There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

(The bold area sheds some light on Matthew 4 I think.)
The whole of John 14 really captures the depth of this whole question.  
Now, reconsider 1 Peter 5:6-9. I think perhaps until we humble ourselves before the Father, thereby doing His Will, we can forget hearing, “Enter into my rest, good and faithful servant.”

Hebrews 3:4 - 15 (NASB) ⁴For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.  ⁵Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;  ⁶but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. ⁷Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,     “Today if you hear His voice, ⁸ Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,     As in the day of trial in the wilderness, ⁹ Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, And saw My works for forty years. ¹⁰    “Therefore I was angry with this generation,     And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,     And they did not know My ways’; ¹¹ As I swore in My wrath,     ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” ¹²Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.  ¹³But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  ¹⁴For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,  ¹⁵while it is said,     “Today if you hear His voice,     Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”

Knowing someone intimately is found in the heart. Verse 10 connects heart with knowing. Entry is impossible without them (verse 11) If I think I will see God absent a heart submitted to God, void of loving Him without hypocrisy then I am building my salvation upon a dream of human invention.

=========================

One closing thought for those who think I am building a case for salvation through works…think again.

Matthew 7:24 - 26 (NASB) ²⁴“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  ²⁵“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  ²⁶“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 

Both gentlemen built.  Built works apart from Christ is based upon sand.  Likewise, profession of Christ without obedience is hypocrisy.

Knowing Mine Heart

Confession is the hardest thing for me.  At times I am torn between admitting the wrong and saving face.  The battle that we all encounter is common and well known, but there is a battle that rages within man's soul that is unknown to many.  We all have read the story of David and Bathsheba, a story of lust, manipulation, murder and coverup. David was carried away by his desires and deep inside he justified his actions.  I believe David was completely unaware of his sin until it was pointed out after the fact. 

Deceit is by its very nature a hidden enemy.  Otherwise, it would not be deceit. David understood this. There is a place in the heart that is hidden even from me.  This area of the inner being is where deceit has its talons.  It is difficult to understand how sublime and stealthy sin can be when it girds itself in deception. As David writes he touches on this.

Psalms 32:1 - 5 (NASB) ¹    How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,     Whose sin is covered! ²    How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,     And in whose spirit there is no deceit! ³    When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away     Through my groaning all day long. ⁴    For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;     My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. ⁵    I acknowledged my sin to You,     And my iniquity I did not hide;     I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;     And You forgave the guilt of my sin.  

We understand right and wrong, but the wrong can easily, stealthily be justified.  We are told many times to be on our guard.  Peter's reason for his letters is to stimulate wholesome thinking.  Paul tells us to meditate on things which are pure, to be transformed by renewing our minds.  I can't help but think that our mental focus is part of our ultimate behavior and inner attitude.  Jesus tells us to keep our eyes straight ahead when plowing in a field.  This was not to produce better farmers, but was to illustrate the elementary nature of our everyday walk.

The big question is how can I be sure I am not 'convincing myself' I am doing the right thing?

If the Word is able to discern the 'thoughts and intents of the heart', then wouldn't it be logical our mental and spiritual barometer would be calibrated to His standard?  IF the Word is a 'lamp unto my feet'  and a 'light unto my path', wouldn't it be logical to bring it with us when walking in this darkened world?  Wouldn't it be true that it would not only illuminate our daily path, but also illuminate the hidden places of our hearts and thereby assist us in cleaning out the leaven?

The hidden dirt is made known in the Light of His Word.

I hope this short writing brings some light to you and aids you staying in step with the Spirit.

Raymond Gauthier

A Tribute to a Fellow Brother

There are not enough words, nor those adequate to express the impact Al "Sonny" Hamilton has had on others. He baptized me into the family of God and opened up a world I would have never seen. As a result, I went to Bible college, met Debbie, got married, have three wonderful children, Sarah, Michelle and Brittany. Every event after I came up out of those waters of the Country Club Lake will stretch into every direction like an Oak tree, growing onto infinity. Thank You God for bringing Al into Marceline, MO. 

Al "Sonny" Hamilton

Al Hamilton went to be with the Father at 5 PM April 28, 2014.

He will be sorely missed by all who knew him, worked with him and by his family.  I consider it an honor to have known him and to have been briefly mentored by him, to have been introduced to his family who have become the brothers and sisters I never had.  To God be the Glory forever, Amen.

Reading Timeline

Here is a reading timeline (10-10) based on 10 chapters Old Testament and 10 chapters New Testament. Highlighted books are books which can be read together and are broken down into both (individual days) and grouped days. Numbers in red are both large and chaptered such that reading them by timed method (1 hour) would be best.  

Old Testament Reading Schedule

Book	Chapters	Days		Book	Chapters	Days
Genesis	50	5		Ecclesiastes	12	1
Exodus	40	4		Song of Solomon	8	1
Leviticus	27	3		Isaiah	66	7
Numbers	36	4		Jeremiah	52	5
Deuteronomy	34	4		Lamentations	5	1
Joshua	24	3		Ezekiel	48	5
Judges	21	2		Daniel	12	1
Ruth	4	1		Hosea	14	2
I Samuel	31	3		Joel	3	(1)
II Samuel	24	3		Amos	9	(1) 1
I Kings	22	2		Obadiah	1	(1)
II Kings	25	3		Jonah	4	(1)
I Chronicles	29	3		Micah	7	(1) 1
II Chronicles	36	4		Nahum	3	(1)
Ezra	10	1		Habakkuk	3	(1)
Nehemiah	13	2		Zephaniah	3	(1)
Esther	10	1		Haggai	2	(1) 1
Job	42	4		Zachariah	14	2
Psalms	150	15		Malachi	4	1
Proverbs	31	3

Total number of days needed to read through the Old Testament by reading 10 chapters average would be 100 days  or about 3.5 months. This amounts to reading the Old Testament 3.5 times per year.

New Testament Reading Schedule

Book	Chapters	Days		Book	Chapters	Days
Matthew	28	3		I Timothy	6	(1)
Mark	16	2		II Timothy	4	(1) 1
Luke	24	2		Titus	3	(1)
John	21	2		Philemon	1	(1)
Acts	28	3		Hebrews	13	(1) 2
Romans	16	2		James	5	(1)
I Corinthians	16	2		I Peter	5	(1)
II Corinthians	13	2		II Peter	3	(1) 1
Galatians	6	(1)		I John	5	(1)
Ephesians	6	(1)  1		II John	9	(1)
Philippians	4	(1)		III John	1	(1)
Colossians	4	(1)  1		Jude	1	(1)  3
I Thessalonians	5	(1)		Revelation	23	2
II Thessalonians	3	(1)  1

It is a bit more complicated but one could group them together to read the 10 chapters average. If done this way the New Testament could be read in 30 days or read 12  times per year. Imagine reading through the NT once a month!  Okay ... cut the reading time in half. Reading 5 chapters a day from each the OT and NT would result in completing the OT 1.75 times a year and the NT 6.5 times.

Rewards (What comes naturally.)

One big advantage (reward) is that the Scriptures take on a whole meaning beyond the verse by verse study. Whenever an OT passage is quoted in the New Testament, you immediately get a contextual grip on its significance.

Study will become easier and insightful application will begin to weave itself into discussions, meditation and prayer. You will begin to see God in everything around you. You will begin to see His 'fingerprints' on all of creation and will understand more deeply (what I like to call visceral understanding) passages such as: 

Rom. 1:18 - 23 (NASB) ¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ²¹For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²²Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Apologetics, hermeneutics and the like are coming. I can hardly wait!  I hope you can join me.

One other reward, you will start a natural trend toward evangelism.  This is important, because the evangelism (witnessing) should be natural. There are basically two types of witnesses. Those who are natural and those who sound like telemarketers. A REALationship with Him begins with the Word. Remember, Jesus is the Word and no one comes to the Father except through Him. The Word starts transforming us inwardly through the renewing of our thinking patterns (mind). We start thinking (meditating) on His thoughts.  We start asking questions (praying) and wondering about how things work. Before we know it, our behavior starts changing until one day someone who you are around a lot (co-worker) comes up to you and says, "I noticed you don't get as angry as quick anymore. In fact, I can't recall the last time you flew off the handle. What's going on?" A tear may form in your eye as you say, "Well, something marvelous. Let me tell you about it."  

NOW THAT'S EVANGELISM.