Eternal Security or Conditional Security

I'm going to preface this topic with one word of advice: “Your salvation is independent of your own belief in 'eternal security' or 'conditional security'.” We each have our own beliefs in this matter and to be honest, we can each back up our own belief with scripture; oftentimes the same scripture. Hence, it is not a matter of contradiction in God's Word, but in our own interpretation of God's word. Our interpretation, wrong or right, will not be the deciding factor in our salvation!
.

I won't get into the debate which caused the split among churches. I will say that since this issue has split Christ's church more than any other! The heat, and even hatred, because of this contentious issue yet divides us and disunites us. One group believes that they alone have the “truth” and that the other side is heretical. That's pride! Pride for either side.

.

First, the definition of each. “Eternal security” is the Calvinistic teaching (Point 5: Preservation of the Saints) that once persons are truly saved they can never lose their salvation. Charles Stanley has said "Even if a believer for all practical purposes becomes an unbeliever, his salvation is not in jeopardy… believers who lose or abandon their faith will retain their salvation.”

.

Calvinism is the deterministic belief that we have no say in our eternal destination. Five points were presented by John Calvin at the “Synod of Dort” during the “Quinquarticular Controversy” (1609-1618 debates between John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius). The 5 points are presented by the acronym “TULIP” to aid in remembering. T-total depravity, U-Unconditional election, L-Limited atonement, I-Irresistible grace and P-Preservation of the Saints (Eternal Security). Calvinism basically takes the position that “free will” has no place in obtaining salvation. God has already elected those to be finally lost and those who will be saved and since you're predestined, your own actions have nothing to do with salvation. Your eternity is strictly based on the grace of God who somehow chose you to be his eternal companion.

.

On the other hand “free will” is still dependent on God's generous grace, and means that man can at least have a hand in choosing some of his own actions. Deut. (All verses KJV) 30:19 "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse, therefore choose life" . The “choose” part is the exercising of free will.

.

5-point Calvinism will not be included in this discussion. Most evangelicals do not accept point 1-4. For those who do, I suggest a careful study of scripture because Calvinism can readily be discounted. Hard core Calvinism can and will lead to a cessation of the “Great Commission” because it would be futile to endeavor to save souls who are predestined to hell anyway.

.

We will discuss what Baptists call the “free grace doctrine” or “once saved always saved”. It differs from “preservation of the saints” because the latter does take into account “sanctification”, hence some degree of “works” are involved to retain your salvation in Calvinism. In “free grace” what you do after you're saved has no bearing on your eternal destination. Adherents do teach that if you are a true Christian you will avoid sin, but if you get entangled in a life of sin, you were never even saved. I won't use philosophical arguments in my case, but scripture alone.

.

Most Baptists accept that salvation is your choice and are strong in “making a decision for Christ”. Hence, most Baptists (excluding of course Particular Baptists) believe in “free will”. The difference is that eternal security Baptists believe in free will up to the point of salvation, then God steps in and your own choices are of no consequence. Those Baptists who believe in “conditional security” would say that “free will” both allows you to accept Christ for salvation and also be a requirement in retaining salvation. (i.e. you have the free will to apostatize at any time your faith is abandoned).

.

Next we need to look at what it takes to become a Christian (saved). Acts 16:31 “They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved'....”. Since we know that the demons believe in Jesus we must accept the concept that the “belief” must be because Jesus is the sacrifice which redeems us from damnation and hence true belief is not only of the mind, but of love for Christ. To “believe” is to accept Christ and have confidence in Him.

.

If you meet the criteria in believing, you believe Jesus did what he has done and will do what he says. You trust Jesus. That's faith and is aptly described by Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Those who are proponents of eternal security use this verse even though they believe that Paul was only speaking to the Jews in Hebrews). You can't see heaven, but Jesus promises you a room there. Your hope in getting to heaven through the vicarious sacrifice of Christ alone is your “faith”. Is faith a one time event or does it have continuity?

.

A person, according to scripture, has “no faith”, “little faith”, “abounding faith”, “great faith” and “abandoned faith”, along with many other degrees of faith! Faith is a variable going from zero to God's infinite faith. While we can't get to heaven by works, it does take faith and faith is a work in itself. It implies “free will”, but even our will (faith) is a gift from God!

.

Here's a verse which links belief and faith” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It would be fair to say that this verse totally discredits 5-point Calvinism: “You must diligently seek him”. You must “believe” to “have faith”. The flip-side is if you don't believe you are without faith. So what makes you a Christian? You must have trusting belief which is faith!

.

Galatians 3:26 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:'
.

If you believe and have faith in Jesus (the only way to salvation) you are a child of God. I think any rational person would accept that a precursor to salvation is faith. The question remains “Is faith a single-point event or is it enduring?' The scripture tells us that we must have an enduring faith: “Revelation 14:12 “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” Some say that our faith is protected by God. Others say that our faith can be abandoned. I believe it can be abandoned.

.

1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. “ The last days are anytime after Christ's Resurrection because he said “surely I come quickly”. Abandonment of the faith IS the definition of apostasy.

.

Keep in mind that we must have genuine faith: 2 Timothy 1:5 “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee...” Lip-service doesn't cut-the-mustard. It must be “unfeigned faith” to be saving faith! And yes, it's possible, according to scripture, to abandon that faith. Not only does scripture tell us that some will abandon the faith, but we see it anecdotally in everyday life! Those who believe in security will say “They weren't really Christians to start with!” That trivializes God's word and what it says it takes to be saved. The problem lies in the fact that “belief” and “faith” are for the long haul, not for only the instant of repentance only.

.

Enduring faith means that you must believe in and place your hope in Christ to the end of your life. Paul, who was an Olympiad fan, compares it to an athletic event: 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” Paul knew that there is a war going on for your soul. It's a battle between good and evil (Jesus and Satan) and he was left standing because he “kept the faith” which by default means that he could have surrendered to the enemy!

.

The following verse is used by those who believe in eternal security as scriptural proof of their position (and have many others as well to be fair):

.

1 Peter 1:4 ”To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. “

.

Yes, God does keep for you a place in heaven through his power. No one can snatch you away from him. You are sealed by God. However, that seal is “through faith”. Here again is that tricky word “faith”, and again it goes back to “Is faith required to be an enduring faith”. I say yes. They say no.

.

What happens when your faith ends? You're saved! You get your reward... eternal life!

.

1 Peter 1:9 “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

.

However, if the end of your faith is before your death, you have abandoned the faith! (I Timothy 4:1).

.

I am a firm proponent of “conditional security”. I've had others preach “eternal security” and the more they preached the more firm I became because I studied deeper and deeper into the word. I prayed for God to lead me and to put aside my pride because we can be firm in our beliefs due to pride, causing us to be blinded to truth. However, that works the same way for people of either view. One thing that really hurts the case of believers in eternal security is their misrepresentations and fun-making:

.

1. “Those people believe one can 'lose their salvation'”. False! Proponents of free will believe that you can relinquish the grace that God has given you. They return to the ruler of the world in rebellion to Jesus, not because God takes away their salvation, but because of a bad choice.
2. “Those people believe in salvation by works and if you sin you lose your salvation.” Wrong again! We people believe that although works is assurance of your salvation, that good works have no bearing on your actual salvation. Your lack of faith is what causes you to select hell over heaven. Yo lose faith by not living in the word of God. He ceases to be important to you and you become apathetic to his authority. You have relinquished your hope.
3. “Those people believe you can get saved time after time.” Some people do believe that. Most of us believe we're backsliden, but can get regenerated. Our faith is still there, but we just partake of the pleasures of sin. We are still responding to guilt as the tool of the Spirit. Armineans believe that once in apostasy always in apostasy because Jesus doesn't get crucified twice for your sins. It would shame him: Hebrews 6:4 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” As for verses like the above those believing in eternal security would say that Paul was speaking to only the Jews. That has absolutely no bearing on the argument because God is not a respecter of persons. If it's true for the Jews, it's true for the gentile. Christian Jews were no more exempt from the mercy of God than the gentile! Likewise, if this type of argument is used we can all exempt ourselves from Romans, Corinthians, Thessalonians, etc, (i.e., nothing pertains to us because it was meant for others). Furthermore, while securitists denounce verses such as this from Hebrews they readily apply all other verses to everyone: inconsistent is the word you're looking for!
4. “Those people believe if you get drunk you're going to hell.” This is just silly talk and is totally dishonest. When we are to refute others view, we must be honest in our refutation! Those propagating security have turned me off in their snide comments and misrepresentation. When persuasion fails it seems that even Christians resort to ridicule!
5. “Those folks don't have any assurance of their salvation”. Wrong! Yes, we do, We're assured because we love Jesus so much that we want to do his will! We're just as assured as the next person. However, we're more cautious of “false assurance”: thinking that we are Christians, but not living for the Lord!

.

Now for the other side! What do we “free willers” think and say that is wrong?

.

1. “They believe you can do anything and still go to heaven!” While extremists such as Charles Stanley do take this position, most Baptists will say “Well, they weren't saved to start with.” That may very well be true, so let's give them the benefit of the doubt.
2. “He lives like the devil all week because he believes in eternal security.” While, I believe that people are more prone to sin if they're no consequences, we also find that some free-willers also live like the devil during the week. We are all prone to sin regardless of our position on eternal security. In fairness, securitists believe that the consequence of sin in the life of a Christian is a lesser reward in heaven. That makes sense. That may be a possibility as well, but I believe that sinners with no faith get no rewards in heaven because they won't be there!
3. “They are damning people to hell with their eternal security”. This issue is not a critical one to salvation! There are many people on both sides of the issue who use scripture for their position and folks on both sides will make it to heaven although one side is obviously in error. The danger in this theology, though, is that people may be tempted and succumb because as one man told me “This sin (that he was doing) was covered by the blood two-thousand years ago”. While, Jesus saves us from all sins our acceptance of him as savior is for all “past sins”. We need to continually ask for pardon of those current sins although he has already died for all sins. Romans 3:25 “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are PAST, through the forbearance of God;”

.

Let's be fair in our disagreements. Let's be loving! Let's quit misrepresenting each other. This doctrinal issue cannot ever be decided until we see Jesus. Then, we all will be humbled and see that Jesus cries in our stupidity and pride. I pray often that this issue not let me be driven from communion with my Christian brothers of the other persuasion. They make a big issue of it. I try not to be that way, but still they may perceive it to be. If my mind's in submission, I hope my heart will follow. I don't want to jeopardize my rewards in Christ because of a selfish viewpoint: my understanding and knowledge is greater than theirs. While I hope that your views are similar to mine, if they're not, you're still a child of God as long as you accept Jesus as Savior!

.

A Great Leader Shall Save Us! A Christmas Message

Old Testament prophecy is one-hundred percent accurate and should make the faithful from skeptics. Prophecy was information which God revealed to the faithful long before it ever happened. The people at the time were just as skeptical as we are today. When a prophecy failed to occur “right now” it was not taken seriously. That's where a student of history is important.
.

Ezekiel prophesied the utter destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel. Tyre was a bustling city island without direct access to the mainland. Armies were helpless in their attack because of the remoteness and isolation of the city. Tyre, they thought, will never fall! Nebuchadnezzar tried and gave up as did many others. It remained formidable! However, here's what Ezekiel said around 580 BC.

.

Ezekiel (KJV) 26:3 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. 4And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. 5It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.”

.

In 332 BC (250 years after the prophecy), Alexander the Great found a way to defeat the impenetrable city. He used earth and solid debris to build an half-mile wide causeway in the Mediterranean waters between Tyre and the mainland. He was able to conquer Tyre and as Ezekiel prophesied, it was utterly destroyed by the Mameluks in 1291 AD; almost 1900 years after Ezekiel saw it happen! In the meantime, Jesus walked on the coast of Tyre!

.

Ezekiel, in his visions, saw Alexander the Great. He knew that Tyre would be destroyed and Alexander fulfilled the events that led to its final destruction. So who cares?

.

When Alexander died his son was murdered and his empire went to his three generals: Ptolomy I Soter (Egypt), Seleucus I (Anatolia, Asia Minor including Palestine) and Antigonous (Europe). The rule of the Seleucid created the “Hellenistic” period, the era of Greek influence in the Middle East. The Septuagint (Old Testament-translated by the 72) was written in Greek due to the influence of Alexander. Our own King James and many modern versions of the Bible were taken from the Greek.

.

“Where am I going?” you ask. I'm drawing a path from Ezekiel and what the expected Messiah was thought to be. (Bear with me).

.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a Seleucid King of of the Hellenistic Syrian Kingdom to which Palestine belonged. The Maccabees were a priestly family of Jews who rebelled against the Seleucids and defeated Antiochus. As a consequence, the defiled temple was reconsecrated by Judas Maccabaeus, which had been desecrated in 167 BC. The reconsecration is what the Jews celebrate today with the religious holiday Hanukkah. After the death of Judas Maccabaeus, the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty was ruled by his brothers Jonathan and Simon. The Roman general Marc Antony defeated the Hasmoneans and killed their ruler in 37 BC.

.

The Jews had been in revolution from 167 BC until 37 BC (130 years). Their temple had been retaken, restored and reconsecrated by great generals who would be kings. Hope was dwelling in the Jewish people who looked for a great leader to win the revolution and bring Judah back to its rightful place. They knew the Messiah would be coming! That was prophesy from their holy scripture. While, they knew he would be the Messiah, they were confused about his role. While their souls needed restoration, they were looking for the restoration of Israel. Jesus didn't fit the expectation!

.

1. Kings aren't born in mangers. Luke (KJV) 2:12b “Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. “
2. Kings aren't mere carpenters! Mark (KJV) 6:3 “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.”
3. Generals don't ride donkeys. How surprised the people would have been! John (KJV) 12:12 “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,”
4. Kings aren't servants! Kings are served. However, we see here that Jesus wasn't the typical king: Matthew (KJV) 12:17 “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.” Here was prophesy again, and being fulfilled!
5. Kings aren't meek? The normative is for Kings to be treated royally. They are proud in their accomplishments. Matthew (KJV) 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Meekness is the opposite of “pride”. There was no pride in the Servant's heart, although he had every reason to be prideful... He was and IS God!

.

Nope! The Jews wanted a Messiah, but they didn't get what they wanted. Jesus' purpose wasn't to save the nation, but to save the world. After his death the Temple was destroyed (70 A.D) (prophesied by Jesus), and the nation totally defeated (restored again in 1948, according to prophesy). Their expected General and King had failed them because their expectations were wrong. However, Jesus never fails!

.

What are your expectations? Was Jesus a myth, a political figure? Just a biblical character? Was he a charlatan? Was he a failed general? Was he a mere teacher? A good man? A prophet? Or is he “THE WAY” and the only Way?

.

Jesus needs to have meaning in your life or your wasting your time. If you don't believe that you were saved by the mercy in Jesus shedding of His own blood for you; you'd just as well go all out in sin! What's keeping you from it? Inside the Holy Ghost (God's Spirit) is beaconing. He has the prevenient grace to call you even though your heart is hardened. If you feel remorse and guilt, you're being summoned! Surrender yourself! Your life will never be the same. Truly Jesus IS a great King. Praise Him right now.

"Merry Christmas" or "Merry Christnatum"!

Literally, when we celebrate “Christmas” the Oxford Dictionary of English History indicates that we're celebrating “Christ-Mass”. “Mass” is a Catholic service which is also performed by closely associated denominations. It literally means “dismissed”. After the service the priests then dismisses the partakers. Mass has several steps in music and scripture leading up to the Eucharist, the taking of the bread and wine. Whereas, protestants believe that the taking of the elements is an ordinance, Catholics consider it a sacrament. Protestants take “Communion” as one of only two ordinances: baptism and communion. Others also include “foot-washing” as an ordinance.

.

While the wafer and “wine” (grape-juice for many protestants) are symbolic for most protestants, it is called transubstantiation in Catholic theology. “Transubstantiation” means that the host (bread and wine) is literally transformed when it's taken, into the body and blood of Christ! Many Christians have been killed by various torturous methods for refusing to accept what they considered idolatry; the existence of Christ in them. (Foxes Book of Martyrs).

.

On a certain day for the Mass, participants on “All Souls Day” (November 2), there is a “Requiem Mass”. On All Souls Day the living pray for the dead in Purgatory by offering special prayers. “Purgatory” is a place where its proposed that the souls who have died in grace go to be expatiated (freed). Why does this matter? Our predecessors “protested” against such Masses, hence, “Protestants”. I'm not trying to denigrate Catholics, but there are extreme doctrinal differences. I pray that God will be graceful to us and to them whom I believe to be in error (excuse the lack of political correctness on my part).

.

Now for my point! We protestants go out of our way to protect the use of “Merry Christmas”. Although, it's now tradition (336 AD) and December 25^th was set as Christ's birth by Sextus Julius Africanus (AD 221). It's not “forcing our beliefs”, but acknowledging not only history, but what history shows the people believed! It's fact and nothing of which to be ashamed or censored. (Censorship is a totalitarian technique).

.

The giving of gifts is a pagan custom given to us by the Celts and Germans in the Middle ages. I really question the Christian aspect of giving gifts, but still encourage charity where it's needed. Gift-giving and receiving is sorely distorted and far removed from the celebration of Christ's birth!

.

Luke (KJV) 2:10 : “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 : For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 : And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 : And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 : Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

.

There is much to do with “Christmas” here:

.

1. good tidings – Jesus is the “Good News”. With good news you want to announce it!
2. Born this day – That's the “Good News”. Jesus is born that day!
3. Christ the Lord – God was made flesh this day!
4. A savior – the god-man who will someday die to cover your sins so you don't have to.
5. Praising – We are to praise his birth! (Happy Holidays just doesn't cut the mustard).
6. Peace on earth – Love your neighbor. Be charitable. It should be a time to make amends to show love; even to your personal enemies.
7. Good will toward men – Love your neighbor as yourself. Be charitable to those who're in need. Take the stranger into your home.

.

Where's the alcohol and partying mentioned? Where's the superfluous gift-receiving taught? Where's the demand for gratifying our material needs? All those things are temporal. We're to do what magnifies Christ and we're to manifest the love commanded by Jesus on the Mount!

.

Now what do I suggest? I strongly believe that by wishing people “Merry Christ Mass” that we're at odds with our own beliefs. Let me coin a new Anglicized word from the Latin which more aptly describes what we're celebrating. Happy “birth of Christ” in Latin is “Christum natum”! I shorten the Latin to the new English word “Merry Christnatum!”

.

Merry birth of Christ to you! “Merry Christnatum”.

.

If we use that word in lieu of “Happy Holidays” perhaps we'll give the “thought police” more of a challenge, while at the same time, not to recognize the “Mass” for which many a Protestant Christian disdained, even died to avoid its celebration.

Sin of Syncretism: Are you guilty?

Today while waiting at a public business I had a seat beside a lady. I made a friendly comment and in doing so she told me that she does yoga and had for years. “I feel so much better thanks to yoga!” she said. I responded “I don't do yoga. It's against my beliefs!” She responded “Yoga isn't a religion. It's an exercise.” Of course being knowledgeable of yoga, I explained to her that yoga is indeed a religious “practice”. “Yoga” is a Hindu religious exercise, meaning “union”, which seeks to unite you with your personal god through postures, meditation, self-hypnosis and asceticism (self-denial). Yes indeed. You are participating in a pagan religious practice through yoga!
.

Our conversation continued: The lady responded “And what religion are you?' My quick response was “I'm a Christian!” She then asked what denomination. I told her that I practice the Baptist belief. Here's the kicker! She responded “I'm an Episcopalian, but we all worship the same God regardless of what religion we are!” That my friend is “syncretism”.

.

Syncretism means to combine and meld differing belief systems in attempt to to create unity and inclusiveness. The lady in the example was very smoothly melding Hinduism into Christianity. She accepted the god Vishnu as equal to JWHW, the true God whose name means “I AM”! This lady is unwittingly heretical. She is in direct violation of the First Commandment.

.

Exodus (KJV) 20:3 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,”

.

Not only was the lady in disrespect of the One True God, but by equating Vishnu and other pagan gods, she was in apostasy! I paraphrased the following verse to the lady (with cordiality of course); John (KJV) 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” She had no response! What could she say? Speechless!

.

God is a jealous God. He desires that his children remain true to Him and is hurt when we turn to false gods. As God was writing the commandments, here's what His children were already doing:

.

Exodus (KJV) 32:24 “And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”

.

No, God wasn't good enough for the rebellious people! The Egyptians from whom God had just saved the Jews, worshiped a bull god, the Sacred Bull which was the Lunar God. Here we have a combination between the worship of an animal and astrology. The Hebrew people were guilty of syncretism. They had smoothly combined the worship if the golden calf (money-mammon) alongside the worship of God.

.

Throughout history the Jews time and again were syncretic. They built golden calves on hilltops, they offered their infants to the pagan God Molech, they followed the stars. The Jews were rebellious, and did one thing well. They easily and often worshiped pagan gods right along with God. Paganism included the golden calf, temple prostitution, witchcraft, astrology, and fertility fertility cults among other deviance's. They even had male temple prostitutes as the Canaanites did. How sordid!

.

God destroyed Israel, thus keeping his end of the Abrahamic Covenant. In their syncretism the Jews lost it all. They were defeated, disbursed and many annihilated. They paid for their syncretic worship! They learned their lesson. By the time Jesus enters the picture, Jews were really careful to avoid syncretism. They were finally true monotheists!

.

Then Jesus was born! The Jews rejected him. They had learned their lesson. Instead of understanding their own God-breathed scripture that tells them that God is the coming Messiah, the Jews were careful not to by syncretic. They saw Jesus as another God. They erred!

.

To understand syncretism one must study Acts Chapter 15. Gentiles Christians who were not circumcised (in violation of Jewish Law) were accepted as fellow believers. The exceptions were prohibitions against :

.

1. Eating blood or meat containing blood (I still don't eat my steak rare).
2. Eating meats from animals improperly slain.
3. Fornication.
4. Idolatry.

.
What did all four of these issues have in common. They were all associated with pagan worship. The Council of Jerusalem was telling the gentiles that they didn't have to keep all the Mosaic Law, but were to abstain from the worship of other gods. The Council validated the First Commandment and condemned the practice of syncretism. It's obvious to any casual reader of the scripture that since Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, the new Christian “cult” was anything but syncretic as is demonstrated by the following:
.
John (KJV) 14:9”Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;”
.

Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

.

John 14:9 makes it clear that Jesus is God, hence no syncretism there, and Acts 4:12 tells us that Jesus is the way and only way to salvation.

.

In summary, syncretism in any form is a sin. Accepting pagan gods on an equal footing with God is damning. While its in vogue to be inclusive, accepting the gods of others on equal footing, not only condemns the so-called Christian, but damns the pagan as well. Our mission as Christians is to tell the world about Jesus, not to usurp our own Christianity! Likewise, religious practices of pagan gods is disrespectful to God for he is a “jealous God”! A Christian must not be inclusive in their worship of God. They must not practice Yoga, Dharma, Karma, Om, meditation, the balance of life forces, the marital arts, astrology, animism, nature worship, or any other pagan religious deceptions. You open yourself to the forces of evil just as the Jews did in combining the Egyptian Bull Worship with Judaism.

.

It's so easy! It's so wrong! It's so damning!

Lies My Mother Told Me About Christmas

I'm using Mom as an example of “what not to do”. My own dear mother never lied to us about Christmas. She never had to because we never got into the Christmas ritual, not because we were being “holy” by any means, but because money and priorities never allowed us to celebrate the season like most people do. While we never got material gifts (outside underwea and socks), we always had a loving family together! Our gift was a better than normal dinner, some fruit and candy and being together. We all cherished that togetherness which carried over into our adult lives. Christmas was not only a celebration of Christ, but a time to honor the parents who worked so hard to even provide for our large family over the years.
.

No, Mom never lied to us about Christmas! However, contemporary “typical” mothers begin the lie the minute their child is born. “Look what Santa got for you, sweety!” “We've got to have the best Christmas tree.” “I can't wait to open my presents! (and many sneak a peek as my own children did).” Society has fallen into a trap! “It's better to get, and what I want, or I'll throw a fit.” seems to be the practice. Not only do people expect a present, but they demand what they want! While decorating for Christmas is silly, but not wrong, we've taught the young to be spoiled and ungrateful! I've seen so many kids open ten presents, all of which were fantastic, then say “Is that all?” or “Where's my Xbox?” Your gift to your children is a “bad attitude”. “We'll make our children happy if we only provide what we never had!” Those are the lies your mother told you! Prosperity isn't wrong, but materialism is.

.

1 Timothy (KJV) 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

.

I'll take the liberty of altering this verse for clarity... “For the love of material things is the root of all evil...” because people don't really love the money (albeit the greedy do), but they love what money can buy. Equity is equated to happiness. Happiness is synonomous with prosperity. Fun results in proportion to possessions and activities, another thing money will buy.

.

“Lies your mother told me” results in a character flaw in the child. They become unappreciative, self-indulgent and proud. “Look what I got from Santa!” Excessive gift-giving can also result in confusion, lack of motivation, selfishness, mean-spiritedness, laziness, stunted emotional growth, and even hate! These can be symtoms of an over-zealous parent trying to make a child happy. These gifts are a result of “lies your mother told me” (or implied to me).

1. Worry about what's in it for you.
2. Equate happiness with quantity.
3. If at first you don't get what you want, make life miserable for those around you.
4. The value of gifts have to be equal (or better). “If mine's not as good as another's, I expect more”.
5. If you can't afford it, there's always credit.
6. Spend like tomorrow never comes. God will provide even after I waste what he is given me.
7. My feelings will be hurt if I don't get much because “I'm me”!
8. The Spirit of Christmas is in what you can spend.
9. I expect gifts because I deserve them. (This is a characteristic carried over all year).
10. Be more worried about the cheap gift you buy to tell someone you remembered, when all you have to say is “I love and appreciate you!”
11. It's not a good gift unless others more “cool” would want it.
12. It's home-made. Others will make fun of me.
13. It's got to be name-brand.
14. “I'm too busy to 'thank you'” .
15. “I love to be with my friends at Christmas, but I can see my family anytime.”
16. “Christmas is the time to party! Alcohol and good times make the day!”
17. “Happy Holidays!” Not only has society taken Jesus out of the season, we as individuals have too! How much time on Christmas day is spent worshiping Jesus? Even thinking about Him?

.

“What's my point?” you say. You're breeding inbalanced people. Your children are taught poor attitudes at Christmas which molds their attitudes for the rest of the year. No, for life! You not only are lying to your children, but you are making narcissists of them. (I'm not speaking of everyone and all gift-giving. I'm speaking of the general attitudes in society which I witness at Christmastime).
.

Futhermore, you are contributing to the erosion of what Christmas should really mean to the Christian. I hate Christmastime and I even dread Chrismas day. It's the time of year when most people feel alone and suicide increases. It's a time when Jesus can help, but many don't think of Jesus. Yes, I love Jesus and celebrate His birth. I just want to celebrate it the way we should.... it honor of Him!

.

Here's the reason for the season:

.

Matthew (KJV) 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” We are to remember Christ because he came to save us! Although there was gift-giving, they were gifts from the wise to the Messiah. Be wise. Give Christ the gift... the gift of your love... and respect! Honor Him in a way that's honorable.

The Transfiguration

Moses had it, Elijah may have (in heaven) and so did Jesus! Their essential nature reflected “shekhinah”! This is a word, not in the Bible, but it appears in the Jewish Talmud. It describes the presence of God appearing in the world and is the radiant glowing heavenly light . The “Shekhinah” is the light of God and words cannot describe it. If we look at Moses as he descended Mount Moriah, we get a glimpse of God's presence on earth:

.

(All KJV)

Exodus 34:32 “And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 33And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 34But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 35And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”

.

In covenant theology the “”economy” God has with his people isn't a replacement one for another, but they are additive in nature. This is demonstrated by Jesus' recognition of the Davidic Covenant and that he didn't come to “replace the law, but to fulfill it.”As the Abrahamic covenant of faith was supplemented by the Mosaic Covenant of the law, it created a picture of the the Covenant of the Law as prophesied by the Davidic Covenant being consummated in the Covenant of Grace; the “New Covenant”! To rephrase this in simple terms, as God gave Moses the Law such that the Jews could demonstrate their faith by actions, Jesus gave us “grace” because of our faith, and the law was revealed as a way to have assurance that you're saved. Both covenants were accompanied by the presence of God!

.

Moses was a changed man. He had been in the presence of God and he “glowed” with God's heavenly light. He was transformed. God's Holy Light, the fulness of God, showed forth right through the human nature of God. He had stood on Holy Ground and although God shielded his view (his glory) Moses was honored by becoming a picture of the coming Savior!

.

Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

.

Elijah was a “picture” of John the Baptist. Elijah's mission was to restore the people to their God. John represented Elijah and introduced the person who was restore mankind (Jesus), bringing in the New Covenant. The New Covenant is “the restoration” which was started by Elijah. He had a hand in it! God honored Elijah as we shall see!

.

2 Kings 2:1 “And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.”

.

Elijah never died. He physically went to be with the Lord. As Elijah had been in the presence of God for a thousand years, he likely had “Shekhinah”. This brings us to the transfiguration of Jesus:

.

Matthew 17:1And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. “

.

Moses and Elias (Elijah) had already been transfigured (I'm guessing that Elijah had been since he had been in the presence of the Lord). Now we have Jesus transfigured. The transfiguration is THE event when Jesus the Man was manifested Jesus the God. This is not to say that Moses (or maybe even Elijah) had become God's before, because God was manifested for only a short time from their being. With Jesus the transfiguration was permanent! This IS the event where Jesus' divinity was revealed to the apostles. It was done by God's divine light, what the Jews called His Shekhinah!

.

At the transfiguration we have two church fathers with Jesus. Moses with Jesus at his revealing shows the importance of God's law in the plan of salvation and Elijah was there to see the final restoration of mankind. This event melds the Old Covenant with the New! The entire Old Testament is dedicated to preparing the world for the coming of the Messiah. As the law supplements grace, the Old Covenant supplements the New Covenant. The transfiguration is the event which reveals the fulfillment of the law to the disciples. Moses and Elijah personally endorsed the concept of “grace” by their presence with Jesus as His Godhood is revealed. Imagine the magnificence of the event! The apostles had been in the presence of God, but it was by faith. Now their faith was turned into concrete evidence! God revealed!

.

Some say that Jesus was endowed with the nature of God at the transformation. I believe His divine nature was always there, but it was revealed at the transfiguration. God fully man... God fully divine!

John 3:16 We all should know it!

I've been trying to memorize two paragraphs for the “Holy Night” enactment at church. Whereas, I can remember dates in history and about all my genealogy back to Ethelred, I just can't seem to capture the essence of memorization. I need a clue to start and then a few glances as I vocalize what I've memorized. I'm a dismal failure at memorization.
.

However, there is one verse in the Bible that is engrained: John (KJV) 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Why do I remember this, but yet don't know the lyrics to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”? It's because this verse is the most important verse in the Bible!

.

God. He's my creator. He created everything. He always has been and always will be. He is truth. He is all knowing. He is everywhere. He's loving. He's my authority. He's my hope! And much more!

.

Loved. God doesn't love as we do. We can't understand how one could love a sinner such as I (and you too). There's a special word for God's love. It's “agape”. It's a selfless love. Love so great that God was willing to sacrifice his only son for me (and you). It's a spiritual love. He doesn't care about my body because it's temporary. It's a shell of flesh and blood. He can make me another perfect one anytime he chooses. His love for me is for my soul. My inner being that I know that I have, but don't understand means more than anything to him. He accepts me as evil as I am (and you). God's love is great. God is great!

.

World. This is our temporary home. The ruler of the world is Satan. Most people follow there leader, but God is still gracious enough to keep giving us chances. Just as he was patient with Sodom and was merciful if only a few righteous could be found, he is patient with me (and you). Sodom was destroyed with it's evil twin sister Gomorrah. Their destruction is an early picture of what is to come after the “Great White Throne Judgment”. We should look at history for our destiny... unless we are obedient, then your home won't be of this world. It will be in heavenly places. You'll have a room in a mansion and whereas earth is full of disease and death, our bodies in our new home will be healthy and perfect.

.

Gave. God voluntarily gave his only son. Why? So Jesus could suffer death in payment for the evil that I (and you) have done. That “gift” is grace. We don't deserve to die without punishment for our evil ways, but God generously made the ultimate sacrifice himself. The priests had to make heave offerings and wave offerings each year for the collective sins of the people. They didn't know it, but their motions described the final sacrifice... the cross! Jesus paid it all. He died for all your sins, but after salvation we're still not perfect. We are to continually to seek forgiveness. The sins are covered, but you need to submit to receive the forgiveness. God's always there with his mercy.

.

Only. One. Single.  Alone. Unitary. God gave his all!

.
Begotten. God came down fully in his Spirit and consummated the earthy life of Jesus. Jesus is fully God and fully human. Because he's God, he was there at the creation and will be forever. He's omnipotent and omniscient. Because he's also “man”, Jesus empathizes with me (and you). He knows what temptation is like and how we must have self-control. He's withstood the temptations of Satan and is totally without sin. Jesus has never been guilty of anything, but he was crucified anyhow. The innocent man paid the price of the guilty... because he was begotten of God. If God had never provided the Way, we'd be lost forever.
.

Son. A male offspring. Blood of blood. A descendent. One who shares your unchanged genetic line. The most special blood relationship. The most loved. And for God only... his gift to mankind! Think of you and your own Dad or you and your son. How terrible it is when we suffer such a terrible loss. God loved us even more than he did himself because he IS God. The Father and Son are one. My son and I are separate. Think how much of a sacrifice that He made. No man with a righteous heart has done that before. We can't even fathom the loss. Only God has the mercy for that!

.

Whosoever. Everybody and anybody. Jew and Gentile. All races. All social-economic classes. The worst sinner and those who behave. Nobody's excluded and you come just as you are. You don't have to prep yourself for salvation. The worse you are the more you'll love Him once you accept His sacrifice.

.

Believe. Even the demons believe in God and they very well know why Jesus came. Their role is to antagonize so you'll turn your back on Jesus. Believing is more than knowledge. It's faith. Faith is confidence and trust in Jesus. You trust that there is a loving God, you have confidence that there is power in Jesus shedding his blood as an act of mercy for your soul (and mine). You have confidence that Jesus still lives and trust that he loves you (and me) so much he will pardon without regard to our history of sin.

.

Him. Jesus. That's the only way you can be saved. Only the blood of Jesus was a worthy sacrifice! God shed his own blood for you. He felt the anxiety of dying just like we will when we die.

.

Shall Not. There's no maybe's about it. God promises that if you believe he will save. Just as God made a covenant with Abraham, this is God's covenant with me (and you)! It's binding because God is Truth!

.

Perish. This word means for one who perishes, they will “cease to exist”. Shall not perish also means in a biblical sense that we won't undergo eternal punishment. If I'm saved (and you), my soul lives on... not in torment, but in a heavenly utopia. In fact, we'll even get new bodies to replace our old damaged ones. Our dust will be gathered up from the ground and we'll be made into flesh again, just as Adam was at his creation before his disobedience.

.

Have. You'll be in possession of what God promised! And what is that?

.

“Everlasting Life”!

.

Everlasting. Never ending. Infinite. Of eternal duration.

.

Life. Your soul will always live... and guess what? Your soul will even have a temple to live in. Your physical body becomes invulnerable. You always dreamed of being super. God will make you that way! If we're like Jesus we'll be able to walk through closed doors. Barriers mean nothing for the eternal body! What's more, we will physically and spiritually be in the presence of God and we'll sing in perfect harmony for the first time and for all time. We'll sing to the magnificence and glory of God. I assure you, boredom won't exist.

.

So here we have it. John 3:16. It's worth memorizing because someday when you don't know where to turn it'll be the key to your salvation!