The Memory of Sin: Criticism and Critique of a Message by Voddie Baucham

Frame from The Memory of Sin (Voddie Baucham – Sermon Jam)
Cross Driven

Introduction

With a voice of authority, accompanied by solemn music, Voddie Baucham teaches that the memory of sin in our lives is good and normal and that forgetting our sin is abnormal, ludicrous, and unhelpful. Unfortunately, he does not distinguish between good and bad forms of remembering sin, nor between repentant Christians and unrepentant people. Instead, he conflates all of these using a mixture of concocted fallacies, biblical truths, and Scripture to undermine God’s ability in our lives and His word. Sadly, His message frustrates the freedom from remembering past sins that God wants His children to have. For a certain kind of forgetting is the fruit of God’s love and how we can truly love ourselves. After all, if we can’t love ourselves by forgetting our sin, how can we love others by forgetting theirs?

Baucham’s Message

Here is an extract of the transcript of Baucham’s message:

God can forget stuff. You? Not so much. In fact, people who are able literally to forget things – we have a word for that, it’s called amnesia. It’s not normal. Amen? That’s not the way we were created. It’s not. … [David] wrote [Psalm 51] a year after his sin. And look at what he says in verse 3. “For I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me.” A year later:  “I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me.” It’s always there. … We were not created to forget things. But, by the way, that’s good. Let me give you at least three reasons why that’s good.

You could never testify of the goodness of God. Do you have a testimony of the goodness of God? You know what, I think I used to one time but I can’t remember any of my sin, therefore, I really can’t testify to the goodness of God. Do you hear how ridiculous that is? But again people walk around all the time talking about forgetting their sins. It’s not the way human beings were put together. And we ought to be broken over our sin because when we sin we create a picture in our mind that will be there for years and years and years. Well, I’ll just take the drugs and I’ll make it go away … There are things that we do that we don’t forget. How many individuals … now absolutely wish that they could erase the faces, the familiar scents, the memories of their former partners, so that they could enjoy their spouse more thoroughly. …

And first and foremost if we couldn’t remember our sin we couldn’t testify. Here’s the second thing. If we couldn’t remember our sins, we wouldn’t be warned against doing them again. Could you imagine if we could literally forget that fire was hot? It should be walking around a bunch of crispy people, you know. What’s the matter? I’m not sure man, these things just keep on coming on my hands. Folks, that’s what we would be like towards sin if we couldn’t remember it. God gives us the gift of the memory of our sins so that it continues to remind us of the consequence. And he uses that to urge us, to correct us, to corral us, to call us to repentance, to call us to brokenness. We couldn’t testify.

Here’s the other thing. We couldn’t rejoice in our victories and we couldn’t remember. We couldn’t see growth that the Spirit has produced in us if we couldn’t remember. Ain’t that good. … You can’t have the memory of my sin. I won’t let you take it. It reminds me of God’s goodness to me. It reminds me of His grace in my life. It reminds me of where I was and where I never want to be again. It reminds me that His work in me may not be complete but it is effectual. I’m not who I ought to be but Hallelujah I’m not who I was. (www.youtube.com, n.d.)

Fallacies Entwined With Truth

Outlined below are my comments to seven fallacies and three truths that Baucham made in less than 8 minutes of preaching.

Fallacy: Forgetting our sin is not God’s plan for Christians.

Baucham: “[P]eople who are able literally to forget things – we have a word for that, it’s called amnesia. It’s not normal. Amen? That’s not the way we were created. It’s not.”

Comment: Forgetting unhealthy memories of sin is possible. God’s word says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past” (Isa. 43:18). Paul says, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:13-14).

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39). And, Paul wrote, “Love keeps no record of wrongs.” Consequently, there is a way in which I must not remember my sins or those of others if I am to love myself and also them.

Fallacy: We were not created to forget our sins.

Baucham: “… to forget things – we have a word for that, it’s called amnesia. It’s not normal. Amen. That’s not the way we were created.”

Comment: Baucham appeals to man’s natural abilities, obfuscating that Christians have been recreated in Christ. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).

Fallacy: Believers are to live with the memory of their sin.

Baucham: “[David] wrote [Psalm 51] a year after his sin. And look at what he says in verse 3. ‘For I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me.” A year later: “I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me.’ It’s always there.”

Comment: Psalm 51:3 is in the context of David calling out to God for mercy, cleansing, and restoration. Living under the memory of his sin was not the life he was consigned to after this. He would live with the consequences, yes, but not the continual burden of a negative memory. Living under the memory of our sin is not what we’re consigned to either.

Truth: Remembering our sin helps us to testify of God’s grace and mercy.

Baucham: “[I]f we couldn’t remember our sin we couldn’t testify.”

Comment: This is a healthy memory of sin, free of condemnation. However, Jesus showed you don’t need sin in order to testify.

Fallacy: Memory of our sin is the only route to being warned.

Baucham: “If we couldn’t remember our sins, we wouldn’t be warned against doing them again.”

Comment: God can use our memories, but we are warned against doing sin through God’s word.

Fallacy and Truth: The memory of our sins is God’s gift.

Baucham: “God gives us the gift of the memory of our sins so that it continues to remind us of the consequence. And He uses that to urge us, to correct us, to corral us, to call us to repentance, to call us to brokenness.”

Comment: God uses the consciences of people to bring them to repentance by reminding them of their sin. But it is false to see the memory of our sins as a gift when coupled with the previous fallacy. The memory of our sin can be used by God for our good for “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). However, the memory itself is not necessarily a gift, but rather God’s use of it. The gifts of God’s presence and His word are sufficient to keep us from sin.

“Now may the God of peace … equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20-21).

“[T]he fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22).

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Fallacy: We couldn’t rejoice in our victories.

Baucham: “We couldn’t rejoice in our victories and (sic) we couldn’t remember.”

Comment: We don’t need a history of sin to rejoice in having victory over it.

Fallacy: We couldn’t see the growth that the Spirit has produced in us if we couldn’t remember our sins.

Baucham: “We couldn’t see growth that the Spirit has produced in us if we couldn’t remember.”

Comment: We don’t need a history of sin to see growth. “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

Truth: Memory of sin reminds of God’s goodness and grace in my life.

Baucham: “You can’t have the memory of my sin. I won’t let you take it. It reminds me of God’s goodness to me. It reminds me of His grace in my life. It reminds me of where I was and where I never want to be again. It reminds me that His work in me may not be complete but it is effectual. I’m not who I ought to be but, hallelujah, I’m not who I was.”

Comment: Memory of sin can be used positively.

Conclusion

Like forgiveness, judging, and anger, there are forms of remembering sin that are godly and useful and forms that aren’t. Forgetting the memories of one’s sin is a choice that can be made and accomplished by Christians who are empowered by God’s Spirit. Remembering one’s sin for the sake of a testimony or teaching, in a form that is not condemnatory, is not wrong and may be helpful. After all, in this sense, even God remembers sins He has forgiven and forgotten, recording those of forgiven saints in His word.

How can we forget our sins? Jesus said, “[A]part from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). And Paul wrote, “[I]f you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13).

References:

http://www.youtube.com. (n.d.). The Memory of Sin (Voddie Baucham – Sermon Jam). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih16y4EssjM [Accessed 17 Apr. 2024].

How Do We Know WWJD?

What Would Jesus Do?

What would Jesus do in any given situation is meant by the popular abbreviation, WWJD. That said, I’m not sure many people know what Jesus would do except assume the most loving thing they can imagine, or try and discover what the Bible says on the matter. However, I will show those approaches won’t always work and that Jesus does something foolproof that we should emulate. Let’s consider what the Bible says Jesus would do.

What Jesus Did

1) Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. He said, “[T]he Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19 NIV). How do we do that?

2) God’s word teaches us that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” and “led by the Spirit” (Luke 4:1). Can we do that?

3) Yes, for we too are “led by the Spirit” (Rom. 8:14) and are instructed to be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) and to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25).

4) Going to God’s word apart from the above is not enough. For which of these must I do in a situation – “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him” or “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes” (Prov. 26:4-5)?

5) Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37), and Proverbs teaches that we should “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

6) This, along with prayer, is how you can do what Jesus would do, being led by the Spirit and a part of what the Father is doing “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

Rob Morley

Ukraine Under God’s Judgment, a Russian Beast, and Nations Warned

Picture: Saavem (Miguel Saavedra)

Edited Picture:
fangol (Robert Proksa)

Why War Has Come To Ukraine

Don’t get me wrong when you read this. I am all for Ukraine and its people and am incredibly inspired and impressed by their resilience against extreme Russian aggression. But as a student and teacher of God’s word, I must ask why God’s judgment has fallen on them? For such losses and devastation speak to this. Or is Ukraine like righteous Job, and am I like his friends?

For some, the idea that God is judging them might not sit well, for Ukraine has been a peaceful country (except, of course, having to ward off Russian separatists and face the Russians in war). It is not an easy reality for me to proclaim either. But do they have peace with God? How have they responded to the gospel? This is the most important question that the people of Ukraine and all people of the world must answer. For it has to do with so much more than the destiny of a nation and its people. It’s their eternal destiny. For, though Russian aggression is unwarranted in human terms, nevertheless, the circumstances speak to and warn all on earth who have rejected Jesus Christ.

Jesus As Judge

Consider the following passages:

“Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psa. 2:12, NIV).

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish’” (Luke 13:1-5).

Similarly, the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ teaches that people are judged for rejecting Him. It depicts Jesus as the judge who brings wars, famines, economic despair, plagues (e.g. COVID-19), etc. on those who have rejected Him.

Have Ukrainians wholeheartedly turned to Christ? And, what about you and your nation? Yes, what of America, Russia, England, etc.? Are we better than the Ukrainians? No, far worse in some cases.

The Beast Gets Judged

But if God’s judgment on Ukraine is this severe, consider how bad it will be for Putin, despite God using Him to this end. Yes, woe to Putin and his allies, for he is Russia’s manifestation of the beast of Revelation, whose end, barring repentance, is destruction in the lake of fire.

Finally, be warned America, for you have coddled your very own manifestation of Revelation’s beast, with white evangelicals as his false prophet, and he has not gone away. I have written more on this in several posts and my book, THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST: Evangelicals in Bed with Trump.

Repent

Turn to God with all your heart. For, as Jesus warned, “unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:5). Have you peace with God? Perhaps you would like to read my post, Are You Saved and Assured of Your Salvation?

Pray

Pray for all Ukrainians and Russians. For God, in His mercy, is willing and able to forgive any who come to Him and repent of their sin. Even President Putin.

Rob Morley

Why Get Vaccinated?

Trusting God?

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but . . . a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7

Have you heard the analogy of the person asking God to rescue him during a flood? He first receives a warning to evacuate and the neighbors offer to take him in their car. He decides to stay, believing that God will save him. When the water begins to rise, a man comes by in his canoe and calls to him to get in. But the man says, “No thanks, God will save me.” As the water rises higher, a police motorboat comes by and later a helicopter. He also refuses their help and dies by drowning.

When in Heaven, the man stood before God and asked, “I put all of my faith in You. Why didn’t You come and save me?”

And God said, “Son, I sent you a warning. I sent you a car. I sent you a canoe. I sent you a motorboat. I sent you a helicopter. What more were you looking for?”

From: God Will Save Me

I’m not sure how many years ago it was when I heard that story in church. It seemed like a silly story. Why wouldn’t he accept such obvious help?

The man died because of his idea of faith. His faith was in God, not in people and their manmade things. He expected God to miraculously save him by circumventing human involvement, forgetting that God works through people to fulfill His purposes.

Some Christians claim they do not need to social distance or wear masks. We’ve been told that we don’t have faith if we wear masks. They add that “God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear.” This is true, however, the entire verse says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). We see taking precautions and preventative measures as biblical (see my post: A Faith-Based Approach to the Coronavirus) and the use of that “sound mind.” Faith is obeying God’s word, so we do what is right even if it’s difficult.

Some are skeptical about getting vaccinated. We believe the vaccine is an answer to prayer. Some are concerned because it was manufactured so quickly. However, we believe that has been an answer to prayer too. The statistics also bear witness to its effectiveness. In July it was reported that with 58% of America fully vaccinated, over 99% of those who were dying from Covid-19 were unvaccinated people and that less than 1% of vaccinated people were dying (Business Standard, 2021, July 5)

, 2021, July 5.

God gives humans the ability to make boats and helicopters which can save people from floods. He also gives humans the ability to develop medicines and vaccines to save lives.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Tina & Rob Morley

Are You Saved and Assured of Your Salvation?

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:28-30 NIV).

Picture by dotlizard (Karen Kelly) @ Rgbstock

Revelation That Leads to Salvation

All people, everywhere, experience revelation from God about Himself. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Some receive clearer revelation than others. Jesus said, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15:22). Sadly, because people are sinful, they tend to marginalize God or completely negate Him, suppressing what He reveals (Rom. 1:18-20).

Some people experience a dramatic encounter with God on their life’s journey that brings them to salvation. Consequently, it is easy for them to know the moment that they have become a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). For many others, salvation is not a clearly identifiable point in time. However, even though they cannot pinpoint when it happened (and may even misidentify the timing), the miracle of their behavioural change makes them know that at some point they must have been “born again” (John 3:16). They might not even know these terms, but, if explained to them, they will identify with them.

Salvation Examination

Many other people who have believed in God and His Son, have ended up falling away. This is because they never fully understood. Instead, they believed in their own notion about God and His salvation. Consequently, they had never come to be justified by God and born again.

Paul told the members of the Corinthian church, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor. 13:5). From his words, we can deduce that merely thinking that you’re in the faith is no real evidence of actually being in it. However, being spiritually joined to Christ, so that He lives within you, is Paul’s definition of whether or not someone is truly in the faith.

Evidence of Salvation

God’s word has a range of evidence that can help a person identify whether or not they been saved from spiritual death to eternal life. Here are just three of them:

• An inner witness. One evidence that you’re actually in the faith, with Christ dwelling within you, is an inner knowing. Paul writes, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom. 8:16).

• A supernaturally changed life. Another witness to true salvation is a supernaturally changed life. This is because Love Himself has joined Himself to that person. Jesus said, “…whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

• A witnessing life. There’s an overflow about God and His goodness that comes from the mouths of those who are saved. This is because God, and what He has done to save us, really is good news. After all, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38).

Caveats Concerning Salvation

Not all Christians excel in all of the above evidence. That said, to live their new life to the full, they ought to grow in each of them. Also, although the fruit of a person’s life is usually the clearest evidence of salvation (or the lack thereof), many loving, generous, and pleasant people are unsaved. Conversely, there are many saved folk who are caught up in selfishness, worldliness, and sin. Consequently, we don’t always know who has been saved, therefore, we must not simply assume that someone is or isn’t.

On another note, not everyone who has been saved has understood that biblical faith gives assurance of salvation. Consequently, despite being justified by God, these folk may, at times, because of sin and feelings of unworthiness, feel unsaved.

Assurance of Salvation

God has gone to great lengths to lead people to a faith that saves and to assure them of their salvation. For example, the apostle John says in his gospel, “…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Then, in a letter to believers, John says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). God clearly wanted people to believe and, having believed, be assured of their salvation.

Assurance of one’s salvation is often found on the journey of discipleship. For, even after someone is saved, they will continue to receive revelation about their salvation. Consider what Paul had prayed for the Christians in Ephesus: “[I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people), and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe” (Eph. 1:17-19a, Amplified Bible).

Are You Saved?

All people have sinned against God, nevertheless, because of His great love for the world, He offers salvation as a free gift to everyone who repents and receives Jesus as Lord of their life. For He sent His Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life and take our sins upon Himself so that we could be acquitted. Having risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, Jesus offers mercy and new life to all who humble themselves and come to Him.

Rob Morley

President Donald J. Trump and the COVID-19 American Tragedy

Photo by babykrul

Storyline:

A false prophet flirts with a beast who is in love with a prostitute and the result is that 100,000 die in a plague in just 3 months. And, that’s just the beginning!

The Characters in America’s Version of Revelation:

• President Trump plays ‘the beast,’ an evil and power hungry leader.
• The evangelical church plays ‘the false prophet,’ a spiritual leader that endorses the beast.
• The “almighty dollar” plays ‘the great prostitute,’ an economic system based on greed that uses governmental power to that end, even at the expense of human dignity and life.
• Vice President Pence plays a ‘witness’ that has lost his witness because he has become ‘lukewarm.’
• COVID-19, a ‘plague’ sent by Jesus Christ, exposes each of the characters for what they are.

The Play:

A proper interpretation of the book of Revelation makes it abundantly clear that President Donald J. Trump is America’s very own manifestation of ‘the beast’ of Revelation 13. Furthermore, the current economic spirit behind the “almighty dollar” is ‘the great whore’ of Revelation. And, sadly, America’s evangelicals have been the ‘false prophet’ in this tragedy. A plague, which, according to Revelation 6:8, is one of many forms of judgement that are sent by Jesus (see Rev. 6:1).

Here is a brief breakdown:

• Just as the beast of Revelation is ridden by the prostitute, President Trump is driven by the need to have a successful economy in order to stay in power, even at the expense of people. Rather than being submitted to Almighty God or even the rationality of science in the face of a pandemic, President Trump is driven by the “almighty dollar.” Nothing can curb him to care for people ahead of power.
• Just as the beast is endorsed by the false prophet, President Trump is endorsed by many evangelicals who love him more than truth, justice and morality. He has been so enthusiastically embraced by so many in the Church that he essentially sits in the Temple speaking as though he is God. Rather than addressing his waywardness, as any true prophet would, these religious leaders and their flock defend him and prophesy sweet lies about him and the future of America.
• Just as the beast is empowered by Satan, the father of lies, President Trump is notorious for his constant and flagrant lying.
• Just as the beast has a lust for power that knows no bounds, Trump has lied and cheated to hold onto power, even to the point of being impeached.
• Just as the beast is full of pride, President Trump never admits to his errors. All is “perfect.”
• Just as the beast blasphemes God, President Trump does so by claiming allegiance to God and His people, yet living contrary to God and refusing to repent.
• Vice President Pence has been the “picture perfect example” of the good American evangelical as he reinforces their God-sent leader’s views. He is the evangelical’s ideal political Ken-doll who supports and excuses the beast despite his immoral, in-humane and illogical political stances. Like the false prophet that he also represents, Pence looks ‘like a lamb,’ but speaks ‘like a dragon.’ Actions speak louder than words and not wearing a mask shows his allegiance.
• COVID-19 enters America and sets up the true makers of Fake News to be exposed for downplaying the virus.
• COVID-19 sets up the President to make a choice, which he says at one point is “the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.’ And, over the course of time, he has chosen to dismiss science and instead risks people’s lives, promoting his sentiment on issues because he doesn’t like the cost to the economy.
• COVID-19 sets up lukewarm and deceived Christians, who are supposed to be “the light of the world,” to look foolish because they continue to blindly back Trump.

Blind Evangelical Church

If you are an American evangelical, then it is very unlikely that you will recognize the correlation that I have made between the book of Revelation and your current experience. This is, in part, because of the false teaching of dispensationalism that has dominated evangelical thinking over the years. It is so removed in its misinterpretation of Revelation that it has made the prophecy completely useless to Christians who are adherents of this false doctrine. While the Bible explains men like President Trump as being ‘the beast,’ most Christians in America have been robbed of the understanding and comfort that Revelation has for them in the face of such a person. This lack is a judgment on their churches for not testing this doctrine that has been so forcefully espoused by so many over the years.

100 000 Die Under the Beast

As beasts go, President Trump may appear tame. However, 100,000 Americans have died in three months and most of the deaths are due to his bungling of the Coronavirus pandemic. This is directly attributable to his pride and lust for economic success and power instead of having a heart for the American people. What’s more, in the face of these numbers, he continues with his childish pride by not wearing a mask, when wearing a mask protects others from what we might unknowingly have and inadvertently spread. It is an example for others to follow as a way of caring for one another.

Judgement

Clearly, God has been busy using this beast, who is full of pride, as a means of judgement on a nation full of pride. Yet, still, many remain persistent and even belligerent in their unmasked pride (pun intended). In the process, He is also judging His own people for the choice that they made in Trump, and, having made him their choice, for their reluctance to hold him accountable. Instead, they have excused him at every turn and, as a result, he has become the nation’s nightmare. He might have been less brazen had he not had the kind of undivided loyalty that he has received from the evangelicals from the get go.

How Should Christians Respond?

Toward the Beast:

Repent! Jesus must be your first love, not a politician. Also, repent on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Christ and those of your nation that have unswervingly embraced him. And, pray for all your leaders, especially President Trump, for God’s mercy is able to reach him, even as it reached Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Then, when elections come, don’t disregard the character of the candidates, for, in so doing, you have already been bitten once.

Toward the Prostitute:

Americans love the “almighty dollar” and many American Christians love it too. Revelation has this to say to them, ‘I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of [the great prostitute], my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues”’ (Rev. 18:4 ESV). You need to repent of the love of money, for the word says, ‘Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”’ (Heb. 13:5). Also, ‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs’ (1 Tim. 6:10).

Toward the False Prophet:

Like the Bereans in Acts, test all ministers of the Word of God by the Word of God. For, it is as a result of a lack of this that many false teachers and false teachings have crept in. And, having become established, they have led this generation to embrace a beast who has led them into a full-blown plague.

Learn from these words of Jesus in Revelation to the church in Pergamum: ‘But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth’ (Rev. 2:14‑16).

What have your spiritual leaders taught you to think and practice that is contrary to God? Do you constantly excuse President Trump? Do you love money at the expense of people’s lives? Do you wear a mask out of reverence to God, who has given sanctity to life and who commands us to love our neighbour? Whether you follow the beast or the Lord Jesus Christ will be seen by how you think and what you do. You might need to repent of allowing yourself to be marked with ‘the name of the beast,’ which, in Revelation, symbolically indicates who your allegiance is with in both thought and action.

Toward the Plague:

Do not be presumptuous like good King Josiah was by getting in the way of God’s judgement. Wear a mask, wash your hands and social distance until the plague is over. If you contract the virus, realise that you are not necessarily being judged. As a Christian, this is a test of your faith. If you are lacking faith then ask God and He will give you the faith and grace needed for the experience. He will carry you through it to the other side, whether to be with Him, which is far better, or with your family, which, God willing, He may consider to be better for now.

Toward the Lukewarm Witness:

Let’s begin by looking to see to what extent we are lukewarm witnesses. Let’s also realise that we don’t all have the same pressures. Then, let’s pray for our own needs and for grace for our brother. That said, my word for Vice President Pence is, ‘Do not be deceived, “Bad company corrupts good character”‘ (1 Cor. 15:33 NIV). Love your neighbour and wear a mask! If you are a witness for Jesus Christ, ‘Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould’ (Rom. 12:2 PHILLIPS). And, that can often include the Christian world. Be a Daniel or a Shadrach and put your neck on the line for your faith.

May we all soberly look at what God is doing in our own nations and all around the world at this time. And, let’s keep praying for grace for one another so that we can represent Him well as His ambassadors on earth.

Rob Morley

A Faith-Based Approach to the Coronavirus

Image: rgbstock.com

Light in a Dark Time

We have an opportunity to be the light in a dark time. Some Christians believe their faith will protect them from the coronavirus (COVID-19) and are complaining at our governments for passing laws to hinder our movements. Even if you have lots of faith and are feeling fine, you could still be carrying the virus without your knowledge. Faith, which comes from God’s word, teaches us how to behave when there is a contagious disease. Leviticus and Deuteronomy have many verses dedicated to clean and unclean things.

Faith in God’s Word

God’s people were given instructions that they had to obey concerning contaminants on their bodies, clothes, vessels, and walls of their homes. There were many instructions for washing, but those things that couldn’t be saved were broken or burned. People who were deemed unclean for different reasons were to distance themselves for a time. If the person had a contagious disease, they were sent outside of the camp and the priest had to visit that person outside of the camp to determine if they were still contagious or not.

Undeniably, washing and distancing are biblical practices, so let us spread love and not germs.

Tina Morley

Reorientation Miracle

WE’RE BORN LOST!!!

Sinful Orientation: We are all born sinfully orientated because we are conceived with a sinful nature.

 

ARE YOU STILL LOST?

Moral Orientation: No amount of moral orientation can ever change our sinful nature. It may curb it, but it cannot remove it.

 

HAVE YOU FOUND THE WAY?

God Orientation: Jesus paid with His life for the sins of the whole world, so that you could receive a new God-orientated nature.

Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6).

He is the payment for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world (1John2:2).

Previous post: Prenatal Sexual Orientation Findings Confirm God’s Word

Rob Morley

TURN FROM YOUR EVIL WAYS – PART 3

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by Colin Brough

PART 3 – IS GOD UNFAIR?

YOU DON’T WANT FAIR

What of those who don’t hear of Christ? Is God unfair?

No, because God’s word says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom 3:10-12).

The text shows that mankind is innately unrighteous, without understanding and disinterested in God. Therefore, just as God would not have been unfair if He had never sent Jesus and given us the gospel in the first place, He is not unfair to any who do not get to hear the gospel now.

We can be thankful that God is not fair with regard us in our sin, because, if He was we would be forever separated from Him and without hope.

ALREADY INDICTED

In fact, God has already made Himself plain to everyone through creation, but our indictment is that we refused to acknowledge Him.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom 1:18-20).

GOD CHOOSES THE BLAMELESS OF HEART

“I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer 17:10).

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13).

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chron 16:9).

BLAMELESS BY FAITH

So, how is it that God chooses those who seek him with all of their heart if we have established that mankind is innately disinterested in God and that none seek after Him?

God can overcome our disinterest by initiating contact with us. And, He did this by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins and by sending this message into all the world so that the message would interest people and lead them to hopefully believe. And, where people respond by faith in His message, He is pleased and He credits them with righteousness, just as Abraham was credited when he believed.

GOOD NEWS

So, because none of us are blameless in our thoughts and actions, being righteous by works is impossible. Furthermore, we have emotional and intellectual obstacles in our hearts that prevent us from coming to faith in God, therefore righteousness by faith is impossible. However, God’s word is able to overcome these obstacles and allow us to believe with our hearts.

Where God’s message to you is believed, He credits righteousness. Have you allowed God’s message of love and His offer of forgiveness a chance in your life?

PART 1 – HIDING FROM IMPENDING JUDGMENT

PART 2 – GOD’S WRATH ABIDES

 

TURN FROM YOUR EVIL WAYS – PART 2

Krzysztof Szkurlatowski; 12frames.eu

PART 2 – GOD’S WRATH ABIDES

WRATH BECAUSE OF SIN

Because of sin, the wrath of God has existed against mankind. And, it continues to be stored up for judgment against those who are not reconciled through faith, especially against those who have rejected the Gospel.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

MORE WRATH

The necessity for Christ to come as a propitiation (to satisfy God’s wrath) is evidence that God’s wrath existed prior to the rejection of the Gospel. And, where it says “the wrath of God remains on him”, the term “remains” confirms that God’s wrath existed toward mankind prior to Christ. It is clear then that God’s wrath is not brought about by the rejection of the Gospel, but by our natural rebellion, though, no doubt, the rejection of God’s Son would add immensely to God’s indignation.

So, though God’s just wrath has been satisfied by Jesus’ sacrifice, those who do not believe on His Son will nevertheless have to face His fierce judgment, because His wrath continues to abide on them.

BENEVOLENT, BUT RIGHTEOUS

God’s wrath is hard to imagine because He is kind to those who He is angry with. “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 5:45). Nevertheless, God (and Jesus since His ascension) has been judging the peoples of the earth throughout history and, in the end, He will bring all before His throne for His final judgment.

WARN PEOPLE

Therefore, we should warn people who haven’t believed in God’s Son as their substitute, for their sins to be forgiven, not to think that His goodness towards them means that He won’t judge them in His wrath, because He most certainly will!

PART 1 – HIDING FROM IMPENDING JUDGMENT

PART 3 – IS GOD UNFAIR?