” but if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:14-16).
THE VERY ESSENCE OF SIN IS SELF-WILL. Whereas love is outwardly focused, sin is inwardly focused. It wants whatever it wants, regardless of the damage that anyone else may suffer. It is not concerned with how it treats others — how it is being treated is its only concern. Sin is selfish. It is irritable. It is competitive. In hell, there will be nothing but sin and the selfishness that drives it. On earth, even the most evil person lives in an environment where he gets the benefit of goodness in the lives of other people. But in hell, there will be no such moderating influence. There will be no goodness and no light at all. Everyone there will have become as selfish and sinful as it is possible to be. The corruption that started in this life will have reached its ultimate end. It is horrifying to think of the souls in hell being utterly consumed with themselves, but we get a foretaste of what hell will be like every time we engage in acts of selfishness right now. Read again what James said and think about what you are reading: “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” Do you ever do any of these things? Well, you are never nearer to hell than when you do. Standing still is not possible. We are always moving toward God or away from Him. With every decision we make, we take a step toward the likeness of our Creator or a step away from Him. Eternity will simply be the final end of whichever path we are on, involving either complete glorification or total corrupt By Robert Rushmore
As defined by Webster, faith is an “unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence.” Unfortunately, this is the definition most of the world uses. It is unfortunate because this definition is a false one in that it implies faith is a “leap in the dark.” New Unger’s Bible Dictionary gives a better definition of faith, “the body of truth, moral and religious, which God has revealed–that which men believe.” This is a true definition as it corresponds to the biblical definition of faith. Unger’s definition uses the phrase “body of truth,” which correctly implies a need for evidence that comes from God. The Bible also shows faith requires evidence. Hebrews 11:1 actually gives a definition of faith, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” According to Strong’s, the Greek word for “substance” in this verse means “a setting under,” implying a support or a foundation. Using Strong’s for the meaning of “evidence” one finds it means “proof.” So the verse is saying that faith is the “foundation” of things hoped for and the “proof” of what is not seen. Another Bible text showing faith requires evidence is 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things.” The Greek word for “prove” means “to test.” This verse shows every teaching should be tested before it is believed by man. The testing process implies a need for evidence. Thomas is sometimes called “Doubting Thomas” because he desired proof before believing Jesus was risen (John 20:25-29). Man has ridiculed him for this desire, but the Lord did not. Jesus gave Thomas the proof he needed, thus causing him to believe. Thomas then took his faith to the next level and confessed Christ. This account, as do the above texts, shows the biblical teaching of faith based on evidence. We now know faith requires evidence, but where does one acquire this evidence? The answer is simply “the Bible.” Romans 10:17 tells us faith comes from hearing the Word of God. The Bible gives us faith based on proof contained therein. Further, John 20:31 states Jesus did many things not recorded in the Bible, but the ones recorded were recorded as evidence so that we might believe. The evidence of these events is proof that will lead one to faith that Jesus is the Son of God. Clearly, the evidence for faith comes from the Word of God, the Bible. Biblical faith is necessary for salvation. Romans 5:1 says we are “justified by faith.” One who is justified has been rendered just or innocent. According to the verse, this faith gives us access to peace with God, which is salvation or eternal life in heaven. John 8:24 informs that a lack of faith results in spiritual death. Salvation depends on biblical faith. Biblical faith is necessary for salvation, but faith alone is not enough. James 2:17 says “faith without works is dead.” Quite simply, our works show our faith. James 2:19 says even the devils believe and tremble. If faith were all that is necessary for salvation, devils would have a place in heaven. Further, the Book of Romans indicates faith is more than a noun–it is a verb because it requires action or obedience. Romans 5:1 speaks of justification by faith. The beginning of the book (Romans 1:5) speaks of “obedience to the faith.” The end of the book (Romans 16:26) mentions “obedience of faith.” Context dictates the middle of the book (Romans 5:1) must refer to an obedient faith when it discusses justification by faith. Biblical faith is different from man’s view of faith in that it requires evidence. Faith is not a “leap in the dark.” Evidence for our faith comes from the Bible. Faith is required for salvation, but faith only is not enough. Biblical faith, based on evidence, must be acted upon. Do you have biblical faith? What will you do with that faith? The devils believe and tremble. Thomas believed and confessed Jesus. What will you do with your faith? BY WAYNE JACKSON
On the Fourth of July weekend in 1999, a young man named Benjamin Nathaniel Smith went on a murderous rampage. He wounded nine people and killed two, before turning the gun upon himself. He was a hate-filled, unhappy person. Prior to his death, Smith was interviewed for a documentary by a student filmmaker. In that interview, he revealed a bitter hatred for non-white people. ABC News aired portions of the interview on its “Good Morning America” show. In his conversation, the vicious young man revealed his bitterness toward the Christian religion. In one of his statements, he said: “It’s really Christianity that’s our biggest obstacle.” Smith was quite forceful in his opposition to the principles of the Christian system. Why? Because of the fact that those who truly respect the teaching of Jesus Christ believe that human beings have been specially created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). We are, therefore, his “offspring,” (i.e., products of his creative genius – Acts 17:28). Accordingly, there is worth to every person. Moreover, even though man is fallen by virtue of his yielding to personal sin, Christ came into the world and died for the benefit of all humanity (1 Tim. 2:6; 1 Jn. 2:2). Those who choose to avail themselves of the Lord’s redemptive love, in obedience to the plan of salvation (Heb. 5:8-9; Acts 2:38), may do so. Any person for whom Christ died is worthy of our love! Christians, therefore, love all people—regardless of their ethnic identity. This is the thrust of that wonderful parable, the Good Samaritan. In this story, the despised Samaritan, who showed compassion to his long-time racial enemy, the Jew, is the hero (Lk. 10:25ff). If Christians are to be viewed as an “obstacle” simply because we love all of our fellow beings, then let it be so. Here we take our stand. But why was Smith’s wrath directed solely toward Christianity? Why was it not aimed at the atheistic community as well? Because atheism has a history of viciousness toward the underprivileged. Consider these examples: Charles Darwin The ideology of Charles Darwin foisted racism. The subtitle of Darwin’s The Origin of Species, alludes to the “Preservation Of Favored Races In The Struggle For Life.” In his authoritative book, Social Darwinism in American Thought, Richard Hofstadter noted: The Darwinian mood sustained the belief in Anglo-Saxon racial superiority which obsessed many American thinkers in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The measure of world domination already achieved by the “race” seemed to prove it the fittest (1955, 172-73). Nietzche Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was the “philosopher of evolution.” He translated some Darwinian principles into philosophical or social premises—though he thought Darwin was too “soft.” Nietzsche argued a notion he called “the Will to Power,” which, he believed, would result in the development of “the super man.” The super man (not the comic book character) is the one who creates his own values, who triumphs over his own weakness, and despises weakness in others. Nietzsche’s proclamation that the Christian God is dead had a devastating effect upon the values of society, due to his enormous influence. Here is a sampling of his ideology: [W]e believe that severity, violence, slavery, danger in the street and in the heart, secrecy, stoicism, tempter’s art and deviltry of every kind,—that everything wicked, terrible, tyrannical, predatory, and serpentine in man, serve as well for the elevation of the human species as its opposite (1924, chapter II, section 44, emphasis added). Adolph Hitler In the wake of Nietzsche came Adolf Hitler, who idolized the philosopher. Hitler’s racism (e.g., the elimination of the “inferior” Jews) is an undeniable and gruesome fact of history. What is not commonly publicized is the fact that Darwinism was at the root of this mania. Dr. Robert E. D. Clark has written: Adolf Hitler’s mind was captivated by evolutionary teaching—probably since the time he was a boy. Evolutionary ideas—quite undisguised—lie at the basis of all that is worst in Mein Kampf—and in his public speeches . . . Hitler’s hatred of the Jews was rationalized in the same way. The Germans were the higher race, destined for a glorious evolutionary future (1967). And so, as long as people subscribe to ideological premises that devalue human life, tragedies—like that described above—will continue to happen. A key question is this. When will folks begin to identify, and repudiate, the philosophical origin of this senseless brutality? REFERENCES Clark, Robert E. D. 1967. Darwin: Before and After. Chicago, IL: Moody. Hofstadter, Richard. 1955. Social Darwinism in American Thought. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Nietzsche, Friedrich. 1924. Beyond Good and Evil. New York, NY: Macmillan Co. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Genesis 1:26; Acts 17:28; 1 Timothy 2:6; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 5:8-9; Acts 2:38; Luke 10:25 |
Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|
Site powered by Weebly.Managed by Baggies Web Solutions
Copyright © Eagle Park church of Christ 2022, All Rights Reserved