What do Christians and Americans say about themselves HERE? Fifty years ago in America, a Google search shows 90% of Americans said they were Christian. In 1900, it was 97.1%! The percentages have dropped since then dramatically to 68% by some estimates, while perversion, degeneracy, dishonesty and the size of government have all grown substantially during that time. Now, we have more Atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, cults etc.! Within the “declared” Christian community, we have the accpetance of many unbilbical things like homosexuality, divorce and public assistance to rely upon. In 1900, it was not so! What happened, and who’s responsible?

You would think that this would be of great concern to the churches of America. If you go to Europe, many spectacular Christian churches built back in the 1300’s – 1600’s are now used as Muslim mosques! Why is this? Scripture teaches us in 2 Cor 11:14 that Satan himself transforms into an “angel of light”. What does that mean? Put bluntly, it means that he will deceive as many as he can that GOD is irrelevant, Jesus didn’t accomplish anything, church is unimportant, and it’s o.k. to do what makes you feel good including worshiping him consciously or unconsciously!

If church pastors are only concerned about the peace and comfort for themselves and their congregations, then they will ignore the important and powerful aspects of Scripture that are instrumental (not exclusively so) in transforming, conforming and improving the condition of man. Why is that? It’s because they don’t want to lose any of their membership (including the tares/chaff).

But first, lets examine what is, or at least should be, most commonly and preponderantly proclaimed and taught in churches – the Gospel! The Gospel, in a nutshell, is that Jesus Christ’s completed work on the cross and HIS shed blood as the perfect lamb of GOD cleansed GOD’s elect from their sins if they believe upon HIM, and thereby that gives them access to GOD and to Heaven for eternity. That certainly sounds good – especially to the believer! But what do you do with your salvation?

Let’s try to go a little deeper though, and maybe that will help us understand why the church in the last 125 years has been such an abysmal failure. Although GOD is a Sovereign GOD and does all things for His Glory and His good pleasure, we cannot know HIS thoughts or ways, for they are too high for us Psalm 139:6. Therefore, this abysmal performance can be assumed to be a result of GOD’s providence (His will in our time). That of course, in particular for any Reformed Christian pastor or congregation member, does not exempt them from responsibility. No matter what sin we do commit, be it by commission or omission; we cannot escape our responsibility and/or the consequences.

With that in mind, those who profess to “believe”, and to be “born again”, had best take seriously the Gospel! Within the context of the Gospel, there is the understanding that we are saved from our sins! Is that all sins, or just some sins? Is it the most egregious sins, or sins in general. Are there specific sins, and if so, should we (those being preached to as well as those doing the preaching) know what those specific sins are, or should the preacher just assume that those sins are known to the congregation, and therefore no need to get too specific?

Jesus tells us in John 14:15 – 24 that we better “keep” HIS commandments. He emphasizes the idea four times in rapid succession, and therefore that kind of emphasis should carry some significant weight. In Colossians 1:15 – 20, is one of MANY passages that make it abundantly clear that Jesus Christ is GOD! For those who believe the Bible, they must also believe that Jesus is GOD (no two ways about it!). If that is the case, and this writer believes it is, then Jesus is the author of all of the Bible including all of the laws of the Old Testament.

Now the Bible makes clear that Jesus fulfilled all of the sacrificial and ceremonial laws, while Christ HIMSELF said He had not come to “abolish the law” Matthew 5:17. The only way that CHRIST could fulfill the law was to keep it perfectly which He did. In so doing, He eliminated the need for any more sacrifices (animal). He obviously fulfilled the moral law, but he did not “abolish” it!

Paul tells us in Romans 13:10 that “love is the fulfillment of the law”! He also predicates verse 10 with the statement that “love does no harm”! Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:39 to “love our neighbor as ourselves”. So, we have here in compilation that we should fulfill the law by loving our neighbor and doing him no harm. Is that fair and right to say? If so, then shouldn’t we know how to avoid harming others?

If it’s not fair and right to say, then you might as well go on to something else now, because the rest will be meaningless. The Old Testament has 613 commandments, and it is not agreed upon as to how many of them are of the moral type and applicable in principle if not literally today! Laws against murder and manslaughter are quite clear and well defined. Murder is the unlawful “premeditated” taking of a human life Numbers 35:20, where manslaughter is defined as the taking of a human life unintentionally Deuteronomy 4;42. Both fall short of “love”, and both involve the taking of a human life. What differentiates them is twofold – the intent, and the punishment. Murder requires the death penalty, and manslaughter requires separation from society or a form of exile.

Now that’s just one moral law and two applications. It is so obvious, that it doesn’t get preached on much, and yet, INTENTION is important John 4:20, and hating your brother is tantamount to murdering him – Matthew 5:22. So, the Bible does offer subtle nuances to some of the absolutes! One key example of that is when CHRIST decalres that if you look upon a woman in lust, you have already committed adultery with her (in your heart) Matthew 5:27 & 28! The point being that the heart, and particularly through the eyes, leads to sin! These more obvious sins do get preached on from the pulpit of most churches, although less so than 100 or 200 years ago.

So what do we do with some of the more obscure laws surrounding things like unjust weights and measures Proverbs 20:10? Should that be exposited from the pulpit? How many people have fallen victim, unknowingly even, to diverse weights and measures? The concept is quite broad and has been used extensively to cheat and control people in America – not to mention undermine morality and Christianity – for well over 100 years. How you say? Paper money that is inflated (increase in the supply of currency and credit) makes people discontent with their devalued wages which do not keep up in their purchasing power with the inflated cost of living. In the case of a “true” Christian, he may not become discontent, but it may alter his life in significant ways that are not good.

Remember, I Timothy 5:8 says a man must provide for his family or he is worse than an infidel! If you’re a Christian man, you do not want to violate that precept! And yet, what happens when you cannot afford to buy food for your family, provide medical care, provide safe transportation, housing, potable water, time for family, time for instruction, time for church, time to read the Bible – all because you’re working so hard to stay afloat and live up to the command to provide for your family!

In America today, the family income has declined at the same time that the price of goods and services have gone up! It has led many people most reluctantly into debt and has forced many people to become dependent upon the largess of a Socialist government because the church does not (or cannot) step up to the plate in many circumstances – either out of ignorance or indifference – who knows? Know this, by way of the state, Socialism/Communsim (no difference really) is a competitor with the church and its God assigned duties to feed the poor. care for the sick and aged and comfort the downcast.

In Luke 20:20 – 23, Jesus is acknowledged as having perceived their craftiness, vs 23, and what was their craftiness? It was a desire to kill him by stealth (conspiracy – secretly planning to do something illegal, and murdering Christ was illegal). Now, if Jesus perceived “craftiness” by conspirators, should not Christians in general be like Jesus and perceive evil schemes? If so, is there a Biblical proscription for that? Let’s try Ephesians 5:8 – 11. Shall those who were “once in darkness” be light and expose evil? If you’re answer is “No!”, then my guess is you are either not of GOD or willfully ignorant which is a most egregious sin! Proverbs 24:11 & 12.

St. Paul declared that he taught the whole counsel of GOD ACTS 20:27, and if so, and what is written earlier is true, then the whole counsel of GOD is the entire Bible – laws included and expoosited in context of the Bible and its application to today’s world!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are more concerned with being liked, being popular, being affluent, having a fat paycheck, being comfortable etc., then you don’t understand the teachings of Jesus Christ WHO is the AUTHOR of the whole Bible! The WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD! If you want to pick and choose, and avoid the tough issues and the hard to explain and understand issues, then you are lazy! Get off your duff, wake up, and do what’s good right, true and pleasing to GOD – NOT PLEASING TO YOU!

Pensiamento Pelgiroso