Please Don’t Misunderstand Me

Over the past few blog posts I have written, I have focused on what it means to be a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ. I have discussed my opinion on the viral Super Bowl commercial from “He Gets Us.” I have talked about the arrogance of humanity and the unseen war we are fighting. I have talked about the importance of obedience and not just giving lip service. Through everything I have written, I want to clarify that the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ outdoes any sin that we choose to be slaves to. Being a Christian has NOTHING to do with religion or religious acts. It has everything to do with a relationship with the Creator of the Universe and His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the ultimate price of death so that those who turn and accept Him will have everlasting life through Him. Salvation has nothing to do with works. Salvation is accepting and following Christ, repenting of our sins, and obeying Him by denying ourselves and following Him. Works are the byproduct of salvation. 

My job as a Christian is to be Christ to the World. This means I give grace, show love, and serve others. However, it also means I call out sin and injustice in the World. I call out false doctrine, false ideologies, and demonic intent in our society. It means I speak truth, and that Truth is the Truth found in the Word of God. I am not accepting of the sin that is in this World. I do not share the same mindset as the World; instead, I hold to the mindset of Christ, which states that He is the Way, Truth, and Life. As a Christian, I speak Truth in love. I don’t get it right every time because I am still a sinner and make mistakes daily. This is why repentance is a crucial component of being a Christian.

Jesus made it clear what being His follower looks like. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). He also said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). In the book of Micah, YHWH says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). The Apostle James writes, “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:21-22, 27).

Before God came to live among His creation through Jesus Christ, YHWH used prophets to speak His words to the people. The prophets’ main job was to call out the sins of the nations. God used them to warn the nations of the impending doom of God’s wrath upon them if they did not repent and turn from their sinful ways. People and nations hated these prophets for speaking the Truth. Some listened to them, while most accosted, beat, and abused them. Today, God has not only spoken through the prophets of the Old Testament, He has also spoken through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Apostles. We have a collection of writings, books, and letters that speak the Truth of YHWH and His commandments.

We tend to believe that the God of the Old Testament differs from the New Testament. We like to think that Jesus was all about love and acceptance, which God is all about. This is a dangerous and very ignorant ideology. As I have written before, Jesus Christ was the peace offering, the olive branch, between YHWH and all creation. He was YHWH’s last resort in bringing all people unto Himself. However, just as the prophets of the Old Testament were accosted, beaten, and abused, Jesus Christ would bear the same fate and even be put to death. Jesus spoke to this saying:

“A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others.” (Mark 12:1-9)

The slaves Christ mentions are all the prophets that came before Him. The son he refers to is Himself, the Son of the Most High God, who planted the vineyard. Do you not see the final statement Christ makes in this parable? “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will destroy the vine growers and give the vineyard to others.” Those who reject Jesus Christ will be destroyed, and those whom the vineyard is given to are those who repent of their sin and turn and follow Him. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament were hated and despised for speaking the Truth of God, Christ Jesus was also hated and despised and eventually killed by the people He came to save.    

The warning must continue. The love we like to speak about in the Church is genuine, but this love does not accept the sin of the World. I saw a video the other day of Dylan Mulvaney claiming that he was trying to maintain a relationship with God. He said, “I’m going to say something that might make people feel a little bit uncomfortable: I’m trying really hard to maintain a relationship with God. I don’t think He made a mistake with me, and that maybe one day, I will actually be grateful for being trans, that this isn’t some curse, but it’s just a different path to the same destination.” Many Christians might look at this and approve of what Mulvaney is saying, and if that is the case, this is where there is a significant problem in today’s Church. 

There is no such thing as multiple paths to the same destination. There is only one path – Jesus Christ. He stated, “I am the WAY, TRUTH, and LIFE. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” God is clear in His expectations. Sin is sin, and you cannot live in sin and have a relationship with God. It is impossible. The false ideology that Dylan is sharing is straight from the mouth of the Devil. He has been blinded to Truth and has accepted the lies of the Deceiver. As a Christian, I love Dylan. He is made in the image of God, as all humanity is, but he has chosen to listen to the lies and deceit of the Devil and has chosen to accept sin rather than repent of it. My heart breaks for Dylan. He doesn’t know the one true God. Unless he repents of his sin, accepts Christ Jesus, and follows Him, there is no way he can have a relationship with YHWH, which means when he stands before the throne of the God he claims to have a relationship with, YHWH will say, “Depart from me, for I never knew you.” 

I do not believe that he is a lost cause. I believe that God can break through every and all schemes of the Devil. Dylan can be saved from the sin he chooses to live in. I believe the lies of the Devil can be destroyed, but it is only through honest, earnest prayer that this can happen. I am reminded of a story in the Gospel of Mark:

“When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. And He asked them, ‘What are you discussing with them?’ And one of the crowd answered Him, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.’ And He answered them and said, ‘O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!’ They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!’ And Jesus said to him, ”If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’ When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.’ After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead!’ But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, ‘Why could we not drive it out?’ And He said to them, ‘This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.'” (Mark 9:14-29)

There is much to discuss in this one story, but I want to focus on the last thing Jesus said, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” 

Why do I say all of this? I have noticed that the weakness of the Church and most Christians lies in accepting and allowing false doctrine and ideologies. Most would say that we need to love Dylan. I agree, but we must not stop there. Real love is speaking the truth and not allowing people to live in a delusional mindset perpetuated by lies from the Devil. Our job as Christians and believers in Christ Jesus is to speak Truth. We must speak Truth in love and not condemnation and judgment, as it is not our place to condemn or judge. However, calling out sin is not judgment. It’s how we break the chains of sin. Only when we know and understand the problem can we begin to fix it. However, if all we do is “love” and accept people, we do them a disservice by allowing them to continue in the sin that we know will lead to utter destruction. 

Christians must share Truth AND love. These go hand in hand. When done correctly, it can lead to repentance and salvation. When this is done poorly, it can lead to a destructive disconnect between humanity and God. I implore you, as a believer, to stop pushing the love and acceptance that is being discussed and approved of in today’s Christian circles and start preaching truth, so that those who live in sin might be broken from the bondage of sin and be set free through the power and love of Jesus Christ. If we do not speak about the problem, the problem will never be corrected.

Father God, I ask that you embolden your people to speak Truth to a dying and lost World. I ask that your followers would take up the obligation of speaking against the Devil and the lies and deceit he tries to push. I pray that the eyes of humanity would be opened to see the Truth, to see you, Lord Jesus. I pray that you will help me speak in love and truth. I pray that your Holy Spirit speaks through me in ways that bring light and revelation to the lost, break the chains of sin and destruction, and bring Truth and salvation to the lost World. You have overcome the World. The cross was the ultimate statement of truth, power, forgiveness, and salvation. I believe there is nothing that you cannot do. I believe in your Word and all that you have said. I pray that you show yourself to the lost. Show yourself to those who have accepted the lies of the Devil. I also pray that you would bind the Devil and his demons, in the name of JESUS CHRIST! I pray that you break down the selfishness and pride of humanity so that they might turn to you and live in humble obedience to you. I ask all of this in your Holy Name, YHWH!

The Arrogance of Humanity

Throughout scripture, we are told to fear God. Over 140 references throughout scripture talk about the fear of God. Even Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). It is clear that humanity has been told to fear God. However, humanity does not even come close to understanding what that means. We walk around thinking that we know better than God. We consider our thoughts higher than His, ignoring that He is the omnipotent, all-powerful Creator. How arrogant are we that we would live in direct opposition to Him?

I am reminded of the Israelites when they were led out of Egypt to the promised land. They were shown wonders and miracles that I could only dream of witnessing. They saw a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud during the day, both containing the presence of God. They witnessed manna from Heaven, water from a rock, and many other great miracles. However, they constantly grumbled, complained, and blamed God for their misery. Even after watching some of their people get swallowed up by the Earth after disobeying God, they still chose to complain and blame God for their misery. Their arrogance toward God kept an entire generation from entering the promised land. 

There was no fear of God within the Israelites. I would suggest that the only person who truly feared God was Moses. He saw the burning bush, spoke with God on Mount Sinai, and was used to proclaim the will of God to the people. Moses had first-hand knowledge of the power of God. He knew what he was truly capable of. It was he who was changed by standing in the presence of God. However, near the end of his time, he allowed the complaints and selfishness of the Israelite people to anger him so much (which I honestly don’t blame him) that he disobeyed God, and rather than speaking to the stone as he was commanded, he struck the stone. What was his consequence for disobeying God, even though he had put up with the selfish, entitled nation for over 50 years? He was not allowed to enter the promised land. The promise of a land flowing with milk and honey was taken from him because of one disobedient act. 

Some may say that God is unjust because of this act. I say we should pay attention to the consequences of what one disobedient act against God can bring. Seeing that God doesn’t mess around should bring a sense of humility inside us all. God is not unjust! We are responsible for our actions and choices. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by the actions and words of others, we are still responsible for what we do. Consider the following story from the Book of Acts:

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.” (Acts 5:1-11)

Did you notice the church’s reaction to what happened to Ananias and Sapphira? “Great fear came over the whole church.” Both Ananias and Sapphira decided to claim that they sold their land for a specific price, and what they were giving to the church was the total price of what they sold their land for. Instead, they sold it for much more than they told Peter and the Apostles and tried to keep some for themselves. In other words, they were trying to cheat God. What was the consequence? Immediate death! The people who witnessed and heard what had happened were filled with fear. 

What makes us think we are above God and can outthink Him? He is GOD, and we are not. He created us – not the other way around. Humanity walks around with their nose to the sky, thinking that they know better and can do better than God. Some even choose to consider themselves so much higher than God that they refuse to believe in His existence. How arrogant are we!

Throughout scripture, there are only two groups that genuinely feared God—the prophets, who were used by God, and the demons. The prophets warned of God’s wrath on those who disobeyed or did not follow His commands. God performed many miracles through them, and even one never saw death but was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire. However, none of that was enough to change the arrogance of humanity to humble themselves before God. The other group who truly fears God and knows what He is capable of are the demons. Listen to how the demons responded when Christ came near them:

“Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” (Mark 3:11)

“Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me! And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission.” (Mark 5:6-7,10-13a)

“Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm.” (Luke 3:34-35)

“Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.” (Luke 4:41)

Demons were and are terrified of Jesus Christ. They know His power and what He is capable of. They understand Him better than we do. The Apostle James said, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19). Instead of watching and learning from the interactions between the demons and Jesus Christ, we continue to walk around arrogantly without any real fear of Jesus Christ and YHWH. 

We preach that Jesus Christ is all about love and acceptance. Not only is this a half-truth, as Christ never has and will never accept the sin we choose to live in, but He specifically warned us of the condemnation we have placed on ourselves due to our selfishness, pride, and arrogance. We like to quote John 3:16, but we can’t just stop at one verse. Look at what it says after John 3:16:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:17-21)

John the Baptist said, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” How much more do we need to truly understand that the demise and downfall of nations, societies, families, and ourselves are all due to our arrogance and lack of fear and obedience? Jesus Christ came as an olive branch between YHWH and humanity. Those who turn to Jesus, repent of their sins, take up their cross, deny themselves, and follow in obedience will have an abundant life and life everlasting. To those who choose arrogance and selfishness, condemnation and wrath are upon them. 

Let us repent of our arrogance and realize the true awesomeness and power of Jesus Christ and YHWH. Let us stop thinking that our ways are higher or better than His. Let us bow down before the Lord our God our Maker and humble ourselves before His throne. Let us remove the sin that is destroying us, and let us turn to the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.  

Lord, I pray that the demons of arrogance and pride be bound and removed from the hearts of humanity. I pray that we would turn our eyes to you, humble ourselves before your awesome power, and live in obedience to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray this prayer today! Amen.

To “Believe” Is More Than Believing

The Church likes to quote John 3:16 and then stand on the doctrine that all it takes is belief in Jesus to earn salvation. This is a false doctrine and false ideology. The translation of John 3:16 into English is weak and misses a lot of context from the original language. The word for “Believe” is translated from pistévo (πιστεύω), which means “to put one’s faith in, trust, with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow.” Notice the last part of that definition: “with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow.” Believing is more than just believing. 

The Apostle James speaks to this in his letter. “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19). The Apostle gives a sarcastic tone here. He follows this up with, “But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?” (James 2:20). There is a strong emphasis given that believing is more than just believing. If there is no change in action or repentance of the heart, then one’s belief is just as good as the demon’s. 

Even some translations of the Bible remove the emphasis of true belief from their pages. For example, people usually stop reading at John 3:16, but if you continue to the end of the chapter, you will read, “He who believes (pistévo) in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, the the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36 NASB). Some translations, such as the most popular translation, the New International Version, remove the emphasis of obey: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36 NIV). The CEV translation says, “Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever.” Without the emphasis on obeying, “believe” is not represented accurately.

When we water down or mistranslate words in scripture, we risk not sharing the whole truth. Churches teach that belief is all that is needed to be saved. This is just not the case. The scripture is unequivocal that without obedience, there is no salvation. Belief is a change in perspective, not only in our minds but also in our hearts. This belief is then lived out in obedience to Jesus Christ and His word.

Obedience was explicitly expressed in the Old Testament. The nation of Israel was commanded to obey God and all He commanded. They were also told that steep and tragic consequences would follow when they chose to disobey. Israel was conquered time and time again and was taken captive due to their lack of obedience to YHWH and His word.

The Messiah that was prophesied about throughout the Old Testament came to remove the penalty of sin – DEATH and eternal separation from YHWH. However, that penalty is only removed once one turns to Jesus Christ, repents of their sin, and lives in obedience to Him. The same expectations that were placed on the Israelites are on us today. Repentance of sin and obedience to God’s Word is essential to salvation and freedom. When the nation of Israel repented of their sin and turned back to God, it was then that they were set free.

If the God of the Old Testament is the God of today, and if He is a God that never changes, then why should we assume that His expectations for His people would change? Obedience is still required. The prophet Samuel stated, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). Paul wrote the following in his letter to the Roman gentiles:

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11:17-22)

Paul said, “Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches (Israelites – His chosen people who rejected Him), He will not spare you, either.” He continues, saying, “Behold the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity. But to you, God’s kindness, IF you continue in His kindness.” That “IF” is pretty significant. The nation of Israel was promised salvation IF they continued in obedience to YHWH and his commands. When they strayed from His commands, they were overtaken and placed in captivity. The Lord brought peace and prosperity to Israel through repentance and their return to YHWH and His commands. 

In the Old Testament, multiple sacrifices needed to be made by the high priests to atone for sins. When Jesus came, He became the ultimate High Priest for all mankind. His sacrifice on the cross covered all sin for all eternity. This means we no longer have to go to a high priest and ask for a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus’s sacrifice paid it all. However, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we are still responsible for obeying all He has commanded us. Jesus Christ is our atonement for sin, but we still must live according to His word.

In some Christian denominations, there is a theological view that once someone accepts Christ, they are saved for life. I used to believe this, but the older I get and the more I invest in understanding the depth and meaning of salvation and what it means to have a relationship with Christ, I don’t see how “once saved, always saved” is a biblical theological view. To say that we believe in God does nothing. After all, James wrote, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?” (James 2:19-20). He goes on to say, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:24, 26). It is through obedience that we belief is made whole.

Consider Christ’s own words:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (John 15, 1-3, 5-6).

The Greek word for abide is μένω (méno), which means “to stay.” Menō describes something that remains where it is, continues in a fixed state, or endures. For example, a marriage is only when a husband and wife stay together, endure hardships, and remain faithful to each other. The moment one or both break that commitment to each other, the marriage is no longer a marriage. A man can believe in his wife all his life, but the belief in his wife is not what makes him married. Only when that man stays, remains, endures, and continues in a fixed state with his wife is he indeed married. In other words, he is devoted to her with everything he has. He refuses to let anything or anyone come between him and his wife. The same applies to our relationship with Christ Jesus, who calls us his bride.

We have a responsibility as believers in Christ. Believing in Jesus is more than recognizing His existence, ministry, and historical significance. To believe in Jesus is to obey Him. The beauty of Christ is his faithfulness to us when we are not faithful. This doesn’t mean that we continue in our salvation if we follow after other gods or choose to ignore or make excuses for why we don’t follow His commands. His faithfulness is shown when we repent of our sins and return to Him. Without repentance, there can never be salvation. Repentance is the acknowledgment, both in the heart and actions, that we have missed the mark and need the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and God the Father, and we return in obedience to YHWH. It is then that we have realigned ourselves with YHWH. If we continue in sin, making excuses for our choices and actions, we are not abiding in Christ; neither are we true believers in Him.

I encourage you to check your heart. To believe in Christ is to obey Him and abide in Him. You will always be in a battle between your selfish desires and God’s commandments. Just remember, because humanity listened to their selfish desires in the first place, we are where we are today. Believe in Jesus Christ and YHWH by obeying and abiding.

“Surely you won’t die!”

With all of this talk about the Super Bowl commercial, “He Gets Us,” I thought I would share my take on the subject. If you haven’t seen the commercial, I will do my best to summarize. The commercial is filled with pictures of people washing other people’s feet. It is clear that the people washing the feet are “Christians.” There is a picture of a cop washing the feet of a criminal, a priest washing the feet of a prominent homosexual man, a woman washing the feet of another woman outside of an abortion clinic, and many other controversial pictures. The commercial ends with, “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.” 

There are a lot of different viewpoints that have been shared about this commercial or campaign. Because if we were honest, “He Gets Us” is a religious campaign. I have heard people speak in support of the commercial, and I have heard people speak out against the commercial. Of course, the ones who are the most boisterous about the commercial are from the “Christian” faith. 

I have heard people express their support for the commercial in that it teaches that Jesus is love, and we need to love more. I have also heard people share their approval, claiming that Jesus wants us to serve others, so we should wash each other’s feet. Ultimately, the people who support the commercial express their approval of showing love and that we are called to love and serve others.

Those who speak out against the video have shared how it is a false gospel and does not at all portray the real Jesus or His teachings. They quickly point out that Jesus only washed His disciple’s feet and commanded them to wash each other’s feet. People against the ad have also stated that Jesus doesn’t tolerate or approve of sin but calls us all to repentance – something the commercial did not communicate. Overall, those against the commercial speak against the false doctrine and lack of a call to repentance found in the true Gospel.

And then there’s the Christian community who eat their own by bashing each other for their statements, opinions, and beliefs, which is quite ironic when both sides state that we are called to love and serve. Here’s the bottom line: no one is perfect; we all fall short every day, which is why we ALL need Jesus. But what, then, does that mean for the Gospel and what Jesus teaches?

I didn’t know what to think when I watched the commercial. I didn’t know what to make of the pictures and what was being portrayed. A part of me liked the idea of serving others, as we are called to serve. However, I also struggled to see how washing the feet of someone living and choosing to live in sin was a good representation of the whole Gospel. Jesus teaches us to love others; the old adage, “Love the sinner but hate the sin.” However, He never calls us to tolerate or accept sin. He calls us to repent, be baptized, and turn from our wicked ways. This message is not being shared in this religious campaign.

I am reminded of a time when a man and a woman lived in a beautiful garden and were told not to eat from a certain tree in the middle of the garden. They were told that if they ate the fruit from the forbidden tree, they “would die” (Genesis 3:3). However, a serpent came and tempted the woman by telling her, “You will not certainly die. For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). From there, the doom of the world was established.

I have found that the Devil does an excellent job of watering down or twisting the words of God to make it make sense but still be a false ideology. Our society, and even the Church today, has watered down the Gospel to the point of “Love everyone!”  I’m sorry, but this is not the Gospel. The Gospel calls sinners to repentance and to turn from their wicked ways. The Gospel is clear that those who live in sin have no inheritance in the Kingdom. The Gospel does not tolerate sin nor allow excuses to be made for sin. No, the Gospel calls out the deeds of darkness and shines light on sin.

“But didn’t Jesus say, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?'” He sure did. He also said, “Many will say to me on that day (Day of Judgement), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers” (Matthew 7:22-23). And again, Christ says:

“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).

The Gospel is about love, mercy, and grace, but there is more to it. The Gospel is also about changing one’s heart to obedience to Christ and His word. Many quote John 3:16 and say, “See, all you have to do is believe.” However, this is only part of the whole truth. Again, this watered-down truth sounds really nice but is a false ideology. If you keep reading John chapter 3, you will find that the last verse holds the truth to it all: “He that believes in the Son has everlasting life, but he that does not OBEY the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

The Devil does an excellent job taking the Word of God and subverting it to fit his agenda. If we, the believers and followers of Christ, think that we are doing the world a favor by sharing only part of the Gospel, what might come of us when we stand before Christ in the last days? If the Gospel is to repent, turn from our wicked ways, and obey God, then why isn’t that the Gospel that we are sharing? 

Jesus said, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil” (John 7:6). Again, He says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26). Jesus lived a life full of love and compassion, but He never hesitated to speak truth to a world filled with sin. He didn’t cater to sin; instead, He called it out.

If we want to say that all it takes is love, then why did Jesus call the rich man to sell all that he had and follow Him? 

“A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:18-30). 

The Gospel is not merely to give love, even though this is very important. The Gospel is about submission and obedience to God and His will. Jesus said He did not come to write a new commandment but that the old might be fulfilled. What, then, is the old commandment? In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses commanded the Israelites: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Fear the Lord your God and serve Him only. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you. The Lord commanded us to OBEY all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 13, 18, 24-25). The Gospel is not just love but also obedience. 

If all we preach is to love and serve one another, we only give part of the Gospel story. We are saying that all you need to do is love others, and Jesus will accept you, but that’s not what scripture says. As Samuel stated in 1 Samuel 15:22, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.” Micah says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). You see, it doesn’t stop with love and mercy, it is summed up with obedience and walking with God. 

When Jesus stood on the mountain with his disciples before he ascended into heaven, he gave this final command, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to OBEY (my emphasis) everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20a).

So, what is missing in today’s Gospel message? Obedience to God. Serving others and giving love represents our heart toward God, as he has commanded us to love and serve others. However, if all we do is teach that all we need to do is love and serve others and neglect to share the most critical piece, obedience, we are saying, “You will certainly not die. God will accept you no matter what. All you need to do is love others.”

It’s Never Too Early, But It Might Be Too Late

I was downstairs watching TV when my watch started buzzing. I looked down and saw that I was getting a phone call. My phone was upstairs charging, so I rushed up the stairs just in time to answer the phone. It was my sister. She told me that my father was in the ER and was having a heart attack. I packed an overnight bag, kissed my babies and my wife, and headed to the hospital some 45 minutes away. As I entered the room, I saw my dad writhing in pain and struggling to breathe. My mom sat beside him, and my sister stepped back to let me in. For the next several minutes, I watched as my father struggled to talk, breathe, and keep focus on anything. I could only think, “I love you, Dad! I hope you know how much I love you!”

They emergency transported my father to another hospital with a cardiac center some 20 minutes away. I wrapped my arm around my mom, and we walked to my car to meet my father at the next hospital. I did my best to reassure her that everything would be okay. My focus was now on making sure my mom felt comforted and supported. As we entered the elevators to go up to the floor my father was on, a code blue was called over the speakers for a patient in the same location my father was in. Worry flooded our thoughts as we weren’t sure if my father was in trouble. 

Several minutes later, we were told that my father was in surgery getting a stent put in and should be out shortly. My mom, sister, brother-in-law, and I waited in the waiting room, hoping everything was okay. A few moments later, I saw my dad being wheeled around the corner. I got up and headed over to him. He looked like a brand-new man. He was smiling, alert, and talkative. My heart rejoiced, knowing that my father was going to be okay.

Even though this wasn’t the first time my father had been in the hospital, this was the first time it hit me as hard as it did. I started to think about my father, mother, and sister. Even though they live 45 minutes away, I don’t talk with them as often as I should. I don’t tell them I love them as often as I should. I don’t do a good job of letting them know that I love, care about, and cherish them. I consider myself lucky. I have been blessed to have another chance to fix my shortcomings and tell my family what I should have been telling them more consistently. 

We tend to take life for granted. We get caught up in the busyness of life and neglect to invest in what matters – relationships, especially the relationships with those closest to us. Family is not something that is encouraged in today’s society. After high school, we are pushed to become productive members of society. This isn’t a bad thing. However, in the push to make a place for ourselves in this world, we need to remember and invest in the relationships that helped us get to where we are today.

I want to challenge you to reconsider what it means to love. I am telling you to say “I love you” more often. Please understand me: love is not just words. It is action. There is a song by Cody Johnson called”‘ Til You Can’t.” In the chorus, he says:

If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance.
If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back.
If you’re gonna love somebody,
Hold ’em as long and as strong and as close as you can
‘Til you can’t.

In the bridge, he says:

So take that phone call from your momma and just talk away
‘Cause you’ll never know how bad you wanna ’til you can’t someday
Don’t wait on tomorrow ’cause tomorrow may not show
Say your sorries, your I-love-yous, ’cause man you never know

Don’t put off what should be done today. When our loved ones are gone, there are no more chances. Take every chance you can to say, “I love you.” Take every opportunity to spend time with those closest to you. Because once they’re gone, you will wish you did more when they were here.

After the incident with my father, I decided to act on how I felt. I started a group message between my father, mother, and sister. Every morning, I text a simple message that says, “Good morning! I love you!.” I know it’s not a lot, but at least I know that when they read their notifications on their phone, they will see a message from me telling them that I love them. I don’t need to hear anything back because I’m not seeking approval. I want them to know that in the busyness of life, no matter what, I am thinking about them and love them.

Life is a blip. One day, we are here, and then the next, we are gone. We are defined by what we do with the time we have. If there is one thing I am learning, it is to stop taking life for granted and start prioritizing my life with things that matter – family and friends. I want my wife, children, mom and dad, sister, and friends to know that I love them and that they matter to me. I don’t want to get caught up chasing the dollar or the next best thing at the cost of my relationship with my family and friends. The people in my life are what matters most. So, to all my family and friends: 

I LOVE YOU! 

Please Read

Hello,

We don’t speak much, or perhaps never at all. Life takes us on different paths and journeys, but I want you to know that you are in my heart and mind. I have reached a point in my life of reflection and introspection. There is so much I want to share with you, but I don’t know how you will take what I have to say. Everything I have to say comes from a place of love, and all I ask is that you read everything with an open mind.

Let me start with an apology. I am sorry if anything I have done in my lifetime has created discord and division between you and me. I apologize for not showing you love in my words or actions. I am sorry for not investing in our relationship how I should have or if I allowed our differences to drive a wedge between us. I am sorry for not being a person of compassion and grace. I am sorry for speaking words of ignorance rather than words of edification. I am sorry for being a hypocrite and not living a righteous life. My heart aches, knowing that my actions and words have not aligned with who I claim to be. I have failed you by giving into worldly pressures and fear. 

For my entire life, I have claimed to be a Christian. I have claimed to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I know I have not lived a life worthy of being called a Christ follower. I have chosen to be led by selfishness, pride, and arrogance many times throughout my life. I have allowed anger to be a staple in my life, possibly creating division between you and me. I have failed at being a good representative of Jesus Christ. If my actions or words have caused you to disbelieve or deny the existence of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, I ask that you see past my faults. I am a sinner, a broken man, and I know that I fail at being a good representative of Jesus Christ. I am a work in progress saved by grace.  

I am making you this promise from here on out: I will strive to be the man I am called to be – a man called to love and edify, to give grace, compassion, and forgiveness, and most importantly, a man called to serve. I am a work in progress, and I cannot guarantee perfection. However, I promise you that I will strive to do what is right, and when I fail, I will repent, seek forgiveness, and turn back to what is right. 

I am not a Christian as defined by today’s society. I am a sinner, saved by grace through faith by the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus Christ when He was crucified on the cross. This does not make me better than you or anyone else. All this means is that I recognize that I am a sinner in need of saving. It means that I acknowledge that I am broken, messed up, and have failed to do what is right on many occasions. It means that I am saying that God’s way is better than mine and that I need saving from myself. 

As a new follower of Jesus Christ – I say “new” because I have not been living my life as a faithful follower of Christ – I do not want to force my beliefs on you. Your choice to believe in God and follow Jesus Christ is your own. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t share my heart with you.

I want you to know that I love you. I don’t care about your political affiliation, your history, or anything else of insignificance. I love you for you. You were created in God’s image, making you beautiful and significant in my eyes. You might say that you don’t believe in God. To which I say, He still believes in you. You were made for more than just making it through each day. You were made to experience God’s joy and love. 

This is where I share the hard truth. Life is but a breath. We are here one day and gone the next. Knowing what I know and believing what I believe, it would be selfish to keep it to myself. Life, as we know it, is a drop of water within the vast ocean of eternity. Death is only the death of our physical self. But you and I are more than just physical. You and I have a spirit and a soul. The choices we make here will determine the outcome of our spiritual self. 

We tend to think that everything happening around us is what matters – politics, religion, ideologies, agendas, etc. In all sincerity, those things matter very little. What truly matters is how you and I live our lives and whether we choose to accept Jesus Christ, make Him the Lord of our lives, and follow after him. You see, as someone who has lived their life as a said “Christian,” there is one thing that I never really did – make Jesus Christ the Lord of my life. It hasn’t been until recently that I have acknowledged the downfall of my choices and the consequences of choosing selfishness over God’s wisdom and Truth. 

For a long time, I thought being a Christian was me professing and believing in Jesus Christ. I have learned that this is a tiny part of the process. What matters most is repentance and a changed heart that follows the commands of Christ Jesus. I must warn you that your pride, selfishness, and self-deception, just like mine, will make you believe that you have nothing to repent of and that you are good just the way you are. This is the greatest lie we have been led to think about ourselves. The truth is, we are not good just the way we are. We are broken and messed up. What we do is not enough. It doesn’t matter how much we work, how much we give, or even how much we sacrifice. We must repent of our sin – our inability to choose God over self – and turn to Christ as our Savior and Lord. 

Jesus said, “I am the way, truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He also said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Finally, Jesus says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

It is only through Jesus that we can have life. Life is not what you and I think it to be. It’s more than getting up and going through the grind. It’s more than political and ideological constructs. Life is not about us. It was never meant to be about us. Life is about submitting all we have before Jesus Christ, taking up our cross, and following Him. At any point that we don’t do this, life becomes meaningless. 

Jesus told us that never everyone who calls on His name will be saved. It is only those who follow His commands that will be saved. This begs the question, what is the will of the Father? In short, “To Love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and strength.” Love is an action. It is not just words. It’s giving up our wants and desires for His. It is living a life completely sold out to Him. This is why politics, religion, ideologies, and agendas mean very little. 

Why am I telling you all of this? Because you are important to me, and for far too long, I have neglected to invite you into a relationship with Jesus. I have failed you and failed to follow my Lord’s commands. I have been selfish in keeping my knowledge of Jesus Christ and what He has done for me to myself. I need to tell you that Jesus loves you. He wants to be in a deep, meaningful relationship with you. He wants to change your paradigm and help you see what truly matters. He wants to show you your value and worth and take you from where you are to someplace even greater. When we say goodbye to this world, I want you and I to live together in peace in the presence of God. Your soul matters to me, and I don’t want to see you choose to deny eternal joy and happiness due to pride, selfishness, and deception.

If you believe in Jesus Christ, I encourage you in your faith and your walk with Him. I encourage you to abstain from the world’s ways and hold fast to His commandments. Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t think you understand it all. If it has been a while, I encourage you to pick up the Bible and start reading. The truths that are found in its pages are guideposts and directional signs for life. Do not be deceived by the lies of the world, and do not conform to the ways of this world. Seek Jesus Christ and be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Take your wants and desires and place them in front of the throne of Christ. Be willing to give up what you think is right for the way of Jesus. Repent of the sin in your life, change your heart, seek God, and renew your relationship with Him. The Apostle James warns us, “Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” 

We are called to be in the world but not of the world. We are also called to be the light in the world. Those who know Jesus know the light and have the light within them. This world has nothing to offer except total depravity and exile from God. The more we find ourselves drawn into the world’s darkness, the farther we get from the True light who gives life to all. If you find yourself in a dark place, stop and find out where you are compared to Jesus Christ and His commandments. 

Proverbs says, “Whoever keeps the commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.” Jesus also said, “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” If God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ, are not first in our lives, then we have already failed at keeping His commandments. We must repent of our selfishness, arrogance, and self-deception, return to God, and follow Him. 

I want nothing but the best for you, and I know that the world does not have your best interests at heart. There is only One who truly loves you and has your best interests at heart – Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It was God who gave us a way out. It was God who sacrificed His son to save us. If you do not know Christ, I am asking you, with all of my heart, to seek Him out and get to know Him. God said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jesus Christ will show up for those who genuinely want to know Him. 

If you know Christ but have strayed away from Him, much like I have, I encourage you to recenter yourself and seek Jesus. The scariest words ever spoken by Jesus were, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” Come back to Jesus Christ. Repent and make Him first in all you do. Follow His commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. This means that we must make Him first in all that we do.  

I love you, and I pray that you take what I have written with an open mind and truly reflect on what I have stated. You are precious and meant for so much more than what this world has to offer. If you ever want a deeper, more meaningful conversation, please do not hesitate to contact me. If we don’t see each other in this lifetime, I pray that we will see each other in the life to come. Never forget, just because you may not believe in God doesn’t mean He doesn’t believe in you and wants the best for you. He knows you, He sees you, and He loves you. He’ll never force His way into your life. He will always be one step behind, waiting for you to let Him. 

The Scariest Words

When I was seven, I “gave my life” to Jesus. Honestly, I never really understood what that meant. All I knew was I didn’t want to go to the place with fire and brimstone. I was told that if I said the sinner’s prayer and accepted Jesus in my heart, I would be saved. It sounded like a good deal, so I prayed in the back of the car in the parking lot of a grocery store and “accepted” Jesus as my savior. I was seven. Did I have any idea what any of that meant? No! I never really understood what it meant. I thought I was good to go because I prayed the prayer. Sadly, that is not what the Bible teaches. I have only recently discovered what it truly means to “accept” Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23). 

Have you ever considered these words from Jesus? His words are very disconcerting. Honestly, I find these words to be some of the scariest words Jesus ever spoke. Jesus is saying that people will go throughout their lives testifying and proclaiming the good news all in the name of Jesus, all the while never being known by Jesus Christ himself. I NEVER want to be this person. When I die and meet Jesus, I want Him to look at me and say, “Hello, son. I love you and am so proud of you.”

I grew up thinking, once saved, always saved. However, the older I get, the more I question this theology. I don’t see this theology taught by Christ, especially with the verse above. If all we have to do is pray the “sinner’s prayer” to be saved, then there is no genuine desire to obey Christ and His commands. I’m left questioning how I can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am not like one of those in Christ’s scenario. How do I know that God knows me? 

Before Christ came, the prophets taught Israel they would be saved through righteousness. This was a way of living. This was following the commands of God with all their heart, soul, and strength. It wasn’t something they said but then went on living contrary to how God called them to live. When they chose to follow after idols and take on the religion of the surrounding nations, they were destroyed and taken into captivity. Only after they returned to God with a repentant heart was it counted to them as righteousness, and they were saved. Salvation is not only an acknowledgment of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. It is an act of obedience to live the life God has called us to.

The Apostle James speaks of this with faith and works:

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:14-26)

How can we say that we are Christian but live contrary to the ways of God? The word “Christian” literally means Christ follower. To say we follow Christ means we do as He did and stand for what He does. If Christ said to follow His commandments, then we do that. If we are called to be in the world but not of the world, we should live contrary to how the world says to live. If we profess Christ as our Lord and Savior, then shouldn’t our action and life represent full and unwavering devotion and submission to Him? If we say that we are Christians, our actions should mimic God and His word.

To those who say that Jesus was all about love and acceptance, you are not seeing the whole picture. Christ was loving and accepting but did not accept people’s sins. This is why He repeatedly stated, “Go and sin no more.” To those who say that Christ was against the religious sect and was more gracious to those not in the religious sect, I bring to mind Nicodemus. He was a prominent individual in the religious sect. Christ spent time answering his questions and invited Nicodemus to follow Him. When the religious sect gathered common people to stone the woman caught in adultery, He called out everyone’s sin, not just the religious sect. Jesus called out the religious sect for not being true followers of God. He called out their hypocrisy as leaders. John the Baptist did the same thing toward Harrod because of his lifestyle. He and Jesus called all to repentance. Neither of them accepted sin.

To be a Christian is to leave the ways of the world behind us and live according to the ways of God. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). What are His commandments? The same ones that were given to the Israelites in the desert:

“You shall have no other gods before me. Do not have or make any graven images and worship them. Do not misuse the Lord’s name. Observe the sabbath (give honor and time to God and enter His rest). Honor your father and mother. Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, and don’t covet” (Deuteronomy 5:7-21 paraphrased).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
“Fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy. 10:12)
“Love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 11:13).

The Apostles call believers to live a “Holy” life. This means our life is set apart from the ways of the world. We cannot be friends with the world and also be called Christians. This is why Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13). Jesus also stated, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:14). To call oneself a Christian and live a life contrary to the commands and words of God, is to be the one in which Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Hear, Listen, and Do

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way” (Isaiah 53:6a). “All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalms 14:3). The Bible doesn’t mince words. At the beginning of Israel’s establishment, God commanded them to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. Within a few years, Israel had broken nearly every command given to them.

Not much has changed in today’s world. Our world and societies are corrupt, and our lives are corrupt. The only ones to blame are ourselves. Why? Because we have failed to follow the first and greatest commandment. “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:34-38).

Why is such a simple commandment so hard to follow? Since the dawn of time and the creation of humanity, we have wanted to live our way without being told what to do and how to do it. We were given the freedom to choose our path in life. However, we were told of the consequences of what would happen if we decided to live our lives for ourselves. First, Adam and Eve were told not to touch the tree in the middle of the garden, and if they did, they would surely die. Along comes the serpent, the scheming, lying devil, who takes God’s words and restates them in a way that makes Adam and Eve reconsider God’s commandment:

“He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5)

Do you see what the serpent did? He suggested that God was keeping something from Adam and Eve. He planted the idea in their head that God was not all good because He didn’t want them to know what He knew. He also told Adam and Eve that they would transcend who they were and become like God, knowing what He knew – good and evil. However, go back and read the commandments and consequences that they were told. “You can eat from any tree except the one in the middle. If you eat from the tree in the middle, you will surely die!”

As Adam and Eve ignored God’s commands and warnings and ate from the forbidden tree, they found themselves still very much alive. They didn’t keel over and die. God didn’t say they would physically die. He said they would surely die. What, then, did God mean? To answer this question, we need to go back to chapter 1:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

Humanity was created in God’s image. God is a spiritual being. He was, and is, and forever will be. He is everything good. When He made man and woman, he made them in His good, spiritual image. He warned Adam and Eve that they would surely die if they disregarded his warning. What is the ultimate kind of death? Eternal separation from God. Adam and Eve chose to ignore God’s warning, and ultimately, they died – spiritually. There was no longer any good in them. They choose to love themselves over loving God. What was their consequence? To be removed from the presence of God:

“And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken” (Genesis 3:22-23).

This one act set in motion a love story unlike any other. More than anything, God wanted to renew the broken relationship between Himself and humanity. Even though God had nothing to do with the breakup in our relationship, He still wanted to have a close relationship with us. The story starts with a covenant made by God with the people of Israel. God chose Israel to be a nation that would stand out from all other nations. All they needed to do was follow God’s commandments, and all would go well. But as we saw in the Garden of Eden, humanity has this lousy way of ignoring the words of God, and the consequences that He warns will come if we choose to ignore Him. Even though the Old Testament in the Bible focuses on the history of Israel and their relationship with God, it doesn’t mean that God’s words don’t apply to us today.

Again, God gave us free will. He never wanted us to be forced into loving Him. This is why he offers commandments with warnings. He tells us what is good because He is good. The Ten Commandments are a list of what goodness looks like. First and foremost, Love God and keep Him first. Second, love others. This is why Moses proclaimed, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Sadly, we have gone away from this simple commandment yet again.

We are corrupt! There is nothing good within us. You might be thinking that you live a good life. You haven’t murdered anyone. You haven’t stolen anything. The last time you were in traffic and got cut off, you waved with all your fingers. Here’s the clincher: just because you have lived this way doesn’t make you good. Jesus stated, “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).

You know good AND evil. You are bent on doing evil. Perhaps you have lied or coveted something that someone else had. You don’t have to act on your feelings. You see, that’s the point. You KNOW good and evil. Before the first man and woman disregarded God’s command, they knew nothing but good. They didn’t know what it meant to lie. They didn’t know what it felt like to covet. They didn’t know what malice was. All they knew was good. This is why Jesus said:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28)

Knowing evil is what causes spiritual death. Our thoughts alone make us guilty of sin. This is why the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is so necessary. It is only through Him that we can become spiritually alive. Even though we still know good and evil, the blood of Jesus covers a multitude of sins and brings us back into a relationship with God. However, the commandment still stands: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.”

Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me” (John 14:23-24). This is how we become spiritually alive. We must submit to the authority of Jesus Christ and God the Father. We must stop thinking that we know what is best. We know nothing. This was made evident in the Garden of Eden. To love God is to obey Him.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5). It is not enough to just read the words of God. We must put them in our hearts. We must memorize them. We must teach them. We must write them in our house so that we constantly see them. If we are not consistently in the Word of God, seeking to know Him and His commands to obey and follow them, then we don’t truly love Him.

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:22-25)

We must be doers of the Word. We must listen and obey. We must love the Lord our God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength. We must write the Word of God on our hearts. We must teach God’s commandments to our children. We must write God’s commands in our homes. We need to stop believing that we know what is best. We must stop listening to evil and do what is good. We must cling to the cross of Christ and strive to become spiritually alive. The more we keep ignoring God, the more corrupt we become.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57).

God-Controlled

Lately, I have been pondering the idea of self-control. It is something we hear often. Growing up, our parents taught us to practice self-control. As we get older, we are told to focus on having self-control. The older I get, the more I have realized that self-control is easier said than done, and I have finally figured out why. 

What does it mean to have self-control? What comes to mind is the control of our actions, thoughts, and words. We do the right thing in our actions, like choosing to wave with all of our fingers as we are cut off in traffic. We think the right thoughts, like how the person who just cut us off is just as valuable as ourselves even though they do frustrating things. We speak only what is good, like saying words of love and encouragement as the person who cut us off waves with one finger. If you can do all of this without hesitation every time, you are a better person than I am. Of course, there are many examples I can use, but I’m sure you get the gist of what I am saying.

Self-control means that I must take control of self – myself. I can’t do that when the self in me is broken. Have you ever tried to focus on one image in a broken mirror? A broken mirror displays multiple images at one time. You can never get a clear picture or reflection in a broken mirror. It is only when you look at a clean, complete mirror that the reflection is whole and complete. We are broken mirrors, and to think that we can control ourselves is to say that we can make what is broken complete again. This is why self-control is impossible unless we look to the one who makes us whole.

Self is the enemy of righteousness. The more we focus on self, the farther from righteousness we get. Self is also the enemy of humility. Self and pride share the same address within our lives. Self tells us that we are owed something, which is a lie, as we are owed absolutely nothing. Self puts us on a pedestal, making us god and denying the One True God. Ultimately, the self is the enemy of God!

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). What happens on a cross? Death! The cross was used as capital punishment to kill. Jesus told us to take up our cross. Why? What do we have that needs to be put to death? The answer: Self! This is why the Apostle Paul wrote, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). 

There is only one way to win the war on self: to be completely and fully submitted to God! Only through the giving up of self can we truly win the war that self constantly wages. We are incapable of having complete control over self. John the Baptist said it best when he said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). We must bow our heads before the Lord of all the Earth and fully submit to Him, contrary to what self teaches.

There is no such thing as self-control. There is such a thing as complete submission to God. We cannot control the self, but the self becomes less through total surrender to Jesus Christ. When we give God full control, we don’t need to worry about self. This doesn’t mean the self will never show up. On the contrary, the self will always want to rear its ugly head. However, the more we submit to Jesus Christ and humble ourselves before him, the self will never have an opportunity to win.

Nevertheless, be on alert. Self will want to regain control and convince you that you are in control. You lose total control when you give in to the lies of self. You may ask, “How do I keep the self from taking control?” First and foremost, get into the Word of God every day. As King Solomon wrote, “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. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7). In Psalms 119, the psalmist reminds us of what it takes, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalms 119:11). These verses are excellent reminders of what it takes to submit to God and ignore the voice of self.

Second, pray. Jesus gives us the perfect example of what to do when the self starts to rear its ugly head. Jesus Christ was entirely God and fully man. This means he was still tempted, just like us, in every way. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). When the time of His death was approaching and He was overwhelmed with emotion, He went off by Himself and pleaded with God the Father:

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46)

Notice in Christ’s prayer that He shared His self’s desires but followed it up with, “Not my will but yours be done.” Anyone in their right mind wouldn’t want to endure what Christ knew He was about to endure. This is why He prayed to the Father that He might be spared from the pain and anguish about to befall Him. Jesus could have easily rebelled, gave into self, and walked away. There was nothing that was stopping Him from doing that. However, because of his unwavering submission and devotion to His Father, He was willing to endure whatever came His way. He said, “Your will is more important than self.”

Finally, when you find yourself starting to listen to the deceiving voice of self, acknowledge it, repent of it, and seek God. David is an excellent example of this. As the King of Israel, he had a lot of opportunities to listen to the self, and many times he followed after the the self. His sin with Bathsheba was the best example of this (2 Samuel 11). After David’s sin, the Lord sends Nathan, the prophet, to confront David. What’s fascinating is that Nathan uses a story to tell David that he was wrong and made poor choices:

“The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 13a)

David fell prey to the self and committed horrible acts. However, he acknowledged his sin and repented when confronted about his actions. We will all fall prey to self, but it doesn’t mean we need to allow self to control us. When we acknowledge our sin, repent, and resubmit under the authority of Jesus Christ, we defeat the power of self. 

When we submit to God, we aren’t controlling the self. We are allowing the ways of God to become more as the self becomes less. The ways of God bring peace to our lives. It is the self that brings chaos, pain, and frustration. The Apostle Paul says this in his letter to the Romans, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans  8:6). To have a mind governed by the Spirit, we must die to self daily. Rather than trying to fight against self and have self-control, I encourage you to be God-controlled. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

The Hard Truth

C.S. Lewis gave us one of the best descriptions of God in his book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. When the children enter the world of Narnia, they are told of the great Aslan. Upon his description, Susan states, “Well, he doesn’t sound very safe” (My paraphrase ). Mr. Beaver replies, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.” Today’s churches teach that God is “safe.” Not only is this false doctrine, it has created a false religion within Christianity. Nowhere in the Word of God does it say that God is safe. Instead, it says that we should fear God above all things. 

The Bible teaches that God is love. That doesn’t mean God stands with arms wide open, accepting everyone. On the contrary, He stands with arms wide open, ready to welcome those who accept Him. However, anyone who accepts Him must deny themselves and repent of their sins. God is love means that He will forgive us our sins even though we did nothing to deserve His forgiveness. It does not mean He will accept us while we continue in our sin. Unless there is repentance, there is no salvation. 

“Well, how then does this show that God is love?” Love works in many ways. God is love means He is willing to see past our sins when we acknowledge our sins and repent. God allows humanity to live freely. He does not control, manipulate, or expect our allegiance. He asks for it, but He allows us to choose to whom we assign our devotion. As the Apostle John wrote concerning Jesus, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20). It is up to us to open the door. He will never force himself in.

Jesus stated this: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:21‭-‬23‬). Why is this not taught in today’s churches? Because it doesn’t fit the narrative of an all-accepting God. Here’s the truth: unless we repent of our sins and have a heart of repentance, there is no room in the kingdom for us. 

New Age Christianity teaches that God is all loving and accepting. It teaches that it doesn’t matter who you are, how you identify, or what you do; God loves and accepts you. This is a heretical doctrine that is not supported by scripture. God does love you, but He does not and will not accept you while living in sin. God can have nothing to do with sin. “Isn’t that why Jesus died on the cross?” Yes, but the blood of Jesus does not give us a pass to continue to live in sin. The blood of Jesus covers a multitude of sins, but unless there is repentance of sin, there is no hope for the sinner.

As mentioned earlier, for salvation to be truly gained, one must repent of their sins. What does it mean to repent? In the New Testament, “repent” is translated from the word “metanoia,” which means “to have another mind.” In other words, one changes their opinion or purpose in regard to sin. What was once considered normality in a sinner’s life is now seen as disobedience and dishonoring to God. They then change their actions and behaviors to mimic this change of heart. 

Here is a simple example: Some may see lying as not a big deal, but to God, it is dishonest and unloving. When one repents of this sin, they are acknowledging that lying is not good and goes against God’s commands. They then turn from their ways and begin to tell the truth in love. This does not mean they will never lie again, for as Jesus Christ said, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). This is where the blood of Christ covers a multitude of sins. However, unless there is repentance of sin, there is no salvation. 

An excellent example of this is David. David was considered a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). However, throughout his life, David committed egregious sins against God. The most notable was his sin with Bathsheba. He was walking on top of the palace, looking out, and saw a beautiful young woman bathing. He asked his servants about the woman, and he was told that she was Uriah the Hittite’s wife, a soldier in the king’s army and was away at war. David sent his servants to bring her to his chamber so he might have his way with her. Later, Bathsheba sends a message to the king, claiming she was pregnant. Upon hearing the news, David sent word for Uriah to return home, hoping he might sleep with his wife. However, Uriah, being an honorable man, never left the king’s palace. He slept at the entrance to the palace and never went home. David then devised a new plan. He sent word to Joab, the commander of the king’s army. He told him to place Uriah at the front of the battle where the fighting was the worst, and when Uriah was surrounded in battle, to retreat and leave him there to die. Ultimately, what David did “displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11:1-27).

In one story, David, the man who was considered a man after God’s own heart, lusted, committed adultery, lied, and committed murder. Talk about a rap sheet. In the end, the Lord was greatly displeased with David. As with all sin, a great price had to be paid. Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord told David of all the egregious sins he had committed and the consequences of his choices. Once David heard all that Nathan had to say, David exclaimed, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). Nathan told David that his sins were forgiven. Still, the child that Bathsheba bore would surely die. David’s response to his sin and the prophecy of the death of the child:

“David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. On the seventh day, the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” Then David got up from the ground. After washing, putting on lotions, and changing his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate” (2 Samuel 12:16-20). 

David pleaded to God for the child’s life. He lay on the ground for seven days, neither eating nor drinking. He stayed there until he got news that the child had died. After hearing the news, he got up, cleaned himself, and worshiped God at the temple. This is what repentance looks like. David didn’t blame God for the child’s death. He didn’t get angry that God did not hear his cries for mercy. Instead, he accepted the consequences and worshiped God. He chose to see the error of his ways, took responsibility, and changed his mind. 

This wasn’t the only time David committed sins against the Lord. Later in his life, David committed another sin against the Lord by taking a census of all the fighting men in Israel. This was a sin because God told the Israelites that a census should never be taken but that their trust should remain in YHWH and not in the numbers within the tribes. After committing this sin, scripture says, “David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing” (2 Samuel 24:10). Again, David repents by seeing the error of his ways. He changed his mind about what he had done. Before, he didn’t see anything wrong in what he had done. Later, however, his conscience got the better of him, and he saw that what he had done was a disgrace toward God. Again, David’s choices came with a price. Many died because of David’s choices. Why? Because sin always comes with a price – usually death.

Here’s the bottom line, God desires to have a relationship with all of us. He wants us to trust Him and live completely obedient to Him. He knows we are imperfect and are slaves to sin. This is why the life of Jesus Christ was so important. Through the blood of Jesus, we have freedom from our sins. However, unless we repent of our sins, there is no salvation from our slavery. The God of the universe does not accept sin. He accepts a heart of repentance. To say that God loves you and accepts you even though you choose to live a life completely void of God’s commands is a false doctrine and teaching. God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Unless the sinner acknowledges their sin and repents of their ways, there is no hope for them. This is the gospel Truth.