Black Eyes Needed

By Monte Shanks, Ph.D.

Dr. Monte Shanks is an Asst. Professor of NT at Liberty Seminary

Good Reasons for a Black Eye

I love cowboy movies, they are just plain fun to watch.  Westerns always have a few necessary components.  Obviously there is the climatic gunfight.  There usually is a break-neck horse chase.  There should always be a heroine or women worth fighting for.  And generally there needs to be a barroom brawl in which the hero gets beat up.  One of the best lines I ever heard in a movie occurred when a kid asked the hero “Hey, who gave you that black eye?”  The hero stared at the boy with an unflinching gaze and forcefully said, “No one gave it to me, I earned it!”  I guess one of the reasons to like western movies is that the line between right and wrong is clearly drawn in the sand, and when it’s crossed then the time has come to take a stand and let the chips fall where they may.  Regrettably churches today are losing their capacity to not only draw a line in the sand on moral issues in society, but to even take stands for doctrinal issues within the church.  Many seem to believe that “tolerance” and “peace” are the most important things for a church to hold to, and under no circumstances should anyone endanger them.  Well, there are times when we should take public stands in our churches—even at the expense of unity and peace, and below is a list of some of these non-negotiables.

*    The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Paul said that if Jesus has not risen from the dead then Christianity is a vain faith and we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15.12-19).  The doors of every church should be locked if Jesus has not bodily risen from the dead.  But he has risen, and he now sits at the Father’s right hand mediating on our behalf.  The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is a non-negotiable for anyone who would call themselves a Christian.

*    The divinity and incarnation of Jesus Christ.  The apostle John stated that anyone who denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh was of the spirit of anti-Christ (1 Jn 4.1-3).  The scriptures are clear; Jesus is literally the incarnation of God in the created realm (Jn 1.1-18; Col 1.15, 19; 2.9; Phil 2.5-11; Heb 1.1-3).  The confession that Jesus is fully man and fully God is a non-negotiable for any claiming to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*    The Trinity.  If you review the doctrines of any major historical denomination of Christianity you will notice that they all have a Trinitarian declaration.  Christianity confesses and proclaims that there is one God who has revealed himself in 3 persons who are united essence, nature, and being.  This unity and diversity within the Godhead is a mystery that is hard to fathom, but there are other complex truths that are also hard to fathom but nonetheless they exist.  For example, take “love” and “justice”; we know that they exist, but can you explain how they exist?  You cannot, and so it is with the Trinity.  Christians do not profess that God is one person who reveals himself in 3 different ways at different times, but that God is one who co-exists in 3 different persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—all are equally divine and perfectly one while sharing the same essence and purpose (Matt 28.19).  Although each member in the Godhead simultaneously functions differently in the created order, they all are nonetheless equally divine.  True believers can accept no less; consequently, neither should they tolerate any fellowship that would promote anything contrary to this essential truth.

*    That Salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone by God’s grace alone.  Salvation is not received or earned by humanly participating in the ordinance of a church (i.e., baptism or communion); neither is it the reward of human effort or endurance. It is only received after one repents of his or her sin and personally entrusts themselves and their sin debt to the Lord Jesus Christ through his substitutionary death on the cross. This redemption is a gift that God freely offers to all who would receive it, and his offer is completely a gift of his grace.  In other words, it is a gift that is completely undeserved, and its reception by the desperate sinner can in no way be perceived as a meritorious act (Eph 2.8-10).

The above 4 are non-negotiable for anyone who would call themselves a Christian.  There are others, such as that God exists, that there is an afterlife, a final judgment, etc., etc.  But these confessions are so fundamental that to mention them would be elementary.  Indeed, even these listed above are elementary, but the fact is that some churches and denominations today are losing sight of the fundamentals of the faith.  Below are 3 more items that I would argue are doctrines worth fighting for; regrettably there are some churches that are not sure that these also are worth defending publically.

    

 *   The exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus claimed to be the only person through which anyone could be reconciled to God (John 14.6).  Paul wrote that if there was another way to God then Jesus died needlessly (Gal 2.21).  And John said that if anyone does not confess personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ then they do not know the Father (1 Jn 4.1-6).  If someone professes that there are ways to be saved other than placing one’s personal faith in Christ then he or she is misguided and needs to be discipled into the truth, or they are false believers that should be avoided. 

*    The inspiration and authority of the Gods word, which is the Bible.  The division of the Christian church between Protestantism and Catholicism largely rests on this one issue.  It is ironic that the Roman Catholic Sir Thomas Moore once said “I never intend, God being my good Lord, to pin my soul to another man’s back, not even the best man that I know this day living: for I know not where he may happen to carry it.”  Believers must not abdicate their consciences to the decisions of others no matter what positions they may hold in a church.  Our sole authority for the rightful belief and practice of the Christian faith is the Bible and not submission to the offices of man-made religious institutions, whether they are local churches or worldwide denominations. The freedom of conscience to follow God’s word is a doctrine referred to as “the priesthood of the believer.”  It simply means that each believer has the capacity through the indwelling Holy Spirit to rightly discern God’s will for himself or herself, so long as their decisions do not contravene God’s written word.  Consequently, if someone demands that you submit to any doctrine, profession, or behavior contrary to God’s word then it is your duty to respectfully rebuke them irrespective of what office they may hold.

*    The security of the believer.  I hold this doctrine as something worth fighting and possibly “loosing” for because to proclaim otherwise is to rob the gospel of its glory and to suggest that human will is greater than the power of God.  Jesus himself said that anyone who has received eternal life through faith in him will never again suffer the threat of eternal damnation (John 5.24).  Paul clearly promised that there is no longer any condemnation for those who have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 8.1).  And Peter wrote that we have received by God’s power an imperishable promise of eternal life through Christ (1 Pet 1.3-5).  If salvation can be lost by an act of human volition then it cannot under any pretense be described as “imperishable,” “eternal,” or under the control of the “power of God.”  Consequently, this is a doctrine worth taking a public stand for against those who would declare otherwise.

This is my list and I’m sure there are others that I have failed to consider.  Nevertheless, it is time to take a public stand for these fundamental truths when confronted in churches by others advocating contrary doctrines.  Some may ask is this really necessary?  Yes it is!  One of the least known scriptures is 1 Corinthians 11.19, where Paul wrote, “For their must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.”  Paul said that conflicts within congregations are a necessary part of protecting the flock and identifying those who are truly in the faith.  Did Paul want the body to experience harmony and unity, or course he did—but never at the expense of the truths concerning Christ and his promises.  Just a word of warning, don’t be surprised when after taking a public stand for the true faith that at time you “lose.”  It will happen and it will bother you, but don’t let it do so for long.  Jesus took your lashes and your nails in order to hang on your cross; consequently, the very least you can do for him is to earn a black eye.

Copyright @ by Monte Shanks, 2015

Mausoleums or Ministry Centers

By Monte Shanks, Ph.D.

Dr. Monte Shanks is an Asst. Professor of NT at Liberty Seminary

Mausoleums or Ministry Centers

I’m guessing that most of us have heard of the Taj Mahal.  Some may not know where it is, but the name is certainly familiar enough (it’s in India if you were wondering).  But what most people are unsure of is what the place actually is.  The most that some know is that it is a “fancy place.”  The fact is that the Taj Mahal is primarily and foremost a mausoleum—in other words; it’s a place to store dead people.  I won’t bother you with a lot of details, but about 360 years ago a king built it for resting place of his beloved queen who died during childbirth.  Another very famous mausoleum is the West Minister Abbey, which is where England buries her royalty and national heroes.  The sad thing about the Abbey is that it originally was a church, but it ceased to be so hundreds of years ago.  Now it a place for royal weddings and storing dead people.  

It strikes me that a lot of church facilities are more like mausoleums than ministry centers.  For some reason we Christians get attached to the buildings where we worship, and sooner or later we turn them into things of worship, which inevitably leads them to becoming more like mausoleums—which are places that people generally don’t want to spend a lot of time.  It’s a rather odd habit to say the least.  Jesus knew this about us, he once said “. . . for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16.8b-9).  Simply put, Jesus noticed that the people of God weren’t too smart about using money for the purpose of reaching the lost for Him, and this is most obvious with respect to how we use our church buildings.  

Most church facilities are basically cared for like mausoleums that are filled with dated esthetics and furniture, instead centers for constant ministry activities.  Our facilities should be more like college campuses than places that are primarily used one day a week, or where people go to get married or buried.  Think of it this way, if church buildings were businesses then it wouldn’t be long before Christianity would go bankrupt because of lack of use.  In order for a retail outlet to be profitably it must be easily accessible and endure a lot of foot traffic.  To put it simply, in order for a store to make money it needs to have a lot of different people go to it and they need to do so often.  Some may say “how crass, you aren’t talking about a store, but about the church!”  And I say that mindset couldn’t be more wrong!  Those who are in Christ and are members of your congregation are those that Jesus has made holy, not the facility in which you meet.  If people in your fellowship start thinking of the building where you meet as something sacred and requires preservation, then they will inevitably become an impediment to effective ministry with respect to the use of your fellowship’s facilities.  And if they become the majority, then your church will function more like a mausoleum than a ministry center.  They will in essence turn your facility into sterile places of inactivity rather than a place where sinners regularly come and have their lives changed through the gospel.  

It’s tragic that as fellowships grow more and more people try to make their ministry facilities more and more comfortable, and inevitably nicer carpet, furniture, and décor begins to show up.  This has an unintended consequence, which is an insatiable desire to protect and preserve the building’s esthetics.  The only way this can be done is if those in charge restrict the availability and use of the ministry’s facilities.  In other words, some in your congregation will become more concerned with preserving everything within the building, rather than hoping it all gets worn out by constant use.  The interesting thing about retail stores is that they account for the wear, abuse, damage, and theft as part of the price of doing business, and if they didn’t they would lose money!  In case you are unaware, baked into the price of everything you buy at the grocery store is the cost of what someone else steals or breaks.  Moreover, whether you realize it or not, all of that furniture, carpet, and décor in your facility will become dated in about 10 years.  In other words, it will not be long before your facility’s esthetics start to become less fashionable and attractive to visitors and seekers, so what’s the use in trying to preserve it all?  Why not allow it to be used and worn out for the cause of the gospel?  Moreover, people are messy, especially with things they didn’t buy with their own money.  Consequently, if more and more people begin to come to your “chapel,” they will inevitably spill things, tear things, break things, and even possibly vomit on things—as anyone in children’s ministry can attest.  So we should get use to it and realize that it’s all part of the price of doing effective ministry.  I’m not suggesting that we should allow people to intentionally abuse the resources that God has entrusted to us.  Nevertheless, wear and tear as well as accidental abuses will occur, and when they do, the last thing anyone should do is get mad or upset because someone has messed up the esthetics of your ministry facilities.  The bottom line is this, church buildings should be envisioned as beehives of ministry, training, and worship rather than mausoleums where dead people go once a week.

Copyright @ by Monte Shanks, 2014

Preaching Jesus, Going to Jail, Taking Risks

By Doug Williams
Doug Williams is pastor of preaching and teaching at Bullitt Lick Baptist Church and a PhD candidate at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

www.newlineministries.com
 

He was an extremely intelligent young man with big dreams of fame and honor.  Yet all of his aspirations changed when he was converted to Christ at the age of 20.  He began to live for one purpose, a purpose he described as “a plan to please the Lord.”  I am speaking of the man who is considered the father of Baptist missionaries—Adoniram Judson.  The Lord laid the nations on the heart of this man in the 1800s.  Inspired by men like William Carey, he desired to travel east toward India with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let me give you a glimpse of the radical passion for God’s glory to the nations that this man possessed.  Before asking Anne Hasseltine’s hand in marriage, Judson wrote her father seeking his permission to marry her.  The zeal of this young man to preach Jesus to those who had never heard is captured in this letter. 

I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world? Whether you can consent to her departure to a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life? Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly home and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Saviour from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair.

    
Some might say, “That guy’s crazy!”  Some might say, “That’s unnecessary!”  Others, “That’s just plum foolish!”  But Jesus says that it’s the gospel.  “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). 
        
Surprisingly, Anne’s father said yes.  Their lives would be filled with trials and suffering for the sake of the gospel.  They set sail for India in 1812, but because of the country’s restrictions ended up in Burma, known today as Myanmar.  What a risk! 

But what is a risk and should Christians take them?  A risk is doing something that you are unsure of the outcome, but you do it anyway because the gospel calls you to it.  

The apostles are classic examples of men who willingly risked their lives for the gospel.  For example, Acts 4 tells us that Peter and John were teaching and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead (v 2).  The religious leaders got wind of the commotion and arrest Peter and John (v 3).  Luke recounts that on the next day the religious leaders question Peter and John and eventually demand that they speak no more in the name of Jesus.  The two apostles answered the demands of their captors, saying, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (vv 19-20).

Today we have two apparent options as Christians: (1) We can sit back in our cozy, comfortable, lazy-boy Christianity where there are no risks for the gospel and all is safe and easy, or (2) We can with those like the apostles and Judson, give our lives for the sake of the gospel to the ends of the earth.  Peter did.  John did.  Judson did.  What about us?

I believe as Christians that our only true option is the latter option.  We must give ourselves to this one cause, the cause of spreading the fame and honor and glory and majesty and beauty and greatness of our sovereign and holy God to the nations through the gift of His Son.

Peter and John understand this calling.  They lived their lives for this calling.  They gave their lives for this calling.  Acts is a book about this calling.  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  After all, no matter the consequences, they could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard?  Will you?

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Gospel on Their Lips

By: Adam McClendon
www.newlineministries.com

Acts 11:19–20 says: ¹⁹ Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Sometimes, I read over these passages far too quickly and I miss remarkably convicting material.  Recently, I was studying this passage.  As I thought deeply on these two verses, I was simply reminded that these people were not formal missionaries.  No, they were just ordinary believers who were running for their lives.  They had left everything behind in Jerusalem.  They had possibly lost loved ones, possibly their businesses, most definitely their homes.  And, yet, as they are displaced, the text reveals that they are talking about Jesus and spreading his good news.

Remarkable!  These early believers understood that their purpose in life was to spread the good news, and they had bought into that purpose with such conviction that even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances of life, they are living with the gospel on their lips.  That convicts and motivates me.

All too often, I find myself so focused on my circumstances that I miss the reality that God has brought people into my path who need to hear the good news that Jesus loves them, has died and risen for them, and wants to restore them in relationship with God the Father. 

As I thought about the example of these early believers living life with the gospel on their lips, I was reminded of a man I met several years ago.  He worked at a body shop and painted automobiles; although, I did not know that at the time.  We met and began to talk.  In the course of the conversation, it came out that we were both believers in Jesus Christ.  I then asked him what he did at the body shop.  He curiously looked around and then slowly leaned in with a “Shhhh.  Don’t tell anyone, but I’m an evangelist disguised as an auto-painter.” 

What an amazing understanding that all Christians are all called, in the midst of all circumstances, to go forward with the gospel on their lips.

Prayer:

God of all glory, I confess that I all too often forget to talk about Jesus.  It’s not intentional; I just get so caught up in my circumstances that I forget that I’m called for the specific purpose of being a witness of your good news.  Please forgive me and help me to go forward with the gospel on my lips regardless of the circumstances life brings.

www.newlineministries.com