In the previous article, we established that not all conversions are genuine — not all that glitters is gold. In this second part, we will go on to see the permanent characteristics of genuine conversion as we can glean from Scriptures.

Counterfeit Conversions

In dealing with non-genuine conversions, one can distinguish between two kinds: temporal conversion, and counterfeit conversion. This distinction is necessary because we see from the biblical examples of temporary conversions that these largely occur following the presentation of the truth. For example, Simon the sorcerer did hear Philip’s preaching, and in Jesus’ parable, we are told that the seed which was sown is the Word of God. However, there are some “conversions” which have been known to take place as a result of agents other than the word of God or the presentation of the truth.

For example, a drug addict may, as result of psychological treatment experience a change of life from one of addiction, violence and other vices, to that of decency and responsibility, free from addiction. Similarly, a cult member may be required to give up certain vices and live a highly moral life, fast a number of times a week etc. Whilst both examples above involve a turning from one way of life to another (conversion), they are not produced by the truth, hence can be described as counterfeit conversions. Near-death experiences, experiencing “flashes of light”, sudden unexplained events, or even traumatic life experiences can lead to a form of conversion that may closely simulate Christian conversion; however the notable difference is that they were not produced by the truth of God’s word, but by something else – including even demonic agents.

These go to prove that not everyone who undergoes a change in their lives have experienced true Christian conversion. Not all that appears to be conversion is true conversion – as we have seen from Jesus’ own teachings and from that of the apostles.

Non-essential Aspects of Conversion

In our quest to distinguish between fake and genuine conversions, it is important to mention certain aspects of conversion which vary from person to person, and should therefore not be used as yardstick to measure the veracity of all Christian conversions. There are quite a few, but we’ll mention two which are common

Age At Conversion 

There are some who have postulated that if conversion does not happen at a particular age in life, then it is not genuine, or might never happen at all. Dr. Stephen Addai, former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), speaking on the theme of moral integrity within the ranks of public officers, was heard on 12Oct2015 to have said, “Statistics show that 80 percent of all people who will go to heaven make their decision for Jesus Christ before the age of 18. The children should grow up knowing Jesus Christ and if we do so, we will not have judges who collect bribes to prevent justice.”¹

Training up children in the fear and knowledge of Christ is highly commendable, however, the good doctor’s remarks on conversion is utterly unscriptural. Sadly, Dr Addai is not the first person to make such bold assertions. Edwin Starbuck (1866-1947)², writing on religious conversions, similarly said most religious experiences occur between the ages of 15 and 24, as part of the normal process of finding our identities as adolescents. To Starbuck, since all conversions happen in this age bracket, it may be the case that conversion is nothing more than a normal teenage experience.
The good news is, age is completely irrelevant when it comes to conversion. As noted previously, conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit – and He’s not limited by age whatsoever.

Dramatic or Undramatic Nature of One’s Conversion

In a previous article, faith, emotions and the word of God, we addressed the error of basing one’s assurance of salvation on feelings, instead of on the objective truth of God’s word. The danger is that, when we appeal to our emotions instead of truth-based faith, we tend to dismiss any conversion that is undramatic as not genuine. Whilst the Bible records the Philipian jailer’s dramatic conversion experience (Acts 16:25-33), it also takes into account Lydia of Thyatira, whose heart the Lord opened whilst she sat quietly listening to Paul and others share the Gospel (Acts 16:14).

If we were to insist that undramatic experiences were not genuine, we would surely discount the experience of Lydia. But thank God, the Bible does not standardise these variable aspects of conversion. As surely as our faces differ, so do our conversion experiences differ; however they must all bear the same marks of genuineness, if they are to be counted as true Christian conversion. Whether accompanied by great tears or not, whether dramatic or quiet, all Christian conversions ultimately have two permanent marks of genuineness.

Marks of True Conversion

In Acts 20: 18-21, Paul sums up the permanent marks of any true Christian conversion:

And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The New Testament always places emphasis on these two — repenting towards God and placing one’s faith wholly and solely in the Lord Jesus Christ. Genuine repentance is not possible to the carnal man, except his heart is changed through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. John Owen, in his work The Holy Spirit³ aptly captures this saying “Before the work of grace the heart is ‘stony.’ It can do no more than a stone can do to please God.”

Genuine repentance towards God — with the evidence of a changed life from the inside out, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, signify a genuine change of heart. These two are always essential. On this, Joseph Alleine[4] writes,
“More particularly, this change of conversion extends to the whole man. A carnal person may have some shreds of good morality—but he is never good throughout the whole cloth. Conversion is not a repairing of the old building; but it takes all down, and erects a new structure. It is not the sewing on a patch of holiness; but with the true convert, holiness is woven into all his powers, principles and practice. The sincere Christian is quite a new fabric, from the foundation to the top-stone. He is a new man, a new creature; all things are become new (2 Cor 5:17). Conversion is a deep work, a heart work. It makes a new man in a new world. It extends to the whole man, to the mind, to the members, to the motions of the whole life.”

To conclude, anyone who has truly been converted will never turn their back on the faith. There may be seasons of doubt or even a temporal backsliding from grace. However, a true believer will never fall from grace permanently, but will continue to abide in Christ, thereby proving himself or herself to be a true disciple. The case of the Gambian clergy who renounced the faith as addressed in the first part of this article will only, by the passing of time, reveal whether he was genuinely a Christian or a fake. A permanent turn to Islam will prove, as we have gleaned from the Scriptural teaching, that he wasn’t saved at all.

Notes:

1.http://www.ghnewsnow.com/2015/10/12/ghanas-politicians-are-glorified-thieves-mps-corrupt-prof-adei
2. Edwin Starbuck, in “Psychology of Religion”
3. John Owen, in “The Holy Spirit”
4. Joseph Alleine, in “Alarm to Unconverted Sinners”, on “The Nature of Conversion.

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If there is any text in the Bible that startles so many professing Christians in evangelicalism today, it is Matthew 7:21-23. Before we proceed, it is important to note the context of the text. First, Matthew 7 is the conclusion of the glorious sermon on the mount. Matthew 7 begins with Christ talking about judging righteously. He then speaks about the narrow gate and the wide gate. He also addressed false prophets and how they shall be known by their fruit. Then Jesus dropped these startling words; “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Simply, Christ says here that not all who profess His name will be saved. In this text, the use of the literary device of repetition —“Lord, Lord”— places more emphasis on the severity of this text. The Reformation Study Bible note on Matt 7:21-23 notes that “The doubling of a name is an address of intimacy (Gen. 22:11; 1 Sam. 3:10; 2 Sam. 18:33; Luke 22:31). It is not claims or feelings of intimacy with Jesus that matter, nor is it performing miraculous works in Jesus’ name, as even Judas Iscariot did (Matt. 10:1-4).”  

Some, who supposedly knew him intimately will be cast from His presence forever because He never knew them. Now, let us turn to Matthew 7:21-23 to glean some five lessons from the text.

Which Christ?

This is the most important question we should ask ourselves based on this text. Which Christ are we trusting in? There are many Christs out there, but there is only one saving Christ. Christ warned us of this when He said many false Christs will come in the last days. False Christs do not and cannot save. There is only one Christ who saves, and He is the Christ of Scripture. He is our Sovereign Ruler and King. The Lord of Lords and Author of Life, who gave Himself as a ransom for His people. He bore the full wrath of God on a cross, died, and rose on the third day, having conquered death. He is the true and only savior. Salvation comes through Him and Him alone. Do you believe in the biblical Christ?

Known By God

To be known by God is more important than any other thing in this world. It is the very foundation of everything. We must be known by God before we can know God. This does not just mean knowing about God. Rather, it is knowing Him in an intimate way. Knowing God is one thing, but being known by God is another. Using a worldly analogy, we all know Queen Elizabeth. However, to be known by Queen Elizabeth is unique. In the same sense, we know God, but to be known by the God of the universe is mind-blowing.

In Matthew 7, Christ tells them to depart, for He never knew them. Of course, God sovereignly knows everyone, but He only shares an intimate relationship with His own: those who believe in Him. So never knowing them does not mean that He knew them and stopped knowing them at some point. Rather, they never had a saving relationship with Him to begin with. Those who are truly known by God are kept by God until the end. So, the key question is, “Are you known by God?” One may ask, how do I know if I am known by God? Well, do you believe in the gospel of Christ? Do you love God, even just a little?

Profession Is Not Possession

The fact that one professes faith in Christ does not mean he possesses it. We see this in Matthew 7. They professed and did many mighty works. However, we see them condemned in the end. It is not professors of faith that are saved, but possessors. Only those who possess a saving faith in Christ are children of God, and such are not brought into judgment but are passed from death to life. All those who possess saving faith profess it, but not all those who profess faith possess it. Hence, we are to make sure of our election and calling. Do you possess true saving faith?

Assurance

The people described in Matthew 7 had a false assurance. By prophesying in His name, casting out demons, and completing many mighty works in His name, they believed they belonged to Him. Christ tells us in Scripture that false Christ will rise up and do many great miracles and mighty works. Our assurance therefore should not come from what we do, but from Christ who saves. Our assurance shouldn’t come from God answering our prayers (providence is remarkable), or the things we do, but from the Word of God. We are to make sure of our election and calling and to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. Do we believe in the true Christ? Our fruits are a great litmus test for us, but the Spirit of God and the Word of God are our assurance.

The Spirit of God illuminating the truth of God’s word in our heart assures us that we are indeed Children of God. Is your assurance then from the fact that you said a prayer or walked an aisle, or because you grew up in a Christian home, or because a pastor said you are saved or is your assurance wrought by the Spirit of God on your heart through his Word?

Narrow Path Is Life

Early in Matthew 7, Christ tells us to “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” In Matthew 7:21-23, He tells us that “MANY will say unto me.” This group in Matthew 7 is not small in number. They are many. The fact that many profess faith does not mean they possess saving faith. We must ensure we are on the narrow path. We must not compare ourselves with the masses. The fact that “many” are doing something does not make it right. Rather, we must compare ourselves to the truth of God’s word. What does God’s word say? It is our final authority. The gate is narrow indeed.

The truth is, you could be part of the people in Matthew 7:21-23. Christ is the only way by which we can be saved, and by faith in Him alone, we are saved. Do you believe in Christ? Are you known by God? Are you just a professor of faith, or are you a possessor? Do you have a false assurance, or is your assurance from God the Holy Spirit and His Word? Are you on the narrow path that leads to life or the wide path that leads to destruction? This is something we must address individually. No one believes unto salvation for us; WE must believe in Christ alone on our own.

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As a sequel, this is the third and final in a three part series; Psalm 25: Praying A Psalm. Previously, we looked at Prayer For Guidance  and Prayer For Protection. Today’s title is Prayer For Forgiveness of Sin.

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD”(v.6) “For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” (v11). “Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” (v18).

As you ponder over life, what do you consider your greatest need? If God did ask you to make one request, what would that be? According to the bible our greatest need is not food or clothes, neither is it shelter. Our greatest need is deliverance from our greatest predicament, which is the wrath of God. The bible tells us in Romans 3:23; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“. We have all rebelled against a holy God, we have each gone astray and told God to get out of our lives. We have lied, we have cheated, we have stolen, we have murdered with our hearts. We have committed adultery in our hearts, we have coveted our neighbour’s property. Every sin, you name it we have committed it. And you know what that means? The answer is found further on in the same book of Romans 6:23, reads “For the wages of sin is death….” David understood this well. He knew the predicament of every human soul. In Psalm 130:3, he writes; “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”

Our sin is so great that we need a great Saviour. No amount of good deeds can atone for our sins. Unless the LORD shows mercy we are lost and lost forever. Augustus Toplady captured this so well in the hymn, Rock of Ages, in the 2nd and 3rd stanzas he writes:

All the labours of my hands
Could not meet Thy law’s demands
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and Thou alone
Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace
To Thy fountain, Lord I fly,
Wash me Saviour or I die.

Christ is the only perfect sacrifice for our sin. He left all His glories and splendour and came into our world to identify with us. He lived the perfect life that we could not live, and died the death we deserved. He was crucified on a heinous cross but on the third day he was raised from the dead, which was a seal of the Father’s approval. The verdict was that anyone who will repent from sin and put their faith in Christ, will be credited with the perfect life of Christ. “…the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” This is the only hope to find forgiveness with a holy God. We see across the entire bible that, our hope of forgiveness is not found in some good deed we have done. David understood this as he repeatedly appeals not to his own goodness or righteousness, but to the goodness and mercy of God.

This should be a great encouragement to all of us. God knows exactly where you are, right now at this moment, he sees all the dirt and mess you’re in right now. Today may be the day of your salvation, do not harden your heart because this offer is not open ended. In the book of Acts 17:31, Peter said “…he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

On that day it will be too late. On that day Jesus will not be a Saviour, he will be a judge. I plead with you not to wait till that day but turn from your sin today and trust in Jesus for the salvation of your soul.

Sin is destructive. It goes against everything God wanted for us, joy, peace, love and fellowship. So when we conceal it, it saps away our joy and peace. In verse 16-18, David recounts his afflictions and troubles and pleads for forgiveness. He prays “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.”  There is no joy in concealing  sin. We must be constantly confessing and forsaking our sins. When we harbor sin, our fellowship with God is broken and the joy of the Lord is taken away. (Psalm 32:3-4).

These are the three requests David makes of God. What weaves them together is the desperation expressed in all of them. In this Psalm we see a great God and a great sinner. Our need is so great that only a great God could meet it. Our enemies are many and relentless; our need for guidance is more acute than ever before in a world of competing voices and our need for forgiveness is so essential that without it we are doom to perish forever. As you examine your prayers over the last few months, what do they say about you? Do they reveal a person who is passionate about pleasing the Lord and advancing his Kingdom purposes or it just about you and your self-serving wants?

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Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (1 Peter 2:24KJV).

Many have twisted this text to preach a health and wealth gospel. But that is a great error. We are no where in this text promised physical healing. It is only a wrong reading that leads to that interpretation. Our greatest predicament as human beings is not poverty or sickness. Therefore the offering of health and wealth as the solution to all our problems is false and no gospel at all.

Our greatest predicament as humans is sin, hence our greatest need is the forgiveness of sin.

Death: The Wages Of Sin

Romans 3:23 condemns all human beings under sin separated from the glory of God. To be separated from the glory of God is man’s greatest problem and no amount of money or good health can make up for that void.  Sin is a sickness that plagues all humankind. And the wages of this sin is death the Bible says (Rom 6:23). We are not only sick of sin. We are dead in sin! “We are dead in sin” That is terrible. Looking at our ourselves we can identify the havoc sin causes in our lives and the lives of people we know. Sin is not only of earthly consequences. It has eternal consequences. Sin separates from God.

The prophet Isaiah wrote this of God’s people – a description that is characteristic of all fallen man:

Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil (Isaiah 1:4-6 ESV)

This is the state of our sickness and our sin; which the prophet graphically likens to sores and bruises that have covered the whole body from head to toe. This is the sickness of sin Christ died to heal us of that we might live to righteousness! How tragic that 1Peter 2:24 which deals with the grave situation of the life estranged from God by sin; and the glorious promise of redemption through the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus will be cheapened to one of material significance!

Healed Of Our Sins And Restored Unto Rigtheousness

“by whose stripes ye were healed“. Peter quotes Isaiah 53:5 to tell us how we were healed. How? by Christ’s stripe. Healed of what? Sin. And how are we healed of this? Christ bore our sins in his body. That is good news. God has made a way to reconcile us unto Himself by putting our sins on Christ: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree”. This is what theologians call double imputation. Our Sin is imputed to Christ and His righteousness imputed to us. Oh, what good news. Our sins are all forgiven when we trust in Christ.

The result of this imputation is that we “should live unto righteousness“.

Righteousness  simply is right standing with God as if we have never sinned. In Christ we who previously were sick and dead in sin are healed and made alive and  reconciled to God: “And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1KJV). “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”(2Corinthians 5:21KJV).

Have you experienced this exchange; your sin for Christ’s forgiveness? If not seek His forgiveness. On the other hand, if you have, you can break forth into doxology and sing:

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

Praise him for his grace and favor to his people in distress.
Praise him, still the same as ever, slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness!

Fatherlike he tends and spares us; well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows!

Angels, help us to adore him;
you behold him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

~ Henry F. Lyte, 1834

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It has become common phenomenon recently. Pictures of preachers or handkerchiefs from them or better still ‘holy water’ or anointing oil they have “blessed” are sold at exorbitant prices to congregants with the assertion that purchasing such items constitutes an act of faith.  The believers in these “anointed” items consequently keep them close to their person at all time, or in their cars and homes. In turn, these ‘anointed items’ are purported to be able to accomplish all manner of unimaginable results; including the ability to recover debts overnight; ward off evil spirits; cause a sudden overflow of business income; render one’s enemies impotent and in some cases take the lives of such supposed enemies; upon application in certain ways as directed by the ‘men of God’ from whom they were procured.

One ‘believer’ reportedly said by carrying a special handkerchief from his ‘man of God’, anyone with whom he shook hands was bound to favour them no matter what. He had countless testimonies to prove this, he asserted. But the question that begs answering is, is this Christianity or superstition?

What these preachers and their followers do is what Paul calls using the word of God deceitfully (2Corinthians 4:2). The superstitious practices of these false teachers and their followers are no different from that of users of charms procured from the local fetish priest or traditional native doctor. Whether the end goals of their ritualistic practices and the motives backing these are in line with the Scriptural teaching are secondary to these superstitious Christians. One can be living in sin, and still expect to get miraculous results simply by applying “anointed items” from a “special man of God”; clearly, a contradiction of the biblical teaching as we find in the pages of Scripture.

In Matthew 21: 12-13 Jesus enters the temple and is greeted by all these people engaging in merchandise in the temple. The temple authorities and priests at the time condoned a great market that sold animals used in the temple sacrifice to the worshippers; and served as a hub for money changers. Jesus in indignation chased them out of the temple, citing the Old Testament Scripture ‘’my house shall be called the house of prayer’’ instead of a den of thieves! (Isaiah 56:7; paraphrase).

How different is the Church of today from the scenery Jesus encountered in this passage? Is there any authority in the New Testament to support the selling and buying of so called anointed relics from servants of God, in order to derive miraculous results from these?

Further, what is to be said of the manner in which these so called men of God are idolised? Is God’s grace, which the Bible teaches is a gift, to be purchased with money? I shudder at Peter’s response in Acts 8: 20-22 ‘’thy money perish with thee for thinking that God’s gift can be purchased with money!’’ God’s gift is not to be sold nor bought with money. Faith is not magic. And Christianity is certainly not a quick fix, magic wand that can yield results to whoever wields it, no matter how they live their lives in relation to God’s word; or whatever their motives may be.

Sadly, the Protestant Church of today seems to have quickly sold the past. Johan Tetzel, the 15th century German friar, was reported to have said “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs”; meaning that one can give a coin to change the eternal destiny of an already departed one.

Tetzel further extorted money from his followers in exchange for the forgiveness of their sins, even those they were yet to commit in the future. These were the sort of practices that infuriated Luther and the reformers, whose battle cry was sola Scriptura – Scripture alone – with emphasis on salvation through faith alone, and through Christ alone!

Sadly, today we place more faith in preachers than in God and His Word, which alone is exalted above all things! Strangely, the word of men is exalted above the word of God, even when it is in plain contradiction with the Scriptural teaching. Whole congregations have in recent times been reported to do all manner of despicable things in blind obedience to so-called prophetic directions. In the pursuit of temporal breakthroughs and earthly comfort, we have denied the Lord we profess to love and have diverted our faith from Him to men and things.

Superstition is idolatry, because it ascribes the power of God to His creation instead of to Him. God commands that we worship Him alone (Exodus 20:3). He forbids the fashioning of images in any shape or form, and bowing to these (Exodus 20:3-4; Deuteronomy 5: 7-9). Angels refused worship countless times in the Scriptures and instead remonstrated that we worship God alone. Needless to say, the worship of men is clearly contrary to the Scriptural teaching. Peter refused worship from Cornelius (Acts 10:25-26). The apostles consciously pointed the believers to Christ, who alone saves, and were careful to divert all attention to Him and the Gospel – and nothing else. Any worship of a preacher (including bowing down to them instead of to God; kissing their feet in supposed honour, or regarding their words as equal to Scripture and infallible) is nothing short of idolatry in blunt terms, and must not be condoned.

Superstition is not Christianity. Christianity is faith in a person; the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His Word – which alone is our authority for living.

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You may have heard of the teaching by some today that sin has been eliminated from the believer’s life as a result of the redemptive work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. These hold that believers have no need to confess their sins (even when they do sin). To such, sanctification is merely a function of one’s ‘acceptance of his sinless status’ and “confession”. Confess “I am holy”, “I am the righteousness of God” and that settles it. “Name it, and claim it”, it is as simple as that, we are told. In the same vein, these false teachers teach that the believer has received a supernatural body, which is immune to sickness and disease – because sin has been eliminated from the body. But has it really? Is this the Biblical teaching on sanctification? Have believers indeed obtained sinless perfection? Is this something the Bible promises to us whilst here on earth? If doctrine determines our practice, then it behoves us to carefully examine this question in the light of the Scriptural teaching.

We turn our attention to the book of Romans, chapters 6-8. Paul there deals with the subject of sanctification in his usual forceful way. He addresses a question that is often asked when sanctification is taught properly – “shall we continue to sin, that Grace may abound?” Paul is too shocked that the teaching of sanctification is misconstrued by others as antinomianism. His response is a bewildered “God forbid!”

The Bible does not endorse sin in any shape or form. The New Testament abounds with warnings to flee from every appearance of sin; as well as admonitions to keep sin under and walk in step with the Spirit. The Bible is clear on the fact that sin has not been eliminated from the body. Apostle John in his epistle pointed this out when he said the proof that we are walking in fellowship with Jesus is the fact that His blood “cleanses us from all sin” – clearly an admission that believers do sin, and need to be cleansed daily by the blood of Christ. He continues, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1John 1:8-10). Interestingly, preachers of sinless perfection skip this chapter in their interpretation of the rest of this epistle by John.

Paul tackles this subject thoroughly. He starts off with the union with the Lord in Romans 6. By this union, the believer participates in the death and resurrection of Christ – his ‘old man’ is crucified and he resurrects a new man; a regenerate soul. What the preachers of the elimination of sin don’t realise is that, while the believer’s soul or spirit is regenerate, his body remains unchanged, awaiting redemption at the last day – what the Bible calls ”glorification” (Romans 8: 23; 28-30; 1Corinthians 15: 48-54;  Philippians 3:21). This is the final stage of our salvation. Paul writes later on that “but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for the adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (8:23).

In this body we groan, says Paul, because it is not yet redeemed. That is why we age, and that is why we die. Similarly, because the body has not been redeemed, it is prone to disease and deterioration. The Bible does not teach that believers have obtained a supernatural body like that of the resurrected Christ; no, this is a future event (cf Philipians 3: 20-21)– and that is why we live in hope. Paul continues, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (8:24-25). If believers have already been glorified, then why do they need to wait in hope for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness (2Peter 3:13; Rev 21)? Both it and the spiritual, glorified body are things that the Bible promises us will happen in the age to come (see 2 Corinthians 5:1-2).

Clearly the New Testament and indeed the entire Scriptural teaching does not support the erroneous notion that the bodies of believers have been immortalised or glorified whilst here on earth.

We have already established the body has not yet been redeemed. This means, the believer battles constantly with the flesh longing to express its sinful desires and the new man or the regenerated spirit also longing to express the new life. A careful study of chapter 7:7-25 will reveal how Paul agonises about this. He points us to this conflicting nature, the regenerated self and the residuals of indwelling sin, what he refers to as “this body of sin”.

These two are constantly opposed to each other. Does the fact that a residual sin dwells in the body even after redemption mean that believers don’t do anything about it? Paul’s response, as noted before is a grave, “God forbid!” We are called to renew our minds with the truth of God’s word (Romans 12:1-2). The fact that sin dwells in the body, and constantly wars against the regenerated nature calls us to daily rely on the strength of the Holy Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh. It is also a sharp reminder that this fallen world is not our final destination. It calls us to hope for the world to come, and to endure the sufferings of this present time, in view of the eternal weight of glory that awaits us in heaven (8:18).

Though this body be destroyed by disease, and though it ages and dies, we eagerly await our eternal dwelling, a building not made with hands; prepared by God Himself, who in guarantee of this has given us His Spirit (Romans 8:11; 2Cor5:1-5).

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A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.(John 4:7).

It was a normal day. “A woman from Samaria came to draw water”  But this turned out not to be a normal day after all because her life was transformed forever. Water is life they say. But it is “temporal life.” The woman met Jesus–The Water of life. She came to draw natural water— which gives temporal satisfaction–but she met with Spiritual water, The One who satisfies the thirst of the soul and gives eternal life: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(vv.13-14).

She had heard of the Messiah and the prophecies concerning Him (John 4 v. 25). But that fateful day, she had not premeditated meeting with the Messiah. A mere coincidence it might have been for her but Christ had her in mind when He set off on His journey. We are told in verse 4 that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria”(v. 4). Jesus was a Jew, and journeying  through Samaria meant He was going against a wall of racial and gender discrimination. The response of the disciples when they came to meet Him speaking with the woman is revealing; “They marveled that he was talking with a woman”(v.27). In John 4:9, we are told explicitly that “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans”.

So what explains this hostility between Jews and Samaritans? A commentary on John 4:4 gives us a clue.

The Jews often avoided Samaria by going around it along the Jordan River. The hatred between the Jews and Samaritans went back to the days of the Exile. When the northern kingdom was exiled to ASSYRIA, King Sargon of Assyria repopulated the area with captives from other lands. The intermarriage of these foreigners and the Jews who had been left in the land complicated the ancestry of the Samaritans. The Jews hated the Samaritans and considered them to be no longer “purer” Jews.¹

This hostility was a  perceived purity issue. It was a “we” are better than “them” philosophy. To the Jews, all non Jews were non-entities. They had the oracles of God and that produced in them a self-rigtheous national identity. Describing the Jews in his book, The Reformed Faith, Loraine Boettner wrote,

They had  become  the  most intensely  nationalistic  and intolerant  people  in  the  world. Instead  of  recognizing  their position as that of God’s representatives  to  all the  people  of  the  world,  they had  taken  those  blessings to  themselves.  Even  the early  Christians  for  a  time were  inclined  to  appropriate the  mission  of  the  Messiah only  to themselves.²

Now, we see there was an alternative route — going around it [Samaria] along the Jordan River — Jesus could have used to avoid walking through Samaria, but there was a life in Samaria to be saved and He “had to pass through Samaria\” to accomplish that. Encountering Jesus that day was on divine calendar. She was foreknown, predestined, chosen and called before the foundations of the earth (Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:4,11, 1Thessalonians 1:4, 1Peter 1:2).

Before you proceed, pause to note this woman was an adulterous woman who had lived with six men (v18). Her sins probably were beginning to weigh on her. She was feeling despised. And we see this clearly in the time of day she went to the well, i.e.”about the sixth hour”(v.6) or noon. That time of the day is significant because “[n]ormally, women would come to draw water in the morning or evening when it was cooler (Gen 24:11; cf 29:78); the immoral woman comes at a time when no one else would be at the well.”³ She might have already encountered people at the well during a morning or evening time who despised her because she was living in adultery. Now she feels despised and her self-worth erroded. Therefore, she will rather come to draw water at an odd time so as to avoid ridicule. She obviusly might be feeling like an outcast of society. But Christ changed her story that day. Christ indeed changes the story of sinners.

You might find yourself in a sinful situation which you deem beyond redemption. But no, no sin is beyond redemption. Christ died for sinners and if you acknowledge your sins, repent and come to Him for salvation, He will not turn you away.

See, God always makes the first move towards saving sinful humankind. In John 15:16, Jesus told His disciples and by extension us that “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” In Romans 5:8, we are told “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. When the woman came, it was Jesus who started a conversation: “Give me a drink“. If Jesus had not started that conversation, she probably would have drawn her water and be gone. In fact, her response to Jesus was dismissive (v.9). But Jesus kept the conversation and from there preached to her of Himself: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”(v.10).

Here is a plain truth. You have not asked for the gift of God because you don’t know the gift of God. Jesus Christ is the gift of God who was sent to reconcile sinful humankind unto God through faith in Him: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). I hereby introduce this man to you, Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God who died and rose again to reconcile sinful men to Himself. Peter will say of Him that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men  by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

“Give me a drink”. How is it that He, by whom all things were created and by Him all things hold together will ask of water, which He is the source?(Colossians 1:16-17). In the words “Give me a drink”, we see the Son of man identifying with our human weakness. In his humanity, He experienced human weakness. John tells us the reason He requested for a drink: He was wearied from His journey (v.6). The writer of Hebrews will tell us “..it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham [human beings]. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people…For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin”.(Hebrews 2:16-7, 4:15).

Jesus bids us “Come”. Come with your human frailty and sins in exchange for divine life. Come partake of the divine nature (2Peter 1:4). Come for the cleansing of your sins, your filth and the idol(s) you have erected in your heart(Ezekiel 36:25) “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”(Matthew 11:28). “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37).

Come to Jesus.

Notes

1: Radmacher, Allen and House, Compact  Bible Commentary, (Nashville, Tennesse, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2004), pg. 742.

[2] Boettner, Loraine. The Reformed Faith, (Monergism Books, ePub  and .mobi edition 2010) Pg79

[3] Notes on John 4:6 from The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, ESV Bible, (Wheaton, Crossway, 2008) Pg 2027

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For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,” (Ephesians 1:15-16).

If you are asked to name two attributes that best describe a Christian, what would it be? What is it that you would hold up as the convincing proofs that one has truly being born again? For Paul, the two things that testifies to a true change of life as a result of the new birth are one’s

1) Saving Faith
2) Love For The Brethren

In many of his epistles written to Saints in different places during the first century, the universal characteristics Paul mentioned, as testament to new life  in Christ were these two (cf. Colossians 1:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Philemon 1:5-7). From the repeated mention of these two attributes, faith and love, we see they are a vital test of true conversion.

Saving Faith

No one can be saved without saving faith in Christ. A Christian is one who has confessed faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour. To confess Jesus as Lord is to publicly affirm as true what Scripture has revealed about Christ and  all that is true about His person – His incarnation, His deity, His life of perfect obedience to God, His death and resurrection. In the first century church and throughout Christian history, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord was not to be taken lightly because it came with dire consequences such as persecution.

Much as the outward expression of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ  was a solemn act, borne from a heart-felt belief and trust in Christ, with possible grave consequences, we see the in the New Testament that the early Church was careful to prove one’s confession, before admitting them into the Christian Church. A case in point is that of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

In Acts 8, the Spirit of the Lord led Philip to meet this court official of the Queen of Ethiopia, returning from Jerusalem and he expounded to him the prophecies concerning Christ to in response to which he offered himself for baptism. Instead of rushing to baptise him, which then would have signified a public proclamation of his faith, and conversion to Christianity, Philip hesitated; enquiring to be sure that the eunuch knew what he was doing. “And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37). In Matthew 16:22-24, Jesus taught on the cost of discipleship; what it means to follow Him. Faith in Christ is not a decision to be taken in haste. It comes with a cost.

True faith in Christ is not a matter to be glossed over. Faith in the Lord Jesus is a testament to true conversion. It is of foremost importance. The question that needs to be answered by all is this – do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord?

Love For The Brethren

When a baby is born, its first cry is a sign of life. It is a proof of life. Like the new-born, so is the Christian. The new (spiritual) life of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ needs to be expressed. This expression of the new life of the believer can be looked at as “The Tests of Life”, as Rev Robert Law rightly puts it.

God is love. He doesn’t only love, He is love. That is His nature. And He calls His children to imitate Him by walking in love: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Our Lord demonstrated His love for us by condescending even  to the point of washing His disciples feet. He did this as an example for us to follow (see John 13:1-15). But His love did not stop there; He went all the way to the cross, dying a sinner’s death. A death He didn’t deserve, but died out of love. This was God’s love in action and we are to demonstrate this same love (1John 4:7-9). We love because we have first been loved by Him. John further tells us love is the proof we have passed from darkness to light:

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:9-11).

Love is a proof that we have passed from darkness into Light, as God is Light. To John, not to love the brethren is synonymous to hatred. And the absence of love, according to this passage simply means we are still in darkness. Darkness here connotes a life of ignorance; ignorance of the life of God, for God is light. Love however is a proof we have passed from death to life (1 John 3:14)

John intimates that our love is proof of passage from darkness to light. Here he takes the argument further by saying, our love is the evidence that we have the new life of God. This means, love is the proof of our sonship; the fact that we have the life of God in us. Whosoever does not love his brother is not of God.

Another compelling reason love is a litmus test for new life is our membership of the body of Christ. The new testament gives us an analogy of  the Church as a body. In Romans 6, a believer is united with Christ by the Holy Spirit at regeneration and becomes one with the Lord. (see also 1Cor. 12:13). As members of one body therefore, there is an intrinsic, organic and vital unity which exists amongst us, just like the parts of the physical body are intrinsically and organically joined to one another and share the same life. To love one another must therefore be natural with us because we have what it takes by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are members of one another, if we are truly joined to Christ and therefore members of the invisible body of Christ.

Finally, Christ Himself said:

“…just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34b-35).

Do you have the life of Christ? These two must be evident: faith in Christ Jesus and love for the brethren. They are a vital test of life!

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The topic was: “are all religions the same?” As usual my Hindu friends were of the view that all religions are the same, and were trying hard to convince me of their reasons. According to them we all worship the same god, the only difference is that we have different names and approach him differently.

What surprised me wasn’t the genuine belief of my Hindu friends, but that of my supposed Christian counterpart. In his words “all religions are the same, it’s all about loving your neighbor as yourself”. According to him “we need to keep an open mind about some of these things, since we are not sure whether they are right or we are right. We need to be open in order to increase our chances on the last day”

The view of this “Christian brother” sums up the spirit of the age. We live in a time where any claims of exclusivity is viewed as intolerant and arrogant. There is an enormous pressure to conform to what the world considers to be tolerant and unifying. There should be no claims of exclusivity or rightness, everything is relative and should depend on what each person deems to be right we are told.

It is in the midst of these pressures, Christ calls on his followers to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). The message these disciples were to carry was “[Jesus] I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Elsewhere in the book of John, John the Baptist in giving his testimony about Christ said “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

From these texts, Jesus doesn’t leave the issue of God open-ended. Far from Christians being bigots, it was Jesus Christ Himself who made the most exclusive and audacious claims about His identity and the way to find reconciliation and forgiveness with a holy God. Therefore you cannot claim to be on the side of Christ without affirming these exclusive claims. In a world where “tolerance” and “love” are in demand, such exclusive claims are not going to win any genuine Christian brownie points, but we must decide on whose side we are on.

Is it Unloving to be Exclusive?

Love is a very evasive term in a fallen world like ours; it means different things to different people. In the sight of the world, love is not confrontational, it doesn’t criticize, it must always say yes, and it is reciprocal. In the world’s definition of love it will be unloving to run and snatch my son out of the middle of the road, so long as he is happy playing there even if there is an approaching vehicle at the speed of 140 km/h. And that is where the world gets it wrong — by defining love in the context of what makes the other person happy or feel “loved”.

In our fallen state we are totally depraved and do not appreciate what is loving from God’s perspective. Love, like any good trait must be understood from the context of God, because God is the meaning of Love.

The question then is, is it unloving to tell people that Jesus is the only way to find forgiveness with a holy God? It is, if it wasn’t true. But if it is true, it is the most loving thing to do. Just a few days ago Christians all over the world celebrated Easter to commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ in triumph over sin and death. Man in rebellion had rejected God, and was therefore under God’s righteous judgement. But in His mercy and love God, the one who had been wronged gave His only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

God in His love did not sweep our sin under the carpet and assume nothing had happened. The rebellion had happened and the punishment for this treason was death (both physical and spiritual). Love didn’t mean God would turn a blind eye to our sin, it meant giving up His dear Son to die in the place of sinners so that he might be both the just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). Love is not blind to wrong, love is not playing dumb that nothing had happened, and obviously love is not pretending that we are all the same.

If it is true(and it is) that we have all sinned against God and are under his righteous and just condemnation, our greatest need as humans is forgiveness from him. The question is, how do we secure this forgiveness? As Christians we believe there is no way we could ever do enough good deeds to make up for the wrongs we have done and continue to do. Besides, God’s standards are so high and perfect that no matter how long and hard we try, we cannot measure up.

The only way is to accept the perfection offered freely by Christ.
Love, is pointing people the right way where they can find forgiveness and peace with a holy God. Love, is telling people that there is an impending danger and they need to take cover in Jesus Christ. What is unloving is agreeing that we are all the same, when we are actually not. That is deception. The most loving thing to do is let people know that there are differences, but they have a choice which comes with consequences.

Make A Choice

Like my “supposed Christian” friend, most of us often go along with the flow and affirm the lie that all religions lead to God, either because we are afraid of ridicule or the desire to increase our chances on the last day in case others are right and we are wrong. Whatever beliefs we hold, by Jesus’ own words, He is the only way to the Father:

No one comes to the Father except through me. ~ Jesus Christ

I am trying to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make the choice: Either this man was and is the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.~ C.S. Lewis

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Romans 10:3-9

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
~ Elvina M. Hall; 1865

Imagine this scenario with me. A man who owes the creditors a huge sum of money is dragged before the court. He admits that even if all his property were sold, it wouldn’t be enough to clear all his debt. Suddenly, a ‘good Samaritan’ offers to settle all the debt to the last penny. If it were you, what would be your reaction? Now imagine further, if instead of accepting the good Samaritan’s benevolent offer, this debtor rejects it; choosing rather to make up for his debt by suffering a lifetime of hard labour in prison.

Who would do such a thing? Sounds outrageous doesn’t it? Yet in the passage from Romans 10 above, Paul suggests the actions of the Jews amounted to just that. They, to whom God gave the Law had spurned God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and rejected His offer of salvation through faith. In his description, Paul writes, “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Romans 10:3). The phrase “seeking to establish their own righteousness” (in the authorised translation, “going about to establish their own righteousness”) connotes a strenuous effort to establish one’s own righteousness instead of relying on God’s.

The Law and Man’s Inability

God gave the Law to man with this caveat “…the person who does the commandments shall live by them.” (Romans 10:5b). Which means one could attain righteousness and eternal life by fully obeying the law without faulting at any point (Deuteronomy 30:15-20, James 2:10). In our fallen state, God’s verdict is that no one could keep the law no matter how hard we try. The Jews were therefore wrong in thinking that they could work out their own righteousness before a holy and perfect God. God requires sinless perfection. Jesus in Matthew 5:20-48 clearly teaches that the benchmark is not 99% but a 100%.

It is therefore tragic that anyone would try to attain righteousness by their own effort and good works. Many today go to great lengths to be good, fast, pray and obey the 10 commandments — all in an attempt to save themselves. God demands perfect obedience with all of one’s heart, mind, soul and strength, and one ought to continue doing so unfailingly in order to maintain righteousness (Matt 22:36-38; Rom 10:5). The plain truth is that none of us is equal to such a task.

The law points to the fact that we need God’s help in order to be saved. It shows us how inadequate we are in terms of fulfilling God’s Law; yet offers us no remedy. On this, John Bunyan writes, “To be under the law as it is a Covenant of Works, is to be bound, upon pain of eternal damnation, to fulfil, and that completely and continually, every particular point of the Ten Commandments, by doing them.“¹

Paul, recounting his own experience wrote:

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans‬ 7:15-16, 18, 24-25‬a ESV)‬.

John Bunyan further comments,

So long as people are ignorant of the nature of the law, and of their being under it – that is, under the curse and condemning power of it, by reason of their sin against it – so long they will be careless, and negligent as to the inquiring after the true knowledge of the Gospel.”²

If we truly understood what the law required of us in order to be saved, we\’ll come flying to the foot of the Cross.

The Good News: Christ, The End of the Law

Jesus, as the last Adam, was the only one who was able to wholly and completely obey God’s Law. This is what Paul meant by saying Christ is the end of the Law. Not that He abolished it; but rather because He fulfilled all its righteous requirements. But He is the end of the Law only to those who believe in Him. To these, the law is no longer binding in justifying sinners before Christ. Through faith in the finished work of Christ, sinners are freed from the guilt of the Law and from God’s wrath. Christ’s life of sinless obedience and His death on the cross fully satisfied God’s wrath against sin for all who believe in Him.

God therefore offers righteousness to all who believe in Christ alone, free of charge. This does not require any strenuous effort from us — only faith in Christ and what He has done on our behalf.

There’s no need to strenuously seek to establish your own righteousness. Jesus paid it all — all the debt we owed God for disobeying His Holy Law and its repercussions; eternal death. This is the reason for the Cross. Celebrate this season with understanding. If you haven’t already, come to saving faith in Christ now; He is willing and ready to save you.

Notes:

1: John Bunyan, The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded

2:ibid

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