Tag Archives: 1 Corinthians

Before your head hits the pillow

Five Solas

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

Five Solas

I have posted this in the past but some interesting recent theological discussions have stirred me to post it again tonight.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t contemplate long and hard before deciding to post this tonight. I don’t particularly like confrontation. That being said, I won’t run from it either. For those of you who have read my nightly posts for quite some time it should be evident that I hold to a reformed theology. I believe that we are saved by grace alone and that NOTHING we can do will contribute to our salvation, it is a gift from our Lord.

The Five Solas were at the heart of the 16th century reformation. These five solas are the bedrock of my personal faith. They precisely describe what I believe about salvation, the Holy Scriptures, and our God.

Solas is the Latin phrase for solo. When you sing a solo, you sing alone. When you fly solo, you fly alone. These five solas describe five solo truths of reformed Christianity.

The first is Sola Scriptura or Scripture alone. The Bible should be our sole authority on which we interpret everything else in our lives. How we behave with others, our political leanings, and the raising of our children all needs to be pressed against the scriptures to obtain truth. All 66 books of the Bible are the inspired Word of God through the work of the Holy Spirit given to those persons selected by God Himself.

2 Peter 3:16-17 tells us – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The second is Sola Fide or faith alone. We are saved by faith alone through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are not saved by our own good works but good works are demanded of those who are saved.

The thirds is Sola gratia or grace alone. We are saved ONLY by God’s grace. No matter how “good” a person is if they do not understand that the faith instilled in them is from God and the grace rendered to them is from God they will not be saved.

Ephesians 2:8 is a great verse to demonstrate saving faith by God’s grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is a gift from God, not a result of works, so that no one my boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Yes we are created for good works, but we are NOT saved by them.

Solus Christus or Christ alone. We can ONLY be saved by believing in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins. Nothing else can save us. There is no other. Paul told the jailer this in Acts 16:31 when he asked how he could be saved, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

And the last is Soli Deo Gloria or to the glory of God alone. We are here on earth to glorify God, not to heap praise and glory on ourselves, the newest American Idol, or the latest and greatest tele-evangelist. Our praise is to be reserved for God only. Our main mission in life should be to bring glory to God. We bring Him great glory by serving Him and serving our fellow mankind.

I Corinthians 10:31 states, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it to the Glory of God.” The Westminster Catechism says that the chief purpose of our lives is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

I am thankful for these five solas. I am thankful that my salvation does not rest on me being good enough for if it did, I would certainly be doomed. I am thankful that God has given us faith and the free gift of grace. I am thankful that He is a loving God who gives us the path to salvation in the Scriptures and I rejoice in the opportunity to glorify God and God alone. I hope you are thankful as well!

Before your head hits the pillow

What is a Christian Conservative?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

What is a Christian Conservative?

From time to time someone finds their way to this site and proceeds to tell me that a conservative cannot be a Christian. Some of them even go so far as to say Jesus was a socialist. They think a Christian cannot be a conservative or that a conservative cannot be a Christian.

So I thought tonight I would tell you all what it means to me to be a Christian Conservative. First I am a Christian conservative, not a conservative Christian. The Christian part of me is what drives everything in my life. That is why I listed Christian first in the name of this Facebook page.

So what does it mean to be a Christian conservative? First, as a Christian, I must demonstrate love, for that is what Christ commands. I believe that I have demonstrated kindness on this site even to those who do not agree with me. I attempt to treat everyone with respect, but that does not mean that I will relinquish the truths that I find in Scripture.

As a Christian conservative, I believe it is my duty to always speak the truth, but to speak it in love. I will not compromise the truths of the Word to appease the ways of the world.

As a Christian conservative, I believe that God created each and every being in His image, including unborn children. A Christian conservative is pro-life because God knew us before we even existed in our mothers’ wombs. Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;” God did not just know Jeremiah, He knew each of us and He knows each little child nestled in their mother’s womb tonight. I will never cease proclaiming God’s word on this topic and I will never stop striving to save the lives of unborn children.

As a Christian conservative, I believe that God created marriage between one man and one woman. At the beginning of time, He created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. Although I have deep love for some friends and family who are gay, I must acknowledge that this is not a behavior condoned by our Lord. I Corinthians 6:9-11 states, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I didn’t say this, the Bible does. We cannot change the gospel to fit into our view of the world.

As a Christian conservative I believe that able bodied people should work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” And Proverbs 12:11 says, “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”

There was a time when we had no need for a social welfare state because the church was doing its duty in caring for the poor. But that state has now become a sole source of income for many who could be working. This is not what God had intended for His creation.

Although Jesus does tell us that we should pay our taxes, the government has become corrupt. They have overtaxed and overburdened its own people. God never ordained taking money from one person and giving it to another. When someone is truly in need we should give freely as giving to the Lord.

God expects us to be prudent with our money and He expects the same of government. If the government over spends and over extends this is not consistent with the principles of the Bible. Proverbs 22:7 states, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.” As this country becomes less and less financially responsible we also become slave to our lenders. China holds more of our countries $18 Trillion debt than any other single country.

I could write so much more but I think you get the picture. I am a Christian conservative and I believe those two words are consistent. Jesus was NOT a socialist, but He did believe that people should help out those who cannot help themselves.

Most of the posts you will find on this site are specifically about our walk with the Lord, but from time to time, I will post about my politically conservative view points. I will speak of them because I believe that God demands the truth.

So yes, I am a Christian Conservative and happy to be called one!

Before your head hits the pillow

What does it Mean to Wait on the Lord?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

What does it Mean to Wait on the Lord?

People in today’s culture don’t really like to wait. We live in an instant society. We can pop a frozen dinner in the microwave and be eating in less than five minutes. We used to have to wait days or even a week or more for a letter to arrive, now we send an email and our friend or loved one can be reading it just minutes later. We no longer have to wait to see the photographs from our vacation. We can take them straight out of the camera, download them onto our computer and watch the slide show instantaneously.

It all so automatic, so the thought of waiting has become very foreign. But waiting is an important part of every Christian’s life. When the Bible says something more than once, you can believe that it is important.

Psalm 27:14 tells us, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”

And Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”

“Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.” I Corinthians 4:5.

And Psalm 130:5 also speaks of waiting, “I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.”

Many more passages tell us to wait upon the Lord. In the Old Testament we are primarily told to wait for his provisions and in the New Testament we are also told to wait for His return.

Waiting on God means that we trust Him. Waiting on God means that we know and understand that His ways, His will, and His timing is ever so much better than anything we could anticipate. When we pray and it doesn’t seem that God is answering our prayer, wait. Wait on God and trust Him.

When we are anxious and afraid, we must wait on God and know that He will protect us. In those anxious times we can wait if we believe in the promises of God. Be comforted by the words of Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Or the wonderful promise in Psalm 91:11-12, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.”

If we believe these promises it should become easier to wait. God loves us and He cares for us. Just wait.

And when you despair over the condition of the world and ask the Lord to come quickly, remember, we must wait. We must wait, for we know that He will return to us at just the right time.

Waiting on the Lord is not just a suggestion, it is a command. God wants us to wait on Him. He wants us to trust in Him. The moment we begin to really understand what it means to wait on the Lord our lives our flooded with peace. When we understand that His timing is perfect and His love is incomprehensible we can be at rest. We can rest just as is spoken of in Psalm 23 – He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.

God is good. I will wait on Him!

Before your head hits the pillow

What does it mean to judge, or what does the Bible say about judging?

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…Before your head hits the pillow…

What does it mean to judge, or what does the Bible say about judging?

The Bible speaks often about judging and in many cases the word judge has a different meaning.

Below are many passages that warn us against judging. I believe that Jesus warned so frequently against judging, for when we judge others we don’t take an introspective look at ourselves and our own spiritual deficiencies.

We can talk about Sue at the office and how often she gossips, or we can discuss how Larry has such terrible language, or how frustrated that Mr. and Mrs. Lewis never seem to volunteer for anything at church. When we do this, we don’t take the time to look at the plank in our own eye. When Jesus was speaking about this type of judgment he was telling us not to judge hypocritically.

Judging others seems to give us a reprieve, and that is not what the Lord would want. Here are the passages on this type of judging:

Matt. 7:1-3″Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.…

Luke 6:37″Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 6:41″Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

So if we think it is okay to judge others’ sins or deficiencies we had better make sure that we have taken a good look at our own lives before we do. There may be time when spiritual discipline is in order, but we must be sure that we are the correct person to administer that discipline and we are doing so in love.

Now this doesn’t mean that we ignore sin, but it does mean that we must be careful before we judge someone else’s sin. We do however have a responsibility to assist another Christian who is sinning, to lovingly and respectfully let them understand their error. James 5:20 states: — let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 2 Timothy 4:2 says – preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

I think we often confuse discernment for judging. I do believe that it is valid to be discerning. It is appropriate for a parent to look at their teenage children’s friends and make a determination whether they believe those friends are appropriate for their child.

It is appropriate for us to discern that certain people are not good for us so we should not associate with them. That is discernment.

Understanding that something is not Godly, is not judging.

Many have cited the passage that indicates we will know them by the fruit on their tree. This passage, Matt. 7:15-20 is specifically speaking about false prophets and how important it is for us to be able to identify them.

Matthew 7:15-21″Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.…

Matthew 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

Matthew 12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

Luke 6:44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.

As Christians we must be ever vigilant about from whom we are taking spiritual leadership. I think the most dangerous are those who speak some truth, but not all of the truth. They can sound good, they reference God and His power but they may also espouse Buddha or Confucius. If you find a spiritual leader like this RUN!!!

And lastly there is the judging of one’s eternal destination. I think we will all agree on this one. That is left entirely up to the Lord! We must NEVER judge someone’s salvation, for only God knows this!

So I guess the long and the short of it is: Look at yourself before you pass judgment on anyone else. If a fellow believer is sinning, approach them with love and respect and NEVER judge anyone’s salvation. That is entirely up to God!