What Is All the Fuss About?

Supreme Court Trumps God!

Really?

All ready the articles, blogs, and postings are already starting. Why are you so surprised? Why are you so outraged? Why are you reacting as if chicken little's sky is falling?

Yes, as expected DOMA was declared unconstitutional. Homosexual marriages have been deemed by the Supreme Court to be treated the same as heterosexual marriages. This should come as a great disappointment, but not as some huge surprise. Nor should it be considered as "trumping" God or redefining marriage.

God's Word, God's laws, God's righteousness, and God's holiness is still the same. The penalties and consequences for violating God's word, law, righteousness, and holiness remain the same. God's standards for marriage remain the same today as they did when He gave them in Genesis.

Listen, the Bible has made it very clear that man has a fallen and sinful nature. Every human being is born spiritually dead. There is no human being alive who seeks after the God of the Bible. There is no human being alive that seeks God's standards. Every human being is born as a God-hater, who hates the "Light" and loves the darkness.

No one suddenly jumped up and by a 5-4 decision trumped God or redefined marriage. No one suddenly decided that a homosexual union is a better idea than a union of one man and one woman until death does them part. The legalization or Supreme Court recognition may have been a long time coming, but this "rejection" of God's laws and standards is not new nor is it surprising.

Have you forgotten what Paul said in Romans, Chapter One? 

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be know of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of hte world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their fown heart, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who [don't miss it - here it comes] exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever, amen." (Romans 1:18-22, 24-25, NKJV)

Mankind did not choose to "trump" God today by a 5-4 decision. Nor did mankind choose to redefine marriage today. Mankind did not choose to reject God, His Word, or His opinion today. Mankind did this some 6,000 years ago in the Garden of Eden and mankind has been doing it since then. 

The Romans passage tells us that man viewed God and the evidence of God and after viewing that evidence decided to reject God. Since creation man has suppressed, spurned, and subverted the truth of God. 

Today's decision doesn't change a thing. When my wife presents the lease agreement and all of its accompanying documents and we come to the Lead-base paint disclosure and she tells them about the legal mumbo jumbo in the form, I tell them,"Heck, you don't need to know all that legalese about lead-based paint - just don't eat the paint." Well, when it comes to the decisions and behaviors that violate God's standards - don't do them.

I am not trying to be flippant or disrespectful. I am trying to say that this is no surprise to me. Human beings are doing exactly what their nature compels them to do. The lost are in bondage to their sin nature. They are in Adam. They are in and under the rule and reign of sin. As a Christian you are not - you are in Christ. You are no longer under the rule and reign of sin. You are now in and under the rule and reign of righteousness.

Don't attempt to win a battle and loose a "war." We need to continue to preach and proclaim God's standards and yes, also the penalty and consequences for violating those standards. Preach the gospel. Share the love of God.

Remember, the Supreme Court ruling did not change a thing.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:10, NKJV) See, nothing has changed! God's standards, laws, or as one blog put it, God's opinion is the same - it has not changed nor been trumped.

If a man or a woman suppresses or spurns or subverts the truth, laws, standards, or opinions of God so be it. The penalty for doing so remains the same. And that should break our heart. Even if we say with God a hearty Amen, it should be tears in our eyes and compassion in our heart for those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. They will be dammed forever.

Besides, if you like that passage from Paul, don't forget verse eleven:

"And such were some of you." Please don't be self-righteous or unbiblically angry - you once also were dammed and banned from the kingdom of heaven. "But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11, NKJV)

Wow! I was once in bondage to the master of sin, in slavery to sin. I was once in and under the rule and reign of sin. But now I am justified. I am dead to the rule and reign of sin. I am dead, no longer a man in Adam. I am in Christ, a man of Christ. I am now in the rule and reign of Christ. (No, I do not believe I am now sinless or that I don't sin)

Our message to the Supreme Court and to any sinner, heterosexual or homosexual, is that God is God and is holy, righteous, just, and yes merciful. Repent or you will perish. Remember, 

"Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalms 126:6, NKJV)

The Good Soil of Sin

Over the last forty (40) years I have written a number of quotes, comments, pithy sayings, and poems in the fly-leafs of my bibles. Each Tuesday I am going to share those various entries from my bibles with you. I hope they will be as much of blessing to you as they have been to me. Sometimes I will be able to give credit where credit is due and sometimes I won’t be able to credit the source. I apologize for this to each one who contributed these gems over the last forty (40) years.

TODAY'S TREASURE:

Sin stems from:

• a contempt of God's person
• a despising of God's glory
• a preference of things (rather than God)

Paul, I think I know how you feel

We have all heard at one time or another a trite but well meaning sentiment reduced in a single statement. We may have even verbalized this statement ourselves. I have no doubt that in almost every circumstance and situation it was meant to be a comfort to the one whom it was said. What sentiment am I speaking of? I know how you feel.

With no criticism intended to those who have felt compelled to utter these words, I hope to share a few thoughts of my heart.

Paul wrote, "I am speaking the truth in Christ - I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit - that I have great sorrow and unceasing anquish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsman according to the flesh." (Romans 9:1-2, ESV)

I have been reading and meditating through Paul's letter to the congregations in Rome for the past several months. I will be finishing up chapter six in the next few days. For weeks now I am been reveling in the doctrine of justification. 

There was a time where every believer in the pew and every preacher in the pulpit knew the extreme importance of this doctrine. A. W. Pink wrote, "There was a time, not so long ago, when the blessed truth of justification was one of the best known doctrines of the Christian faith, when it was regularly  expounded by the preachers and when the rank and file of church-goers were familiar with its leading aspects." 1

It seems today this is as far from the truth as it can be. This great doctrine of the reformation is at best blurred and twisted, and at worst denied. What would Paul think?

From what I have adduced from days and days of wading through these first six chapters of this letter, I have concluded, that Paul felt this doctrine was so vital that he went to great lengths to show how the denial and perversion of justification by the Jews was the foremost reason that the Jews were rejected by God. Paul in both his letters to the Romans and to the Galatians defended this doctrine. Not only did Paul vigorously defend the doctrine of justification he disputed with those who attacked this bible doctrine. He maintained that the subversion or rejection of this doctrine was fatal to the sinner.

My heart is broken for those who today in one form or another deny this great teaching of the Bible. In some small almost unimaginable way, I could say to Paul I know how you feel. 

Countless thousands of human beings deny the fullness and efficaciousness of this great doctrine. They either flat out deny this truth or they attempt to circumvent it by their own efforts.

If the church today is going to have any hope of a revival (which I don't think it will) it will be due to the effectual preaching of the doctrine of justification. I can only hope and fervently pray for individual believers and small pockets of congregations be reformed and visited by the Holy Spirit as they expound once again this great doctrine.




















1 The Doctrines of Election and Justification, A. W. Pink, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974), p.185

The Blessed Doctrine of Justification

Sunday Sermon...

Some sermons are long and some are short but to be effective they must contain Spirit-filled power and soul wrenching truth. I believe this paragraph written by A. W. Pink qualifies as a Spirit-filled and soul wrenching sermon of truth.

"When God Himself becomes a living reality unto the soul, when His awful majesty, ineffable holiness, inflexible justice, and sovereign authority, are really perceived, even though most inadequately, indifference to His claims now gives place to a serious concern. When there is a due sense of the greatness of our apostasy from God, of the depravity of our nature, of the power and vileness of sin, of the spirituality and strictness of the law, and of the everlasting burnings awaiting God's enemies, the awakened soul cries out, 'Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams. or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born form many transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?'" (Micah 6:6, 7) Then it is that the poor soul cries out, 'How then can a man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4) And it is in the blessed doctrine which is now before us that we are taught the method whereby a sinner may obtain peace with his Maker and rise to the possession of eternal life."

The Root of Holiness

"Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the  root of all personal holiness."

-- William Carey

Kel-Tech PF 9 Blog

My funny bone was tickled rather vigorously a couple days ago when a Portland (OR) TV station linked a story of a controversial neighbor block in Milwaukee, OR. I don't have a Glock for my Block, but I thought it was only fair to post my own sign regarding the Gospel-driven Disciples as a warning!

This is a Kel-Tech PF 9 Blog

We don't call 911 either!

I Am Not A Kanye

"Yesterday, Kanye West's latest album Yeezus dropped with the third track titled, 'I Am A God' (Feat. God)." The song has already sparked reaction and has been likened to John Lennon's remarks about the Beatles being 'more popular than Jesus.' But maybe Kanye's song is something we identify with more than we'd like to admit?" (Odd Thomas in Resurgence Blog)

Kanye's song includes the blasphemous and ludicrous lines:

I'm not the most high,
but I'm a close high.

Apparently Odd Thomas is telling us not to be so quick to be offended and angry at Kanye or his so called "song." Odd Thomas writes, "As we survey the culture and pass judgment, it is easy to bypass the issues of our own hearts (Jer, 17:9). The tings in the culture that offend us most can often act as a mirror into our own souls."

After some fluff and filler Odd Thomas encourages us to "repent of our own idolatry and look to the one who truly sits high above the heavens on his eternal throne. So when the radio plays 'I Am a God' fifty times a day, remember your idolatry. Remember we are a Kanye, and remember the length to which God went to save us from our sins."

First, let me say that I think I understand what Odd Thomas may be trying to say with his article. There is no doubt that believers fall into sin, even the grossest of sins such as idolatry. Anytime that we exalt something over God we are guilty of idolatry. I believe that we can use situations and circumstances like these to check our own "spiritual temperature."

Second, I am offended not by Kanye's lyrics or song. As one that is in bondage to sin Kanye is responding in the only way that he is able. I am not surprised by his "statement," I am grieved. Grieved by the fact that as a prisoner of sin, held in bondage, and ruled by sin this is his worldview. Yes, I feel righteous indignation that God's character is maligned by such sentiment.

I do take offense at the fact that Odd Thomas wants me to think I am "a Kanye." I dare say I think that Odd Thomas truly is sincere and believes what he blogged. He thinks that we are Kanyes at worst and yet forgiven by Christ's shed blood at best .

No, Odd Thomas, I am not a schizophrenic. Romans 6:6 says very clearly that I am dead. I was crucified with Christ. The old man was put to death.

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Romans 6:6, Geneva Bible, 1599)

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified. Paul did not write "is crucified" or "will be crucified." Paul used an aorist or past tense. The action (crucifixion) is in the past. It has happened. Why were we crucified? So that the body of sin might be destroyed, or better, disannulled, be rendered void or ineffective.

What does Paul mean by "old man?" These words have caused more people to expound bad theology and to work themselves into a frenzy in trying to kill something that is already dead. People throughout history have tried to kill off or get rid of "the old man."

First of all, Paul does not mean the sinful or carnal nature and all its propensities towards sin. Paul is not saying the sin nature was crucified. Second, to debug an old theological theory, he did not mean the old man to be our "old moral self prior to being born again." What does Paul mean?

If you look carefully at the context which begins at chapter five and verse twelve it becomes crystal clear. The old man that Paul refers to is that man that I use to be in Adam. I was a man in Adam but look at the context clearly, I am now a man in Christ. The old man was what I once was but which I am no longer.

When I was born I was born into Adam and Adam's race. I "inherited" all of the characteristics of a man in Adam. This included the fact that sin and the penalty for sin, death, was attached to me. I was under the rule or reign of Adam.

As a Christian I am no longer in Adam. Why? Romans chapter six and verse three, "Know ye not,. that all we which have been baptized into Jesus Christ, have been baptized into his death."

I, a man in Adam died when I was baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ's death. I am now a man of Christ. I am under the rule and reign and sphere of Jesus Christ. I am not under the rule and reign of Adam. I died with Christ, my old man, my Adamic nature, the man I was by birth was joined and united to was crucified together with Christ.

What I was in Adam, my old humanity, the man that was born under the law, who was born in sin, who was born under condemnation, the man that sinned with Adam, and as a result earned all the consequences of Adam's sin, that man who was under the wrath and condemnation of God died with Christ! Hallelujah!

I am no longer that man. I am a new man in Christ.

So what does Galatians 5:24 mean? Paul tells us very clearly that we have to put to death (crucify) the flesh with its affections and lusts. That has not been crucified or put to death. The sin nature with all of its propensities is still active and alive. The old man means the old humanity or the man that I was in Adam.

You need to note several things at this point.

First, as a new man in Christ by our new birth, we are freed from the penalty of sin, death, and the power of sin. We have been removed from the bondage, from the rule and reign of sin. We are no longer apart of the sphere governed or ruled by all that is Adam. Why? We are a new creature. 

Second, we have not been removed from the presence of sin. We are told more than once to kill, mortify, or crucify the flesh. We are never told to crucify the old man. The old man that I was in Adam has died once and forever.

Third, this is why Paul tells us to reckon or consider ourselves to be dead to the rule and reign of the sphere of Adam. And we are to reckon or consider ourselves alive to the rule and reign of Christ.

Fourth, the man that you were in Adam has gone out of existence, he has no reality. We need to stop living as if we were in that sphere or realm and begin living in the realm and sphere that we are now placed in Christ.

Fifth, this does not mean that we will not be involved in an on-going warfare with the sin nature that still resides in our flesh. The battle with sin continues. Sin and death still reigns in our body of flesh.

See, when Adam sinned, sin gained a complete mastery over Adam. Sin dominated him, sin was in control. Those in Adam are under the rule and reign of sin. The appetites control those who are in Adam and they have no recourse.

When you are in Christ things are different. We are dead to sin as a realm or reign. Unfortunately sin is still in my mortal body, in my "members" as Paul calls them influencing the lusts and appetites of the flesh.

What has all this to do with our disagreement with Odd Thomas? I am glad you asked! First of all, we are not a "God." Odd Thomas knows that and you and I know that. In reading and studying Romans six I am also not a Kanye. Kanye is in Adam. He is in the realm, the sphere, the rule and the reign of Adam. As a man in Adam, Kayne, among other things is in fact an idolater. 

I am not in Adam nor am I an idolater. As a man in Christ however, the appetites and lusts which remain in my flesh at times lure and entice me to satisfy those lusts and appetites which include idolatry. Even thought I am not in bondage to sin and nor am I ruled by it, there are times I do "give into it" and I sin. I am sure more than once as a man in Christ I have been guilty of idolatry.

I think I know what Odd Thomas wanted to say and accomplish. I do need to check my heart and my life and make sure that there is nothing in my life that leads to envy or covetousness which is idolatry.  

I was a Kanye. I am a Christian. Like Paul, I too cry out often to be delivered from the body of this death.