Why God Hates Gambling

Posted on May 12, 2009 by russellmckinney

God hates gambling. Perhaps your response to that simple statement is, “But what’s wrong with me having a little fun? I can buy a lottery ticket every now and then, go to a casino a couple of weekends a year, or put some money on the ballgame, and it not be a big deal. I might even win some money.” Well, my friend, it is a big deal with God, and any money you win from gambling is ill-gotten gain. Let me take the Bible and give you four solid reasons why God hates gambling.

Reason #1: God hates gambling because it shows a lack of contentment (1 Timothy 6:6-10, Philippians 4:11-12, Hebrews 13:5, and Exodus 20:17). When you gamble, you are, in essence, saying to God, “I am not content with the financial situation in which you have me. I want more money.” Not only is this matter of discontentment at the heart of the famous commandment — “Thou shalt not covet” — it can be traced all the way back to the garden of Eden. Remember, Adam and Eve coveted the fruit from the one tree God had deemed off limits to them.

Reason #2: God hates gambling because it involves get-rich-quick schemes (Proverbs 28:20,22; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 13:11). The Bible never promotes such schemes. Instead, it consistently promotes hard work, good stewardship, and even wise investing.

Reason #3: God hates gambling because it exploits the poor (Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 28:27; Proverbs 29:7; Psalm 41:1). Did you know there are many more lottery outlets in poor neighborhoods than in higher income areas? Did you know that on those days when welfare checks arrive around this country, long lines form around the stores that sell lottery tickets? Did you know that in Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods, the Illinois state lottery rented billboards that showed a lottery ticket and the caption, “This could be your ticket out of poverty”? In gambling, for one person to win, other people must lose. And what category of people can least afford to hand over money and get nothing in return? Poor people.

Reason #4: God hates gambling because it frequently destroys peoples’ lives (Proverbs 24:1-2; Ephesians 5:11). Ungodly people and their industries work to tear down society rather than build it up, and the Bible tells us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11). But how does the gambling industry tear down society? First, gambling leads to an increased crime rate. Studies have shown that while casinos initially bring short-term economic benefits, property crimes take a sharp rise by the fourth year. Second, gambling leads to addiction. A survey done by two Duke University professors found that 10% of those who buy lottery tickets are compulsive gamblers who account for a whopping 50% of all money bet on lotteries. It’s also been proven that people are twice as likely to become problem gamblers if a casino is located within fifty miles of their home. Third, gambling leads to what we might call “a culture of destruction.” One survey of compulsive gamblers found that 22% had divorced because of gambling, 49% had stolen from an employer to pay gambling debts, and 79% said they wanted to die. Fourth, gambling leads to a demise in local business. Show me $50 that was spent on lottery tickets, and I’ll show you $50 that wasn’t spent in local stores on groceries, gasoline, clothes, or dinner.

The fact is, the gambling industry is a dirty business that thrives off peoples’ pain. Evidence of this is seen in the pawnshops that are frequently located near casinos. One pawnshop owner in Reno, Nevada has actually displayed a jar of gold-filled human teeth that his customers have pulled and pawned. Why would we want to have anything to do with an industry that causes people to do such a thing?

Matthew 27:35 is an interesting verse on this whole topic. It says of Jesus and the Roman soldiers:

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Even while God in the flesh was giving His all in dying for the sins of mankind, sinful men were engaging in the equivalent of “shooting dice” to see who would get His clothes. Instead of recognizing what Jesus was doing for them, their attention was focused upon gambling. Sadly, something about that makes me say, “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Ah, but here comes the cry in defense of gambling, “But so many people are doing it.” Well, a lot of people are cheating on their spouses, but that doesn’t make it right. A lot of people are abusing their kids, but that doesn’t make it right. A lot of people are watching pornography, but that doesn’t make it right. Therefore, let’s have none of this argument that says gambling must be okay because so many people are doing it. That argument is nothing but a lie. The hard, cold truth of the matter is that God hates gambling, and it’s about time that message started being heard.

Posted in Addiction, Christ's Death, Christian Liberty, Contentment, Gambling, God's Will, Greed, Money, Personal Holiness, Prosperity, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Abounding More and More

Posted on May 7, 2009 by russellmckinney

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God. (1 Thessalonians 4:1, N.K.J.V.)

As you read this passage from the apostle Paul, take special note of the phrase “abound more and more.” Paul’s point is that, generally speaking, a Christian’s service to the Lord should increase over the course of life as there is a noticeable progression in that Christian’s service. At 20, that Christian should do more for Christ than he or she did at 15. At 25, he or she should do more than at 20. At 30, he or she should do more than at 25. On and on it should go like that.

Of course, we understand that at some point the physical limitations of getting older will stop a Christian from performing certain acts of service. Even in old age, however, a person can shift focus to different kinds of service. For example, the elderly preacher can no longer hold down a pastorate, but that just gives him more time for prayer. The retired school teacher can no longer be “salt and light” in the school system, but she can do more visiting. Even the Christian in the nursing home can be an effective witness for Christ. The goal is to always abound more and more in service.

I was in my early 20s when I gave myself fully to Christ. Since I had been out of church for some time, my first order of business was to start attending Sunday morning worship services. That led to my faithful attendance in Sunday School. That led to me getting serious about having a daily prayer life. That led to my faithful attendance for Sunday night services. That led to my faithful attendance for Wednesday night services. All of that church attendance led to me getting serious about Bible study. That led to me teaching a Youth Sunday School class. That led to me hearing God’s call to preach and accepting it. That led to me becoming a pastor.

You see, my progression in service started with me taking the baby step of attending Sunday morning worship services. I took that step, stayed at that level for a little while, and then felt God push me to take another step. Then I took that step, stayed at that level for a little while, and then felt Him push me to take another step. Then I took that step, stayed at that level for a little while, and then felt Him push me to take another step. The process has been a slow walk, not a long jump.

The New Testament uses the words “bishop,” “elder,” and “pastor” interchangeably to describe the role that I am currently fulfilling in church. Each of these three words speaks to a different aspect of the role. “Bishop” carries the idea of overseeing. “Elder” carries the idea of leading with wisdom. “Pastor” carries the idea of shepherding the sheep.

In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Paul gives a God-inspired list of the qualifications of a pastor. Interestingly, in verse 6, he says that a pastor shouldn’t be a “novice.” Why did he say that? He said it because the young Christian who has been rushed into the ministry hasn’t had the necessary time to get his roots sunk deep. He hasn’t been able to sit under enough teaching, and he doesn’t have adequate experience where the rubber of Christianity meets the road of life. This explains why many young preachers flame out like shooting stars. Much of that could be avoided if each potential preacher was made to work through the careful process of abounding more and more in service to Christ.

I don’t mean to imply that the end of every Christian’s road of service will be the ministry. It won’t be. I’m saying, Christian, that your life should show progression in service. If you aren’t currently doing any more for Christ than you did last year, you are wasting valuable time. You need to get off dead-center and take another step in service to Him. There is another level, one just above you, that you need to reach. You’ve got to keep moving on up in regards to your service.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a great basketball player who had incredible natural talent. To his credit, though, he also had a strong work ethic. As evidence of that, each off-season he would diligently work to add another dimension to his game. One off-season he worked on his free-throw shooting and became an excellent free-throw shooter. Another off-season he worked on his long-range shooting and became an excellent long-range shooter. He was never satisfied with where he was as a player. He was always working to get better.

What Magic Johnson did as a basketball player each Christian should do as a servant of Christ. Christian, when you get your church attendance where it needs to be, start working on your prayer life. When you get that in order, go to work on your Bible study. Once you get a good handle on that, hone in on specific acts of Christian service. Once those have become part of your routine, start working on your evangelism. Etc. Etc. Etc. You get the idea.

While it’s true that God wants to start with you right where you are, it’s equally true that He doesn’t want to leave you there. At the close of our text verse, Paul doesn’t talk about “how you ought to stand and to please God,” Instead, he talks about “how you ought to walk and to please God.” And there is a big difference between standing and walking, isn’t there? Walking implies movement and progression and goes right along with “abounding more and more.”

So, Christian, take a look at where you are in your service to Christ right now and dedicate yourself to abounding more and more for Him. I don’t know where God’s road of individualized service will ultimately lead you, but I do know that it will get you busier for Him than you’ve ever been. You don’t have to try to become the apostle Paul in a week, but you do need to get busy at the next level of service on your own ladder. Putting it another way, you need to stop standing and start walking. That, after all, is how the abounding begins.

Posted in Aging, Church Attendance, Discipleship, Doing Good, Evangelism, Giving, God's Work, Ministry, Personal, Prayer, Preaching, Service, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Costly Salvation

Posted on May 6, 2009 by russellmckinney

The great preacher G. Campbell Morgan was once approached by a miner who said, “I would give anything to believe that God will forgive sins, but I cannot believe He will forgive me if I just turn to Him. It is too cheap.” Morgan replied, “You were working in the mine today. How did you get out of the pit?” The miner answered, “I got into the cage and was pulled to the top.” Morgan asked, “And how much did you pay to come out of the pit?” “I didn’t pay anything,” said the miner. “Well,” said Morgan, “weren’t you afraid to trust yourself to that cage? Wasn’t it too cheap?” “Oh no,” said the miner, “it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money.” That gave Morgan the perfect lead-in to explain that the salvation the miner called “cheap” cost Jesus His life and that Jesus is the cage God uses to pull men out of the pit. We don’t have to reconstruct that cage or pay for it. All we have to do is climb aboard it and let it pull us up from the pit.

Consider the following passages (all from the N.K.J.V.):

Mark 14:64-65: And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. That’s not cheap.

Matthew 27:26: And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. (A scourge was a whip in which the thongs were weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal to rip away more of the victim’s flesh.) That’s not cheap.

Isaiah 50:6: I gave My back to those who struck Me, and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard. I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. That’s not cheap.

Isaiah 52:14: His visage was marred more than any man. That’s not cheap.

Matthew 27:28-31: And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. That’s not cheap.

Luke 23:35-36: And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” Then the soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” That’s not cheap.

John 19:32-34: Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. That’s not cheap.

Isaiah 53:5: But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed. That’s not cheap.

Many of us have seen the Mel Gibson movie The Passion of the Christ. Admittedly, the film is not without its drawbacks, most of which stem from Gibson’s Catholicism. For one thing, the virgin Mary is played up too much. For another, certain scenes are based upon the so-called “visions” of a nineteenth-century nun rather than the Biblical text. Still, though, despite these flaws, the movie has spiritual value in that it graphically depicts Christ’s death in a way that other films don’t. If anything, Gibson might have even gone a bit too far with the brutality of Christ’s scourging. At least, however, the film doesn’t try to clean up the very messy and very bloody process of a Roman scourging and crucifixion.

The bottom line is this: If we think salvation is cheap, it’s only because we don’t properly understand what it cost Jesus. Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.” Let’s not miss the imagery of that word “slaughter.” A “slaughter” is not a pretty scene. It isn’t for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. Being whipped with a scourge produces real blood flowing from real stripes. Having a crown of thorns placed upon your head produces real blood flowing from real cuts. Having nails driven through your hands and feet produces real blood flowing from real puncture wounds. Being pierced with a spear produces real blood oozing from a real gash.

Why did they offer Jesus that sour wine as He hung on the cross? They did it because the wine was a narcotic that was used to deaden excruciating pain. Why did Jesus say to doubting Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side” (John 20:27)? He did it because those marks on His body were conclusive evidence of a terrible death.

And why did Jesus voluntarily submit to such a death? He did it to pay the sin debt of the entire human race (1 John 2:2). Now He asks each person to believe in Him as Savior so His death can stand good for that person’s sins and provide forgiveness for them (John 3:16). So, tell me, have you done that? If you haven’t, just know that you are ignoring a salvation that was very, very costly.

Posted in Christ's Death, Crucifixion, Good Friday, Salvation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Boll Weevil Experience

Posted on May 5, 2009 by russellmckinney

In his book It Is Toward Evening, Vance Havner tells the story of a group of cotton farmers in the deep South. Year after year these men grew cotton, put their profits back into it, and set all of their fields in it. Then tragedy struck in the form of the devastating boll weevil. All of the cotton was destroyed and it looked as if the farmers were headed for the poorhouse.

Being farmers, though, the men persevered. In the wake of their disaster with cotton, they shifted gears and planted peanuts. Amazingly, they ended up making more money with peanuts than they ever had with cotton. When the farmers realized that what had seemed to be a disaster had actually turned out to be a boon, they erected a large monument to the very thing they thought had ruined them: the boll weevil.

Havner concludes the story by saying:

Sometimes we settle into a humdrum routine as monotonous as growing cotton year after year. Then God sends the boll weevil; He jolts us out of our groove, and we must find new ways to live. Financial reverses, great bereavement, physical infirmity, loss of position – how many have been driven by trouble to be better husbandman and to bring forth finer fruit from their souls! The best thing that ever happened to some of us was the coming of our boll weevil.

When God either causes or allows you to go through a boll weevil experience, you might think it is the ruin of you. You might say, “I will never get over this. This is more than I can overcome. These wounds are too deep to ever heal.” But that is a wrong assessment of your situation. If you will turn things over to God and allow Him to help you, you won’t just get past the experience; you will come out the other end of it a better person who will, as Vance Havner said, “bring forth finer fruit.”

The book of Genesis gives us the record of Joseph’s boll weevil experience. He was sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:12-36) and taken from his homeland of Canaan and transported south to Egypt where he became the servant of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard (Genesis 39:1-6). There, he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:7-18) and thrown into Pharaoh’s prison where he remained for two years (Genesis 39:20-41:1). Talk about devastating times!

But God took that whole experience and used it to bring incredible fruit from Joseph. After interpreting two dreams for Pharaoh, Joseph was made second in command of all Egypt (Genesis 41:1-46), and because of Joseph’s foresight and administrative skill, Egypt prospered through a seven-year famine (Genesis 41:48-57). Ultimately, his position in Egypt allowed him to reunite with his family and bring them from famine-ravaged Canaan to Egypt, where they thrived (Genesis 42:1-47:27).

I can just hear Joseph saying when his brothers sold him into slavery, “Lord, don’t let this happen to me.” I can just hear him asking when Potiphar’s wife told her lie, “Lord, are you going to let her get away with this?” I can just hear him praying as he languished in Pharaoh’s prison for those two years, “Lord, it seems as if my life is over.” But then I can also hear him, as an old man, looking back over his life and admitting, “When I was going through that experience, I thought it was the end of me. But now I see that God used it to make me better than I was.”

Perhaps you are in a boll weevil experience right now. Something has happened that has absolutely devastated you. If that’s the case, don’t give up hope. Times may seem hard now, but God isn’t finished working the process. He’s been clearing the fields of your old crop of service so that He can make room for your new and more fruitful crop. So, don’t begrudge whatever it takes for Him to do away with your cotton because that cotton has to go to make room for your peanuts.

Is a boll weevil experience pleasant? Certainly not. Is it something you want to volunteer for? Not if you have any sense. But is it something that God can use to make you a better servant? Most definitely. He won’t expect you to follow those farmers’ example and erect a monument to your experience, but He will expect you to see the value in the experience. And there will be value in it. As a matter of fact, you will never produce a certain quality and quantity of fruit in your life until your boll weevil wipes you out and you are forced to rethink the way you live and serve.

Posted in Adversity, God's Work, Perseverance, Problems | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Billy Graham

Posted on May 1, 2009 by russellmckinney

The Billy Graham Training Center At the Cove is located in Asheville, North Carolina. That’s about an hour from my home. Yesterday, the Center put on a free breakfast for the pastors of this area. So, I fired up the Dodge Caravan, met three of my fellow pastors from the county, and off we went.

The breakfast buffet was an impressive spread. As we ate, a few speakers took turns standing at a podium and telling us some nice things about The Cove. The last speaker was Will Graham (Franklin’s son, Billy’s grandson), who also gave us a personal report on how Billy is doing these days.

For most people, that was the end of the breakfast. But my friends and I had an “inside man.” Even though this fellow works at The Cove, he lives in our county and attends the church where two of my friends serve on staff. After the breakfast, he took us on an extensive tour of the whole facility. He drove us around Camp Cedar Cliff, the youth camp that is located at The Cove. He walked us through the Visitor’s Center and the Chapel. He took us into one of the rooms of The Cove’s two inns. He even let us go inside a couple of the cabins where the famous speakers who come to teach at The Cove stay while they are there. Billy’s daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, had recently spent about a month in one of the cabins we toured.

Trust me when I say that The Cove is quite a place. Wherever we went I couldn’t help but marvel at the simple beauty of the design and construction. Millions of dollars have been spent, but the place is far from ostentatious. It strikes that difficult balance between the time-honored and the contemporary. I don’t impress all that easily, and I was impressed.

We all know about the praise and laud Billy Graham has long received. But do you know about the criticisms he has also long received? There are three of them. As I say a few things about each, I want you to do me a favor: Take an unbiased look at each case and see what you think. When I get to the end of this post, I’ll sum up what I think.

The first criticism involves the close relationships that Billy Graham has enjoyed with many of our Presidents. In particular, he and Richard Nixon were very dear friends. The critics say that Graham always went too soft on the Presidents. They say, “Here was a man who had the ear of the most powerful men on earth, but what did he do with it other than keep himself in the celebrity spotlight?” The contention is that Graham was more concerned about remaining in good standing with the Presidents than truly playing the role of sin-renouncing, fear-of-God-evoking prophet. The critics feel that he should be have been more like Nathan — who boldly looked at King David and said, “You are the man” — or Daniel — who defied Darius’ decree and openly prayed to God.

The second criticism stems from Billy Graham’s breaking down of denominational lines. It was back in the ’50s when he started letting ministers other than Baptists sit on stage with him. Over the years, he continued down this path of religious inclusiveness. Bringing a Graham crusade to an area meant all of the local churches working together. Baptists got on the same team with Lutherans. Methodists came alongside Episcopalians. Presbyterians joined up with Catholics. When an individual responded to a Graham invitation, the person was asked to give a denominational preference. His or her name was then handed over to a local church from that denomination. Critics have always contended that Graham’s practices violated Bible passages concerning separation over doctrinal error, passages such as: Matthew 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:3; Titus 2:1; Hebrews 13:9; Ephesians 4:14; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Timothy 4:1; Romans 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 John 9-11; and 2 Corinthians 6:14-15.

The third criticism has to do with Ruth Graham, Billy’s wife. She was left at home to raise the children while Billy traveled around the world holding his crusades. Billy himself has even admitted that this criticism holds some merit. He loved Ruth and his family immensely and couldn’t help but feel some remorse that his schedule took him from them so much. Of course, it should be noted that Ruth never complained about Billy’s constant traveling. Marrying him had ended her hopes of becoming a missionary. Consequently, she believed that by raising the children while he was off preaching the gospel, she was doing her part to see people won to Christ.

So, what is my opinion of Billy Graham? I think he is like most of us in that he is not as wonderful as some perceive him but not as bad as others perceive him. The truth is somewhere in the middle. I do know there will never be another like him. At The Cove, I saw pictures of him with celebrities such as Bob Hope and Johnny Cash. I saw a picture of him sitting on his front porch with Muhammad Ali. I saw other pictures of vast crowds gathered in stadiums to hear him present the gospel. I saw sermon outlines that had been given to him, handwritten outlines from Charles Spurgeon and D.L. Moody. I saw a priceless pocket watch that had been given to him by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. I saw old posters from the legendary Los Angeles crusade that made him a household name. For reasons that are still debated, news mogul William Randolph Hurst, who never met Graham, ordered all his newspapers to play up that crusade and make it headline news. I saw a Dallas Cowboys jersey that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had given to him. It had the name “Graham” on the back.

What do you make of such a preacher? It’s kind of hard to say. I can understand the points of both the praising and the criticizing. What I’m going to do is let God sort it all out. And, from what I know about Billy, he would be just fine with that answer.

Posted in Personal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Once Saved Always Saved

Posted on April 30, 2009 by russellmckinney

There are a few Bible passages that, upon first glance, seem to indicate that a Christian can lose his salvation. For example, Hebrews 6:4-6 speaks of the possibility that those who were “once enlightened” and have “tasted the heavenly gift” and “become partakers of the Holy Spirit” might “fall away.” Likewise, Revelation 22:19 provides an ominous warning about God taking away a person’s part from the Book of Life. Similarly, in John 15:1-2 Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away.” If you are looking for Bible texts to support your idea that salvation can be lost, these three would surely be on your list.

Still, the best commentary on the Bible is always the Bible and no single passage can ever be allowed to stand alone as an island unto itself. Instead, each passage must be understood in the light of the Bible’s totality. This means that any passage that appears to go against the main current of scripture must be interpreted in a way that fits into that current. We must not take a handful of passages and use them as the lens through which we view the bulk of scripture. To the contrary, we must begin with the obvious teaching of the bulk of scripture and interpret the handful of passages through that teaching.

And what does the bulk of scripture teach about losing one’s salvation? It teaches that the Christian is eternally secure. Said another way, it teaches “once saved always saved.”

Now, I wouldn’t be much of a Bible teacher if I just added a hearty, “Amen” to that last sentence and closed out this post. So, what I’m going to do is list 20 Bible evidences for the eternal security of the believer. Along with each reason, I’ll cite at least one appropriate passage (all from the N.K.J.V.). An entire sermon could be preached from any one of these 20, but I’ll be brief with my comments and keep things moving along at a nice pace.

#1. Once you become a Christian, no one can snatch you out of God’s hand. In John 10:27-30, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” No one is able to snatch the Christian out of God’s hand. This promise might possibly even be extended to include the Christian himself.

#2. As a Christian, you aren’t just in Christ’s hand; you are actually in Him. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Christian is “in” Christ. Did you know that 1 Peter 3:20 depicts Noah’s ark as a symbol (type) of salvation? Well, Noah and his family were “in” the ark, weren’t they? They could fall down inside the ark but they couldn’t fall out of it. Applying this symbolism (typology) to salvation, the Christian can fall down inside Christ but not out of Christ. You see, salvation is not found in a place called heaven. If we think about it, Satan and the other rebellious angels actually fell from there. No, salvation is found in a person: the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Since the Christian is “in” Him, the only way the Christian could ever lose his salvation is if Christ lost His relationship with God the Father. That, of course, can never happen. Remember that Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).

#3. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the Christian’s down payment on salvation, and God always pays His bills in full. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says that Jesus has given Christians “the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” The classic King James translation uses the old word “earnest” instead of “guarantee.” People used to call down payment money “earnest money.” Therefore, the teaching is easy to understand: God the Holy Spirit’s presence within the Christian serves as God’s down payment on the Christian’s salvation. The Spirit is the earnest money that God has put down on the full payment. And since God never goes bad on a bill, the Christian must one day get to enjoy the full benefits of salvation. If the Holy Spirit ever vacated a Christian’s body, God would lose His down payment with that Christian and go bad on a bill to which He had committed.    

#4: Jesus promised that the Christian will never “perish.” In John 10:28, Jesus says of His people, “and they shall never perish.” In His teachings, Jesus used the idea of “perishing” to describe a soul ending up in Hell (John 3:16; Matthew 5:29-30). Here, though, He promises that not one of His people would “perish” in this way. This promise would be proven to be a lie if even one Christian somehow lost his salvation and wound up in Hell.

#5. For “eternal life” to be true to its name, it cannot be probationary. In John 3:16; 10:28; and Mark 10:30, Jesus calls salvation “eternal life.” He couldn’t have used that word “eternal” if this life could potentially be lost along the way. He would have had to call it “temporary life” or “probationary life.”

#6. The Christian will never again be charged with any sin on his eternal account with God. Romans 4:1-5 explains that God accounts the Christian’s faith in Christ for righteousness. While this is wonderful in and of itself, Romans 4:6-8 goes on to explain that God will never again “impute” any sin to the Christian. The word “impute” means “to charge to an account.” So, when we put the two thoughts together, we see that God has charged righteousness to the Christian’s eternal account and He will no longer charge any sin to that account. This is an unbeatable combination that ensures that God will see the Christian as “righteous” for all eternity.

#7. Nothing or nobody can separate the Christian from the love of God in Christ. Romans 8:35-39 applies exclusively to Christians. For one thing, the passage is written to those who know “the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” For another, throughout the passage the apostle Paul uses the words “we” and “us” in reference to the Christians of Rome. The point of the passage is that it is impossible for the Christian to ever be separated from the love of God in Christ. Paul goes so far as to say that even “principalities” and “powers” can’t accomplish this separation. This is significant because the Bible uses these words in reference to fallen angels. Since Satan Himself is a fallen angel, even he can’t steal a Christian’s salvation.

#8. The Christian is God’s child, and God will never disown His child. John 1:12 says that Jesus gave those who received Him as Savior the right to become children of God. The Christian becomes God’s child in two ways. First, he becomes God’s child by way of a birth as he is “born again” (John 3:1-16). Second, he becomes God’s child by way of an adoption as he is formally adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:14-17). I am the father of two boys and I will always be their father, no matter how badly they behave. The same is true of God and His children.

#9. The indwelling Holy Spirit seals the Christian until the day of redemption. 2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 1:13 tell us the indwelling Holy Spirit seals the Christian. But Ephesians 4:30 takes the matter a step further in saying that this sealing is “for the day of redemption.” The Christian isn’t sealed “for the day of backsliding” or “the day of falling away.” No, he is sealed for the day of redemption, which means that he is sealed for the day he sees Christ face to face.

10. The Christian is predestined to go to heaven. The proof texts for this are Romans 8:30 and Ephesians 1:11. You simply cannot be more sure of going to heaven than to be predestined by God to go there. The Bible never uses the idea of predestination in relation to lost people and hell. It only applies predestination to the Christian.

11. The Christian is kept by the power of God. Show me a person who believes that salvation can be lost, and I’ll show you a person who thinks that an individual must keep his salvation by his own power. This misses the Bible’s teaching completely. 1 Peter 1:5 says the Christian is kept “by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” The words “through faith for salvation” speak of the faith in Christ that is the requirement for salvation. But the power for keeping the Christian in that salvation comes from God, not the Christian.

12. Salvation is a good work of God, and God always finishes what He starts. In Philippians 1:6, Paul says to the Christians of Philippi, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” If a person got saved, and then lost that salvation, that would amount to God failing to finish a job He started. That kind of thing doesn’t happen with God.

13. The Christian has a reserved inheritance in heaven that does not fade away. The passage on this is 1 Peter 1:3-4. This inheritance is described as “incorruptible” and “undefiled.” That fact that it does not fade away means that nothing the Christian does or doesn’t do can cause him to miss out on this heavenly inheritance.

14. God will present the Christian as faultless before Himself. According to Jude verse 24, the Christian does not have to keep himself from stumbling or worry about how he will look when he stands before God. It is God Himself who will present the Christian as faultless.

15. The Christian has passed from spiritual death to life. In John 5:24, Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life.” You see, the Bible teaches that each person is born “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1; Psalm 51:5), but when an individual believes in (places faith in) Jesus as Savior, that person gains eternal life. This is what Jesus meant by “has passed from death into life.” Furthermore, there are no Bible passages that speak of passing from death into life and then back into death.

16. Jesus will confirm the Christian to the end. 1 Corinthians 1:8 is the proof text on this. It doesn’t say that Jesus will confirm the Christian to the time when the Christian sins too much. To the contrary, it says that He will confirm the Christian to the end. That is eternal security.

17. Jesus makes intercession with God the Father for the Christian. In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus says to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail.” Notice the link between Christ’s praying and Peter’s faith not failing. This same idea can be applied to all Christians because of Hebrews 7:22-28, verse 25 of which says of Jesus: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

18. The Christian commits his salvation to Jesus, and Jesus will keep it until the day of its full consummation. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul says to Timothy, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Here again the idea is that the Christian isn’t responsible for keeping his own salvation. That is Christ’s job. Since Christ is all-powerful, He is more than capable of doing the job.

19. The Christian has been made accepted in Jesus. In Ephesians 1:6, Paul says that Christians have been made “accepted in the Beloved.” “Beloved” is a title for Jesus. The point is that God the Father doesn’t accept Christians because of their good works. He accepts them because He accepts Jesus and they are “in” Jesus. As long as He accepts Jesus, He must accept those in Jesus.

20. Lot is a wonderful example of eternal security. Lot was Abraham’s nephew and his story is told in Genesis chapters 12-19. It is the story of a saved believer who committed gross sins such as drunkenness and incest (Genesis 19:30-38). Nevertheless, despite Lot’s despicable conduct, 2 Peter 2:7-8 calls him “righteous.” This gets back to the truth that God does not impute sin to the believer’s account (Romans 4:5-8). What was true for Old Testament believers such as Lot, Abraham, Samson, and David is also true for New Testament believers (Christians).

So, there you have it, a list of 20 Bible evidences for the eternal security of the Christian. As a child of God, the disobedient Christian can experience God’s whippings (Hebrews 12:5-11). In worst-case scenarios, he can even be put to an early death by God (1 John 5:16-17; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30). But he can never lose his salvation. Since salvation cannot be produced by good works (Ephesians 2:8-9) it cannot be lost by bad works.

Of course, having a proper understanding of eternal security should lead the Christian to do a better (not worse) job of serving the Lord. If you know your eternal destiny is fixed and secure, you can take the time you would spend worrying about that destiny and use it to serve the Lord all the more. Basically, eternal security should make the Christian very appreciative of what God has done, is doing, and will do for him, and out of that appreciation should flow better service to God. That’s how the transition is made from being saved to acting saved.

Posted in Assurance of Salvation, Doctrine, Eternal Security, Grace, Heaven, Salvation, Scripture, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

My Father Runs the Trains

Posted on April 28, 2009 by russellmckinney

Railroad tracks snake their way through the heart of the town in which I live. I’m not talking about old, decrepit tracks that haven’t seen any action in years. These tracks are alive and vibrant with the sounds of the trains that roll atop them at various hours of the day and night. A while back there was even a rant of complaint in our local paper about all the train whistles that blow around here.

The trains call to mind a story from the life of J. Hudson Taylor, that legend among Christian missionaries. Taylor spent fifty-one years in China and founded the famous China Inland Mission which was responsible for bringing over 800 missionaries into that country. Those missionaries began 125 schools and saw the Christian conversions of over 18,000 Chinese.

Like most missionaries, Taylor was well versed in trusting God to meet his needs. On one occasion, he was in America speaking in St. Louis at the church of Dr. James H. Brookes. The next speaking engagement on Taylor’s schedule was the Sunday service at a church in southern Illinois, and Dr. Brookes was responsible for getting him to the train station Saturday morning to catch the train to that engagement. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned and Taylor ended up missing his train by just a few minutes.

Dr. Brookes felt awful about letting down his esteemed guest and the two men immediately started asking about other trains that would get Taylor to the church in time. To their disappointment, they were informed that the next train to make that run would depart too late to be of any help. “There is one train that is supposed to connect up with another train to make the run you need,” said the stationmaster, “and it is about to depart right over there. But it never connects up with that other train according to schedule, and so it wouldn’t be any use to you, either.”

With that, Dr. Brookes set off to do some more asking about trains and schedules. He returned without having any luck and was surprised to find Taylor standing on the rear platform of the train that never made the desired connection. He said, “Mr. Taylor, the stationmaster told us that train won’t make the connection.” Taylor just gave him a little smile and said, “Goodbye, Doctor. My Father runs the trains.” When Dr. Brookes protested and tried to talk reason to Taylor, he only received the same reply: “Goodbye, Doctor. My Father runs the trains.”

Upon boarding the inconsistent train, Taylor went to the conductor and explained the importance of making the connection with the other train. The conductor said, “I hope we will time it right with that other train, but we almost never do.” Taylor then thanked the man and set himself to the task of praying about the matter.

And was the connection made? Yes. As Taylor’s train was pulling into the station, he saw the other train sitting there as if it was waiting for him. The conductor, with genuine surprise said, “Well, there it is. But I didn’t expect it.” Taylor then got off his train, made his way across the platform, boarded the other train, and easily made it to the church for his speaking engagement.

Jesus said to His followers, “…do not worry about your life…” (Matthew 6:25, N.K.J.V.). Then He backed up that command by using the birds of the air and the lilies of the field as illustrations (Matthew 6:26-30). If God sees to the care of birds and flowers, how much more will He see to the needs of His children?

In another setting, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31, N.K.J.V.).

So, in light of these passages, I’ve got three questions for you:

Question #1: Are you a Christian?

Question #2: Are you worried about something?

Question #3: Do you see how a “yes” answer to the first question should rule out a “yes” answer to the second?

Christian, you need to learn the lesson J. Hudson Taylor knew so well: You are a child of God (John 1:9-13), and your heavenly Father runs the trains. Your life isn’t careening unguided down the tracks. The Lord knows where you’ve been, where you are now, and where He wants to take you. Therefore, what you must do is explicitly trust Him to meet your every need and get you to where He wants you to go. When you learn to live like that, you’ll be able to rest in the knowledge that He will ensure that you make every single one of your required connections.

Posted in Adversity, Desires, Disappointment, Encouragement, God's Omnipotence, God's Timing, God's Omniscience, God's Provision, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Needs, Problems, Trials, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Get to Work

Posted on April 24, 2009 by russellmckinney

Throughout the Bible, we find verses that can be broken down into two parts: your part and God’s part. Here are a few examples, all from the New King James Version, with me adding in the designations “your part” and “God’s part.”

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the Lord, (your part) and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (God’s part)

Proverbs 3:6: In all your ways acknowledge Him, (your part) and He shall direct your paths. (God’s part)

Matthew 6:4: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; (your part) and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (God’s part)

Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, (your part) and all these things shall be added to you.” (God’s part)

Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, (your part) and I will give you rest.” (God’s part)

Mark 1:17: “Follow Me, (your part) and I will make you become fishers of men.” (God’s part)

Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, (your part) I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (God’s part)

In regards to each of these verses, God won’t do your part and you can’t do His part. You see, this isn’t God imposing His will on you any more than it is you imposing your will upon Him. Instead, it is a pair working in tandem.

One of those verses I cited was Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Now let me tell you what Jesus says in the verse that follows. He says: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29, N.K.J.V.)”

For years, I missed the meaning of that verse simply because I didn’t know what a yoke was. Now I know that a “yoke” is a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (such as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for the purpose of working together. To picture a yoke in your mind, envision a wooden board laid across the necks of two animals standing side by side. The board has a slight arc in each place where an animal’s neck rests, and underneath each side of the board hangs a u-shaped harnessing device that buckles the board under each animal’s neck.

This makes for an incredibly graphic illustration. While it would be blasphemous for me to describe Jesus as an ox and for me to place myself right alongside Him in anything, it’s a different story when He is the one painting the word picture. Jesus is saying to me, “I have taken My place here on one side of the yoke. The board is resting upon My shoulders, and the harness is tightened underneath My neck. I’m ready to work. Now I want you to take your place alongside Me in the yoke. Let the other side of the board rest upon your shoulders and let the other harnessing device hang tight under your neck.”

Furthermore, in Christ’s illustration, God the Father is the farmer who owns the yoke and is ready to work the team of animals. Remember that Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me” (John 9:4, N.K.J.V.). Isn’t it amazing that Jesus wants me to work with Him to get God the Father’s work done? Despite the fact that Jesus is omnipotent and could do the work by Himself, He asks me to work with Him!

Do you know what that means? For Jesus to want to work alongside me day after day, night after night, He must enjoy my company. He must like having a relationship with me and spending time with me. Make no mistake, it’s an honor for Jesus to ask a person to work beside Him. It means He has saved a place for that person inside the yoke. There He is, shoulders stooped, with the yoke resting upon Him. Then He turns His head from inside the harness, looks at the person, gives a little grin, and says, “Get in here, we’ve got work to do.”

You say, “But I’m not sure I like the sounds of that. I’m afraid the work Jesus has in mind for me will wear me out.” Don’t worry, this work won’t lay you to waste. Notice that Jesus ends His invitation by saying, “…and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30, N.K.J.V.).”

What we are dealing with here is a paradox. A yoke shouldn’t be easy, and the burden of being in it shouldn’t be light. Keep in mind, though, that we are talking about Jesus, and He can make the impossible possible. Just as He Himself never tires of doing God the Father’s work, you won’t tire of doing it either when you work with Him. To the contrary, you will find yourself rested.

Oh, and here’s another thing: You don’t have to be super qualified before you can get in the yoke with Jesus because He will teach you how to do the work. I’ve heard that farmers will put an inexperienced animal in a yoke with an experienced one so the experienced animal can teach the inexperienced one how to do the work. By mimicking what the experienced animal does inside the yoke, the inexperienced animal learns. This is what Jesus means when He says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.” He’s saying, “You don’t know how to do God the Father’s work, but I do. All you have to do is join Me in the yoke, follow My lead, and do as I do. In that way, you will learn.”

Tell me, how much of God the Father’s work are you getting done these days? If it isn’t much, you obviously aren’t living the life Jesus wants you to live. Even if you are getting some of the work done, but it is burning you out, something is wrong there, too.

The answer to both problems is simple: Get in yoke with Jesus. That will result in you not only getting God the Father’s work done but also in you enjoying rest for your soul. So, what are you waiting for? Take your place alongside Jesus in God the Father’s yoke and get to work.

Posted in Brokenness, Commitment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Work, Ministry, Service, Submission, Work | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Does the Bible Teach about Homosexuality?

Posted on April 22, 2009 by russellmckinney

The issue of homosexuality has once again been front and center in recent days. First, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a state ban on gay marriage violates the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians. Second, celebrity blogger and outspoken homosexual Perez Hilton created quite a stir during his stint as a judge at the Miss USA 2009 pageant in Las Vegas. During the Q&A portion of the contest, Carrie Prejean (Miss California) had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of Perez’s question. The question was, “Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?” Man, talk about a loaded question! That’s a far cry from, “Should you win the title of Miss USA, how would you use your crown to promote world peace?”

For the record, I hate beauty pageants. All of the charitable causes and college scholarships in the world can’t change the fact that they are a shameless celebration of outer beauty in addition to being an enticement to lust. I watched them when I was a hormone-driven teenager, and I promise you that I didn’t care one iota about the talent competitions, the Q&A segments, or the evening gowns. I just wanted to see beautiful women in bathing suits. I’m not proud of this. I’m just telling you how it was. Not surprisingly, when I gave my life fully to Christ, I stopped watching beauty pageants. To me, they are barely a notch above “soft porn.”

Still, I couldn’t help but empathize with Carrie Prejean when I heard what had happened to her. Many people are now saying she lost the pageant when she answered Perez’s question by stating that she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. Frankly, I don’t know whether or not that answer cost her the pageant. What I do know is that it is absolutely INFURIATING that Perez got away with asking the question. Someone should have drug out one of those extra-long staffs, the kind with the big crook at the end, and yanked him backstage. Of course, I can’t feel any sorrow for the Miss USA pageant. Keep in mind that they did select Perez to be a judge. When you ask a pseudo-celebrity who thrives on controversy to be part of your show, you get what you have coming to you.

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m not a social activist or a politically correct person. I’m a Bible-teaching pastor. As such, it’s my job to make people aware of what the Book teaches about homosexuality. And what it teaches is that homosexuality is rank sexual sin. It isn’t the only sexual sin. No, premarital sex, adultery, incest, and bestiality are on that list, too. But, please, let’s declare an injunction on trying to make the Bible and homosexuality compatible. If the Bible doesn’t condemn homosexuality as sin, it doesn’t condemn anything as sin!

If you are interested (and many aren’t), the scriptural case against homosexuality is as follows (all references from the N.K.J.V.):

1. Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 19:4-6: God’s plan for the sexual relationship is obviously man-woman.

2. Genesis 19:1-29; Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2:4-6; Jude v.7: Homosexuality was rampant in the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and God destroyed those cities for their wickedness. The Ezekiel passage uses the word “abomination” in reference to homosexuality, while the Jude verse describes the sin as giving one’s self over to sexual immorality and going after “strange flesh.”

3. Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17: Under the body of law God gave the Israelites to live by, homosexuality was a crime. More than that, it was a capital punishment offense (Leviticus 18:29, “cut off” means “put to death”). Again, the word “abomination” is used in the Leviticus verses in reference to the sin. Furthermore, the context of the Leviticus 18:22 verse groups homosexuality with incest (Leviticus 18:6-18) and bestiality (Leviticus 18:23).

4. Judges 19:11-30: This passage gives an account from the days when various Judges ruled over different parts of Israel. It labels a group of homosexuals as “perverted men.”

5. 1 Kings 14:21-24; 15:9-15; 22:41-46; 2 Kings 22:1-2; 23:7: The homosexuals (“perverted persons”) who are mentioned in these passages were religious prostitutes who played major roles in the worship of false gods. There is a distinct pattern seen in the passages. During the reigns of good kings, these sodomites were banished from the land. During the reigns of wicked kings, they were allowed to remain in the land.

6. Romans 1:18-32: These verses trace the origins of homosexuality and lesbianism back to mankind’s rejecting of God and embracing of idol worship. Homosexuals and lesbians are labeled as people who have: a knowledge of God (v.18-21), no excuse (v.20), a lack of glorifying God (v.21), a lack of thankfulness (v.21), futile thoughts (v.21), foolish, darkened hearts (v.21-22), a profession of wisdom (v.22), a foolishness about them (v.22), a bent towards idolatry (v.23), unclean, lustful hearts (v.24), dishonored bodies (v.24), an abandonment of the truth (v.25), a worship of self (v.25), vile passions (v.26), a desire to pervert nature (v.26-27), shameful conduct (v.27), a forgetfulness of God (v.28), debased minds (v.28), a love of doing those things which aren’t fitting (v.28), a nature geared towards being ungodly in many other ways (v.29-31), a knowledge of the judgment of God (v.32), a worthiness of death (v.32), and an approval of others who commit the same sins (v.32). Actually, the argument that homosexuality is “natural” is correct in one sense. The sin is just as natural to sin-fallen mankind as rebelling against God and worshipping false gods.

7. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: The category “homosexuals” (N.K.J.V.) or “effeminate” (K.J.V.) refers to homosexuals as does the category “sodomites” (N.K.J.V.) or “abusers of themselves with mankind” (K.J.V.). It is noteworthy that this passage teaches that the homosexual doesn’t have to continue in the sin. Verse 11 says “And such were some of you.” The homosexuals say, “God made us this way” and contend this allows them to equate their movement to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But the crippling flaw in this line of thought is: Whereas there are some former homosexuals, there are no former African-Americans. By the way, this passage also teaches that homosexuality has no more place in the life of the Christian than fornication (all other forms of sexual sin), idolatry, adultery (the specific sexual sin of cheating on a spouse), theft, covetousness, drunkenness, reviling, or extortion. But we don’t see any big push to embrace these sins as being acceptable, do we?

8. 1 Timothy 1:8-10: The category “sodomites” (N.K.J.V.) or “them that defile themselves with mankind” (K.J.V.) refers to homosexuals. These verses place the homosexual on the same level as: the lawless, the insubordinate, the ungodly, the sinful, the unholy, the profane, the murderer of a father or a mother, the manslayer, the fornicator, the kidnapper, the perjurer, and anyone else who is contrary to sound doctrine.

Okay, if you are still reading, and your mind is open to the truth, you should now be in agreement with me that the Bible condemns homosexuality as sin. It really is an open-and-shut case. There is, however, an argument that homosexuals use in their efforts to get out from under obvious Biblical teaching. They say, “If God condemns homosexuality so much, why didn’t Jesus specifically preach against it?” This question is easily answered in three ways.

Answer #1: Jesus didn’t specifically preach against rape, spousal abuse, child abuse, pedophilia, or genocide, either. It’s safe to say, though, that He was against such acts.

Answer #2: Jesus did say, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). In three passages (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17), the Old Testament law condemned homosexuality. As for the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah negatively called the sinful people of Israel “rulers of Sodom” and “people of Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:10), and Ezekiel spoke of the “abomination” and “lewdness” of Sodom (Ezekiel 16:44-59).

Answer #3: Jesus confirmed and reiterated the Adam and Eve standard of marriage between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-6). To say that He didn’t speak against homosexuality is the same as saying that a judge who consults the law to render all his decisions, but never specifically condemns the breaking of that law, must be in favor of lawlessness. The argument simply makes no sense.

Now let me mention another route the homosexuals take in their useless efforts to align their sin with the Bible: They quote Christ’s words, “Judge not that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). This is supposed to be some kind of trump card that muzzles Bible believers from speaking against homosexuality. Really, though, it is just another argument that doesn’t make honest sense.

I say this because it is obvious to anyone who studies the verses following Matthew 7:1 that Jesus isn’t forbidding all judging. (In Luke 12:57 and John 7:24, He even advocates righteous judging). What He is forbidding in Matthew 7:1 is hypocritical judging. He illustrates His point by saying, “If you have a plank (a large piece of wood) in your eye, you have no business criticizing someone else for having a speck (a small piece of wood) in his eye.” Then He says, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).

To apply this teaching to my own life, if I am a homosexual who unashamedly engages in homosexual sex every night, it is wrong for me to stand in my pulpit and preach against someone I know to be a closet homosexual. It is only when I have removed the plank from my own eye (repented of my prolific homosexuality) that I can help that closet homosexual remove the speck from his eye (repent of his lesser homosexuality). Please notice, though, that Jesus taught that the goal in each situation is the repentance of the sin, the removal of the plank or speck.

Someone says, “But Russell, why are you singling out homosexuals for a blog post? You’ve already admitted there are other sexual sins.” Well, as far as I know, those who engage in premarital sex, adultery, incest, or bestiality haven’t banded together to force people to accept their sinful lifestyles. When that happens, I’ll post blogs about their sins.

Oh, and let me say that I’ve used that word “force” legitimately. Homosexual activists such as Perez Hilton are arrogant, pushy people who are proud of their sin. They demand that we accept, in the name of tolerance, that which is ungodly and immoral. The irony is that they aren’t even tolerant themselves. If you think they are, try crossing one sometime!

But perhaps some Christian is asking, “Why do Bible believers have to fight this fight? Can’t we just agree to disagree? Can’t we all just get along?” Well, the answer is, we must fight this fight because we don’t want to be lumped in with those who “delight in the perversity of the wicked” (Proverbs 3:14). Instead, we want to learn from David’s experience. He used Psalm 39:1-3 to describe his attempt at remaining “mute with silence” even as the wicked were before him. He said, “I held my peace even from good, and my sorrow was stirred up.” It was only after his heart had grown so hot within him that he was compelled to speak out against the wicked.

In closing, please hear me when I say that God loves homosexuals. He loves them so much that Jesus (God the Son) died on a Roman cross as the potential payment for all their sins, including the sin of homosexuality. But God loves homosexuals too much to leave them in that state. That’s why He calls their sin what it is and demands that they repent of it. This isn’t the message they want to hear, of course, but it is the only one that accords with the Bible.

Posted in Homosexuality, Scripture, Sin, The Bible | 10 Comments

Preacher Cassity’s Desires

Posted on April 21, 2009 by russellmckinney

I was sorting through some old stuff and came across a sermon outline from Richard M. Cassity. His friends called him Dick, but our entire county knew him as “Preacher Cassity.” He befriended me when my days as a young pastor were just beginning and his as an elderly one were coming to a close.

To give you an idea how great a man of God Preacher Cassity was, allow me to list some facts that were included in a couple of little booklets that were produced about his life and ministry. Over the course of his ministry, he served as Supply or Interim Pastor in 30 churches, performed over 300 weddings, conducted over 1,400 funerals, and preached over 200 revivals. Most importantly, his ministry produced over 5,000 conversions to Jesus.

I was privileged to hear the last sermon Preacher Cassity preached for our local pastors’ conference. The date was February 3rd, 2003. The sermon was entitled “My Desire,” and the opening text was Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (K.J.V.).

After Preacher Cassity’s death, a fellow pastor gave me a copy of the simple, handwritten outline Preacher Cassity had with him at the podium the morning he preached that sermon. That’s the outline I still have, and I’d like to name for you the nine desires listed on it. After each desire, I’ll cite an appropriate passage (all references from the N.K.J.V.). Some of these were passages Preacher Cassity referenced in his sermon, but others are ones I’ve included myself. I’ll also add an application question after each desire to drive home the point of the desire.

#1: A Closer Union with God: Psalm 42:1: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to have a deeper fellowship with God?)

#2: A Deeper Compassion for the Lost: 1 Corinthians 9:22: “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to win others to Jesus?)

#3: A Spirit-Filled Life: Ephesians 5:18: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to filled with — controlled by — the indwelling Holy Spirit?)

#4: A Committed Life That My Prayers Be Answered: Psalm 37:5: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in him; and He shall bring it to pass.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to live a life committed to the Lord so He will be able to bless you by answering your prayers?)

#5: To Be Kept from Care: 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to reach a spiritual state wherein your life is free from worry because you so consistently cast all your care upon the Lord?)

#6: To Fulfill My Ministry: Acts 20:24: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to faithfully fulfill all the acts of ministry to which God calls you in service to Him?) 

#7: To Thank Him For “The Calling”: 2 Timothy 1:8-9: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to live the kind of life by which you show the Lord daily how thankful you are to Him for calling you to salvation?)

#8: To See All the “Family” Saved: Acts 16:31-32: “So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to see your entire family experience the salvation offered in Jesus?)

#9: Most of All to See Jesus: Philippians 1:21-23: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to depart from this life and go to be with Jesus?)

Well, after reading Preacher Cassity’s list, it isn’t hard to see why he was such a wonderful servant of God. Instead of desiring money, fame, power, or status, his desires were all wrapped up in Jesus. Tell me, Christian, can the same be said of your desires? If not, what better time could there be than right now to change your desires? And if you need a good list to get you headed in the right direction, I’d say the one you just read is a worthy one.

I miss my friend, Preacher Cassity. To me, he was a role model, a mentor, and an inspiration. I’ll see him again one day, though. I know exactly where he is: in heaven with Jesus. That was, after all, the one desire he prefaced with the words “Most of all.” As I read that last and greatest desire on his list, I couldn’t help but think, “That one is being fulfilled at this very moment.”

Posted in Desires, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Family, God's Will, God's Work, Heaven, Ministry, Personal, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Salvation, Sanctification, Service, Thankfulness, Trusting In God, Witnessing, Worry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment