Are You Still Digging Johnson Grass?

Posted on April 6, 2022 by russellmckinney

A young man hired himself out to a neighboring farmer for the summer, but the farmer turned out to be a strict boss who worked the boy very hard. Finally, the young man decided to claim his revenge. Late one night he took fifty pounds of Johnson’s grass, one of the most despised nuisances a farmer can face, and sowed it into the farmer’s fields.

A little while afterwards the young man happened to meet the farmer’s beautiful daughter. The young couple fell in love and, after a suitable courtship, got married. That made the young man family and destined him to work the farm for the rest of his life. Years later, someone asked him how his life on the farm had been. He answered, “Wonderful, but I’ve spent all these years digging up Johnson grass.”

Moses once warned the tribes of Reuben and Gad, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). That’s a warning that all of us should heed. God doesn’t miss a thing, and He seems to take great pleasure in looping our sin back around and nailing us with it.

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I fell out of church completely. Even worse, when some of my fellow church members said and did things that I didn’t think were very Christian, I criticized the church every chance I got. One day, when an elderly church member named Charlie said to me, “We’d sure like to have you back at church,” I looked at him and said, “I don’t want to go to church with a bunch of hypocrites.” Immediately after making that comment, I walked off and thought, “Boy, I sure told him.”

A few years later, when the Lord broke me, I rededicated my life to Christ and got back into church. Since Charlie was there every time the doors were open, I had to somehow deal with the Johnson grass I had planted. You might say that my sin had found me out. Finally, I went up to Charlie and apologized for what I had said. He just smiled and said, “Son, don’t worry about that. It’s alright.” That was very gracious, and it taught me a lesson about forgiveness.

In Luke 15:11-32, we find Christ’s famous story of the prodigal son. In that story, the son sins against his father by asking for his inheritance while the father is still very much alive. Since it’s bad when your father is worth more to you dead than alive, the boy was surely sowing his Johnson grass. That was grass he had to deal with after he blew his entire inheritance, hit rock bottom in a foreign land, and had to come crawling back home. So, what did the boy say to his father upon his return? “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.” There it is. That’s how you say, “I’m sorry for the way I treated you.” And what did the father do? He played the role of Charlie by instructing his servants to clothe the boy in the finest apparel and throw a great feast for him.

Take an honest look over your past and see if you have sinned against someone to such a degree that you need to apologize or ask for their forgiveness. Please understand that I’m not trying to get you to needlessly poke a stick at a calm hornet’s nest or reignite a dormant volcano. The fact is, some situations just need to be left alone. But if God presses His finger directly on some old scar, you need to deal with that.

It might mean making a phone call. It might mean sending an email. It might mean writing a letter. It might mean paying a visit. But whatever God burdens you to do, do it. After all, you’ve dug enough Johnson grass over the situation. Now it is time to remedy things as best you can.

And don’t be afraid to do the remedying. Believe it or not, the world is filled with Charlies who are just waiting to graciously forgive and release you of your guilt. But you are the one who has to take the initiative in the matter. Will that involve you laying your pride in the dust? Sure. Will it mean admitting you were in the wrong? Oh, yeah. But will you regret doing it? No way. The regret is in continuing to live with having to dig the Johnson grass.

Posted in Making Restitution, Obedience, Personal, Reconciliation, Restoration, Seeking Forgiveness, Sin, Sowing and Reaping | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Dry Land

Posted on April 4, 2022 by russellmckinney

When a drought hits a land, springs go dry, wells stop working, and creeks run low. There is, however, another kind of drought, one that is mentioned in Psalm 68:5-6. Those verses say:

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. (N.K.J.V.)

The teaching here is that God doesn’t bless the rebel. He acts as a father to the fatherless, serves as a defender of widows, sets the solitary in families, and brings out those who are bound into prosperity. But what does He do for the rebellious? He lets them dwell in a dry land.

While this thought is easily understood in terms of a literal interpretation, there is also a spiritual aspect to it. I say that because, spiritually speaking, the Bible equates water with the word of God. We see this in passages such as Psalm 119:9 and Ephesians 5:25-27. Therefore, Psalm 68:5-6 can also be rightly interpreted to say that the rebel’s land is dry because his life runs contrary to the word of God.

Even though the rebel might own a Bible, it’s possible to like hell with a Bible under your arm. After all, a person can memorize and quote various passages and yet still live a life that contradicts the book’s plainest teachings. As evangelist Gypsy Smith said, “What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”

And, oh, how our society glorifies the rebel! James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Johnny Depp became icons by playing that role. Similarly, Frank Sinatra’s signature song was, “I Did It My Way.” Pirates, gangsters, outlaws, and bad boys all have a certain “coolness” about them, don’t they? People look at them and want to be like them, either secretly or not so secretly.

When we come to God’s word, however, we find a different opinion of rebellion. It says:

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…(1 Samuel 15:23, N.K.J.V.)

Have you been dealing in magic, conjuring up spells, and chanting to strange spirits lately? Probably not. But have you been rebelling against God? If you have, you might as well have been practicing witchcraft. Have you been offering sacrifices to a graven image in your backyard? I doubt it. But have you been stubbornly refusing to do what God wants you to do? Then you might just as well have been fully embracing idolatry.

Isaiah 65:2 is another verse that goes a long way in describing the rebel. In it, God says:

I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts. (N.K.J.V.)

Obviously, God wants the rebel to rush into His arms so that He can hug him and pour out His blessings upon him. But that doesn’t happen. Why? It’s because the rebel wants nothing to do with submitting to God’s commands. To the rebel, no word carries the stigma the word “submission” carries. He’d rather die in his rebellion than live in submission. Even as his life dries up, he refuses to repent of his sins. The bottom line is, he’ll choose to dwell in a dry land where he can do as he pleases rather than dwell in a lush, fertile, well-watered land where he must submit to God.

And the lengths to which the rebel will go to explain away his sin are astounding. He’ll rationalize his conduct in an effort to make it look acceptable. He’ll compare his life to the lives of other sinners rather than to God’s standard of holiness. He’ll say, “I’m just doing what makes me happy.” Through it all, though, one word will ring out loud and clear over his life: rebellion.

Those of us who know something about a fireplace know what a backlog is. It’s a big log that you put at the back of the fire to keep the smaller logs from rolling off the back. One day a father asked his grown son to bring in a backlog. The son said, “No.” The father kindly but firmly said, “As long as you live in my house you will obey me. The choice is yours. You can obey me and live here or disobey me and leave.” The son flew mad, packed his bags, and left. But a few days later he came back home. The father met him and said, “Son, that backlog is still out there.” This time the son obeyed and was welcomed back into his father’s good graces.

I ask you: Do you have some backlog that you are in rebellion to God about? If you do, I plead with you to lay aside your rebellion, repent, and rush into God’s open arms. By refusing to repent you are surely headed for a dry land, if you aren’t already living in one. Remember, dry lands always come to rebels as God eventually reaches the limits of His patience. That doesn’t have to happen to you, though. All you have to do to keep your land watered is live in obedience to the word of God. Yes, that will cost you your rebellion, but that price will pale in comparison to the blessings that God sends your way.

Posted in Attitude, Backsliding, Bible Study, Change, Character, Choices, Confession, Decisions, Disobedience, Doing Good, Dying To Self, God's Chastening, God's Love, God's Wrath, God's Judgment, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Pride, Problems, Rebellion, Repentance, Reward, Scripture, Sin, Sowing and Reaping, Submission, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Building a Babel

Posted on April 2, 2022 by russellmckinney

Let’s say that you are toying around with doing a particular thing in your life. Maybe you are considering buying something (a house, a piece of land, a car, a boat, etc.) Maybe you are mulling over making an investment. Maybe you are thinking about marrying a certain person. Maybe you’ve been asked to accept a position, teach a class, or coach a ball team. Well, here’s the one thing to always keep in mind when you are making any decision: Seek God’s will in the decision and DO THAT!

In Genesis 11:1-9, we find the Bible’s record of how a group of people once got together and built the city of Babel, the centerpiece of which was the fabled Tower of Babel. The group’s leader was an impressive fellow named Nimrod, who was renowned for his skill as a hunter (Genesis 10:8-10). The site for the city was a plain in the land of Shinar (v.2). Today we know that land as Iraq.

But God had three major problems with the building of Babel.

Problem #1 was: Nimrod was a godless leader. The name “Nimrod” literally means “rebel” or “let us rebel.” With a name like that, you know what kind of leader you are getting. Ancient historical records tell us that Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis, founded a mystery cult religion that promoted the worship of her and her son, Tammuz. She was known as “the queen of heaven” and Tammuz was purported to be a Messianic figure. The legend associated with him told that he was conceived by a sunbeam. When he was older, he was allegedly killed by a wild boar and miraculously resurrected forty days later. Down through the centuries, the false “mother-child” religion spread around the world. It even worked its way into Israel (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-25; Ezekiel 8:14). And it all started in ancient Babel in the house of a rebel leader named Nimrod.

Problem #2 was: Babel itself was an attempt to disobey God’s decreed plan. When Noah and his family got off the ark, God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). To fill the earth, Noah and his descendants had to scatter themselves. In other words, in those days God did not intend for people to find a nice spot, build an empire, and remain in that specific location. But what did the builders of Babel say? They said, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. Let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth” (v.3-4).

Problem #3 was: Pride was the driving motivation behind the entire project. The people said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves” (v.4). Those people didn’t build something to bring honor to the name of God; they built something to bring honor to their name.

With all of these things going against it, it comes as no surprise that God the holy Trinity (note the use of “Us” in v.7) put a stop to the building of Babel. He did this by confusing the peoples’ language (v.7). The construction project was brought to a screeching halt as simple everyday tasks that involved people talking with one another became monumental struggles. Imagine telling the guy next to you to hand you a hammer, only to discover that he now speaks a completely different language. Babel was the beginning of multiple languages being spoken upon the earth.

You see, God understood that unity was the secret to the strength of the people of Babel. Unity, of course, is a very powerful thing. Used rightly, it can bring about tremendous good. Used wrongly, it can bring about tremendous evil. The people of Babel used their unity wrongly, and so God ruined their unity. In Nimrod’s day, the name “Babel” meant “the gate of god” or “the gate of the gods.” After this event, however, the name came to signify conversational confusion. Even today we sometimes hear the question, “What is that fellow babbling about?”

Now, as you think about God’s will concerning your particular decision, you can pull five valuable lessons from the story of Babel.

Lesson #1: Some amazing Babels can be built. This story offers clear proof of the incredible capabilities of the human race. God Himself said of the people of Babel, “Now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them” (v.6). We have it in us to ignore God and yet still accomplish tasks that seem to be great and wondrous. Certainly that applies to mankind as a whole, but it also applies to individuals.

Lesson #2: The blueprint for your Babel always looks appealing. As you think about building your Babel, you will quickly find that the idea appeals to you. Nimrod and company wouldn’t have dedicated themselves to building the grandest city on earth if the idea hadn’t appealed to them. A Babel is like that. It looks good to you.

Lesson #3: Building your Babel adversely affects others besides you. Nimrod’s building of Babel wasn’t a solo project. Others got caught up in its wake. That’s how it works with a Babel. When you begin to build one, a domino effect is set into motion. You don’t just hurt yourself; you hurt others.

Lesson #4: God never helps in the building of a Babel. When you do something that is in God’s will for your life, the thing goes better and the end result creates a lasting effect for the good. But when you step out of God’s will and build a Babel, the reverse is true. Isn’t it interesting that the city of Babel was never actually completed (Genesis 11:8)?  What happened? God worked against the endeavor.

Lesson #5: A thing that is the will of God for one person might be a Babel for another person. City-building is neutral. It isn’t always right or always wrong. David and Solomon renovated Jerusalem, added structures to it (namely the Temple of God), and built the city into a magnificent place. They did that in God’s will. Nimrod, on the other hand, did his building outside God’s will. Do you see the difference? One noted preacher from the past said, “There are plenty of things in life that are perfectly legitimate, but when they get on a God-forbidden tree they are not right.”

A Babel is anything that isn’t God’s will for your life. To build one, you’ll have to step right over Him to do it. And, friend, believe me when I tell you that’s not a step you want to make. Sure, that Babel looks good to you right now, but it won’t look nearly so good when all the accounts are in and all the dust has settled. Therefore, I’ll say again what I said earlier about any decision you ever face: Seek God’s will in the decision, and DO THAT!   

Posted in Choices, Decisions, Desires, Discernment, Disobedience, God's Will, Obedience, Pride, Rebellion, Sowing and Reaping, The Trinity | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Abounding More and More

Posted on March 31, 2022 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 , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Costly Salvation

Posted on March 28, 2022 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 (appearance) 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. Actually, Gibson probably goes a little 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

Once Saved Always Saved

Posted on March 25, 2022 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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Father Runs the Trains

Posted on March 23, 2022 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 Sovereignty, God's Will, Needs, Problems, Trials, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Food Won’t Come to You

Posted on March 21, 2022 by russellmckinney

My oldest son Ryan, who was eleven years old at the time, got off a classic line one evening. He was lying on his bed watching television, and his mother had just finished her nightly chore of preparing his supper. But when she told him that supper was ready, he didn’t respond. Finally, after a few minutes, she ratcheted up the tone to a vintage motherly level and said, “Ryan, get in there and get your food!” In startled response, and with genuine surprise, he said, “Oh, I thought it was going to come to me.”

As a pastor, I can’t help but relate that line to church attendance. Christian, the spiritual food doesn’t come to you; you have to actually go to church and get it. Sure, it’s all laid out there for you, and it has been carefully chosen and prepared to quench your spiritual hunger. That doesn’t mean, though, that it will magically make its way to where you are and jump into your mouth. No, you have to put forth some effort.

Of course, I know all about the television ministries, You Tube ministries, and Facebook Live ministries most churches now have. Those ministries allow you to sit right there wherever you are and be fed. But the fact is, there is just nothing like experiencing the complete “meal” you get by attending your local congregation. Furthermore, those ministries were never meant to take the place of you literally attending your local church. Unfortunately, during the months when most churches offered online services only during the Covid-19 pandemic, far too many Christians got far too comfortable staying at home for church rather than going to church. And churches are still dealing with the hangover effect from that even after they’ve been open again for quite a while. That’s a shame.

Some years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine special athletes lined up at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. When the starting pistol sounded, eight of them took off down the track. One boy, however, stumbled out of the blocks, rolled a couple of times, and began to cry. That’s when something truly wonderful happened. When the other eight heard the boy crying, they slowed down to see what had happened and, upon seeing him lying there on the track, all turned around and went back to help him. One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down, kissed him, and said, “This will make it better.” Then, with their arms linked tightly together, all nine athletes walked down the track and crossed the finish line together. That’s a beautiful picture of what church can be like. Brothers and sisters in Christ can help each other in life’s race by encouraging and supporting one another. Try getting that from television, You Tube, or Facebook.

Now, I do realize that I’m painting a very idyllic view of churches. I’m a pastor, remember? It’s not like I haven’t seen my share of church members behaving badly toward one other. Nevertheless, when church is right, there’s no place like it on earth. It’s a place for learning. It’s a place for growing. It’s a place for fellowshipping. It’s a place for sharing. It’s a place for giving. It’s a place for worshiping. In light of all this, why wouldn’t you want to be there?

And, believe me, I’ve heard just about all the excuses for not going to church. Again, I’m a pastor, remember? But so very many of those excuses don’t hold any weight with the Lord. In his book, The Miracles of Our Lord, Charles Ryrie offers a good word about such excuses. He does it in the context of his comments concerning Christ’s attendance of synagogue. He writes:

If our Lord had wanted to use reasons, such as those often heard today, for not attending public worship He could have found many. Certainly He got very little out of the message, for after all He was the fulfillment of every Scripture read or explained in the service. Surely He knew more about God and spiritual things than anyone present, including the leaders in the synagogue. Too, He knew that the organization He was supporting would soon be replaced by the church. But still He went regularly. Christian liberty, properly understood, does not free one from regular responsibilities, including attending worship services (see Heb. 10:25).

So, Christian, I ask you, “How is your church attendance these days?” It’s been said that church-attendees are like cars in that they start missing before they quit. Well, you haven’t been sputtering, have you?  If you have, then consider this post God’s wakeup call for you to get back in tune. Alluding again to my opening illustration, you need to realize that the food won’t come to you, and you need to go get in on that fulfilling meal that is awaiting you down at your local church.

Posted in Church, Church Attendance, Personal, Worship | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Intercessory Prayer

Posted on March 18, 2022 by russellmckinney

The apostle Paul was a man who knew what it was to pray for others. In Romans 1:9, he says to the Christians of Rome, “…I remember you in my prayers at all times…” (N.I.V.) He was also a man who wanted others to pray for him. In Romans 15:30, he asks those same Christians to, “…join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (N.I.V.) Intercessory prayer is such a wonderful concept! It’s a shame that we Christians treat it so lightly.

V. Raymond Edman, of Wheaton, Illinois, was a twenty-five-year-old doctor on a medical mission trip to the aboriginal villages high in the Ecuadorian Andes. The Inca children of those villages were dying of a mysterious disease. While attempting to treat them, Edman was stricken with typhus fever. Somehow he made the long trip back down the mountain trails to his home in Riobamba. There he was found by a fellow American who convinced some of the natives to carry him to the railroad. From there he was taken to the region’s Parker Clinic.

As Edman lingered between life and death, he recalled how his mother had once told him that people who are dying oftentimes review their lives in detail. To his amazement, this began happening to him. He remembered his old homeplace in Illinois, his grade-school teachers, his high-school friends, and his days as a solider serving in a medical unit overseas. It all played out in his mind like he was watching a newsreel. When it was finished, he thought, “Now I have come to die. I’ll be in eternity in just a few moments.”

At first he felt alone and frightened by that assumption, not knowing exactly what to expect. But then he became aware of some type of “presence” (for lack of a better word) in the room. It began on the floor and rose up to the level of the bed, engulfing everything as it went. It wasn’t until the presence began to engulf his body that Edman realized what it was: the love of God in Christ. That love was so amazing and so powerful that it quickly erased every fear the young doctor had about dying. He realized that “the great beyond” was a place far better than this world, and he began to think of himself as wading out to meet the afterlife as if he was wading out into a stream.

The next thing Edman knew, two full weeks had passed and he was recovering from his near-death experience. The Ecuadorian nurses told him how they had cared for him and how Dr. Parker, the founder of the clinic, had advised Edman’s wife to prepare for a funeral. She had done so by purchasing a coffin, arranging for a burial service, and dying her wedding dress black.

Then Edman was told another story. It was one about a small group of Christians who had been meeting for a Bible conference near Attleboro, Massachusetts. One morning the conference director, Rev. E. Joseph Evans, had told the group that he was experiencing a deep concern for Dr. Edman in Ecuador and had suggested that the group pray for the doctor. So, for the next several hours the group had done just that. They had prayed through the remainder of the morning, through the lunch hour, and up into the middle of the afternoon. Finally, God had given them the assurance that their prayers had been answered. Little had they known just how close Dr. Edman had coming to leaving this world.

In one of my former pastorates, I had a deacon who would say to people, “If you don’t have anybody else to pray for, pray for me.” I always liked it when he said that. The request was so humble, so earnest, so genuine. He really wanted others to pray for him.

Abraham (in the sense of prayer being a conversation with God) prayed for Lot and Lot’s family (Genesis 18:16-33). Isaac prayed for his wife Rebekah (Genesis 25:21). Paul prayed for Philemon (Philemon 1:4) and Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:16-18). Peter and John prayed for the new believers of Samaria (Acts 8:14-17). You get the idea. The believer whose prayer life is what God wants it to be will be well versed in intercessory prayer.

Of course, I realize that intercessory prayer doesn’t have to be limited to a Christian praying for another Christian. It can just as easily be a Christian praying for a lost person. For the purposes of this post, though, let’s narrow the beam down to you, the Christian, praying for one particular brother or sister in Christ. I’m not talking about you praying one of those “all around the world” prayers, the one that goes, “Lord, bless all Christians everywhere.” No, I want you to hone yourself in on one believer and spend some time fervently praying to God for that person. There’s no telling what a difference you might make in that Christian’s life. And by the way, if you can’t think of anyone to pray for, pray for me. I can always use it.

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Getting Your Toes Stepped On

Posted on March 16, 2022 by russellmckinney

A preacher had just finished a very strong sermon on the subject of sin. One of the officers of his church came to him and asked for a private word in the preacher’s study. Once there, the scolding began.

The officer said, “We don’t want you to talk so openly about peoples’ guilt and corruption. If our boys and girls hear you discussing such subjects, they will more easily become sinners. Please do not speak so plainly about sin.”

To that, the preacher answered, “Consider a bottle of strychnine. On the bottle the word ‘Poison’ is written in red letters. Do you understand what you are asking me to do? You are suggesting that I change the label on the bottle. Suppose I paste on the label ‘Essence of Peppermint’? Don’t you see what might happen? Someone would use it, not knowing the danger involved, and would certainly die. So it is with the matter of sin. The milder you make your label, the more dangerous you make your poison!”

As a preacher, I must admit that such illustrations sting me a bit because they cause me to wonder if I preach too lightly against sin. My problem is that (like most preachers) I don’t want to offend anyone. I really don’t enjoy fighting or hurting peoples’ feelings. Jesus took that stuff out of me some time ago.

But if I don’t call sin what it is, I’m not much of a preacher. Sometimes I have to remind myself that God didn’t call me to be liked. Of course, I want to be liked. Every right-thinking person does. Being liked, though, can come at too steep a price. If I have to shave the edges off the truth, water down right doctrine, and wink at sin, I’ll have to get used to being disliked by some.

As for having a preacher “step on your toes,” did you know that the Bible teaches that how you respond sets the course for your life? Note carefully the following verses from the book of Proverbs (all references from the N.K.J.V.):

Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction. But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. (Proverbs 13:18)

The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul. But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. (Proverbs 15:31-32)

He who receives correction is prudent. (Proverbs 15:5)

He who hates correction will die. (Proverbs 15:10)

We don’t have to read very far into the Bible to find a man who didn’t receive rebuke and correction well. The story of Cain is recorded in Genesis 4:1-24. Cain and his younger brother, Abel, each brought offerings to the Lord. Cain’s offering consisted of the fruit of the ground, while Abel’s was a slain animal from the firstborn of his flock. God accepted Abel’s offering but not Cain’s.

Theologians have long debated why God didn’t accept Cain’s offering, but I agree with those who say the reason involved the shedding of blood. After Adam and Eve’s sin, God made them tunics of skin to wear to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:21). This meant that He shed the blood of either one or two animals. This was the world’s first object lesson on the subject of forgiveness of sin, and that lesson was: God only forgives on the basis of shed blood (Hebrews 9:22). Adam and Eve then passed this divine truth down to their sons, Cain and Abel. Abel received it gladly and brought an offering in line with it, but Cain rejected it and brought a bloodless offering that appealed to him.

And how did Cain respond to God’s rejection of the offering? He got mad (Genesis 4:5)! That’s when God came to him and warned him about the ramifications of his attitude towards the rebuke. He said, “Cain, if you do well, will you not be accepted?” That was God’s way of telling Cain that He wasn’t playing favorites with Abel. But then God gave the warning: “And if you do not well, sin lies at the door” (Genesis 4:7). Clearly, Cain had a choice to make. He could heed the rebuke and gain understanding or he could disdain it and send his life down a bad road. The choice was his.

Sadly, Cain chose poorly. Rather than bring the right kind of offering to God, Cain went out and killed Abel. The man who wouldn’t shed the blood of a sacrificial animal didn’t mind shedding the blood of his brother! For that murder, God said to him, “Now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth” (Genesis 4:11-12). Cain then lived out the rest of his long life away from his family and out of relationship with God.

I hope you remember Cain the next time a preacher comes down hard on your sin. Remember that Cain’s response to being rebuked pointed him in an undesirable direction in which he continued for the rest of his life. Don’t get mad at the messenger and ignore the message. Instead, embrace both as God’s way of keeping you from poison. And, by the way, if you have a preacher who doesn’t shy away from preaching against sin, be thankful for him. I can tell you from personal experience that the man doesn’t have an easy job.

Posted in Choices, Church, Conviction, Disobedience, Forgiveness, God's Chastening, God's Holiness, God's Judgment, God's Word, Man's Freewill, Obedience, Pastors, Personal, Personal Holiness, Preaching, Rebellion, Sin, Truth | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments