The Idol

The Egyptian god Anubis stands at mall entrance

Anthony is like most people I meet while sharing my faith. I began my conversation with him just like I often do by asking if he had a Christian background. Of course, he replied. However it did not take long to figure out this was only skin deep. We went through the law and he agreed he had broken the commandments, just like the rest of us, but he still did not agree that he deserved hell. God knows my heart and he knows I’m a pretty good person, Anthony insisted. Your right, I said, He does know your heart and that’s the problem.

The photo above is of a statute that towered above us as we spoke. It’s part of the décor for the mall’s movie complex. It helps illustrate Anthony’s problem. Like this statue he had created an idol. Not one of stone but one in his mind. He had an image of God that is completely contrary to how God describes Himself in His word. Despite showing this gentlemen passages in the Bible that demonstrate that God see us as lawbreakers, that our hearts are wickedly deceitful, and that we deserve Hell, he continued to proclaim his goodness. (See Proverbs 20:6)

Don’t make the same mistake. Confirm your impression of who God is with His word. Go over His commandments and read Mathew 5:21-30 and make sure you have not created an idol for yourself.

On a side note: The idol above depicts the Egyptian god Anubis who was the “keeper of the scales” in Egyptian mythology. After death he would weigh the dead man’s heart on his scales. On one side would be all your sins and the other side was a feather. But God does not use a scale but instead measures you by His standard. His standard is to be perfect as He is perfect. Do you measure up? Take this test to see. The Good Person Test

Do You Have To Earn The Right

Have you ever heard this phrase?  “You have to earn the right to speak to someone.” What is usually meant by this is that you need to first develop a friendship with someone before you speak to them about the things of God.

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The Club

At a recent spring fair I saw a booth for the local school gay and lesbian club. When I was in school the most controversial club we had was the Young Republicans. Gathered under the tent was a group of young girls and boys promoting their choice of lifestyle. I was there doing some one to one witnessing and felt a burden to speak to them. Positioned directly across from them was a booth promoting a local church group. They were doing the “bead” evangelism program. I decided because of the clubs close proximity to a Christian outreach booth that I would ask them what they thought of Christianity. I wanted them to have a chance to speak their mind before questioning them about their spiritual state. To my surprise they all thought they were already Christians. I had expected a vial reaction but instead they were all very nice and polite. In hind-sight this shouldn’t have surprised me at all. For decades the “church” has been hiding the truth of scriptures so as not to offend. The result has been an inclusive message that God loves you the way you are. The unbeliever hears this and naturally assumes they can have eternal life and their pet sins just by praying a prayer and a false convert is born.

I began to go through God’s law with them and explain how it reveals our true condition and problem between ourselves and God. We discussed lying, stealing, disobedience to our parents, hatred of the heart, and adultery of the heart. We discussed why hell is reasonable and the legal transaction that took place on the cross. What we never discussed was homosexuality. While this may have been the most obvious sin in their lives it is also the most precious. As the Holy Spirit convict these young hearts of the sins we discussed He will convict them of this one as well. I believe it is wise not to go for this sin immediately when speaking to those in this lifestyle. At the same time if it comes up we should not condone it by our silence but to urge the hearer to know God see all sin equally in that it is all transgression of the law. We tend to look at people in extreme sinful lifestyles, drugs, pornography, prostitution, homosexuality as worse than ourselves. Do you not understand that your own sins punished Christ?

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The Kickboxer

“Then all…went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordon River, confessing their sins.” –Mark 1:5

I ran across a retired kick-boxer the other day on a quiet downtown street. I happened to be taking a walk with my family when my eyes made contact with this other man. I smiled and said how are you doing?  He responded in a friendly manner indicating he was fine and as things would be we began a conversation. He illustrated graphically the injuries he suffered as a result of kick-boxing which lead to his retirement. I then changed the conversation to the afterlife. We went through God’s law looking at it as a mirror for him to see himself as God does. After examining a few he began to justify himself and continued to declare his goodness. I pleaded with his conscience and asked if he was the least bit concerned about his eternal destiny. No, he responded, Pastor So-and-so told me I’m going to heaven and he baptized me.

What a sad thing. This man is trusting in baptism to save him and is convinced of his salvation on the word of a pastor who knows not the condition of this man’s soul. Baptism does not bring about salvation. It is an act of obedience in response to God’s grace. No matter how many times this man went under the waters of baptism, if there is no confession of sins then something is dreadfully wrong. 

Do not be too quick to declare someone saved. You may make a false convert with a heart of stone.

The Inhumane Gospel

It was a nice Sunday afternoon so the family and I went to a local festival. Of course the immediate plan before we enjoyed ourselves by the sights and sounds was to pass out gospel tracts. I established myself at the entrance where nobody could come or leave without passing me and began handing out a tract that looks like a huge $100 bill. About a third of those who came by were interested and I ask them each to look at the back because there is a Gospel message on it. I had two people bring them back after reading the clear message on the reverse. (I love the fact they bring them back because I can hand it to someone else Yea!!) The second guy said something very interesting as he handed it back to me. 

“What you’re telling people is inhumane” 

This caught me a little off guard. Here was a man equating handing people large sums of cash (pun intended) with a life saving message to abuse. After further inquiry it turns out that the issue was that the Gospel message used God’s law to rightly show people they are sinful and in the need of a savior. He told me it would be better if I told people that they are good and should help others. I gently asked him if he thought it was unkind to warn someone. I used the analogy of a blind man walking to a cliff. Is disrupting his peaceful walk inhumane? He agreed I was warning people but admitted he didn’t agree with the message, no doubt loving his sin.

The use of the law to illustrate how we appear to God is one of the kindest things we can do. 

“Deliver those who are drawn to death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter” –Proverbs 24:11