MARKS OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN

If any believer thinks they have mastered the Christian life, they have not studied the marks of a true Christian given by Paul in Romans 12:9-21.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Scottish pastor Maurice Roberts once said, "The best believers find their (growth in godliness) slow and their attainments meager." What's important, however, according to author Donald Whitney "is not the speed but direction" (44). Ask yourself today, "Am I making convincing progress in my growth in godliness, however slow, or am I regressing?"

Whitney, Donald. Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. Colorado Springs: Navpress. 2001. 44.

LESSON 2: AN IMPORTANT COUNCIL

If the first church was in Jerusalem and was made up of Jewish Christians with Jewish beliefs and practices, then why are there so many non-Jewish Christians in our world today who do not strictly adhere to these beliefs and practices? The answer is found in Acts 15. In this chapter, Luke tells of a meeting between the church leaders in Jerusalem who have gathered to discuss whether or not non-Jewish Christians have to "follow the (Jewish) customs taught by Moses" in order to be saved (Acts 15:1).

In Luke's account, Peter spoke first and shared with the council about his encounter with the Gentiles. He asserted that God showed His acceptance of the Gentiles by indwelling them with the Holy Spirit (v. 8). He also affirmed that like the Jewish Christians, these Gentiles were made right with God by their faith in Christ alone (v. 9).

Paul and Barnabas spoke after Peter and shared how God had blessed their message and ministry to the Gentiles and explained how He had been working in and through these people for His purposes. After hearing this report, James also shared a word from prophets Amos, Jeremiah and Isaiah who all foretold of God's favor that would be shown to the Gentiles. He concluded by stating, "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God" (v. 19).

APPLICATION FOR TODAY

This council publicly affirmed two essential truths of the Christian faith. The first is that God wants to be known and worshipped by all peoples. Peter asserts, "God, who knows the heart, bore witness to (the Gentiles), by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith" (vv. 8-9).

God’s desire to be known and worshipped by all peoples can be found throughout Scripture. The Abrahamic Covenant clearly stated that through Abraham, all nations will be blessed (Gn. 12:1-3). This covenant is fulfilled in the person and work of Christ. During His earthly ministry, He taught that the salvation He provides reaches far beyond His immediate audience. In John 10:16, Christ explains, "I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd."

The second significant truth learned from the Jerusalem Council is that the only requirement of salvation for both Jew and Gentile is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This is voiced by both Peter and Paul. Peter asserts, “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we (Jews) shall be saved in the same manner as they (the Gentiles)” (Acts 15:11).

Paul asserts that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone numerous times throughout the Scriptures, but never more clearly than in Romans 3. Throughout this chapter, he repeatedly reminds his reader that because God is one and is the God of both Jew and Gentile and because both Jew and Gentile are equally sinful and guilty before Him, they both must be made right with Him in the same manner. He asks, "Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—(He) will justify the circumcised (Jews) by faith and the uncircumcised (non-Jews) through faith" (Rom. 3:29-30).

It is rare today, especially in Christian circles, for a council to find common ground when resolving a conflict and make a decision that has a positive and lasting impact. The Jerusalem Council is unique in this way. F.F. Bruce explains,

“The Jerusalem Council was both a theological and a practical success. The concessions it called for were not ‘compromises’; indeed, they reaffirmed the integrity of the gospel of salvation by faith alone...The first great threat to the unity of the Church brought rejoicing and encouragement instead (Acts 15:31)” (656).

Bruce, F.F. New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 1995. 656.

"Quote" of the Week

"If the (Jerusalem Council) had decided that circumcision is necessary for anyone to become a Christian...such a decision would have been disastrous. It would have forced a condition that would have been unacceptable to the Gentiles. The missionary efforts would have become more difficult, and Christianity, would have become nothing but a sect within Judaism. Furthermore, the truth of the gospel would have been compromised. Instead of a gospel based on salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, it would have become one based on salvation by works (the Law). -F.F Bruce

Jesus is enthroned at God's right hand, and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. It is a profound political reality that Christ now occupies the supreme seat of cosmic authority. The kings of this world and all secular governments may ignore this reality, but they cannot undo it. The universe is no democracy. It is a monarchy. God himself has appointed his beloved Son as the preeminent King. Jesus does not rule by referendum, but by divine right. In the future every knee will bow before him, either willingly or unwillingly. Those who refuse to do so will have their knees broken with a rod of iron.

At present the kingship of Christ is invisible. We as Christians live somewhat like Robin Hood and his merry men of Sherwood forest. Robin and his cohorts were disenfranchised by wicked Prince John. But John was a usurper. The throne belonged to Richard the Lion-Hearted, who was absent from the realm while on a spiritual crusade. We do not want to push the analogy too far, nor do we want to identify the condition of the church in this world with a myth or legend.

Our King is not visibly present in his realm, but his reign is real. No usurper can snatch it out of his hands. We live in this world as outcasts, but we must remain loyal to our King, who has ventured into a far country. We await his return in glory, seeking to give him reality in his absence. Our mission is to bear witness to his reign, which he instructed us to do just moments before he departed for heaven.

Sproul, R.C. Grace Unknown. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 1997. 97-98.

"Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne. Hark how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own. Awake my soul and sing, of Him who died for Thee. And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity." - Crown Him With Many Crowns, Lyrics by Matthew Bridges

LESSON 1: GOD WORKS IN HISTORY TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES

This year the youth of Fellowship Bible Church in Fort Smith are studying "The Story of Christianity." They are learning about key events and people in Christian History that have greatly influenced the present state of the Christian faith. I began our study by sharing several reoccurring themes. I have listed them below.

KEY THEMES

(1) God is at work in history
(2) God's purposes are accomplished through people

(3) People are flawed

(4) God’s opposition is always present

(5) God’s purposes always prevail

UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY AS HISTORY

After describing these themes, I explained how many fail to see Christianity in the proper light viewing it as a philosophical belief system, when in fact it is a major part of our world’s history. The Christian faith has influenced every area of life, from morality to politics, from art to literature, and from science to philosophy.

Jesus, the central character of the Christian faith, is a historical figure who was born and lived over 2000 years ago in the Middle East. His death and burial also occurred in real time, at the hands of real people and in a real place.

If you travel to the Holy Lands, you can visit the places where he ministered and the place where he was crucified. His disciples (also historical figures) not only acknowledged that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate (historical figure), but claimed that he was resurrected on the third day and appeared to them on numerous occasions. We also learn from history that most of the disciples gave their lives for the cause of Christ.

THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF THE EARLY CHURCH

In order to understand the history of the early church, one must begin by looking at the world in which it evolved. Notice 3 Influencers

Jewish Influence: The first Christians were first century Jews and Palestine was the land where Christianity first appeared. The first Christian church was a Jewish congregation in Jerusalem.

The earliest persecution of Christians was at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders. The earliest martyr was a Jew named Stephen whose death was approved by Saul of Tarsus, who would later be converted to the Christian faith and become the most influential Christian in history.

Greek Influence: Alexander the Great was responsible for pushing back the Persian Empire and expanding Greece. He wanted to solidify his power so he decided to unite people under a common culture.

Hellenism, a word used to describe the spread of Greek Culture, would greatly influence the Christians of the first century. The early manuscripts of the New Testament were written in Greek and the Christians who first ministered to the Gentiles had to understand and address belief systems that were greatly influenced by philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

Roman Influence: The Roman Empire emerged in 63 BC and from 30 BC to AD 180 Rome was at the height of its prosperity. Their beliefs and practices clashed with the Christian worldview, which would result in severe Christian persecution.

APPLICATION FOR TODAY

My hope is that as we study the early church, our youth will be encouraged in their faith as they learn that the God whose purposes prevailed through unlikely people, in the midst of severe opposition and across culturally diverse landscapes, still rules and reigns in our world today and will for all eternity.

"Quote" of the Week

"From its very beginning, the Christian message was grafted onto human history. The Good News Christians have proclaimed through the ages is that in Jesus Christ, and for our salvation, God has entered human history in a unique way. History is crucial for understanding not only the life of Jesus, but also the entire biblical message." -Justo L. Gonzalez from his book, "The Story of Christianity"

Repentance means changing one's mind, so that one's views, values, goals, and ways are changed, and one's whole life is lived differently. Mind and judgment, will and affections, behavior and lifestyle, motives and plans: all are involved. Repenting means starting to live a new life.

The call to repent was the fundamental summons in the preaching of John the Baptist (Mt. 3:2), Jesus (Mt. 4:17), the Twelve (Mark 6:12), Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2:38), Paul to the Gentiles (Acts 17:30; 26:20), and the glorified Christ to five of the seven churches in Asia (Rev. 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19). It was part of Jesus' summary of the gospel that was to be taken to all the world (Luke 24:47). It corresponds to the constant summons of the Old Testament prophets to Israel to return to the God from whom they had strayed (e.g., Jer. 23:22; 25:4, 5; Zech. 1:3-6). Repentance is always set forth as the path to remission of sins and restoration to God's favor, while impenitence is the road to ruin (e.g., Luke 13:1-8).

Faith and repentance are themselves fruits of regeneration. But as a practical matter, repentance is inseparable from faith. Turning towards Christ in faith is impossible without turning away from sin in repentance. The idea that there can be saving faith without repentance, and that one can be justified by embracing Christ as Savior while refusing Him as Lord, is a dangerous error. True faith acknowledges Christ as what He is, our God-appointed king as well as our God-given priest, and faith that trusts in Him as Savior will submit to Him as Lord also. To refuse this is to seek justification with and impenitent faith, which is no faith.

Feelings of remorse, self-reproach, and sorrow for sin generated by fear of punishment, without any wish or resolve to forsake sinning should not be confused with repentance. David expresses true repentance in Ps. 51, having in his heart the serious purpose of sinning no more, and of living a righteous life (Luke 3:8; Acts 26:2).

Sproul, R.C. Repentance. The Reformation Study Bible. Orlando: Ligonier Ministries. 2001. 1603

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE BEREANS

This morning while reading through Acts 17, I was reminded of the wonderful account of Paul's ministry in Berea. Luke records that "(The Bereans) received (Paul's) message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). Below I have mentioned three points from this passage, which prove that the Bereans had a high view of Scripture.

First, we are told that they studied God's Word daily. In verse 11, Luke says that the Bereans were of "more noble character than the Thessalonians" because they valued the Scriptures to such an extent that they were meeting once a day, instead of once a week as was custom, to study God's Word.

Second, the Bereans spent their days discussing God's Word. When this group gathered, it wasn't for small talk, but to "examine the Scriptures." In most areas of the world, people possess a holistic belief system meaning they integrate their spiritual beliefs into every facet of life. In the west, however, people compartmentalize life separating the spiritual from the secular. This is why you can be reading from Scripture and listening to a sermon being preached one minute and discussing what happened in sports the day before and where to eat lunch the next. Like the Bereans, we should spend more time discussing matters of eternal significance.

Lastly, the Bereans tested the message that was heard. They showed that the Bible was their authority by comparing what Paul had said with the Scriptures. During the Protestant Reformation, one of the major debates between Protestants and Catholics was over the issue of authority. For Protestants, Scripture was the only form of authority they recognized.

Though both sides acknowledged the infallible authority of the Bible, Roman Catholics also taught that the tradition of the church was infallible. They did not permit any person to interpret the Bible in a way that was contrary to tradition. Martin Luther was severely criticized for teaching that the Pope and the church councils had erred according to Scripture.

Although Paul was at one time well respected in the Jewish community and was presently esteemed among Christians, the Bereans did accept his message without first examining the Scriptures. According to John Stott, "The Bereans 'examined' (the Scriptures) to see if his arguments were convincing. And we may be sure that Paul welcomed and encouraged this thoughtful response” (275).

As shown, there is an important message in this small passage of Scripture. As believers, may we spend ample time studying and discussing God’s Word and may our conscience, like that of Martin Luther’s, be “held captive by the Word of God.”

Stott, John. Acts. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press. 1990. 274-275

"Quote" of the Week

"Unless I am convinced by Sacred Scripture or by evident reason, I will not recant. My conscience is held captive by the Word of God and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe." -Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms

In the English language, we have one word for love and use it so frequently and lightly that it often loses its meaning. For example, we will say we love our family, but we also say that we love food. Obviously there is a difference, but we use the word so flippantly that many have a difficult time defining true love. Some say it is an uncontrollable feeling of excitement, others say it is a conscious choice one makes. Some say it comes naturally and others say you have to work at it.

The best place to examine what love looks like is in the Scriptures. We are told very plainly that God is love (1 Jn. 4:8). This means that love is not simply something God does, but is the essence of who He is. Therefore, to grow in our knowledge of love we must grow in our knowledge of God and His word.

THE SCRIPTURES AND LOVE

1) We know we have profited from the Word when we understand the great importance of Christian love.

The Bible clearly indicates that love is one of the clearest marks of a believer. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35). A.W. Pink affirms, “In 1 Corinthians 13…the Holy Spirit tells us that though a professing Christian can speak fluently and eloquently upon Divine things, if he has not love, he is like metal, which, though it makes a noise when struck, is lifeless. That though he can prophesy, understands all mysteries and knowledge, and has faith which brings miracles to pass, yet if he be lacking in love, he is spiritually a nonentity. Yea, that though he be so benevolent as to give all his worldly possessions to feed the poor, and yield his body to a martyr’s death, yet if he has not love, it profits him nothing. How high a value is here placed upon love and how essential for me to make sure I possess it” (116-117)!

2) We know we have profited from the Word when we learn the sad perversions of Christian love.

Pink affirms, “While it is true that spiritual love is characterized by meekness and gentleness, yet is it something very different from and vastly superior to the courtesies and kindnesses of the flesh” (118). For example, many parents today refrain from disciplining a child because they claim to love him/her too much. They fail, however, to realize that they are doing a great disservice to their child. According to Pink, “It is a wicked perversion of the word ‘love’ to apply it to moral laxity and parental looseness” (118).

3) We know we have profited from the Word when we understand the true nature of Christian love.

Pink defines Christian love as, “A spiritual grace abiding in the souls of the saints alongside faith and hope (1 Cor. 13:13). It is a holy disposition wrought in them when they are regenerated (1 Jn. 5:1)…It is the very reverse of that principle of self-love and self-seeking which is in us by nature” (118). Pink goes on to explain, “Love could deny an urgent request (Jn. 11:6)…and denounce hypocrites (Mt. 23:13-33). Love can be stern (Mt. 16:23) (and) angry (Mark 3:5). Spiritual love is a holy thing: it is faithful to God (and) uncompromising toward all that is evil” (119).

4) We know we have profited from the Word when we rightly exercise Christian love.

Many make professions of love, but mere professions are not proof of love. This is why divorce rates are high in our country. Many have stood before God and men and made vocal commitments to love someone “for better or for worse,” but in practice have not honored that commitment.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (Jn. 14:15). He was calling for His disciples to prove their love by attaching themselves to Him and yielding to all His requirements and by patiently doing His will in the face of ridicule and opposition. The way to tell if a person genuinely loves God is when they do what they say and not simply say what they would do. My prayer for all believers is that what they do for God would give validity to what they say about Him and to Him.

Pink, A.W. Profiting from the Word. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust. 1977. 115-124.

"Quote" of the Week

"It is one of the most amazing facts in all Scripture that just as God's love involves his giving of himself to make us happy, so we can in return give of ourselves and actually bring joy to God's heart." -Wayne Grudem

CHRIST THE CORNERSTONE

I was reading in Acts 4 this morning and reread one of my favorite passages in the entire book. Peter is on trial and addressing the religious leaders responsible for the crucifixion of Christ and says, "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:11-12). Peter was telling the Sadducee's, who prided themselves in being the builders of a religious system, that they had made a mess of their religious beliefs because they had rejected Christ.

The best way to evaluate a belief system is to examine what it says about Christ. Everything hinges on that question. Why? Because "there is salvation in no one else." Only through repentance and faith in Christ can one be brought back into a right relationship with God. My prayer is that we as believers would see the importance of directing people to Christ as He is revealed in the Bible.

NICARAGUA MISSION TRIP

We had a great trip to Nicaragua. Close to 180 people came to the Bible Institute each day and we received great feedback from the pastors. Many told us that their preaching has greatly benefited from coming to the institute. Others said that leaders from their churches are being equipped for ministry through the material being taught. Our church supported close to half of the pastors who came for the week.

"Quote" of the Week

"We should be 'jealous'...for the honour of (God's) name-troubled when it remains unknown, hurt when it is ignored, indignant when it is blasphemed. And all the time anxious and determined that it shall be given the honor and glory which are due it." -John Stott