E Pluribus Unum

"E pluribus unum." It means, "Out of many, one." It's a motto of the United States. It describes how many people have come together to make one people. It works just as fine for Christianity. Out of every people, one people (REV. 5: 9).
Oddly, the opposite is also true in Judeo-Christianity.
"E uno plures." It means, "Out of one, many." I refer to Abraham, the father of many nations (GEN. 17: 5). But not just the father of many nations, the father of us all who are in Christ (ROM. 4: 16).

Where am I going with this? I think many people forget Abraham is the father of Christians, too. They pay it lip service, but they don't really let it have its full effect. There is a lot packed in here that is worth discussing.

This blog is primarily geared towards Armstrongism, but to be honest there is a confusion about Abraham in most denominations. In Armstrongism, the tendency is towards using Abraham as some kind of back door into the Old Covenant law. That is entirely misguided, in my honest opinion. Paul goes out of his way to negate this very idea in Romans 4, especially verse 16.
But, today's post is more than unity with Abraham - because unity with Abraham is, if you will excuse this phrase, a symptom of a larger condition. It's really about unity with Christ.

UNITY WITH CHRIST HAS CONSEQUENCES

Out of one, many, and out of many, one.

(GAL 3: 28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

One of the consequences of unity with Christ Jesus is what applies to Him also applies to us. The husband and wife share in all things.

Take just a while to contemplate this. Consider what Jesus is and what He has been given by the Father. Let those many ideas roll through your mind. Who is He? What is He? Where is He?
We are one in Him. So, we share, or will share, in all of these.

This is surprisingly difficult to accept. We are sinners and we know we do not, in ourselves, deserve any of this. Good thing 'deserve' has got nothing to do with it. Our job is to believe it and to let it have its effect within us.

(COL. 3: 10-11) 10 and have put on the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

There is no escaping the idea that all Christendom, if indeed we are Christ's, are one in Christ. After all, how else can Paul speak about Abraham being the father of the faithful if not through Jesus?
Out of Abraham came many nations, and in Christ, the seed of Abraham, all nations come back again to one.

But if Abraham is the father of us all through our unity with Jesus, then what other conditions apply to us because of our unity with Christ?

WHEN?

In Armstrongism, they teach that we are currently waiting for Jesus to return and then, at that time, people will start to realize all the things Jesus spoke about at His first coming. I refer to things like being part of His Kingdom, and being one with Him, and such.

But when does the Bible say we are one in Christ, is it now or at His return? Is it not now? Yes, it is now! What about Paul's writings implies we are waiting to be one in Christ? Bear in mind he lived almost 2,000 years ago.

"Ahh, xHWA," someone might say, "we cannot be fully one with Christ yet because we are still male and female and we are still flesh and blood."
True! You say well. Clearly, this oneness is partly figurative. There really is still male and female and Jew and Gentile. The Bride of Christ is only yet betrothed not fully wed. Yet, at the same time this oneness is also quite literal. All who are His are spiritually one in Him. Now. Today. So, it's both.

Once again, we see that things are a little now but a whole lot more in the future.

Don't discount the partial now because of the fullness later. If you will excuse this analogy - don't discount a lotto ticket just because you haven't cashed it, or a stock because you haven't sold it. All of these things are very much intended to be understood as being right now. We are not waiting to be one with Christ. We are one with Christ. We are merely waiting for what has come already to have its full effect.

Let's take a look at how the now affects us.

THE LAW

Many, many times in past articles, As Bereans Did has reviewed how our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees (for more, read our post "Are The Ten Commandments Removed?"). The only way to achieve this is for Christ's righteousness to be our righteousness (II COR. 5: 21). He takes on our sin and we take on His sinlessness. How can His righteousness be ours? It can be because we are one in Him. If we are in Him and He is in us, then His righteousness can be counted to us. This is the only way.

The pattern of Jesus' life is a reiteration of the history of Israel. He went to Egypt. He spent 40 days in the desert and was tempted. He miraculously fed the people. Etc, etc, etc. In all of these things, He succeeded where Israel failed. He was the perfect servant. The perfect prophet. The perfect king.
Why is that important?
Because of one thing I did not list but must not be skipped over. That is, where Israel failed to keep the law, He succeeded. He kept it as it was intended. The spirit of the law. Perfectly.

Who was the law-keeper? Jesus. Do you keep the law? You may try, but you will fail (for more, read our article "Do Post-Armstrongists Keep The Law?"). You know what I say is true. How can you keep the law? By being one with Jesus. Jesus is the commandment keeper. If you are one with Him, a loyal member of the New Covenant, then His success is credited to you. Righteousness is a covenant thing, not a law thing. This is the only way.

LIFE

I said at the start, "They pay it lip service, but they don't really let it have its full effect." And this is true. I will show you one reason why I say this.

We saw how we must be one with Jesus through faith, and the time for that is now. Today.
We saw how He is the law-keeper and commandment-keeper. If we are in Him, then His righteousness is credited to us.
And now, I would like to remind you that He is life.

John 1: 4 says, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (JON. 14: 6)

If He is in us and we are in Him, then life is in us. Now. Today.

(JON. 14: 19b-21) "19b Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”

There is a problem in Armstrongism and other churches like it. They put all of their hopes on some day in the future. Some day when Jesus returns. At that time, they will be in His Kingdom. At that time, they will have life. But that is simply putting a view of prophecy ahead of the relationship we have with Jesus. It misses the mark of what we already have in Him. Now. Today.

I received an email recently. The reader was wondering how we can be certain one way or the other about soul sleep or immediate conscious life after death. That's a big topic! We have several articles that can help. Part of my response was,

"A very helpful thing that assisted me was to understand that we are the body of Christ and the Bride of Christ. This is not just some metaphysical point. It speaks to how we are one with Him. How are our sins laid on Him and His righteousness credited to us? Because we are one with Him. How are we inheritors of all things? Because we are one with Him. Right now. Since this is so, that we are one with Him, why do we turn right around and separate ourselves again? He said, 'Where I am, there you will be, too.' (JON. 14: 3) We will be with Him where He is, as He is with us where we are. This goes along perfectly with what Paul said in II Corinthians 5: 1-8."

(II COR. 5: 1-8) For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

And, thus, the Armstrongist will say, "This is referring to the Millennium." But I say, they pay their relationship with Jesus Christ lip service, but they don't really let it have its full effect.

In Him is life. If you are in Him and He in you, then life is in you.

I know this will not be enough to persuade you from the doctrine of soul-sleep. We have other articles that may help.

CONCLUSION

We saw how we can be inheritors of the Abrahamic covenant through faith. Now. Today.
We saw how we must be one with Jesus through faith, and the time for that is now. Today.
We saw how He is the law-keeper and commandment-keeper. If we are in Him, then His righteousness is credited to us. In Him, we have kept the spirit of the law. Now. Today.
And we saw how in Him is life. If we are in Him, then His life is given to us. Life is in us. A life we don't have to wait for some far future day to grasp hold of.

This topic is much bigger yet than we have discussed. I cannot hope to get into all of it today. Keep studying and praying. Keep contemplating this. Keep on considering what Jesus is and what He has been given by the Father. Let those many ideas roll through your mind. Who is He? What is He? Where is He?
He is in us. We are one in Him. So, we share in all of these things. Because of Him. Despite ourselves. Good thing 'deserve' has got nothing to do with it. Our job is to believe it and to let it have its effect within us.

E uno plures. E pluribus unum.

God bless you, dear reader.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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Overcoming and the Feast of Trumpets

As the Churches of God are celebrating the Feast of Trumpets, I'm sure there will be plenty of COG critics who make a big deal about the fact that this day is never even mentioned in the New Testament.

I won't be one of them.

Sure, if you want to get technical, it isn't. The epistles do make passing references to the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and the Day of Atonement. But, despite NT references to trumpets and resurrections and Jesus' return, poor old Rosh Hashanah itself doesn't even get a mention.

But that's ok. I don't really care. Because today, I don't want to argue about whether the COGs are correct about what the Feast of Trumpets pictures, or how it will play out. I don't plan to debate Heaven versus soul sleep. For the purposes of this discussion, let's just assume you're right. Because, at the end of the day – or really, the End of Days – you and I basically share the same hope: that Jesus Christ will return, that the dead in Christ will rise, and that we will be numbered among the saints in God's family. 

Paul gives us the basis for this hope in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52:

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

No matter what our differences, this victory over death is our common hope. So how can we be sure we will "make it"? How can we make sure we have overcome? That we'll be there? This is the real question, the real important point of discussion. Many Feast of Trumpets sermons - and really, a good number of messages - come back to in the COGs. They seem to be pretty certain we must DO something, although they tell us in different ways:

The United Church of God, for example, soberly calls us to action:

"Think about this in regard to this festival, this holy day, and this assemblage. Every day in our life, there should be the sounding of a symbolic trumpet of urgency for us to live for God, developing a relationship with God, preparing for that time when we will be changed at the sounding of a trumpet, and our bodies changed from mortal to immortality, as Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the resurrection chapter". (Beyond Today: Feast of Trumpets: An Urgency to Live for God Everyday, Darris McNeely, September 11, 2015)

The Church of God, a Worldwide Association, reminds us that failure is not an option - but not quite how the Bible teaches it (and I'm still waiting for them to explain me how to "use" the Holy Spirit like a pressure washer or something):  

"God did not call us to fail. When we repent and die with Christ through baptism, we begin a new life—a life fueled by the Holy Spirit, the power of God. There’s a lifetime of work ahead of us as we strive to put out sin and grow in righteousness, but thanks to the Holy Spirit and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it’s work we can accomplish." (Lifehopeandtruth.com, The Plan of God, Day 3: The Power to Overcome.)

The Living Church of God invokes Herbert W Armstrong, founder of the COG movement, in their current literature to deliver subtle, thought-provoking ultimatums: 

"Repeatedly Jesus warned us to watch, regarding His second coming! Could it be possible that, unless we are observing the Feast of Trumpets, as the first-century Church of God was observing Pentecost, that we shall not be ready, or caught up to meet Him? We do not—we cannot, of course, say; but we do ask the question. Is it not possible? Let us humbly and willingly yield to walk obediently in all the light.” (Herbert W Armstrong, Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days—Which? , p. 34.)

And the Philadelphia Church of God hands us not-so-subtle ultimatums: 

“We can’t carelessly relegate the Feast of Trumpets to just another day to give an offering and then get on with the fast to sort of punish ourselves before the “fun” starts at the Feast of Tabernacles. If we allow ourselves to drift into that contemptuous attitude, then we will not be accounted worthy to escape His wrath at His coming! (Luke 21:35-36). He won’t count us worthy to be born into His Family.” (Remember the Feast of Trumpets, and God Will Remember You! John Amos, Philadelphia Church of God, 1992). 

Regardless of which COG flavor you choose, the same underlying message comes through loud and clear: you must be doing something, the right something, and keep doing it correctly until you're done. Granted, they never tell you exactly WHAT that something is, or how well you must do it, or how long you must do it. 

Thankfully, the Bible DOES tell us how this victory over death comes, though it isn't through what WE do. Not surprisingly, it comes just a few verses after Paul's description of the resurrection:

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 15:57. 

Wait, what? 

Let me rephrase that without the complicating commas and clauses. 

God gives us the victory. 

We do not secure it ourselves, through works:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.  - Titus 3:4-6

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  - Ephesians 2:8-9

This victory comes through Jesus, not through maintaining a state of grace through ongoing justification. 

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. - Romans 5:1-2

We do NOT begin our Christian life with an act of faith, but reach its final objective through physical works. 

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works on the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? - Galatians 3:2-3

In fact, our works would secure a much different outcome: 

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. Romans 4:4.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23. 

This victory - over sin in this life and over death at the end - is the eventual fruit of our faith, not of our works: 

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? -  1 John 5:4

We overcome by professing our faith in the blood of the lamb, not in what we do. 

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. - Revelation 12:10-12. 

So what can we do to make sure that we "make it?"

Not a whole lot. Not keep the Sabbath. Not count the new moons correctly from Jerusalem, to make sure we are spot-on about when to keep the holy days. Not adopt a vegetarian diet to avoid eating any unclean ingredients. Not take a vow of silence so that we can never lie again.

Really, all we can do is choose to believe the One who promises to forgive our sins and grant us eternal life through the shed blood of His Son. And then take it on faith.

Good thing that was what He really wanted anyway.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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You Will Never Be Worthy

Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 

               -1 Corinthians 11:27

Say what you will about the Churches of God, but I'll give them this - around Passover, they become very concerned with taking Christ's sacrifice seriously. I wish that Jesus, His sacrifice and what He accomplished on the cross were popular topics year-round, but focusing on this topic for six weeks is better than nothing.

The COGs use this same passage as the basis for their tradition of pre-Passover self-examination, as well as other, more questionable interpretations about the Lord's Supper. But that's not what I'm writing about today. Today, let's set aside arguments about whether these symbols are to be taken only at Passover or on a regular basis, and consider the verse itself.

Actually, I want to talk about what the verse doesn't say: that we could ever actually be worthy to drink the cup.

I know that many of you arrive at Passover completely spent and totally humbled. I've know. I've been there. But I also know that many of you spend so much time making sure that you don't take Passover in an unworthy manner that you start to believe you've done enough to become worthy to take it. I know, because I've been there, too.

Let's get one thing perfectly clear. God's grace is all that makes us worthy to take the Passover. That's it. Nothing we have done or could do ourselves can make us right with God or maintain our standing with Him.

• We were sinners before we came to God.

(Romans 5:8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

• We only become worthy through the gift of imputed righteousness - Christ's righteousness being credited to us.

(2 Corinthians 5:21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

• Once we are redeemed Christians, the fruit of our lives should bear it out. But we are saved for good works, not through good works.

(Ephesians 2:8-10) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

• But these good works are like filthy rags - literally, in the Hebrew, menstrual rags - compared to the righteousness that we receive through the blood of Christ. 

(Isaiah 64:4) But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

• Even after accepting Christ's sacrifice, we are still sinners. It is only in Him and through Him that we have victory. If even Paul struggled, we all will.

(Romans 7:22-25) For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God - through Christ Jesus our Lord So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

It is certainly biblical to examine ourselves before taking bread and wine as symbols of our covenant with the Lord. But whether that introspection takes six weeks or six minutes, true examination can only come to one conclusion: that we are not worthy in and of ourselves, and we never will be. Once we understand and accept that, it will be impossible for us to take the bread and the wine in an unworthy manner.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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Who Then Can Be Saved?

Rod Meredith's terminal cancer diagnosis has been one of the biggest Church of God news items this year. Meredith, 86, long headed the Living Church of God and has declined extensive treatment due to his age and stage of cancer.

Terminal diagnoses are nothing to celebrate, no matter who the patient is. Our prayers go out to the Meredith family as well as those who have been impacted by Meredith's life, both positively and negatively.

End-of-life discussions are often a cause for introspection among the living (no pun intended). Lately, many current and former Church of God members have been engaged in discussions of Meredith's accomplishments and conduct. The main question seems to be, has Rod Meredith qualified for God's Kingdom?

I'd like to know, how is this question even possible among "true Christians" in the LCG and other COG groups? Rod Meredith worked directly with Herbert Armstrong. He was an early evangelist for the Worldwide Church of God and frequent writer for the Plain Truth magazine. He has headed two(!) Church of God groups. He has advocated for the Sabbath and Holy Days - major marks that set "true Christians" apart from the deceived - for years! I mean, Meredith has stated multiple times, before thousands of LCG brethren, that he has not committed a "major sin" since his baptism.

Oh right. Now I remember. THAT'S the problem.

Now, I don't know about you, but I know I made a huge blunder before I even had my first cup of coffee this morning. That's not me trying to make a sardonic point. That's the ugly truth. So I have a hard time believing Meredith hasn't committed a "major sin" since the 1950s. Plus, the last time I checked, the Bible really didn't differentiate between "minor" and "major" sins.

(James 2:10) For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Actually, now that I think about it, there ARE some sins that God describes as detestable:

(Proverbs 6:16) Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Haughty eyes. Maybe windows to a soul proud enough to claim not to have committed any major sins since the 1950s? So, the reasons why Herbert Armstrong removed him from his ministerial responsibilities and "banished" him to Hawaii weren't sins? How about a $750,000 civil libel payout against Meredith in favor of Leona McNair?  The power struggles and tearing apart of the Global Church of God over large sum of cash, and refusing to pay back those who loaned him money wasn't a sin? No heart devising wicked schemes there? No stirring up conflict? Perpetuating division among the COGs isn't sin?

No, nothing to see here, folks. Definitely not any major sins since the 1950s. It doesn't remind me of this parable at all:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself - 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.                                

(Luke 18:10-14)

The Pharisee checked all the boxes. He clearly wasn't an extortioner or an adulterer. He tithed meticulously. He probably kept the Sabbath better than anyone alive today. And yet these things did not win him favor in God's sight. Only one of these men left the temple right with God, and it wasn't the one who boasted about his personal righteousness or wore a bunch of legalistic acts on his sleeve.

Yet, some leaders in other COG splinters are probably preparing tributes to Meredith - on the basis of his religious works - at this very moment. They'll state that they had their differences with him, but they'll still proclaim him a good and faithful servant because he, like them, kept the Sabbath and Holy Days. I'll allow this indulgence to Jim Franks, since COGWA is reported to be making peace with LCG, but the rest of you need to stop now. You parted ways with Meredith decades ago, ripping apart churches, families and friends. You decided these issues were important enough to divide fellowship. You've made cold, judgmental pronouncements against him. You've pronounced that he's not a leader and his church should be following you instead. It's incredibly hypocritical to wax sentimental now. Either these issues were worth dividing over and you are the one true church; or you were wrong and Meredith headed God's true church. Or, alternatively, you both were mistaken, perpetuating known falsehoods and dividing up congregations and families for your own personal gain.

But most of these issues happened years ago, Martha! What's the matter? Don't you think people can change? Why would you attack a dying man?

Of course I think people can change! But we can't change without realizing that we have made a mistake. One who claims not to have committed a "major sin" since baptism does not sound like someone who has recognized and repented of his mistakes. This isn't an attack on a dying man, it's an appeal!

You see, repentance is a major factor in qualifying for salvation, according to Meredith and other COG teachers. Sure, the Bible clearly requires Christians to repent. Mainstream Christianity, however, teaches this repentance flows from the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit through a supernaturally-changed heart. The result of which is the fruit of our salvation. But in the COGs, repentance and change is a fearful and legalistic affair, from the law and to the law, and mostly by our own effort. Our own effort is what ensures our salvation after accepting Christ's sacrifice. And if there is not enough repentance and change, well,  then... in the words of COG founder Herbert W Armstrong, God aborts you. That is the COG viewpoint. The COGs accept Biblical teaching that man cannot save himself. But they also teach a murky, un-quantifiable tipping point of unrighteousness where one fails to qualify for God's Kingdom.

Maybe that's precisely what's wrong here. Meredith doesn't see himself as needing to repent anymore because the bulk of COG repentance is observing days and tithing. He's done that, in his own eyes. Jesus' death, in the COG view, only forgives for sins up to baptism. It's each man for himself from there. Well, he's Sabbathed and not-Christmassed since then, so he's golden.

And that's the problem. The COG plan of salvation recognizes that Jesus died to forgive our sins, but only those up until baptism. And then, after that, we must keep the law in order to maintain that salvation. But no, not the whole law, just cherry-picked portions our leaders endorse. This circumvents the whole point of the law - to show us our human weakness and continual need for a Savior - and simultaneously reduces what we must "do" to a checklist that seems almost attainable, especially when we're young. Our foolish pride leads us to believe we can "make it." But as we grow older, we can see that salvation is always just out of reach. There's always some sin that comes back, some sin we haven't fully overcome, always one more thing to do. We never outrun the knowledge that we've sinned, again, and fallen short, again, and now we wonder whether God has finally had enough of us.

So, I wonder, how many Sabbaths kept by the letter of the law make up for slandering a brother's wife? How many Holy Days offset a prideful heart? How much leaven must we avoid to sponge away our sins? What does the balance sheet look like, according to Meredith? How about according to God?

This, my friends, is how we get to the point where members of a religious movement can question the eternal destiny of its long-time leaders.

(Hebrews 13:7) Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

I don't make these points to kick Rod Meredith while he's down. I make these points because Rod is no different from me, or from you. I make these points because I hope that he will see the depth of his pride and repent. That he will understand that it is the blood of Christ alone and placing full faith in His sacrifice that makes him righteous. As long as Rod Meredith has breath, the Lord may still be found. Rod may not believe in deathbed confessions, but luckily for him, it's not his opinion that matters.

And not just Rod, but this appeal is for us all.

Rod Meredith is the poster child for the COG way of life. If the COGs are right about salvation, then Meredith has nothing to fear. And neither do you. Maybe. But if you're concerned for him right now, perhaps you should consider another path.

(Matthew 7:15-18) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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Pinky Promises - or Faith and Parachutes, Part 4

Have you ever made a pinky promise?

Let me fill in the details for those readers who have neither been nor raised an elementary-school aged girl. In this solemn ceremony, two parties mutually signify that a promise has been made by intertwining their two pinkies. A pinky promise may seal a pledge to be BFFs (best friends forever), may signify one party's intention to return a cherished bracelet to the other party, or to cement an offer to procure an ice cream cone later in the day, among other things

While the extent to which a pinky promise can be enforced as binding is uncertain, one thing is clear – a pledge with only one pinky is no pledge at all.

Pinky promises may be a recent, silly phenomenon, but man has used ceremonies to indicate his commitments for millenia. Peace pipes. Blood oaths. Legal contracts. Dissecting animals.

No, really. Do you remember reading something about that in Genesis 15? It's one of those weird parts of the Bible that we tend to gloss over because we don't understand it and, frankly, it's a tad bit creepy. Let's take a look.

(Also, for the record, I realize that Abraham's name was still Abram before Genesis 17. I am not going to vascilate between the two names depending on which scripture I'm referencing. Unless it's a direct quote naming him as Abram, I'm going with Abraham.)

(Genesis 15:9-10) So He (God) said to him (Abram), “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.

Now, I'm not going to get into the parts about the vultures and stuff. That is about the Israelites in Egypt, and this is a discussion about Abraham. So what on earth was going on here?

Abraham wasn't just cutting animals apart for the fun of it. He was setting up a traditional covenant ceremony. The Believer's Bible Commentary sheds more light on this practice:

“According to the ancient Eastern manner of making a covenant, both the contracting parties passed through the divided pieces of the slain animals, thus symbolically attesting that they pledged their very lives to the fulfillment of the engagement they made.” (p. 53).

We see biblical support for this explanation in Jeremiah 34:18-20:

And I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it – the princes of Judah, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf – I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the haven and the beasts of the earth.

So to put it bluntly, the two parties making the agreement passed between the pieces of the animals together as a way of stating that they should face the same fate as the animals if they broke their agreement. Yikes. Pinky promises are starting to sound better and better.

But here's the thing. Abram never had the chance to walk between the animals.

(Genesis 15:12) Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.

Again, I'm not going to discuss the “horror and darkness.” The verses that follow indicate that had to do with a prophecy about Israel's slavery in Egypt. I want to focus on the part about the deep sleep falling upon Abram. Was Abraham just really, really tired from stargazing with God the night before? Maybe cutting the animals in two took a lot out of him.

No. The biblical language indicates something external that descended, or came down upon Abram. God incapacitated Abram. Theologian John MacArthur expounds further in The MacArthur Bible Commentary:

“The sign of ancient covenants often involved the cutting in half of animals, so that the pledging parties could walk between them, affirming that the same should happen to them if they broke the covenant. God put him (Abraham) to sleep, because the covenant did not involve any promise on Abraham’s part; therefore, he would not walk through the pieces as a pledge.” (p. 35).

Abraham was “simply a spectator” of this exhibition, according to the Believer's Bible Commentary (p. 53). MacArthur explains it this way:

“These items (the smoking oven and burning torch in Genesis 15:17) symbolized the presence of God, who solemnly promised by divine oath to fulfill His promises to Abraham by alone passing through the animal pieces.” (p. 36).

What does this mean? It means that this covenant was unilateral, and that God swore by Himself to fulfill His promises to Abraham. More simply, He made a pinky promise to Abraham but intertwined His own two pinkies, figuratively speaking.

I never understood this section of scripture when I was in the COGs. I'm not sure I ever even read it. After looking back, I was surprised to find that the Churches of God virtually ignore this passage. I found no mention on the web sites of the Living Church of God or the Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA). The United Church of God touched on it in a single article, simply outlining the ceremony and stating that “the covenant ultimately includes a promise of the land of Canaan.” (Gary Petty, How Should Christians Celebrate the Passover, Feb. 1, 2003)

So why would the bulwarks of true Christianity; the only ones who truly understand the Bible; the ones who are constantly discussing Abraham (for purposes of British Israelism or salvation) – totally ignore this passage? My guess is because it threatens their teachings on salvation – you know – the ones that keep you in their churches.

God swore by himself that He would make these promises come true – the promises for the descendants and for the land. Abraham absolutely played a part in the ceremony, as demonstrated in his preparation for the ceremony. He obeyed the command to procure the animals. He split them. He obeyed God's command to circumcise himself and his household. And he clearly participated in Isaac's, um, conception, since Isaac was an heir who came from his “own body.”

About that circumcision... why all the covenant talk in Genesis 17 if this covenant was a done deal in Genesis 15? Well, some theologians posit that Genesis 17 is talking about different aspect of the covenant with Abram – they parse the promise into descendants and land as two separate promises. I disagree with this explanation. It seems like a chicken-or-egg proposition – without descendants, there would be no one to possess the land, without land, there would be nowhere for descendants to live. And anyway, both are mentioned in Genesis 15. Interestingly, the Expositor's Bible Commentary renders Genesis 17:2 as “I will confirm my covenant between you and me” rather than “make.” In other words, God is saying that He will bring these things to bear; make them certain or effectual. Theologian John MacArthur seems to agree with this interpretation:

“This is another reaffirmation of God's unilateral covenant with Abram, which did not mean that there would be no responsibilities falling upon its recipients.” (The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 37.)

I believe that, in Genesis 17, God is calling Abraham to turn back to Him after trying to work things out for himself. Consider that Abraham's blunder with Hagar occurred in Chapter 16 – after the covenant ceremony but before the circumcision command. Perhaps God commanded Abraham to circumcise himself as a tangible, costly act that was the first step in his turn back to God.

The wording in Genesis 17:1 does not indicate God is commanding Abraham to be blameless, according to the Expositor's Bible Commentary. Rather, the language indicates that being blameless is a consequence of walking with God faithfully. Abraham clearly has not faithfully walked the path God intended for him in Genesis 16.

Really, are things any different for us? Romans 4 gives Abraham as the example for salvation by faith – the template for Christian salvation – for good reason.

We are justified by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, our sin is imputed to Jesus and His righteousness is imputed to us:

(Romans 4:20-25) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

Our work is to place our faith and trust in the shed blood of Jesus and not in our own actions, as Abraham trusted God:

(John 6:28-29) Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said unto them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Since we have been bought with a price and our lives are not our own, we are responsible to obey the commands of Jesus and His apostles: love God with all your heart, your soul and your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do not worry. Turn the other cheek. Do not get drunk. Do not commit sexual immorality. Carry one another's burdens. Do not show favoritism. Just to name a few.

(Romans 6:1-2) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

The indwelling Holy Spirit regenerates our hearts, guides us into truth (John 16:13), sanctifies us to become like Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:13) and enables us to obey (Romans 8:12-13). We are responsible for obeying and cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Like Abraham, we have responsibilities along the path of sanctification. Abraham set up the covenant ceremony. Abraham circumcised himself. Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac. But God directed Him to do each of these things; and He similarly leads the process of our sanctification.

However, we will not always run with endurance. Because we are human, we will still screw up and deviate from God's path, as Abraham did when he took matters into his own hands and fathered Ishmael. But our sin does not void the covenant we have entered:

(Romans 7:24-8:1) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Christ Jesus our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

We repent and re-dedicate ourselves to walking the path God has chosen for us:

(Ephesians 2:10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Yes. We do have work to do. Scripture tells us that faith without works is dead. We do have work to do. But God prepared them for us, and us for them. He knows what He's doing.

(Hebrews 12:1-2a) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith... 

God initiates salvation. God leads the process of sanctification. And God will finish it. He pinky promises.

(Philippians 1:4-6) In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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Abraham's Faith and Works - or Faith and Parachutes, Part 3

Abraham. Just reading the name to myself, I hear it being spoken by someone like James Earl Jones. Imagine trying to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him in God’s Kingdom. You’d feel about two inches tall by comparison. I know I would.

Abraham is mentioned prominently in the “faith chapter” – Hebrews 11 – and for good reason. There he is lauded for leaving his home for an unknown land and for offering up his son, Isaac.

Wait a minute. Why would Abraham’s works be mentioned in the “faith” chapter? I must be thinking of Romans.

(Romans 4:2-5) For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

Ok, that makes more sense. But wait, isn't there another scripture, one that marries the two concepts?

(James 2:21-24) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Hmmm. Now what?

The Churches of God love to exploit the seeming contradictions found within these passages to ridicule “so-called” Christianity’s teaching that salvation is by faith alone. Works are a requirement for those who wish to inherit eternal life, they object. Most of  today’s COGs are softer on the “or else” side of the works equation, but their founder, Herbert Armstrong, was known for teaching that believers were comparable to spiritual fetuses, and God would abort believers who did not grow enough or overcome enough sin.

As a result, today’s COGs are populated by a generation of people who know they can’t earn their salvation, but hope they don’t screw up badly enough to lose it. After years of well-meaning, uneducated, and dogmatic messages from a shrinking pool of speakers, they see nothing wrong with the mutually exclusive beliefs that you can’t earn right standing with God, but you must work for the rest of your life to keep your right standing with God. I know. I was one of them. For decades.

So who got it right when it comes to Abraham? James or Paul? Or, since both were inspired by God, is there another explanation? Today and in the coming weeks, as I continue delayed “Faith and Parachutes” posts (see part 1 and part 2), I’d like to look at some key events in the life of Abraham to get a better understanding of the correlation between faith and works, resolving the tension between Paul and James.


ACCOUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

The story begins in Genesis 12:1-3, which lists the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. God tells Abram to leave Haran; promises to make a great nation of him and that he would bless all the families of the earth through him. Abram obeys, then famine and Lot’s captivity temporarily derail the story line.

In chapter 15, we see Abram lamenting that he has no heir. God responds by promising descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens. In Genesis 15:6, Abram decided to trust God regarding his descendants, and God accounted his faith for righteousness. Simply put, this means that because of Abraham's faith, he found favor with God. God credited Christ's righteousness to Abraham's "sin account" and credited Abraham's sin to Jesus.

The statement made in Genesis 15:6 is so simple, yet so significant. But rather than considering the logical implications of this statement, groups like the Living Church of God try to immediately divert our attention:

“Taking this scripture alone seems to indicate that belief in the Lord is all that is necessary to be considered righteous. But James, the brother of Jesus, forcefully argues that without backing it up with action, belief is simply not enough.” ("Phil Sena, From Belief to Faith, Tomorrow's World , November-December 2015).

I'd like to offer my own follow-up scripture. We already read this passage, but it deserves a second look. Let's allow Paul to start unpacking the implications of this scripture.

(Romans 4:2-5) For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

This means that God considered Abraham legally righteous before Him. Abram was now entitled to eternal life (because of God's grace). Let that sink in for a minute. God did not account Christ’s righteousness to Abraham when he left Haran, when Isaac was conceived, or even when he attempted to sacrifice Isaac. He imputed Christ's righteousness to Abraham when the man decided to trust God and was simply staring up at the night sky.

No, God didn’t reward Abraham with salvation because he backed up the claim with action, despite what LCG's Phil Sena claims:

“Abraham believed that God could even resurrect Isaac back to physical life if He so willed.   This faith in God's power and goodness gave him the strength to obey God's command to sacrifice his son. "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense" (Hebrews 11:17–19) Anyone can claim to 'believe God' —but backing up the claim with action is why God accounted Abraham's belief as righteousness."

How can I say that Christ's righteousness wasn't the payoff for obedience? Because that's what Romans 4:10-11 tells us:

How then was it (righteousness) accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.

Abraham was circumcised in Genesis 17.  Simple math tells us that at least 14 years must have passed between Genesis 15:6 and the time God commanded Abraham to circumcise himself and his household (which included 13-year-old Ishmael, who was not yet conceived in Genesis 15:6).

Christ's righteousness was imputed to him before he was circumcised, and was not dependent upon his actions. Thankfully. Since the little bit we know of Abraham's track record during that intermittent period was not amazing. In the intervening verses, Abraham fathered a child with Sarah's maid and laughed in God's face.  Yet folks like LCG's Sena would have us believe that God credited Abraham with righteousness because of his actions.

“Anyone can claim to "believe God"—but backing up the claim with action is why God accounted Abraham's belief as righteousness,” Sena wrote.

If you tried to back Sena or other LCG comrades into a corner, I suppose they could argue that, back in Genesis 15, the omniscient God knew that Abraham would obey Him in Genesis 22 and therefore credited him with righteousness based on that knowledge. But that line of reasoning pushes LCG dangerously close accepting predestination – a doctrine they reject. If predestination were true, then God would know who would remain obedient from the beginning, your salvation would be sealed, and LCG and other COGs couldn't hold your eternal destiny over your head as blackmail for tithes and organizational loyalty. But if you feel your salvation is precarious, your fear makes you more likely to resign yourself to accepting their shenanigans and ultimatums.

This hypothetical desperate rebuttal becomes even more threatening to LCG when you consider how it refutes the false Armstrongist teaching that Jesus had to qualify to replace Satan as the ruler of the world. This false doctrine – which, in short, claims Jesus' victory was uncertain – is not consistent with several scriptures:

(Isaiah 53:4-5) Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 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. This “suffering servant” passage is prophetic, not speculative. It does not say "by His stripes we might be healed, depending on whether He is successful."

(John 3:14-15) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. If this account from the book of Numbers depicted Christ, then surely His victory was assured at that time. Jesus wouldn't use it as an inspired example, then fail to follow through at the actual time this word picture symbolized.

(Revelation 13:8) All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Jesus was as good as slain from the foundation of the world, and his victory was assured. His sacrifice was not a hastily drawn-up plan B when Israel failed to keep its covenant with God.

Further, if our condition to “qualify” for salvation is based on Jesus' requirement to qualify, then  how solid is the case for either? God's decision to impute Christ's righteousness to Abraham clearly predated the crucifixion. He couldn't have done so if Christ's victory wasn't already certain.

But back to the main topic. Some would argue that Abraham's regeneration  and justification was what enabled his legendary works of obedience in the first place. This would makes sense. If we are to believe that heroes of faith like Abraham, Noah and Rahab were able to overcome their emnity with God on the strength of their own human efforts, then there is no need for Jesus’ death on the cross or the gift of the Holy Spirit. And isn't that really the point of Romans 4?

(Romans 4:2-4) For if Abraham was justified by works, be has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Abraham had faith, and the evidence of that faith manifest itself in his actions, as explained in James 2:22.

Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 

Like Abraham, God regenerates our hearts and counts us righteous because of our faith, not because of our works. Like Abraham, works of obedience should follow that give evidence of this invisible change. (if they don't, we need to examine where we really have faith, not just dig in and work harder). And like Abraham, we will still make mistakes.

Rather than scoff at the idea of salvation by faith, we should be grateful that we don't need to worry that every misstep will land us in the Lake of Fire. We should be thankful that the blood of Jesus covers our sins; be mindful that our sin is costly; be quick to repent, then go and strive to sin no more. We can rejoice in the knowledge that our works don't maintain our salvation; but instead, they give us the daily opportunity to serve our Father and bring honor and glory to His name.  

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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Works, Faith and Salvation - or Faith and Parachutes, Part 2

We hope that those of our readers who just finished celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles enjoyed safe travels home and have been refreshed with meaningful worship and fellowship.

For those readers who have never celebrated this festival: The Churches of God, that have descended from Herbert W Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, teach that the Feast of Tabernacles looks forward to the time that true Christians who qualified for literal deification will rule with Jesus Christ after He returns to earth.

If you celebrated the Feast, you probably heard sermons that capture the joy of that message. Some that discuss the grace by which you'll find yourselves there. And, unfortunately, possibly some prideful ones that celebrate a foretaste "making it" into God's Kingdom.

In a recent post, we explored what salvation by grace through faith means and what it doesn't mean. In light of this recent festival, which pictures the time when "true Christians" will know they have "made it," let's consider whether we will "make it" into God's Kingdom by grace through faith or by our works. How do we safely get off the crashing airplane of humanity? How can we be sure we have a parachute and not a backpack?

Just how do the writings of the apostles fit in with what we've already discussed about salvation by faith? Publications from today's Churches of God regularly cite James 2 to criticize the Protestant Christian teaching that salvation comes through faith in the shed blood of Jesus alone.

(James 2:18-20) But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Let's do our due diligence first. The word translated as "believe" in verse 19 is the Greek word pisteuo, which can mean "to believe," "to give credit to," or to be of an opinion (Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study of the New Testament, p. 930). It comes from the Greek word pistis, which is translated as "faith" in verse 18. Pistis implies a knowledge of, assent to and confidence in divine truths, especially those of the gospel, as produces good works.  Pistis can mean a simple assent to religious truths without accompanying good works, or “false faith,” but it generally indicates a “lively faith in Christ.” (Zodhiates, p. 930).

But understanding pisteuo and pistis is not nearly as important as understanding the full context of James 2:14-20, as indicated by both the Expositor’s Bible Commentary and by theologian John MacArthur. One cannot just hone in on one or two verses in a vacuum and build an entire doctrine around them, as the COGs are so fond of doing.

The key to understanding the passage is found in verse 14 – “if someone says he has faith.” The NIV makes James’ implications even more clear – “if someone claims to have faith.”

(James 2:14) What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

“James does not say that this person actually has faith, but that he claims to have it.” (The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1887). “Again, the verb’s form describes someone who continually lacks any evidence of the faith he routinely claims.”

“James is not disputing the importance of faith. Rather, he is opposing the notion that saving faith can be a mere intellectual exercise void of a commitment to active obedience.”  (The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1888.)

When we take a step back and look at the whole passage, we can see that James is not contrasting salvation by faith with salvation with a component of works. He is contrasting the behavior of someone who has genuine, saving faith in Christ with that of someone who only claims to have placed his faith in Christ. The behavior of someone who is wearing a parachute with someone who is claims to have a parachute but is only wearing a backpack.

So what role do the works play, since they are a topic of concern in this passage? The works of which James speaks are not deeds performed to earn merit with God according to Expositor’s.  Instead, works are the manifestation – the fruit – shown in the life of someone who has genuine faith.

“Faith without works cannot save; it takes faith that proves itself in the deeds it produces,” according to the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Exposition of James.

The example James gives in verses 15 through 17 – of a man who claims to have compassion on a starving brother but who gives him no food – helps illustrate what James is saying about faith and works. Compassion isn't really compassion if it doesn't move one to action. And on the flip side, giving a hungry brother food doesn't create compassion. The compassion, the state of heart and mind are already there, and the action follows. It's the same with faith - it is already there, and the evidence of that faith is visible when the opportunity arises. And when the opportunity comes, one's actions - or lack thereof - indicate what's on the inside (Luke 6:45). It shows whether or not they truly have a parachute, so to speak.

And that is the key difference between the demons’ belief and Paul’s. The demons believe in God; they have more evidence than any of us. But their belief - their direct knowledge of His existence - has not changed them. In contrast, Paul’s belief changed him to the core, and his life after the road to Damascus was the evidence of that change.

(One side note before I leave James 2. Most of the COG magazines I read this summer that quoted James 2 cited the passage to support their stance on things like keeping the 10 Commandments and Holy Days. UCG vaguely linked it to commandment-keeping and baptism earlier this year. Yet James focuses his letter on things like showing favoritism, providing for the poor and taming the tongue - areas where the track record of COG leadership is poor. Don't blame me - comments on this blog and others tell me you guys know it's true. Like I said earlier, it's theologically unwise to hone in on an individual verse and ignore everything around it).


HOW DOES FAITH CHANGE YOU?

So why would faith change us? Does conviction simply make you choose to change your behavior in the future? Does a lack of works indicate that you just need to try harder?

Saving faith goes hand-in-hand with what mainstream Christianity calls regeneration - or what some call being "born again." Regeneration occurs when God imparts new spiritual life through the Holy Spirit. In terms of our analogy, it is when you are given your parachute. Some debate whether regeneration comes before saving faith and is what allows a Christian to place full faith in Christ or whether it occurs after a Christian places his faith in Christ. Regardless, it is evident that the two go hand in hand. The fruit of this faith and regeneration is physically invisible, but the evidence will show in a man's life, as James 2 indicates. And the fruit of empty claims of faith will show in the unregenerate heart too.

Traditional Christian teachings on saving faith, regeneration and sanctification harmonize the seeming contradictions between verses like Ephesians 2:8-9 and James 2:14-19. But the COGs reject traditional teachings on regeneration; insisting that Christians are like spiritual fetuses in this life are not born again until Christ returns to earth. This teaching forces them into uncomfortable cognitive dissonance - claiming that obedient works do not save you, but that they maintain your justified status with God:

“To remain justified after being forgiven, one must behave in a righteous or just manner from that time forward.” – UCG, The New Covenant: Does it Abolish God's Law?

“Integral to salvation is the matter of justification. This term refers to being made just, right or righteous. Literally, it means being made straight—perfectly lined up (with God). We are initially justified or aligned with God when, on repentance and faith in Christ’s shed blood for atonement, we are forgiven of sin and reckoned by God as righteous. This is referred to by Paul as “imputed” righteousness (see Romans 4:20-25). (Martha's personal note - UCG is using biblical language but does not accurately portray imputed righteousness, which we will see later on in this post). Justification in this sense is also known as reconciliation. It corresponds to the past sense of salvation—in which we have been saved from sin and death as long as we continue in God’s way.
                                             – UCG, The New Covenant: Does it Abolish God's Law?

“Now we just "accept Christ" and His righteousness is somehow "imputed" to us—without any requirement for righteous works” LCG, Rod Meredith, Who or What is the Anti Christ?

 “Even though we have not yet been changed from flesh and blood to spirit and must remain faithful to God’s instructions in order to have our mortal bodies transformed, God already considers us members of His future family and Kingdom because we are voluntarily living by the laws of His Kingdom.” COGWA, “Believe in the Gospel”

WHY FOCUS ON WORKS?

So why are the COGs so preoccupied with works? I suspect it comes from the perennial fixation on the law. If your definition of righteousness largely comes from the Sinai Covenant, you trip over the same stumbling block as the Jews. 

(2 Corinthians 3:12-16) Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech - unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." 

The Sinai Covenant made the Jews prideful. They considered themselves better than everyone else. They were God's chosen people. They had special knowledge. They knew the path to righteousness! (Does any of this sound familiar? If you're not sure, think about the typical opening or closing prayer you heard last week). Righteousness - concretely defined in the Sinai Covenant - almost seemed attainable. If they just tried a little harder, they could "make it!".

But Martha, the New Testament is referring to the Jews, not us! We're not like them. We believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins. We know we can't earn salvation. We are totally different.

No. It would seem that anyone who believes works are a component of salvation is vulnerable to this trap, according to Romans 10:2-3:

"For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God."

If we could become righteous by submitting"God's laws," then our obedience would make us righteous. So it would seem that the righteousness of God must come from somewhere else besides obedience. I would submit to you that this "righteousness of God" is the imputed righteousness discussed in Romans and other NT books. In short, imputed righteousness, explained in Philippians 3:8-9, is the process through which Jesus' righteousness is credited to those who place their faith in Him, just like it was to Abraham, and our sin is credited to Christ.

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."

The Expositor's Bible Commentary expounds on Romans 10:1-3:

"In trying to establish their own righteous standing before God, they have refused submission to God's righteousness. By looking forward to verse 4 where the law is mentioned, we see that this attempt of Israel to achieve a standing in righteousness was related to finding satisfaction in their imagined success in meeting the demands of the law of Moses. Paul is able to analyze their trouble in expert fashion, for he has been over the same route in his spiritual pilgrimage. It was a great day for him when he gave up his cherished righteousness, based on service to the law, in exchange for the righteousness that comes from God and depends on faith (Philippians 3:9). Israel's covenant relation to God and reliance upon law keeping do not add up to salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). For this reason Paul points to Christ and His righteousness as Israel's great need (verse 4).

Rather than scoffing at the doctrine of imputed righteousness as "cheap grace," or as a cheater's shortcut to artificial righteousness, we should cling to it with grateful thanksgiving. Because Israel couldn't establish their own righteousness through obedience. The COGs don't teach that Christians need to establish their righteousness based on law-keeping, but they certainly do teach that Christians must maintain it through law-keeping. But we can't, certainly not to a level that would qualify us for the Kingdom.


CONCLUSION

Focusing on a checklist only distracts us from realizing the true depth of our wickedness. It is the James 2:15-16 moments that cut us to the heart and shows us how desperately we need a Savior. When we look away from the checklist and look at our hearts and our true prognosis for righteousness, we have no choice but to cling to the cross as our only hope.

But if we fail to look into the mirror of the Law of Liberty (James 1:23-25), we will never see what kind of people we really are. We will fail to perceive our blindness, our nakedness, our bankruptcy. We will continue believing that we are almost there, that righteousness, or at least good-enough-ness, is right around the corner. We will remain fixated on the dirty rags of our works instead of praising Jesus in thanks that our salvation is not linked to our behavior.

Next time, we will look at the life of a Abraham - a man whom New Testament authors held us as an example of both faith and works. A closer look at Abraham's life will give us further insight into harmonizing Ephesians 2:8-10 and James 2:14-19

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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Faith and Parachutes, Part 1

Random fact for the day: Parachute prototypes have been around since the 1400s, but the backpack-style parachute that we know today was only invented in 1906. It was first used solely for entertainment; but military leaders found a variety of applications for the invention during World Wars I and II. Today we have come full-circle – parachutes are still used by the military, but most are worn by thrill-seekers who are dumb enough to choose to jump out of perfectly functional airplanes.

Why talk about parachutes, other than to rant and disclose my irrational fear of heights? Well, in my last post, we talked about sin, morality and airplanes.  Specifically; how Church of God theology on salvation teaches that if true Christians just try hard enough, pull up on the throttle enough using willpower and the "tool" of the Holy Spirit, they can pull themselves out of the death spiral in which sinful humanity finds itself. Unfortunately, pulling up using these methods doesn't get anyone off the airplane; it only prolongs their journey before hitting the ground.

Today I’d like to talk a little more about how to get off that airplane – by placing your faith for salvation in Jesus alone.  Faith in Christ is like the parachute that gets you off the plane. But you have to know how the parachute works to avoid disastrous results.  If you attend a COG, chances are good that you've been misinformed about what "so-called Christianity" teaches on this subject. I noticed that UCG, COGWA and LCG all wrote on the "faith and works" portion of James 2 this summer. One particular quote really stuck with me:

“Just agreeing with a set of facts about who Jesus is, and what Jesus has done, and what it means to believe in Him, that's not the same thing as being saved.  The devil believes everything there is to believe about Jesus—he's not saved.”

Oh wait, my mistake.  That wasn’t from a COG. That was from a sermon my deceived  Protestant pastor gave a few weeks ago. The term “saved” was probably a good clue this didn’t come from a COG publication. This was the COG quote:

“As the apostle James points out, belief is pointless unless it is backed up by action and obedience: 'You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe —and tremble' (James 2:19). If we think that belief is all we need for salvation, we are sorely mistaken. As James tells us, the demonic spirits fully believe in the existence of the one true God. They further know that Jesus is the Son of God raised from the dead. But the demons’ belief in this regard doesn’t mean they are saved!” ("Is Belief All That's Required For Salvation," The Good News, United Church of God, May-June 2015).

How disappointing. I would have expected a bigger difference between what a "so-called" Christian pastor and a minister in God's true church would have to say about James 2:19. With that thought in mind, are you sure you understand what mainstream Christianity teaches about salvation to reject it as false doctrine?

WHAT IS SALVATION BY FAITH?

Maybe we can clear up some misunderstandings about by first exploring what salvation by grace through faith doesn’t mean:

(James 2:19) You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!

• Faith in Christ is not simply believing that He existed. It will not help you any more than the knowledge that  parachutes exist will help you survive a freefall.  Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Pharisees, Judas and many others knew that Jesus truly existed.  As do the demons, as James so aptly explains.

(Luke 4:41) And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!". And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

• Faith in Christ is not simply knowing facts about Jesus, or even believing that He was the Son of God. Knowing Jesus was born in Bethlehem and lived to be 33 years old will not help you any more than knowing that a parachute is 25 feet in diameter and made of gray silk will keep you from plummeting to the ground. 

(Matthew 7:21) Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

• Faith in Christ is not the same thing as just saying His name. Scriptures that allude to “calling on Christ’s name” poetically express the simplicity of accepting Christ’s sacrifice for salvation; how it depends wholly on divine effort instead of man’s.  The name itself is not magic – simply uttering syllables will not save you any more than pronouncing the word “parachute”  will keep you from hitting the ground after a skydive.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

• Faith in Christ for salvation is not the same thing as believing your past sins were forgiven when you accepted His sacrifice; but that you must maintain your right standing before God through things like obedience, repentance and good works. Doing so indicates you've placed your faith in your actions, not in the parachute.  Thrashing and flapping all the way down doesn’t demonstrate faith in the parachute – it puts you at risk for tangling or breaking the cords; a mistake that’s just as deadly as the others I’ve listed.

I figured you'd have trouble with that last one. We'll talk about James 2 and the role works in part 2 of this series. But make no mistake. Misplaced trust in works as a component of salvation is no small matter. In the tragically misunderstood book of Galatians, Paul refers to just such a message as a different gospel (1:6), "no gospel at all" (1:7, NIV) and calls curses upon anyone who would teach such a gospel (Galatians 1:9). Why so serious? Did years of strict Phariseeism finally cause him to snap?

A few chapters later, Paul warns us that anyone who tries to be justified by the law is cut off from Christ (Galatians 5:4). That includes those who teach you need to maintain your justification before God with good works in order to inherit eternal life.

(Galatians 5:4, ESV) You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace." 

Severed. That's not how you want your parachute cords to be.

What is salvation by grace, through faith? Placing your faith in Christ is just that – trusting that your sins are forgiven through Christ’s shed blood alone. Renouncing any trust in, any reliance on your own efforts to increase your standing with God. Believing that you will inherit eternal life only because of what Jesus did, not what you’ve done. Faith is putting the parachute on your back, jumping, pulling the cord and trusting in the chute and only the chute to get you safely to the ground

(John 6:28-29) Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?". Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." 

With this background established, in my next post we will take an in-depth look at James 2. Until then, if you have questions about whether the book of Galatians simply discusses circumcision, please visit:

Confusing the Covenants
The Plain Truth About Peter's Hypocrisy
Galatians: Holy Days or Pagan Days?
Response to Galatians: Holy Days or Pagan Days?
Faith: What It Ain't
What Does the New Testament Teach About Law and Grace
Some Difficult Scriptures

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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Get Me Off This Plane!

It’s August, which means it’s almost back-to-school time. If your house is anything like mine, it’s only a matter of days until you’re sitting at the dining room table, helping your little blessings with highly relevant homework questions like:  If Plane A leaves San Francisco at 8:40 a.m. traveling east at 525 miles per hour, and Plane B leaves Boston at 9:15 a.m. traveling west at 450 miles per hour, which plane will cross the Mississippi River first?

I felt like I got a foretaste of these afternoons last week when I read Jeremy Lallier’s “Sabbath Thoughts” blog. Mr. Lallier is a writer and editor for COGWA’s Life, Hope and Truth endeavor; the Sabbath Thoughts blog is his personal project and has more than 1,500 readers.  

In his July 31, 2015 post, Lallier demonstrates the dangers of grading personal righteousness “on the curve” by contrasting two planes speeding toward to the ground. The passengers of the first plane are oblivious to their fate, while the passengers of the second plane, who have maintained a slightly higher altitude, occasionally glance out the window to mutter at the fools in the first plane, who have no idea where they’re headed. Does it really matter which plane you’re on, he asks, poignantly.

I agree with Lallier’s sentiment (and want to state that I have nothing against him, personally). He's correct that Christians should be striving for more than just being better than their neighbor, better than their co-workers, or better than the guy sitting next to them at church. We are commanded to imitate Christ, to grow into His stature. I don’t disagree with this charge, although I disagree with the COG’s explanation of how and why.  

So what should we do?

Aim higher, Lallier says. Pull up, to put it in aviation terms. Because there is no crown for being “not as bad” as the people around you, he says.

“The crown is for those who push themselves to rise to the high standards of the word of God – for the people who do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God (Micah 6:8),” Lallier writes.

Wait a minute.

Try even harder? That’s your big plan? You just got done telling us that it’s not good enough just to be better. Now you’re telling us the answer is to be a LOT better? So where is the cutoff point between better-but-not-trying-hard-enough and better-and-trying-hard-enough?  Unless there is no cutoff point, and you’re telling us we have to be perfect. 

So which one is it?

This example demonstrates the flaw in all religions that teach human behavior is a component of salvation. No one can ever tell you how good is good enough. Because there is no such thing as “good enough” when it comes to salvation. Would the Father have accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice if He had only pushed Himself to rise to the high standards of the Word of God?

The theological reasoning Lallier uses in his “Sabbath Thoughts” post is more coherent and less blunt than predecessors like Herbert W Armstrong, who founded the Worldwide Church of God, the group from which COGWA, UCG, LCG and other COG groups descended. Armstrong was known for describing his followers as spiritual fetuses and telling them God would abort them if they did not demonstrate enough spiritual growth (see page 45 of the linked booklet if you don't believe me). One positive outcome of Armstrong’s 200-plus failed prophecies is that later COG generations have gone to college instead of hunkering down and waiting for the end. That fruit manifests itself in writing like Lallier’s - material that's less dogmatic and more intelligent. But the underlying Armstrongist implication is the same: if you aren’t good enough, you die in a fireball of jet fuel.

The COGs got part of it right. Humanity is on a doomed plane, spiraling downward because of our sin. But there’s a critical detail they fail to understand: trying harder doesn’t get you off the plane.

Pulling up might keep you off the ground a little longer or help you make more forward progress. You might delay impact for hundreds of miles, figuratively speaking. But as long as your performance is a part of the equation for salvation, you are responsible for keeping the plane aloft.

No, we don’t believe we are saved by our works, you argue. Christ’s sacrifice was necessary to wipe out our past sins. We’re only responsible for preserving that blameless status before God! Listen to yourself! It’s only cognitive dissonance from decades of COG sermons that blinds you from the realization that working not to lose your salvation is just the flip side of the same coin. 

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Lallier seems to believe that he and other “men and women of action” can be “diligent to present themselves approved to God.” I don’t know. Maybe you guys are just better people than me. I can better relate to Paul in Romans 7:21-25:

I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!

This is Paul talking! Not Sapphira or a newcomer like Simon Magus or Bob the Gentile. This is a man who is the definition of radical life change; who was beaten, shipwrecked and stoned for the cause of Christ. And yet, near the end of his life, he is still warring with his sin. He is despondent. He sees that his track record will get him nowhere. If Paul can’t make it on his spiritual batting average, what chance do I have?

(Romans 4:1-6) What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

There is only one way to get off the plane. Repent, stop relying on your own goodness and place your full faith in the work Jesus finished on the cross. No matter how hard you try, how high you aim, how high your righteousness batting average rises, it is all filthy rags. The only way to stand approved before God is wrapped in the garments of righteousness, the imputed righteousness that only come through faith in Christ. It will get you a heck of a lot further than that life vest underneath your seat.  

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )
Acts 17:11
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