Who Is A Christian, Part 3

Montana,

In my last letter, I listed proofs for salvation from the New Testament book of 1 John. (Either refer to the previous blog or click here to download a pdf of the list.) Later, I reviewed the list and organized the items into eight categories listed in the table below. Several items are difficult to place into just one category. In some of these cases, I listed the item in two categories and identified them with an asterisk.

Individual Categories of Proofs

Category	# Ref	Defines Christian	Defines Non-Christian
1.      Commands	5	2,3,23,32	4
2.      Love	16	5,7,20,21,22,27,30	5,8,10,13,14,15,16,20,22
3.      Jesus	12	10,13,15,25,29,34,35	9,17,23,24,25
4.      Holy Spirit	4	8,12,24,28
5.      Sin	5	18,36,37*	3,11
6.      World	7	19,31*,33,37*	7,18,21*
7.      Action	11	1,4,14,16,17,31*	1,2,6,12,21*
8.      Truth	4	9,11,26	19

To help with understanding, I will give a brief explanation of each category and of the chart.

1. The first category, Commands, refers to verses that speak about obedience to the commands of God and of Christ and remaining within the will of God.
2. Love includes any reference to the subject of loving other Christians or loving in general, or, in the case of the non-Christian, of hate.
3. The Jesus category includes any reference to a confession of Christ as Lord or as Messiah, or a belief in Christ or God and the things they have taught.
4. The Holy Spirit category includes references to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and the Savior as evidence of salvation. 1 John 4:15-16 makes reference to the indwelling of God, but the purpose of the reference to the indwelling of God is not to prove salvation, but that the one who abides in love gives proof that he is indwelt by God.
5. Sin includes any reference to the habitual practice of sin or the denial of sin. Item 37 is included in this list because idolatry is a specific sin habitually practiced.
6. Category six, World, includes any reference to how a person reacts to the world or how the world responds to the Christian. Item 37 is included here because any worship that is not directed toward a biblical revelation of God is directed toward things of the world and is, therefore, idolatry. Item 31 (Defines Christian) and Item 21 (Defines Non-Christian) are included deal with fear. It seemed best to include them in how one reacts to the world around him or her.
7. This category, Practice, refers to general behavior and actions related to lifestyle and doing the right thing according to righteousness. References to fear are also included in this category because if we are acting according to fear, we are not acting according to faith.
8. The last category, Truth, has to do with any reference to truth as knowledge. Item 2 (Non-Christian) mentions truth, but is more specifically related to practice than knowledge.

The remaining two columns make reference to the items in the original tables that list references to those verses in 1 John which define a Christian and which define those who are not Christian. For example, under the heading Define Christian, in the first cell is the numbers 2. This refers to Item 2 in the first table, The Apostle John’s Definition of a Christian, which points us to 1 John 2:3, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”

In the first cell under the heading Define Non-Christian is the number 4. This refers to Item 4 in the second table, The Apostle John’s Definition of a Non-Christian, which directs us to 1 John 2:4, “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Once the items were compiled into the table, one fact stood out above the rest. John makes it very clear that anyone who knows Christ as Savior – anyone who is truly born again and is part of the kingdom of God – will be marked by love. Of the 62 items that define a Christian or a non-Christian, just over 25 percent of them refer to the Christian’s ability to love others, in general, and to love the brotherhood – the church – specifically.

All but five of these references to love include a reference to Christian brothers. This means that a Christian will love other Christians, both male and female, and will love the church in general. The church is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-20; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 5:30; Col. 1:24), and no person can legitimately claim to be a Christian who does not love the church.

Further study revealed that these eight categories could be reduced to three summary categories. These are shown in the table below.

Summary Categories of Proofs

Category	# Ref	Defines Christian	Defines Non-Christian
1.      Profession	7	10,25,29	4*,17,22*,24
2.      Possession	6	8, 12,16*,24,28,35
3.      Practice	50+	Remainder + one*	Remainder + two*

Typically, when a person is asked for proof that they are saved, they will refer to some moment in the past when they invited Jesus into their heart or made a profession of faith in Christ. No matter how far back in their lives this event might have occurred, this is the moment they go back to as proof that they are a Christian. Their profession of faith becomes their greatest proof of salvation.

One’s profession of faith in Christ is certainly proof of salvation, or John would not have mentioned it. Yet in this summary table of proofs, profession of faith is only mentioned three times out of the 62 proofs that John identified. More than 50 (over 80%) of the proofs for whether or not a person is truly saved relate to that person’s practice, not their profession.

In fact, in two verses (1 John 2:4; 1 John 4:20), John points out that people who make a profession of faith that is not supported by practice  are actually not saved, an indication that a profession of faith alone is insufficient in and of itself to determine whether or not a person is saved. He adds in 1 John 3:18 that a Christian is not to “love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

In other words, the primary evidence for whether or not a person is saved is not their profession of faith or a statement of salvation or even baptism, but the practices of their life – their behavior. The person who needs to evaluate their standing with Christ – whether or not they are citizens of the kingdom of God – should consider these questions based on the teachings from 1 John.

• Do you love others, especially other Christians (the church)?

• Do you obey the commandments of God and of Christ?

• Do you avoid habitual sinful practices?

• Are you involved in the study and the life-application of God’s word?

• Do you choose the righteousness and the teachings of Christ over the morality and philosophies of the world?

Positive answers to these questions cannot be assumed simply because a person walks an aisle and professes them to be true and is baptized. Church membership should be based, not on a person’s profession alone, but on their life practices. This cannot be determined during a time of invitation at the end of a worship service. It can only be assessed over an extended period of relationship with the candidate for membership.

And this can best be achieved in a discipleship relationship where the candidate spends a good deal of time together with a church member or a small group of church members who are able to make such an assessment.

In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), Jesus did not command His disciples to make converts – which is the providence of God – or church members. He called them – and Christians today – to make disciples, which requires those who are saved to make long-term commitments of life and love to those who are newly-professed Christians or even non Christians.

Finally, we cannot leave the Holy Spirit out of this discussion. John makes it clear on four occasions (1 John 2:20; 2:27; 3:24; 4:13) that the Christian will know that they are a member of the kingdom of God by the testimony of the Holy Spirit living within them. All of these behaviors mentioned above will come to fruition in a saved person because the Holy Spirit will cause them to happen.

The growth and change in a saved person may not happen overnight, but will happen because the Holy Spirit is not going to leave us or forsake us (John 14:16-17).

And, being God, He cannot fail to accomplish His work in us (Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 55:11; Phil. 1:6).

In summary, no person is a Christian simply because they choose to be a Christian or because they say they are a Christian. A person is a Christian because the Holy Spirit comes into their heart and begins to do a work of grace in them that overflows onto other people. That is called discipleship.

Every Christian is called to discipleship. In fact, you should consider praying about and seeking out someone who can mentor you, who can help you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that this letter has been long and possibly a bit of an overload of information. But I write you this letter for the same purpose that John wrote the letter we refer to as 1 John.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

In Christ,

Pastor Dan

Click here to download a PDF version of this article.

Who Is a Christian, Part 2

A friend of mine once said he believes that every so often, an angel steps up to the banister of Heaven, leans out, and shouts a single word or phrase, such as “DISCIPLESHIP,” that echoes across the earth. Once he has done so, we begin to hear that word or subject repeated over and over in sermons, in books, in songs, in Sunday School lessons, and in small group Bible studies and discipleship groups. No matter where you turn, you will hear that word or phrase. I believe that has happened recently.

I disciple a young man who lives in California. We obviously cannot meet on a regular basis, but as long as the internet is active, as long as our phones continue to work, and as long as the mail continues to run, I can continue to teach him the things that the Holy Spirit has taught me. I wrote the first letter to him in January 2015. Since he had only recently become a Christian and was baptized there in California, I felt the first letter should address the definition of the term Christian in biblical terms. My plan is to continue to write him with this as the theme for the next couple of letters.

The same week I wrote that letter, the church we attended announced a one-time class entitled “Who Is or Isn’t a Christian?” Then I received an email from a site at which I had previously registered that encouraged me to read an online article written by John MacArthur entitled “10 Marks of True Conversion.” I tried the link. It did not work. Nevertheless, being wise in the ways of the net, I searched for the title and found a similarly titled article by John MacArthur, “Is It Real? 11 Biblical Tests of Genuine Salvation.”

Sounds like the angel has spoken.

(By the way, If you came here just to view the list of things that John used to describe a Christian, click on this link to download a PDF of the list. I pray you enjoy it. God bless.)

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Greetings, Montana in California! (That sounds kinda weird!) JUST KIDDING!

In my last letter to you, I began to explain the meaning of the term Christian. I have continued that subject in this letter. I pray that it helps you in your own spiritual growth.

The word “Christian” is used in multiple contexts by different sources, almost none of whom would agree on a definition of the term. For some, the term is very, very important. It defines their relationship with God and their hope of eternity. For others, it is simply a religious choice. To the Muslim, it is anyone from the West who is not a Muslim, and synonymous with the word atheist. Some use the word with great reverence. Others with great derision and hatred. So just who is a Christian? Is there a litmus test by which a person can be tested to prove whether or not they are truly a child of God?

Many – and I might say most – people who identify themselves as Christians cringe at the thought of such an idea. The American culture has taught us to believe that we are independent spirits with the right of self-determination, and therefore, the right to define terms as we please. For another person to put us to the test is considered offensive and hypocritical. But if this is so, why does the Bible go to such lengths to define the person who is truly a child of God?

Here’s a test. In the next couple of days, stop someone you believe to be a Christian and ask them if they are. He or she may surprise you with a very definite “Yes,” but it is unlikely. More often than not, that person will answer you with something like, “Well, sure, at least, I hope so. I believe in Jesus. I know that Jesus is real, and I try to do all the right things, and live a good life, and not hurt other people, etc.”

Some people might even argue that no one can really know for certain that they are a Christian apart from a hope that they hold in their hearts. However, the Apostle John wrote a letter (1 John in the New Testament) in which he said, “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

Most Christians, if asked to give evidence for whether or not they are truly a Christian, will point back to the time when they prayed a prayer and invited Jesus to come into their heart. Or, depending on their denomination or branch of Christianity, they might say something about a moment in their past when they experienced some event, such as a baptism, or an overwhelming feeling of emotion, or even that they come from a long line of believers.

But what does the Bible say about who is and who is not a Christian? My last letter began to answer that question. I would like to continue along that line of thought in this letter. The New Testament has much to say about this subject, but in this letter I will concentrate on the small book in the back of your New Testament called 1 John, written by the same man (the Apostle John) who wrote the Gospel of John and The Revelation. He himself was one of the original disciples of Jesus.

Before embarking on this study, let me say first of all that there is nothing a person can do to become a Christian. Salvation is the work of God. It is a supernatural event in a person’s life. We are not capable of supernatural power within the limitations of the flesh. So when we set out to define a Christian, please understand that I am not teaching that these are things that people can do to become a Christian or might do simply to prove they are Christian. Instead, understand that these are things that define Christians.

An apple can be red or green or yellow, has an outside skin we refer to as the peel, an inner flesh, a core, a stem, and a very distinctive taste. Those are the things that define the apple. Simply because a fruit has an outer peel that is red, green or yellow, an outer skin and an inner flesh, a core and a stem does not make it an apple. It must have the distinctive flavor of an apple. We might at first be confused by the fruit’s appearance, but one taste will reveal the truth.

The same is true when we look at those elements that define a Christian. These are not things we must achieve to become a Christian or a to become a better Christian. These are things that will be true of a Christian – maybe not from the moment they are saved, but eventually. These are the things that a saved person is in the process of becoming. They may not all be true of you yet, so do not get discouraged or overwhelmed. Remember that, just as salvation is a miraculous work of God, so is sanctification – the process by which God converts you into a true son of God.

Right about here, let me encourage you to lay aside this letter. Get out your Bible and turn to 1 John. Read all five chapters. It will not take very long. Then go back and read it again. This time, use a pen and paper to list all the things that John says defines a child of God. The list will be long.

Once you have done that, read the book a third time. Then make a list of the characteristics or habits of those who are not Christian, even though they may claim to be.

Once your lists are complete, come back to the letter and compare your lists to the ones I have included at the end of this letter. Do not worry if you have omitted things I have included or if you have things on your list that I have omitted. None of our lists is meant to be perfect. The idea is to understand that the Bible very clearly defines the term Christian.

I pray that from this study...

• You will understand that the term Christian is clearly defined in Scripture.

• You may have a better idea of what God intends to happen in the life of a Christian.

When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to become His disciples, He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He called them to follow Him so that He could make something out of them that fulfilled the mission of the kingdom of God. 

That is what He intends to do to all who claim Him as Lord and Savior.

God bless.

Pastor Dan

To download a PDF of this article including the charts, click here.

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The Apostle John’s Definition of a Christian* PDF

1. Walks in the light (1 John 1:7)
2. Keeps his (Jesus’) commandments (1 John 2:3)
3. Keeps his (Jesus’) word (1 John 2:5)
4. Walks in the same way that Jesus walked (1 John 2:6)
5. Loves other Christians (1 John 2:10)
6. Does the will of God (1 John 2:17)
7. Continues in fellowship with other Christians (1 John 2:19)
8. Has an anointing from the Holy One (God) (1 John 2:20)
9. Knows the truth (1 John 2:20)
10. Acknowledges the Son (that Jesus is the Christ) (1 John 2:23)
11. Remains faithful to things taught from the beginning (1 John 2:24)
12. Has the Holy Spirit to teach him what is right (1 John 2:27)
13. Filled with courage, not ashamed of Christ (1 John 2:28)
14. Will do what is right (1 John 2:29)
15. Has an eager expectation of Christ’s return and his transformation (1 John 3:3)
16. Keeps himself pure (1 John 3:3)
17. Practices righteousness (1 John 3:7)
18. Cannot practice habitual sin (1 John 3:9)
19. Is hated by the world (1 John 3:13)
20. Loves Christian brotherhood (1 John 3:14; 4:21)
21. Ought to lay down his life for other Christians (1 John 3:16)
22. Loves, not just in word or talk, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18-19)
23. Keeps God’s commandments and does what pleases Him (1 John 3:22-24)
24. Assured of salvation by the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:24)
25. Confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2)
26. Listens to those who speak the truth of God (1 John 4:6)
27. Loves others (1 John 4:7, 11-12)
28. God has given his Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13)
29. Confesses that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 5:1)
30. Abides in love (1 John 4:16)
31. Does not fear (1 John 4:18)
32. Loves God and obeys his commandments (1 John 5:2)
33. Overcomes the world through faith (1 John 5:4-5)
34. Believes in the Son of God (1 John 5:10)
35. Has the Son (1 John 5:12)
36. Does not keep on sinning (1 John 5:18)
37. Keeps himself from idols (1 John 5:21)

*Please note that this list is not an exhaustive list. Others who read this letter of the Apostle John will very likely note other characteristics of a Christian that are unintentionally omitted from this list. Many items in the list are paraphrases of each quality based on my own understanding. Many are repetitive. The significant thing to note is quantity of evidences John gives for defining a Christian.

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The Apostle John’s Definition of a Non-Christian* PDF

1. Walks in darkness while claiming to walk in the light (1 John 1:6)
2. Lies and does not practice truth (1 John 1:6)
3. Claims to have no sin  (1 John 1:8, 10)
4. Claims to know Christ but does not keep his commandments (1 John 2:4)
5. Hates his Christian brothers (1 John 2:9, 11)
6. Blinded by darkness so does not know where he is going (1 John 2:11)
7. Loves the world (1 John 2:15)
8. Does not remain in Christian fellowship (1 John 2:19)
9. Denies that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22-23)
10. Does not recognize a Christian (1 John 3:1)
11. Habitually practices sin (1 John 3:6-9)
12. Does not practice righteousness (1 John 3:10)
13. Does not love the brotherhood (1 John 3:10)
14. Does not love (1 John 3:14)
15. Hates the brotherhood and is equal to a murderer (1 John 3:15)
16. Closes his heart against a brother in need (1 John 3:17)
17. Does not confess Jesus (1 John 4:3)
18. Speak from the viewpoint of the world (1 John 4:5)
19. Does not listen to those who speak the truth of God (1 John 4:6)
20. Does not love and therefore does not know God (1 John 4:8)
21. Lives in fear (1 John 4:18)
22. Says he loves God, but hates his brother, and is therefore a liar (1 John 4:20)
23. Does not believe God (1 John 5:10)
24. Calls God a liar (1 John 5:10)
25. Does not believe what God has testified about Christ (1 John 5:10)

*Please note that this list is not an exhaustive list. Others who read this letter of the Apostle John will very likely note other characteristics of a false Christian that are unintentionally omitted from this list. Many items in the list are paraphrases of each quality based on my own understanding. Many are repetitive. The significant thing to note is quantity of evidences John gives for identifying those who are not part of the family of God, even though they may profess to be.

News from California

I recently wrote a letter to a relatively new friend I made in California in 2014 named Montana. At the time we met, he was 18. After I returned to Georgia, we communicated by texting on several occasions. This is the first letter that I wrote to him. 

I have edited out the first paragraph which was simply a personal greeting to him and his family. The subject of the letter was the meaning of the term Christian. His response follows the letter. I will let it speak for itself.

I will add that the opportunity to share the gospel message with this young man is due to the trip Ann and I were allowed to take in 2014. My employer, Steve, who has recently moved to California with the goal of planting a church there, paid the way for me to attend some business-related training there in Irvine. We met our young friend on our second night there.

God has a way of working things out so that His perfect will is always accomplished. For that and for all other blessings of life, I give Him praise.

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December 28, 2014

To Montana, my friend in California.

Many, many times I have thought about our conversation at Spectrum Center. I do not believe in coincidences. God has a wonderful and perfect plan for His creation and for all who are part of it. He brought my wife, Ann, and I to California for just that time so that we could share with you the wonderful news of the Savior, Jesus.

I am not altogether sure what prompted you to stop and begin talking with us that evening, but as we continued to talk, and as we shared the good news of Jesus with you, you seemed to soak up everything that we were sharing. I felt that you were sincerely listening to everything I said and that the message of Jesus as Savior was having an effect on your heart. I certainly pray that such was the case.

I have told many other people about our conversation that evening. On almost every occasion, they ask me if you were a Christian when we parted. I have to be honest with them and say that I do not know, since I cannot see into men’s hearts. You are the only one who can answer that question.

It may be that you know the answer right away without any hesitation. Or you may be wondering what I mean when I use the term “Christian,” because there is so much confusion in the world about what that term means. So let me explain it a bit. Then, after reflection, you will have a better idea of how to answer the question and where you stand with God.

The Bible says that a Christian will confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord. That means he will openly and willingly tell other people that Jesus is Lord of his life.  

The Bible says this in several places.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10.32-33)

Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:23)

Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ – the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person – comes from God and belongs to God.  And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. (1 John 4.2-3)

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (1 John 4.15)

Furthermore, a Christian will believe in his heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead.

The resurrection is the most fundamental truth of the good news about Jesus. Without the resurrection, Jesus is just another man claiming to be a god. But the fact that Jesus overcame death through resurrection – something He had earlier predicted would happen – means that whatever else He said is also true. It also means that He is a living God, not a man-made god.

Here is what the Bible has to say about the importance of the resurrection.

Jesus was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1.4)

Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also.” (John 14.19)

If Christ was not raised from the dead then neither our preaching nor your faith has any meaning at all...and if Christ did not rise your faith is futile and your sins have never been forgiven. (1 Corinthians 15.14, 17)

Thank God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that in his great mercy we have been born again into a life full of hope, through Christ’s rising again from the dead! (1 Peter 1.3)

God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man (Jesus) he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him (Jesus) from the dead. (Acts 17:31)

So, what is a Christian? He is a person who confesses Christ as Lord and believes in the resurrection.

This does not mean that a person automatically can claim to be a Christian if they do these two things. It does mean that, if a person is a Christian, they will do these two things without a doubt: they will confess to others that Jesus is their Lord, and they will believe in the resurrection.

There is much more that I could write along these lines, but I will save it for another letter. Consider these two aspects and let me know where you stand in relation to them.

I close with a paraphrase from the book of Ephesians:

I cannot stop thanking God for you – every time I pray, I think of you and give thanks. But I do more than give thanks. I ask our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, to keep your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, so that you are able to grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians and the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him – endless energy, boundless strength!

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule.

And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything.

At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.

The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” (Ephesians 1:16-23, adapted from The Message)

I pray you have a wonderful New Year and that God will bless you and your family.

Let me hear from you now and then.

In Christ,

Dan

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Here is the text I received today from our new friend, Montana:

Hey Dan! I just got your letter. I just wanted to let you know I have accepted Jesus Christ as my father and savior. And I recently got baptized (: I hope your doing well too?

Discipleship and the Unsaved

In Christian circles, there is an on-going debate concerning the difference (if such a thing exists) between being a Christian and being a disciple. For me, there is no difference. A Christian who is obedient to the Lord Jesus will be a disciple as well as a disciple-maker. Simply stated, a person cannot be a Christian – a follower of Christ – unless they are also a disciple of Christ. Only recently have I turned the question around and asked what may be an even more radical question: Can a person be a disciple without being a Christian?

In “The Great Commission” of Matt. 28:18-20, Christ calls every Christian to make disciples. Disciple making is not a spiritual gift that God has given to a few, but a command He has given to all Christians. All who claim to know Christ as Savior are called to be disciples, but to be a disciple requires that we make disciples.

Yet how many of us who hold so firmly to our eternal salvation can actually say that we have even made one disciple in our life times? If the standard of reward in heaven is how many disciples follow along with us, how many of us will have even one to offer to Christ?

Can you name one person whose life has been so impacted for Christ by your efforts on a personal basis that they have turned around and impacted the lives of someone else for Christ?

In his book Radical (which I believe should be entitled Normal), David Platt wrote the following:

Any Christian can do this. You don’t need to have inordinate skill or unusual abilities to make disciples. You don’t need to be a successful pastor or a charismatic leader to make disciples. You don’t need to be a great communicator or an innovative thinker to make disciples. That’s why Jesus says every Christian must do this.[1]

I believe I am right when I say that the church (at least in the last couple of centuries) has come to see discipleship as the next step after getting saved – that before we can help someone grow in their relationship with Christ they must first have a relationship with Christ. While it is true that they must have a relationship with Christ, we are wrong to assume that that relationship must be defined as a salvation experience.

When Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples, I don’t think He had in mind what we have traditionally had in our minds – first get them saved, then teach them the things of Christ and the Bible. In the Great Commission, Jesus told the disciples first to make disciples from all people groups and then to baptize them. Discipleship begins before a person ever comes to know Christ as Savior.

The belief that salvation precedes discipleship has led the church to place its greatest ministry emphasis on evangelism – on leading people to Christ and getting them saved and baptized – whereas the emphasis of the Great Commission is on discipleship, not evangelism. By placing the majority of our emphasis on justification instead of transformation, we have created a church which is very wide, but at the same time is very shallow. It encompasses large numbers of people under a very broad umbrella while making very little positive impact on the moral and ethical nature of our society or on the long-term spiritual development of families and future generations.

Evangelism is without a doubt a very critical part of discipleship, but it is only a part. It is not the end of discipleship. Making converts is the work of God in Christ by the agency of the Holy Spirit through the power of the spoken word of God (Rom. 10.17). Discipleship is the shared responsibility of sanctification in which a person is conformed to the image of Christ – God’s ultimate purpose in the plan of redemption (Rom. 8:29). And it begins before salvation. It is a process God intended to take place within the context of close and personal relationships.

Furthermore, when Jesus gave the Great Commission, He was not telling the disciples to go make disciples out of other Christians. As far as we know, all of the Christians in the world may have been standing on that mountain with Christ. The Bible says (Matt. 28:16) that Jesus instructed the eleven disciples to meet him on a mountain in Galilee, but it does not say that He excluded others from the meeting. Furthermore, verse 16 says “some doubted.”

In light of all that the disciples had witnessed in the days preceding this appointment with Jesus, we might question why they would have any doubts at all. However, if we assume that there were others there besides the eleven Apostles – some who had never heard or seen Jesus before – then the fact that some doubted begins to make more sense.

Paul mentioned that 500 people together at one time witnessed the resurrected Christ (1 Cor. 15:6). Since this meeting between Christ and his disciples was the only meeting following the resurrection that was definitely appointed (Matt. 26:32), the Expositor’s Commentary proposes that as many Christians as possible may have made the trip to Galilee to participate in such a momentous event and would thus have heard the Great Commission in the flesh. [2]

Of course, all of this is speculation, yet when Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples, He intended for them to make those disciples, not out of other Christians, but out of “ethnos” – a word the Jews used to refer to people who were not Jewish – in other words, the heathen or pagan peoples of the world. The fact is, that’s the only kind of people there were in the world at the time Jesus gave the Great Commission.

For most of my church experience, the primary emphasis of discipleship has been education – about gaining knowledge – about learning what “thus saith the Lord.” We tended to measure our success as disciples by how much knowledge we had attained instead of how much we had come to look like Christ or by how many other people we had helped come to look like Christ.

Much to my own chagrin, I believed in this concept and modeled my own ministry on the idea of gaining and proclaiming knowledge. I taught much about the Lord, but very rarely became so involved with individual Christians that they could see the practical truth of the things I was teaching demonstrated in my own walk. In large part, this practice contributed to a very disappointing end of my first independent pastorate – but that is another story for another time.

Listen to the Apostle Paul’s caution concerning knowledge:

We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. (1 Cor. 8:1-3, NIV)

Paul appears to teach that when we define Christian growth in terms of knowledge, we become “puffed up” – all bloated with air, looking bigger and more influential than we really are, having as much effect against the gates of hell as a marshmallow gun against the black gates of Mordor. When we believe that we are in the process of becoming more and more Christ-like as we gain more and more knowledge, we are only deceiving ourselves. How close we have attained to the image of Christ is not measured by how much we know, but by how much we love God which is evidenced by how much we love other people (1 Cor. 13:1-2).

The following thoughts are excerpted from a lecture concerning Christ-centered preaching by Dr. Bryan Chapell of Covenant Theological Seminary. After a reference to 1 Cor. 8:1 (knowledge puffs up), he made the following comments which reinforce what Paul said:

(Knowledge) is actually harmful to us unless there is some way in which it is being used for God’s purposes... God is saying, “What I desire from you is not simply your knowledge of the Word but your ability to communicate it to others.”...For us to really know what God is saying, we have to be actively involved in communicating it to others.[3]

When you couple those verses with the following words of Jesus from John’s Gospel, a picture begins to emerge that better defines what is meant by being a disciple.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments... Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him... If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 14: 15, 21; John 15:10)

Do you have a desire to have a more intimate relationship with God – to experience a closer walk with the Creator of the Universe and the Lord of Eternity? To be known by God, you must love God. How do you love God? By obeying His commands. What was Jesus’ last command before His ascension? Go and make disciples.

Discipleship is not simply sitting in a class and reading a book and taking notes, no matter how interesting the class or how well it is taught. Discipleship is about going – about being personally and intentionally involved in the life of at least one other person – more specifically, a lost person – for the glory of God, for that person’s spiritual well being, and for your own spiritual growth.

Jesus said in Matt. 5:14, “You are the light of the world.” Commenting on Jesus’ words, Adrian Rogers explained that Jesus had cause us to be “the light of the world, not the light of the church. That means we have to get beyond the church walls and take the light out to where it is dark.” [4]

Furthermore, there is no need for us to wait until we have learned how to make disciples or until we have arrived at some educational level or until we have had enough experience. How much would you have to know and how much experience do you need to build a relationship with one other person that would allow you to share the Gospel message with them? Christ intended for us to learn as we make disciples. Better yet, He intended for us to learn by making disciples.

For those who hold to the idea that a person must have a relationship with Christ before they can be a disciple – I will grant that there is something to be said for that idea.

Most of us have heard that discipleship begins with relationship. In other words, we need to become friends with lost people and talk to them about Christ (in other words, begin the discipleship process with them) even before they come to know Christ as Savior. As a result, a lost person who has a relationship with a saved person who understands the meaning of making disciples already has a relationship with Christ, for “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal (to lost people) through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20)

As you pray for God to give you a disciple – someone you can pour your life into for the glory of God and the sake of the kingdom – don’t expect that person to be a Christian, although they may be. Think about discipleship as the means of evangelism. Begin with a lost person – end up with a brother or sister in Christ who prayerfully will be so inspired by what Christ did for them through you that they will go out and, modeling themselves on your example, begin to make disciples, too.

2 Tim. 2:2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. (NLT)

There’s nothing in that verse that says that the “other trustworthy people” to whom we teach “these truths” have to be saved people when they begin the process of discipleship.

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[1] Platt, David. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2010, p. 90.

[2] Nicoll, William R. "Commentary on Matthew 28:16". Expositor's Bible Commentary. http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/teb/view.cgi?bk=39&ch=28

[3] Not sure how to cite this reference. Click here for a pdf of the transcript of the lecture by Dr. Chapell. Click here to go to the webpage and listen to the entire lecture.

[4] Rogers, Adrian. "How Can We Be the "Light of the World"?" Jesus.Org. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. http://www.jesus.org/following-jesus/evangelism-and-missions/how-can-we-be-the-light-of-the-world.html

The Story (True Life Ministries)

Here is a link to a version of The Story witnessing tool. Easy to install the app on your phone and use it whenever the opportunity comes - and it will if you are looking for it.

The Story (True Life Ministries)

No Simple Salvation

Mark 10

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (ESV)

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Have you ever heard anyone say something like this, “Becoming a Christian is easy; being a Christian is the tough part”?

For anyone practicing the faith that God has instilled in them, the second part of this statement has been proven true on more than one occasion.

However, I would like to take issue with the first part of the statement.

Over and over I have heard pastors and Christian leaders say something like this: “Becoming a Christian is as easy as A-B-C.” You can read an example of this explanation of the A-B-C process of salvation at Lifeway.

Various words are used to complete the acronym. Typically, the “A” is said to mean “Admit (or acknowledge) you are a sinner,” although no one can point to a scripture reference that says that this is the first thing a lost person must do to be saved. At a later date I may discuss this formula, but for now, the word I want to focus on is “easy.”

Most of the teachers who use this phrase or this approach add somewhere near the end of their presentation something like this: “To become a Christian, you simply must pray and invite Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior and Lord.” No one offers a biblical example where anyone prayed to become a Christian or a biblical admonition for lost people to “invite” Jesus into one’s heart – as if Jesus needed our invitation.

Here again, I could go on about these subjects, but I want to concentrate for now on the word “simply.”

If you are not familiar with Jesus’ encounter with the person we have come to refer to familiarly as “the rich young ruler,” stop here and read Matt. 19.16-26, Mark 10.17-27, and Luke 18.18-27. You can click here for a parallel version of the conclusion of the story from each of the three gospels in which it is told.

For this discussion, I will refer primarily to Mark’s version of the story, highlighting the end of verse 24 – a phrase which was not recorded by either Matthew or Luke. Here Jesus is speaking to His disciples when He says, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!”

In the KJV, Mark 10:24 says, “Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” However, many commentaries explain that the phrase for them that trust in riches was added by copyists at some point to make the verse more understandable in context.

According to A.T. Robertson, “These words do not occur in Aleph B Delta Memphitic and one Old Latin manuscript. Westcott and Hort omit them from their text as an evident addition to explain the difficult words of Jesus.” The phrase is also omitted in HCSB, NIV, and NLT.[1] Click here to read the verse in multiple translations.

One might argue that the context of the verse lends credence to the appropriateness of the additional words referring to the rich that were added to Mark’s writing in the KJV, especially since Jesus refers to the rich both before and after this statement. Yet the disciples’ reaction indicates that Jesus was not just referring to rich people.

Note that in Luke’s version of the incident, there is no record that the disciples exhibited any astonishment. However, in both Mark’s version as well as Matthew’s, just after Jesus compared a rich man getting into heaven to a camel passing through the eye of a needle, the disciples were “exceedingly amazed” (Matthew) or “astonished out of measure”(Mark, KJV).

According to Dr. Thomas L. Constable, “The disciples' amazement arose from the popular belief that riches were a result of God's blessing for righteousness. They thought riches were an advantage, not a disadvantage in one's relationship with God.” [2]

James Darby, commenting on the text in Matthew, adds, “The disciples, astonished at such a result, and at that which the Lord had said about riches, which, in the eyes of a Jew, were the sign of the favour of God, and which, at all events, furnished the opportunity for doing good works, cry out, ‘who then can be saved?’”[3]

Yet the disciples were not just astonished. They were astonished “out of measure” and “exceedingly.” Both of these are comparative adverbs that modify or, in this case, intensify the meaning of the word being modified. You can get a better sense of the word translated as “out of measure” in the KJV by its use in Mark 15:13-14.

Mark 15:13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” As the trial of Jesus before Pilate advanced, the people began to shout louder and louder – or exceedingly loud compared to how loud they were shouting before.

Therefore, in both Matt. 19:25 and Mark 10:26, the disciples were not just astonished. They were more astonished than they were at an earlier time.

Mark explains the earlier time in Mark 10:24.

First of all, the rich young ruler walked away sorrowful because he realized the personal cost of following Jesus. Although the Bible does not tell us this specifically, when the young ruler counted the cost of discipleship, he seems to have determined that the price was higher than he was willing to pay.

Jesus knew the minds of His disciples. He knew that, like all Jews, the disciples believed that wealth was an indication of God’s favor and that the wealthy had an inside track to the kingdom. Jesus also knew that the disciples were still thinking of the kingdom of God as an earthly kingdom – or at least a heavenly kingdom that would be established on earth according to earthly traditions where the wealthy were most powerful.

Jesus contradicted their beliefs by remarking how difficult it would be for a rich man to enter into the kingdom.

The disciples responded with astonishment and amazement at this unexpected answer.

But Jesus did not stop there.

He went on to expand His comment to include all people, not just the rich, by adding the last part of Mark 10:24.

Jesus explained that it wasn’t just difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom – that entering the kingdom of God was a very difficult thing to do for any person. In fact, even those whom you believe to be favored by God – namely, the rich – had no better chance of entering the kingdom of God than a camel had of passing through the eye of a needle. In other words, such a thing is impossible. And if it is impossible for the rich, then it is equally impossible for the remainder of mankind.

Now Jesus had rocked the disciples back on their heels. They were “exceedingly amazed” and “astonished out of measure.”

Today we would say that Jesus had knocked the wind out of their sails, or that they were blown away by this revelation. Spiros Zhodiates explains that these phrases are used “…in the sense of knocking one out of his senses or self-possession.”[4]

The disciples were blown away by this pronouncement of Jesus, even though this was not the first time Jesus had commented on the difficulty of entering the kingdom of God. In the latter part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to His disciples, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matt. 7:13-14 ESV – Emphasis added)

At this point, it appears the disciples had not yet grasped the concept of grace and still believed that men could enter the kingdom of God by merit or, in the case of the rich young ruler, by money. Now that Jesus had slammed the door on any entrance into the kingdom of God by any human means, the disciples began to marvel out loud, as explained by Mark in verse 26, asking among themselves, “Then who can be saved?”

I don’t believe at this point that the disciples were making reference to salvation as deliverance from hell and the penalty of sin as much as they were wondering who would be delivered from the wrath of God once His powerful kingdom was established on the earth. Now it appears by Jesus’ astounding pronouncement that no one could enter into the kingdom. It was an impossible thing.

Once again, Jesus knew their hearts and minds and the questions they were asking and responded by saying, “No man can enter into the kingdom by his own merit, his own goodness, his own will or design. Such a thing is impossible. Entering the kingdom of God is a very difficult thing indeed, but it is impossible for men to enter the kingdom even by their best efforts. But God, who is infinite and all-powerful and full of mercy and grace, has made this impossible thing possible.”

So to those who pronounce that becoming a Christian is as easy as A-B-C, I would answer with the very words of Jesus: “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!”

It is only possible because God has made it so.

Once again, this is not a new thought that Jesus is announcing to the disciples, for earlier He had given them an encouraging word concerning their entrance into the kingdom of God with emphasis on the fact that the door to the kingdom is opened from the inside, not the outside: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

 As the psalmist said, “Salvation belongs to the LORD” and “The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD…” (Psalm 3:8; 37:39)

As Jonah cried out from the belly of the fish, “Salvation belongs to the LORD.” (Jonah 2:9)

As the saints from every nation, tribe, and tongue declare around the throne, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”, and again, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.” (Rev. 7:10; 19:1)

As the Apostle John declared, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

When Jesus gave an invitation, He did not use A-B-C, but D-T-F.

Matt. 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matt. 7:14)

Becoming a Christian is not easy. It is only possible by the supernatural power of God and the precious blood of the Lamb.

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[1] Robertson, A.T. Robertson’s Word Pictures. Pierce, Larry. Online Bible Edition. Vers. 4.30. Ontario, Canada: Online Bible Foundation, 2013. Computer software. http://onlinebible.net

[2] Constable, Thomas L. Notes on Mark, 2014 Ed.  Sonic Light, 2014, p. 139.

[3] Darby, John Nelson. Pierce, Larry. Online Bible Edition. Vers. 4.30. Ontario, Canada: Online Bible Foundation, 2013. Computer software. http://onlinebible.net

[4] Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1993. 552.

Repentance, Part 6: To Follow Jesus

“I have decided to follow Jesus…The world behind me, the cross before me… No turning back.”

These are excerpts from the lyrics of an old but popular Christian chorus that I recently heard sung in church.

To a Christian, the sentiment and the theology behind the lyrics are quite obvious. The singer is professing that he has abandoned the lusts and temptations and desires of the world which would keep him from Christ. He has changed his focus from things of the world to concentrate on the cross. By keeping the cross before him, he seeks to remain on the path of righteousness with no thought of ever turning back.

The reality is that this is seldom true of most Christians – or more accurately, most church members who profess to be Christians. Too many of us have not turned our backs on things of this world, either materially or spiritually. Too many are still determined to live the American dream of working or winning our way into prosperity.

We still sin – sometimes egregiously. We are still guilty of covetousness, of contempt and pride and hatred, of disobedience to parents, of adultery, and of untruthfulness. We are still strongly subject to idolatry, of taking the Lord’s name in vain, and of abandoning any concept of a Sabbath.

Yet I believe God was aware of all of this when He developed the plan of redemption before the foundation of the world. He was aware of all this when He created man and placed him in Paradise. He knew that even those who professed Christ as Lord would be subject to temptation, and sin, and rebellion, and spiritual as well as moral failure. He knew it – yet He staked the future of the kingdom of Heaven on just such people. As C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “…apparently He thought it worth the risk.”

That is why there is grace. That is why salvation is not dependent upon a person’s goodness or behavior or even upon on a person’s confession, but on God’s call on that person’s life. That is why the evidence of being born again is not a profession, or a prayer, or a performance, but obedience.

Matt. 7:21 Not everyone who calls out to me, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

Read Luke 6.46-49 and Matt. 7.25-26 carefully. The rock upon which the house which can withstand the floods and storms of this world is not belief or profession, but obedience.

Thus the end of repentance is not salvation or the forgiveness of sin, but obedience. True repentance is not signified by walking an aisle or by reciting a salvation prayer or by inviting Jesus to come live in one’s heart, but by fulfilling the Great Commission.

Jesus promised that He and the Father would live in the hearts of those who were obedient (John 14.23). Thus confession that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4.15) is not simply making a statement, no matter how sincere. Abiding in love (1 John 4.16) is not settling complacently into a peaceful and relaxed relationship with God. Both of these are actions that follow hard after and give living proof of the reality of repentance.

Jesus called to Peter and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt. 4.19)

Jesus did not call us simply to save us from death and hell. He saved us so that we would be able to respond to His call to obedience. God determined to build His kingdom through the labors of men and women empowered by His own Holy Spirit. He called us to come by the cross. Then, leaving the cross behind us, we are to focus our eyes on the world through which we are passing as obedient servants of the gospel. (Read Heb. 6.1-3 in the light of Matt. 29.19-20.)

Thus we should maybe rethink the old chorus. Maybe we should revise the song to say…

“I have decided to follow Jesus…The cross behind me, the world before me…No turning back.”