Letters to Christ's Beloved Church

😊 I love apologetics. I am not good at it, but I love it anyway. And I strive for it…

Ultimately the word of God teaches us to speak the truth in love. We can have perfect Doctrine and perfect theology, but like a perfect high-end Steak dinner, if you burn it to crisp, serving it up in arrogance, pride, judgmentalism and condescension, no one is going to want it.

The word of God says that those who teach will be judged more strictly. James 3:1

Things to remember when teaching our children, our friends, those on our social media Networks or those under our care and pastoral Ministries…

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 ESV
[1] Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. [2] If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. [3] But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Although, the above verse references food offered to idols, the words that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” and the following two verses applies, in my opinion, to all of life.

We have seen apologists fall. I was heartbroken over the things that came out about Ravi Zacharias, somebody I listened to for years, and while I believe a lot of his talks were accurate from a theological and apologist standpoint, it’s a little scary to see after a man’s death, such a fall. I personally believe we can pray for the soul of a person and ask for mercy, and I would hope that’s what those are close to me would do, but I am baffled how those close to him never saw this. I know God doesn’t allow me to get away with stuff. And so those things scare me.

You think of the scripture, “What does it gain a man if he gains the world but loses his soul?” Mt. 16:26

We know that God is full of Mercy.

But our own children and the Sheep under our care will be harmed if we allow sin to fester and grow to its full destroying and deadly maturity.

So if you are aware of serious, actively growing destructive sins in your life and you are a teacher or a pastor, stop reading this and call Focus on the Family pastoral counseling, call a friend, call 911 if you have to, but go to God and ask him for help and work with somebody.

If the sin is serious enough that it could really harm people if it was found out, you need to step down.

I will say that again, if the sin is serious enough that it could really harm people if it was found out, you need to step down.

It is okay. God is not mad at you or judging you if you have to step out of Ministry for a season to get your own spiritual health or emotional health or physical health. Yes this takes wisdom, because yes  we are responsible to God to do what we’re called to do, we can’t be lazy. But God loves you.

The command for a pastor to step down or an elder to step down if his children are not obedient in the home, 1 Tim. 3:4, Titus 1:6, is not some judgment-ridden, “Look what a bad dad you are…” statement. No.

It’s a loving, merciful command that (1) acknowledges that God is Lord of his church and can provide somebody else in your place if you are walking in obedience to his command to step down – surely God Who provided you, can provide someone else? 😊It is a merciful statement that (2) cares for the children of pastors and elders, wanting them to be healthy. And (3) that cares for YOU, desiring you to be established in Christ’s love, before you try to minister to others from a place of judgment instead of Truth and Grace, mercy.

God loves you and he wants to protect you too. You are not less important than your call.

That’s a really scary thing to think about, stepping down, especially if we’re worried about our income – instead of believing that God will take care of us…the Lilies and birds thing is real, beloved for whom Christ died.

It’s a scary thing if we are bound by greed and idolatry so that we’re not willing to leave or lose the things of this world that are temporary the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.  In other words, one could be a pastor making a really good income and one could choose to explain to their family that for a while they’re going to go be a janitor or construction worker because that’s God’s will for them for a while, even if the family doesn’t understand it.

We can ask God for help to let go of whatever extras we’ve clung to and can live very simply and learn to enjoy the presence of God and to rejoice in the Lord always – not rejoice in Disney or sports – there are so many other Idols that so often replace the living God – but if we’re more afraid of losing our house, or losing our income, or losing even our families approval of us, than we are afraid of losing the anointing and approval of living God —

THEN!!! we need to be really really afraid.

Jesus said not to fear those who can kill the body, but to fear the one who after the body is killed has the power to throw you into hell. Mt. 10:28

God does not take lightly when we do not hallow his name in our lives.

Yes, He is Father. He works with each person where they are at, but there is a judgment. There is accountability. There is a reckoning when we die. Yes there is love and there is Grace and there is salvation for those who believe in him, but there is so much more to what comes after this life. A renewal of all things. Mt. 19:28

You never hear Paul saying, “Well bless God, I’m saved. I can live just however I want. It doesn’t matter if I preach or not.” But rather he says, Woe to me if I do not preach. 1 Cor. 9:16

The fear of God brings us to our knees and brings us to the presence of God where we can receive forgiveness and salvation, and direction to work through the repentance that we need.

The Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  Prov. 9:10

I personally think there is nothing more scary in this life than somebody that is a leader and that has been in Christ, but has lost their love for God, and now merely is doing all of the formalities correctly. Their theology may be spoken well, but they don’t really care about God or his people.

Like the Church of Laodicea they are not helping anybody. They are not providing benefits from warmth, nor cool refreshing water, but they have ceased to help the people of God or minister Christ’s Love to the world.

(Impact Ministries, “Are You a Lukewarm Christian?”)

I think I’d rather any other false belief, Muslim, atheist, anything, rather than this deadly hypocrisy. The decay and death and violence in other religions are all too often very obvious to us, but how blind we are at times, to the cancer and the death and decay that is in our own circles, even perhaps in this person in the mirror. We are living letters for Jesus Christ. If we are claiming to be a Christian, we can be really out loud about God’s grace for fallen Sinners such as we, greedy, cowards, Hypocrites though at times we be. Yet Christ saves us. But when we lose sight that we are saved by grace alone, when we preach without loving, or even do works for self-attention, to feel good about ourselves, to exalt ourselves, instead of Walking In Love, it’s really scary. 1st Corinthians 13

Christ called the Pharisees to account saying they were whitewashed tombs looking pretty on the outside, but inside full of Dead Man’s Bones. Mt. 23:27

We know that we are saved by grace alone through faith, it is the gift of God so that no one can boast. Eph. 2:8-9 But Faith Works by love Gal. 5:6 and faith without works is dead. James 2:26

That doesn’t change the love or the faith into a work, but there has to be a willingness and a life inside of us to receive the blessing God has given.

Everyone’s works will be tested by fire. 1 Cor. 3:13

If we are just speaking words of truth while living self-centered lives, lives of pleasure and comfort, instead of in maturity entering into the suffering of the world around us, through faith in Jesus Christ believing that all of our sins are forgiven, and walking in that faith and love – when the fire comes, it’ll be clearly seen what was inside of our hearts.

God does not look at the outward appearance he looks at the heart. 1 Sam. 16:7

Those who hear the word of God and do it, when the trials and the storms and the fire comes, their lives and what they have built endures because it was built on obedience to the word of God, not just a mental acknowledgment that the word was true.

But those who have heard the word of God and spoken and sung the word of God, without living and loving God and his people, when the storms and the fire come, they have not built on a foundation of rock but on sand. They were hearers of the word not doers, and the ones they deceived were tthemselves. James 1:22-25

Their house will fall. They will be saved if they believe in Jesus, because God is faithful to his promise even if we are not, but it will be as one going through fire and there will be nothing remaining other than just barely their lives.

These things are serious and need to be taken to Heart.

So, as we teach and as we do apologetics or as we teach our children or whatever we do, let us take our stance in the Salvation that we have been given, knowing that we are saved by grace alone, and let us know that our identity is in Christ. We are beloved. We are baptized. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus because he’s given that to us as a gift.

So we first and foremost focus on our relationship with God and our relationship with our families, and our loving relationship with those under our care, being patient and kind…

Then, from there, by his grace we teach God’s Word in truth and love. Not putting the steak dinner with a knife and a fork in front of a 6-month-old, but using the wisdom that God provides to carefully feed each one as they have need.

I do think C.S. Lewis and I would have been good friends. Not that I am anywhere near a Gifted writer or apologist, but we hold the same passionate love for the one who bled and died for us.  Whose blood can save even rich people, even theologians – Pharisees and sinners.

So, 😊😊have fun with your apologetics, but make sure your hearers understand:  it is not your theology that saves them, but Christ.

God’s peace. 💞🙏😊