Why Tullian Tchividjian is Permanently Disqualified

This morning, I listened to a sermon from Tullian Tchividjian. It wasn't a sermon he preached yesteryear. It was a sermon he preached yesterday. And he wasn't preaching as a guest speaker in someone else's church. He was preaching in his own church that he has planted in Florida.

Tullian Tchividjian—who is the grandson of famed preacher Billy Graham; who followed the honorable D. James Kennedy as the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church; who made a shipwreck of his ministry when he committed adultery with a member of his congregation; who was revealed to have had another affair; who threw his wife under the bus by making it look like she was the cause of their marriage problems; who was defrocked, then received another pastorate, and broke trust with that church; who has divorced, remarried, and returned to Florida to start his own church—is back.

Truth be told, Tullian was never gone. I can't remember a time in the last 4 years since his scandals were first exposed that I wasn't seeing his name. He never truly resigned from anything. He's always been preaching even if he wasn't pastoring. Now he has founded a church called The Sanctuary, "meeting each Sunday at the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens ahead of a planned formal launch next month," according to a weekend article in the Palm Beach Post.

The first 7 minutes of yesterday's sermon contains moments of irony (if not outright hypocrisy). For example, he refered to God's grace as a "scandal." He's not the only preacher I've heard use this word, and I've never been comfortable with it, but it's especially strange coming from Tullian. He also called himself a good person in the eyes of others, except, he joked, when he is "flying down Alternate A1A." Really? Breaking the speed limit is what might make us question his goodness? He also said that he has been mentoring and training young preachers. Yikes!

Within his sermon introduction, he referred to himself as the pastor of those who were in attendance. So this regular Sunday-morning gathering isn't some Bible study group meeting at a hotel and we're mistakenly calling it a church. It is a church plant. People are attending, and Tullian is their pastor. Shame on them, and shame on him. Tullian has disqualified himself from ever being a pastor again.

Now, do I believe the Lord when He says in Isaiah 43:25, "I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins"? Or when Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us"? Or when 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"? Yes, I believe all of this and more!

If I didn't believe God is faithful to cleanse us of our sins, I'd be in big trouble, for I also have sinned greatly before God, and I, too, am in need of a Savior. God is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). God has forgiven me of my sins. I know that He will forgive you of yours. It's what I'm devoted to preaching—"that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:15).

Would God forgive Tullian Tchividjian for the sins he has committed? Absolutely! He can be restored to Christ's body and partake in the fellowship of communion at the Lord's table. But does that mean Tullian can resume the office of a pastor again? No, it does not.

The first qualification of a pastor is this: "An overseer must be above reproach" (1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6-7). Every other qualification that follows explains what that means: a pastor must be faithful to his wife, he must be sober minded, self-controlled, managing his household well, and so on. In other words, the people who know him must be able to recognize his good character as an example of God's grace and Christian maturity.

"The idea is present blamelessness," John MacArthur teaches regarding the qualifications of pastors. "It doesn't mean he had to be perfect before he was a Christian; no one could do that. Everyone, before they came to Christ, lived in sin, and more sin, and only sin. So, the point here is, that present tense, this man must have a life without blame. That is the overarching requirement." He goes on to say, "The reason blamelessness is called for at the pastoral level is because we are the example which you are all to follow."

That said, Tullian Tchividjian is a bad example for anyone, let alone as a pastor. Even unbelievers know that cheating on your wife and blaming her for it makes you a really awful person. Tullian did this as a pastor! He knew better. Think about it: Can he ever be trusted with that office again? Yes, he can be forgiven his sins and know the grace of God, in the sense that he still has an entrance in the kingdom of heaven. But for the remainder of his life, he will never fulfill the requirement that a pastor must be "above reproach."

In a recent interview, Phil Johnson, director of Grace to You, pointed out that adultery disqualifies a man from ministry "permanently." Said Johnson, "That kind of sin leaves a reproach that cannot be blotted out. And the first requirement for a pastor is that he must be above reproach. So while he can be forgiven of that sin... what he cannot do again is stand up and lead that church."

I've consistently taught this same thing (example 1, example 2). There are sins that can permanently disqualify a man from ministry. With regards to adultery, we're talking about a moral sin punishable by death in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 22:22) and given more serious warning and greater consequences in the New Testament (video 1, video 2). Praise God for His grace that an adulterous man can stand before God righteous. But with regards to standing in the pulpit, not every man is qualified, even if he is a gifted teacher. James 3:1 says teachers will be judged with greater strictness.

Though Tullian is unqualified multiple times over, he has positioned himself as a pastor again, this time free from having to answer to anyone else (The Sanctuary is unaffiliated and non-denominational). The people under his teaching should also be ashamed. When it comes down to it, they want their ears scratched (2 Timothy 4:3), and Tullian's life and teaching with antinomian undertones—that you're not held accountable to a moral law—is exactly what people will come to his church looking for. According to the article I referenced earlier, the church already has a list of 500 supporters.

If Tullian truly revered the word of God as he says he does, he needs to humble himself in the fear of the Lord and step away from the work of ministry entirely. He must attend church as a congregant, not clergy. He would still be among those who can say, "I once was that, but I've been washed" (1 Corinthians 6:11). He can still say, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you" (Psalm 51:13). But he must do this without holding a church office, for he has disqualified himself.

The rest of the church is responsible to hold their elders accountable. As we read in 1 Timothy 5:19-21, "Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality." It's very unfortunate that Tullian's church is not in keeping with these commands. Tullian causes his congregation to stumble, and they cause him to stumble.

I do not take lightly ever having to say that another man is unqualified for ministry. I understand full well that the call of a pastor is to be above reproach. As John Knox was famous for saying, "I have never once feared the devil, but I tremble every time I enter the pulpit." May the Lord God keep me faithful as an example to the flock, to "serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling" (Psalm 2:11).

Hillsong Worship Leader Leaves the Faith

Recently, author and former megachurch pastor Joshua Harris announced that he had left his wife and the Christian faith. The announcement came in a most 2019 way: via Instagram with a picture of himself brooding over a scenic lake (your typical Pondering Pond photo). Most known for his breakout book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, it was all too easy for a plethora of articles to emerge under the heading "Joshua Harris Kisses Christianity Goodbye."

Mere days later, Harris was posting pictures of himself at a gay pride event. Some have dared to speculate that Harris's next big announcement will be to come out of the closet. Gossip aside, it's clear that Harris does not intend his departure from the faith to be a quiet, contemplative step back. He will capitalize on his own name and the bankability of a star-pastor going rogue, having said he plans to start a podcast about his "journey." Harris is not a Christian, and he's proud of it.

Regarding Harris's apostasy, Toby Logsdon, pastor of New Beginnings Church in Lynnwood, WA, said the following: "Amazing, isn't it? That anyone could walk away from the Christian faith and feel liberated rather than absolutely terrified. But were it not for God's grace sustaining our faith and preserving our place in Christ, we would deny Christ as surely and as readily as Peter did."

With any story of apostasy, we would do well to remember the Spirit's instruction in Philippians 2:12-13, where the Apostle Paul wrote, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

Harris is not the first high-profile name to leave the faith, and he won't be the last—as we are being reminded even today. Yet another megachurch star has taken to Instagram to announce he's no longer a Christian. You may not know the name Marty Sampson, but you know his songs. Marty has been a worship leader with Hillsong and has written or co-written dozens of hits. His praise albums have sold millions of copies, and his worship choruses have tens of millions of views on YouTube.

In a single paragraph on his Instagram (martysamps), Marty said the following:

Time for some real talk... I'm genuinely losing my faith.. and it doesn't bother me... like, what bothers me now is nothing... I am so happy now, so at peace with the world.. it's crazy / this is a soapbox moment so here I go xx how many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it. How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it. Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it. How can God be love yet send 4 billion people to a place, all coz they don't believe? No one talks about it. Christians can be the most judgemental people on the planet - they can also be some of the most beautiful and loving people... but it's not for me. I am not in any more. I want genuine truth. Not the “I just believe it” kind of truth. Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion. Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God. Got so much more to say, but for me, I keeping it real. Unfollow if you want, I've never been about living my life for others. All I know is what's true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point... I could go on, but I won't. Love and forgive absolutely. Be kind absolutely. Be generous and do good to others absolutely. Some things are good no matter what you believe. Let the rain fall, the sun will come up tomorrow.

It looks like it was written with the grammar and reason of an adolescent who begrudgingly went to youth group because his parents made him. But Marty Sampson is 40 years old, a husband, a father, and a church leader. As with Harris, Marty is "so at peace" with his decision. I would be, too, if the Christianity I had was the flimsy cardboard box Marty had been living in at Hillsong.

Marty says, "How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it." Um, where has he been all summer? For the last two weeks, news of Joshua Harris has consumed evangelical social media. A couple weeks before that, narcissist Mark Driscoll came in on the raft he's reassembled from the shipwreck of his ministry to make fun of his former beliefs. A month before that, word had spread that Harvest Bible Chapel founder James MacDonald allegedly sought a hitman to murder someone. Shall I go on?

Marty says, "How many miracles happen? Not many. No one talks about it." Consider where this is coming from—Hillsong is a charismatic megachurch that started in the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination. They believe tongue-spieling, prophecy-revealing, spirit-feeling, body-reeling, super-healing miracles are going on all the time. Marty has seen through the ruse of charismaticism and recognized this stuff is totally fake. But instead of questioning the Hillsong bubble he was living in, he's blaming all of Christendom.

Marty says, "Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it." How much has Marty actually tried to find answers for these things? The Bible has not a single contradiction. If at any point we think the Bible contradicts itself, that's our problem, not God's. For two thousand years, the church has not lacked teachers able to respond to such criticisms. One of my first WWUTT videos was dispelling the myth that there are contradictions between the four gospels. To say "No one talks about it" is absurdly ignorant.

Marty says, "How can God be love yet send 4 billion people to [hell], all coz they don't believe? No one talks about it." Hell is what everyone deserves because all have sinned against God. "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). There are many teachers who talk about the stuff Marty says no one talks about. Now, it may be true that "no one talks about" hell at Hillsong because it's an uncomfortable doctrine that will keep people from buying CD's. Sales will truly drop if they go from singing about happy-go-lucky Jesus to the Jesus who will strike down the nations (see Revelation 19:11-16).

Marty says, "I want genuine truth. Not the 'I just believe it' kind of truth." That may be a picture of what Marty encountered at Hillsong. Maybe he tried to ask questions about these things, but the depth of the answers he got was "I just believe it." We as Christians are instructed to grow in the knowledge of God through the Bible. The Apostle Paul told the Colossians to be "bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). In Christ we find "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3), and we are to "put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator" (Col. 3:10).

Hillsong is not the place to find knowledge. One of their own pastors, Carl Lentz, was asked by Oprah, "Do you believe that only Christians can be in relationship with God?" Lentz replied, "No. I believe that when Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life,' the way I read that, he's the road-marker." What on earth does that mean? No wonder Marty has had trouble finding "genuine truth." Jesus said, "Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice" (John 18:37). If genuine truth is what Marty wants, he must turn to Jesus and away from Hillsong.

Marty says, "Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion," which is just his way of saying, "I'm a natural-minded man who can't discern spiritual things" (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). Marty says, "Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God." This is the fruit of Lentz's reply to Oprah. Jesus is not a life-improvement plan. He's the only way to God, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection from the dead!

If this is Marty Sampson's farewell letter to Christianity, then all he reveals here is that he was never a Christian in the first place. We read in 1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us."

There are many who scoff at the idea that a former believer didn't really believe in the first place. But just take Marty at his own words. It is evident that he has never understood what Christianity is. When you go to his music, you find glimpses of the truth, but it's truth Marty is now saying was never truly meaningful.

In his song Elohim, he wrote, "I stand upon the solid rock of faith in Christ," and "I know my hope shall last." Apparently that was a lie. In the song One Thing, Marty wrote, "One thing I desire, one thing I seek, to gaze upon your beauty." The bridge goes, "I will seek your face, call upon your name, Jesus, all I want is you." But Marty is no longer seeking Christ and is not calling on His name. It cannot be that Jesus was all he wanted.

The chorus of the song goes, "Lord your name is higher than the heavens, Lord your name is higher than all created things." That's certainly true, but it wasn't for Marty. How could a person believe with all his heart in the greatest truth that could ever be known, and then turn around and call it a lie? Such a thing would be impossible. The truth of God cannot be denied by those who have truly beheld its power. Marty did not have faith—he had a passing opinion. He never truly believed the name of Jesus is the name above all names. If he did, he'd be falling on his face in fear of his unbelief, not comfortably musing, "I am so happy now, so at peace with the world."

Marty says, "I've never been about living my life for others." Now, what Marty means is that the opinions of others regarding his newly minted apostasy are not going to change his mind. But unfortunately, this is, like Joshua Harris's confession, a statement of pride. That's exactly who Marty is living for—he is living for himself. He's always been about living for himself. He's never been about the work of God, even if there were times it looked like he was.

His closing words are equally sad and ironic: "Let the rain fall, the sun will come up tomorrow." When the Apostle Paul rebuked some of the Corinthians for not believing in the resurrection of Jesus, he said, "If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die'" (1 Corinthians 15:32). Without hope in the resurrection of Christ, we have no hope at all. Marty is conceding to the purposeless of life apart from Jesus, whether or not Marty is aware that's what he just confessed.

Our hearts should break when we hear of stories like Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson. They no doubt have family members whose hearts are also breaking. The day of judgment will be most dreadful for the one who heard the truth, even shared the truth, and yet did not believe it themselves. That is a frightening thing to consider. May none of us ever be too proud, but may we submit to our Father in heaven with fear and trembling. Pray for one another, that we may stand strong in a time of trial. "Keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

We worship a good God, and without His grace none of us would be saved. Draw near to Him, cling all the more to Christ, who has sealed us with His Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. Philippians 1:6 says, "I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

What's Wrong With The Bible Project?

The Bible Project is an online series of free animated videos about, what else, the Bible. When I was first introduced to The Bible Project, I was quite impressed with the quality and had no problem recommending these videos to others. But someone later contacted me and suggested I take a deeper look, particularly in the way TBP creator Tim Mackie addressed the doctrine of the atonement. What I found was astonishing, and little by little more problematic teachings became apparent.

After watching dozens of videos, some of Tim Mackie's sermons, and listening to a few podcasts, I did a video of my own entitled What's Wrong With the Bible Project? (which I tried to keep under 20 minutes). The Bible Project fans weren't fans. With nearly 500 comments (edit: which have now been disabled), I've been called everything from a "chump critic," to a "hack," and a "hater." I've been told I'm "just jealous," "misguided," "still carnal," and "terrible," that I'm gossiping, I'm a pharisee, I'm on a witch-hunt tour, I'm being unnecessarily divisive, I'm cowering behind a camera, one person said I talk funny, and another said I was a pastor of a "cowboy Christian church in Texas which has 19th century neo-theology." Huh?

A fellow by the name of Ryan said, "What do you have to say to the large number of people who strongly disagree with your video?" I wasn't planning on producing another video, but I figured I could scratch out a blog in response to some of these comments. Before starting with the negative, I want to begin by answering a question from someone actually looking for biblical advice. I'll follow that up with a few of the more positive comments.

One of the things I addressed in my video was Mackie's skewed perspective on the doctrine of hell. That led to this question from a viewer:

"I have a question about this, I don't mean this rudely or a mean way but... Can you be a Christian and not believe in hell?" —R.R.

You are saved by faith in Christ, not by faith in hell. Let me put that out there first. The gospel of Christ is the power of salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16). When you heard the gospel and became a Christian, you had an immature faith. You knew that you had sinned against God, you needed a Savior, and that Christ is that Savior. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins, and whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life. You at least needed to know that, or I would question if what you heard preached to you was really the gospel.

But then upon coming to faith, you did not have a robust understanding of the depth of your sin. You probably could not have defined the words "justification" or "sanctification." You couldn't have given a creedal defense of the Trinity. Even the term "God head" may have been foreign to you. Maybe an evangelist told you Jesus was knocking at the door of your heart, and all you had to do was let Him in (the Bible doesn't say that). If you were asked to describe hell, you likely would have given a Dante's Inferno picture of hell.

You come to God as a child—an infant in the faith. But just as we grow and mature in our body, so we must in our spirit well (1 Corinthians 13:11). You will demonstrate evidence of your faith and that your love for God is genuine by growing in the knowledge of Him. If you love Jesus, you will love His word. If you are growing in His word, eventually you're going to wrestle with what Jesus said about hell. No one in the Bible talked about hell more than Jesus did.

Our understanding of hell must be according to what Jesus said. He called hell an eternal fire (Matthew 18:8)—even an eternal fiery punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), but all will be sent there who did not follow Christ (v.46). He said the one who sins and does not repent will be thrown into a place "where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48). He told us who will go to "the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).

Why did Jesus talk about hell so much? So you would fear God, our righteous judge, and know His Son and be saved from judgment. Jesus said, "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5)

If you say you're a follower of Jesus, you will believe what He has said about hell. If you don't believe in hell, you don't believe Jesus. If you don't believe the word of Christ, how can you call yourself a Christian?

What else does Christ save us from but the judgment of Almighty God? And this is what Tim Mackie and The Bible Project creators do not believe, as I demonstrated in my video—they do not believe Jesus died as a propitiation for our sins, thereby appeasing the wrath of God, to be received by faith. This is the gospel, but Mackie called it a distortion of the gospel. He is a false teacher who must be avoided (2 Timothy 3:5).

Thank you for your question, R.R. I hope my answer is helpful to you. Now on with a few of the more positive comments.

"This video is truly a blessing. I've been watching your videos WWUTT and have them saved on my phone and on my laptop for the ministry. I have also seen The Bible Project videos, and I agree that some of them are good and really informational, but I've never had a chance to carefully discern the messages that are being given. Thanks to God for this video which made me realize the subtle errors that The Bible Project committed. Soli Deo Gloria." —Son

Thank you for that message, Son. Yes, as I said in my own video, the Bible Project videos are very creative, and there is some good info you can glean from them. But do you know what you won't hear much of? The Bible. Seriously! The videos feature a couple of guys telling you what they say the Bible says, often without telling you what the Bible actually says. Even when it seems they quote straight from the text, they're not actually quoting the text (as seen here). You're getting their paraphrase of the text.

"I think Mackie has been influenced by N.T. Wright. I like most of their videos. But there have been times when I have refrained from sharing some of their videos because I felt the picture of the gospel was incomplete or misleading." —Eternity

You're right, Mackie has been heavily influenced by N.T. Wright (or as John MacArthur called him, N.T. Wrong). When you go to Mackie's personal page, he has Wright listed as one of his major theological influences. Wright has gone as far as saying one doesn't need to believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ in order to be a Christian. The Apostle Paul said if that were the case, "Your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17).

"There are many serious theological errors in The Bible Project and Mackie's teaching. But because of contemporary evangelicalism's superficiality, folks don't even understand what's going on. Thanks for addressing this. Very important. If you notice the commenters who are upset are unable to provide Bible support for their argument. They just want to complain about tone, etc." —Jay

Watch out for the tone police! Yes, they're after me in person as well as online. It doesn't matter that I was patient and evidenced in my critique of Mackie's teaching. I still got accused of being uncivil. As you will see in the following comments...

"Have you ever tried to reach out to Tim to clarify instead of blasting your brother in Christ? It would've been easier to seek understanding than assume or mischaracterize him." —Alem (TX)

Did you try to reach out to me to understand a brother in Christ rather than "blasting" me on social media? There is no obligation upon me to call every false teacher before calling out his false teaching. Did Jesus speak privately with the Pharisees before He openly rebuked them as blind fools, white-washed tombs, and sons of hell producing more sons of hell (Matthew 23)? I wasn't even that harsh! The Bible says false teachers "must be silenced" (Titus 1:11).

"Have to disagree here. Although they do not talk about God's wrath and propitiation, saying that you shouldn't watch/share their videos is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. We are called to discernment, not separation from other believers who hold to different views." —Fabrizio (Louisville, KY)

We're called to discernment—why? To be a service to the church in distinguishing between spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10). We read in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." Titus 1:9 says that a pastor "must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it."

You recognize, Fabrizio, that Mackie does not teach the truth about God's wrath and the propitiation of Christ's sacrifice. I demonstrated in my video that what Mackie says about those doctrines contradicts what Scripture says. He, as a teacher, has a responsibility to teach right doctrine, does he not? Therefore, doesn't it follow that Mackie may not be an orthodox believer? Am I not fulfilling my pastoral duty by saying he's an untrustworthy teacher? Am I dividing him, or would he divide himself from the body because of his false teaching?

"Dr. Tim Mackey knows more on the subject of atonement than most. He—as well as Dr. Michael Heiser—studied under an orthodox Jew in order to earn his doctorate in Old Testament." —Joe (Indiana)

An orthodox Jew may only be an expert in a modern understanding of Jewish orthodoxy. He can teach me next to nothing about Christ and His atoning sacrifice, since an orthodox Jew does not believe Jesus is the Son of God. (P.S.—Michael Heiser loves to dabble in myth and speculation. He's not a trustworthy teacher either.)

"Totally disagree for what you're saying. If you would spend time to spread the Gospel rather than mocking others, souls would have been saved. SAVE TIME." —Akash

To mock is to ridicule or laugh in a scornful or contemptuous manner. How did I do that? The gospel is presented in my video. If someone watched and listened to what I had to say, they could come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. By the way, I also make time to share the gospel with my family, my church, and my community. A pastor must do all of these things (2 Timothy 4:5).

"This video is like, 'they didn't completely cover the book of Romans in a 10 minute video, so it's heresy.' The Bible Project videos serve as introductions and summaries of pieces of the Bible. To get a more in-depth study, you will need other additional resources. And plenty exist. But TBP is doing their part. A necessary part. Don't criticize them for that. We all need simple teaching in the beginning. Not everyone graduates to the level of understanding of an R.C. Sproul or a Ravi Zacharias." —Katie (Wichita, KS)

Hey, a comment from the great state of Kansas! No, I did not say, nor did I imply, that because they didn't cover Romans the way I thought they should, they're heretics. I didn't even use the word "heretic." This comment leads me to believe you didn't watch the whole video to hear my full argument. Come on, fellow Kansan! You can do better than this.

"Not sure you can claim it's an outright lie. That's kinda assuming his heart motives which you cannot know for sure." —Breanne (New Brunswick)

A lie is a lie even if there's no intention to deceive. Most lies are not deliberate deceptions. The liar may believe his motives are right. But if what he says is not true, it's a lie. When Mackie said penal substitutionary atonement was not in the Bible and that it was a distortion of the gospel, that was a lie, no matter what his intentions were.

"He didn't say hell isn't a real place. In fact, I've heard him say explicitly that it is a real place. He said 'hell isn't just,' as in, there's more to it." —Breanne (again, a few minutes later)

I see you're leaving comments before you've watched the whole video and considered the full argument. Be quick to hear, slow to speak (James 1:19). If there is another place where Mackie said something different about hell, what he said was still wrong in the audio I played. This isn't just a difference of opinion about hell. He impugned the righteous judgment of God.

"Those videos aren't meant to be deep theological expositions. They are meant to be general guidelines to help and encourage people understand whole books of the Bible and go study the Word for themselves. If you haven't gone to him in private to figure out what he actually believes, then this video is ill willed and is creating unnecessary divisions." —Randy

Randy, you didn't come to me privately to figure out what I actually believe. Therefore, can I dismiss your comment as ill-willed and causing unnecessary division? Yes, The Bible Project videos are meant to be deep, theological expositions. One of the things I appreciate about The Bible Project is how they want to demonstrate that the whole Bible is one story. But one of the things I don't like is how they hardly ever use the Bible at all.

"This video is bad really bad. So many Pharisees in this world." —Tevin

The Pharisees added to the word of God. Are you sure you understand what a pharisee is?

"I don't find pastor Gabe's arguments compelling nor exploring anything of significance and only sounds like a minor legalistic point. I think Gabe should check his motives here and stop playing the role of 'the oppressed.'" —Bucket Bros.

As I referenced in the video, God put forward His own Son "as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith" (Romans 3:25). We read in 1 John 4:10, "In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." You don't find exploring propitiation significant? If it's in the Bible, it's significant. And where on earth did I say I was oppressed? I am not millennial, and I am not claiming a victim status.

"I’m sorry, but this is garbage. Bible Project is literally changing lives and making people want to read the Bible. These are meant to be short and summarized, so of course it won’t cover all material all the time. The same dudes have very informational and more lengthy podcasts." —Sarah (Los Angeles)

I doubt Sarah actually watched my whole video, since I went straight to Mackie's podcasts to pull an example of the nonsense he was saying about the atonement. This is one of the major problems with The Bible Project—it gets worse when you go beyond their videos. There are dozens of links to study guides, podcasts, and other sermons. Everything I had the chance to listen to in those sermons or podcasts ranks from legalistic to heretical.

I listened to three Tim Mackie sermons in a row, each an hour long, and I never heard the gospel in any one of them. I heard some fascinating historical stuff about biblical times, and Mackie gave some interesting context and language lessons. But a presentation of the gospel wasn't there, nor did he confront sin or call to repentance. What he preaches are basically life-improvement messages—Jesus just wants you to live better. That's Law with no gospel. The Law brings death, the gospel brings life (Romans 8:2).

"I think, Sir, you lack understanding about the Bible Project and their videos. You're actually saying same things like with Tim Mackie. But why do you need to slander your fellow servant, when actually you are preaching the same things? Bible Project's short videos are short, which means it was summarized. I suggest you speak to Tim Mackie personally about your concern to clarify things." —Adrian

No, I'm not saying the same thing as Tim Mackie. Nor have I slandered him—I said nothing untrue in my video. By the way, you might notice this continual theme of publicly telling me I should personally express my concerns privately.

"If the motivation behind this video is to correct wrong teaching, would it be that difficult to shoot an e-mail to the Bible Project team or to Tim Mackie? We don't need to destroy each other but lovingly correct one another because we are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus." —Tinne

Did you shoot an e-mail to me? I'm not out to destroy anyone, but I do want to destroy every lofty opinion that contradicts Scripture. The Bible says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

"Would you please publish your discussion with Tim Mackie that you had to clarify your understanding of his view of the atonement and propitiation and Hell. Oh wait, you didn’t have that discussion? If not you didn’t act in a loving manor to correctly and contextually represent your brother in Christ’s teaching." —Kawitamamayi

Would you please publish the discussion you had with me to clarify your understanding of my video? Oh wait, we didn't have that discussion? Then by your own standard of judgment, you're not acting in a loving manner.

I fear the judgment of no man. I stand in reverent fear of God alone. The Apostle Paul said, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). May the Lord examine my heart and by His grace find me faithful. I hope this was edifying for you all.

Predestined By God

"In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will." Ephesians 1:11

Yesterday, July 20, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of man walking on the moon. It was a remarkable achievement of determination and ingenuity, to this day the most indomitable feat of human-kind. For the first time in human history, man set foot on another celestial body other than our own planet, a quarter of a million miles from earth. The space race of 50 years ago changed the very way that we saw ourselves in the cosmos. Looking down at our planet from the moon, we had a new perspective of Earth among the stars.

When you first became a Christian, you had a very elementary understanding of your sin against God and the work that He had done to redeem you—that Jesus Christ had died on the cross and risen from the grave, and that by faith in Him, you have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. As far as you were concerned, you decided to follow Jesus. But as you grew to understand God's word, your perspective has likely changed.

From the word of God, you come to find that you had nothing to do with your salvation at all. You were a wretched sinner enslaved to sin, incapable of doing anything pleasing to God. You came to faith not because you did anything good but because God is good. You believe not according to the purpose of your will but according to the purpose of Him who wills it.

The word of God shows us the mind of God—the perspective of God. From your perspective, you made a choice. From God's perspective, He chose you, "before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:4-6).

Why I Believe in God's Sovereign Election

Because God is infinitely good and we are not, I believe that before the foundation of the world, God predetermined whom He would save and whom He would not. I believe the Bible clearly teaches it. Romans 9:22-23 says, "What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory?"

Every person stands before a holy God condemned for their rebellion against Him. But God elected from sinful man whom He would deliver from His wrath and effected their salvation at the cross of Christ. Those who hear the gospel and believe by faith have been called into His grace, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of glory. God will lose none of those whom He has redeemed. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that He has saved us from our sins.

This is the doctrine of God's sovereign election. To address the elephant in the room, this view of predestination is commonly referred to as Calvinism—both by those who hold this view and by those who have objections with it. Though John Calvin taught the theology which now bears his name, he didn't come up with it. He, along with many other biblical theologians before and after him, merely affirmed what has already been written in the Bible.

I believe in and preach nothing less than the full counsel of God. Though others have called me many things, the only C-word you or anyone else has ever heard me call myself is a Christian.

Dr. Michael L. Brown once presented this question: "Do you agree with Calvin 'that nothing happens but what [God] has knowingly and willingly decreed'?" I responded to him this way: "I agree with the Bible that nothing happens but what God has knowingly and willingly decreed." I directed him to Lamentations 3:37-38 which says, "Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?"

Our faith is built—as the church always has been—on the word of God. The Bible is God's word. And what the Bible says is that God is sovereign; meaning, He is the Supreme Ruler. He has all power. Full authority. Preeminence (Colossians 1:18). No where in the Bible does it say He's given up any of His sovereignty. He's not "sovereign, but." He is absolutely sovereign.

Here are seven statements about His sovereignty according to Scripture.

1) God is Sovereign.
Psalm 103:19 says that the Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. In Acts 4:24, the apostles praised God saying, "O Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them," and then proceeded to praise Him for what He had decreed and predestined to take place.

In 1 Timothy 6:15-16, Paul refers to God as "only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen."

2) Everything God decrees happens.
In Genesis 1:3, God decreed, "Let there be light," and it happened. Only He creates ex nihilo, or "out of nothing" (see also Hebrews 11:3).  Psalm 33:9 says, "For He spoke and it came to be; He commanded and it stood firm." Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from beginning to end."

Isaiah 14:24 says, "The Lord of hosts has sworn: 'As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand.'" Later in 55:11, He says, "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Are the people of Christ not obeying that command in faithful submission to this day?

In John 11:43-44, Jesus stood at the grave of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. And He said, "Lazarus, come out." As He commanded, so it happened—Lazarus rose from the dead.

3) Nothing happens that God hasn't decreed.
I've mentioned already Lamentations 3:37-38, where it says nothing happens that the Lord hasn't spoken. Job in his trouble said, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10).  In Job 14:5, he said that man's "days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass."

Proverbs 16:33 says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." In Isaiah 45:7, God says, "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things." Amos 3:6 says, "Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?"

In James 4:13-15, we read, "Come now, you who says, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'"

4) No one can change what God has decreed.
Job again says, "If He tears down, none can rebuild; if He shuts a man in, none can open" (c.12:14). Proverbs 21:30 says, "No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord." Ecclesiastes 7:13 says, "Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked?" Isaiah 14:27 says, "For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?"

In John 10:28-29, Jesus said of His followers, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." In Romans 8, we are reminded, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (v.31), and told there is nothing that "will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v.39).

5) God knows and sees all.
Psalm 139 gives praise to God for His omniscience and omnipresence: "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?"

Proverbs 15:3 says, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and on the good." Matthew 12:36 says, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak." Hebrews 4:13 says, "No creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." We are told in 1 John 3:20, "He knows everything." And Revelation 2:23, Jesus says, "I am He who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works."

6) God does as He pleases.
Psalm 115:3 says plainly: "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." In Matthew 20:15, Jesus said through a parable to His disciples, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

Hebrews 13:21 says that God will "equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

7) God has purposed all things for His glory.
In Acts 2:23, Peter proclaimed with the gospel, "This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." God intended even the death of His own Son, the greatest evil act ever perpetrated by men, to bring about the salvation of His elect and glory to His name.

In Revelation 6:10, the martyrs for the gospel cry out to God, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" They know that He and He alone will bring about the completeness of His sovereign decree in the fullness of time.

In Revelation 17:17, God sovereignly uses even His enemies: "For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled." He has ordained the ends and the means to that end. God has purposed all things for His glory.

According to the Purpose of Him Who Works

Whatever your views are regarding the subjects of election, adoption, redemption, or predestination, I pray you'll join me in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Many brothers of mine, and even members of my own congregation, do not view this subject the same way that I do. Yet we love and encourage one another in the faith. Let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual up-building (Romans 14:19). Here are five reasons as to why this is important (relax, it's not the five points of Calvinism):

First, so your prayers would not be hindered. If you have a limited understanding of who God is, your prayers will also be limited.

Second, so you would be relieved of your burdens. If you believe that your salvation is dependent upon a choice you've had to make or it's dependent upon your continued choices to maintain it, then you are being weighed down by an unnecessary burden. I hope you see from the Scriptures that salvation—including faith and belief, even repentance itself—is not the work of man. Salvation is from beginning to end the gracious work of God.

Third, so you will be more considerate of others. Sovereignty means supreme governance. Autonomy means self-governance. When you fight for your own autonomy—or free will, as it's termed—you oppose the sovereignty of God. This is not only a conflict with God, you cause strife between yourself and others—your autonomy vs. their autonomy. Consider others' needs as Christ considered our need by being obedient to the will of His Father (see Philippians 2:1-11).

Fourth, so you would understand your sin rightly. If we do not have a right understanding of our sin, we are prone to think more of ourselves and less of God. You also cannot repent of your sin if you don't know your sin. That affects your worship. The more we make of God, the less we make of us. The more we see His holiness, the more we're aware of our own depravity and need for a Savior, praising Him for the goodness He has shown to us. As John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

Fifth, so you may worship God appropriately. It is important that we worship God for who He has said He is, not who we want Him to be. May we understand His theology according to His own words in the Bible, and not try to fit Him in our box or impose our ideas onto His.

The late Dr. R.C. Sproul was brilliant in his articulation of the sovereignty of God over all of His creation. Consider these words:

If something happens in this world—by the power of men, by the power of nature, by the power of machines—God always has the power and authority to prevent it, at least, from happening. Does He not? And if He does not prevent it from happening, then that means at least this much—that He has chosen to let it happen.

That doesn't mean He applauds it. That doesn't mean that He's in favor of it, insofar as He gives His divine sanction to it. But He does allow—not in the sense of, again, approving all the time—but He does allow it to happen, and in so allowing, He is making a decision. And He is making it sovereignly. And He knows in advance what's going to happen, and if He decrees that it shall happen, He is retaining His sovereignty over it.

Now if things happen in this world outside the sovereignty of God, then that would simply mean that God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, then God is not God. It's that simple. And if the God you believe in is not a sovereign God, then you really don't believe in God. You may have a theory of God. You may have theoretical theism, but bottom line, for all practical purposes, it's no different from atheism, because you're believing in a god who is not sovereign.

Now what are the practical implications of a non-sovereign god? Think of it now from the perspective of those of you who are professing Christians. I like to explain it this way: if there's one maverick molecule in the universe running loose outside of the control of God's sovereignty, then the practical implications for us as Christians is that we have no guarantee whatsoever that any future promise that God has made to His people will come to pass.

If I might take the liberty of filling out the rest of this statement for Dr. Sproul, God is indeed sovereign, and there is no maverick molecule, and in knowing that, you can be sure, my brothers and sisters in the Lord, that every promise God has given you in His Son will come to pass.

This blog was taken from a sermon preached on Sunday, July 21, 2019 at First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City. You can listen to it by clicking here. 

Remembering (and Responding to) Rachel Held Evans

In 2 Timothy 4:1-4, the apostle Paul told his protégé, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

It's been almost two months since the passing of Rachel Held Evans, bestselling author and liberal theology blogger. In memoriam, she has been lauded as a feminist and an advocate for LGBTQ causes. She was very confrontational with the church, insisting it get on "the right side of history" with these issues.

Some of you are aware that I was the last person she went on a Twitter-rant about before she died (specifically regarding a WWUTT video I did). I'd jotted down some notes and planned to make a video response to her claims, hoping that maybe it would open up a dialogue with her. But then she went into the hospital on April 14, three days after her comments toward me. She was down with the flu and an infection. Of course, that wasn't the best time to initiate any kind of debate.

A few days later, word came that she had been put into a medically-induced coma, from which she never woke up. She died on Saturday morning, May 4. She was 37 years old, just a few months younger than I am, and left behind a husband and two children.

Though I will never have another opportunity to address Rachel, what she taught continues to damage the souls of countless thousands of people, and will do so for many more years. What I had prepared to say to her, I say now for the sake of those misled by her teaching.

Hanging Her Life On It

Shortly before her illness I posted a video entitled What if God is a Woman? (watch by clicking the title). The purpose of the video was to respond to common arguments liberal theologians use to justify calling God "mother" or referring to Him using feminine pronouns. One of those theologians referenced in the video was Rachel Held Evans.

I shared the video on WWUTT's Twitter account with this headlining comment: "Rachel Held Evans has said she would go to the gallows over her feminist theology that God is 'mother.' Jory Micah [another false teacher] has referred to God by feminine pronouns. But they fashion a god of their own making. A 90-second video!"

In response to this, Rachel said, "Where did I say I would 'go to the gallows'? This is a terribly researched and poorly presented argument." So Rachel was shown where, in her own words, she had made such a statement. In a blog she wrote on May 16, 2014, she said the following:

"And as a woman, referring to God as She or as Mother serves as an important, liberating reminder that I am indeed created in the image of God, not as some lesser being who exists in perpetual subordination to men, but as an expression of God's very self.

"If that makes me a heretic, you can string up the rope."

Rachel replied, "Um, seems like maybe you are the ones who misunderstand metaphor. I don't actually want to be killed for believing God's not a dude. (And how about not bearing false witness by epically misrepresenting what I actually believe?) This is a poorly produced, badly researched, and pathetically argued hit piece that misrepresents my views and leaves no room for nuance. How desperate do you have to be to protect an exclusively masculine God to make this? You can make an idol out of that, too. Deuteronomy 4:16."

That's a lot to unpack, all of it a blanket condemnation without responding to a single argument that was made about her theology. She blew me off with personal smears, which of course received hundreds of likes by her followers (and are still receiving likes—I get daily notices). Considering her comments, I doubt she watched the video at all. It only would have taken her 90-seconds!

First of all, Rachel said, "Seems like maybe you are the ones who misunderstand metaphor" and I left "no room for nuance." Is there a rule somewhere that you can't borrow from someone's metaphor in order to, say, make a point with some wit? She said "string up the rope" to convey her no-regrets attitude over calling God her "mother." I simply continued the theme emphasizing her head-strong nature by saying she would "go to the gallows." Hypocritically, Rachel did what she accused me of doing—she left no room for nuance, and she misunderstood her own metaphor!

Secondly, she said, "How about not bearing false witness by epically misrepresenting what I actually believe?" Bearing false witness how? What did I say that misrepresented what she believed, let alone doing so "epically"? One of Rachel's followers, Aideen from London, also commented, "Isn't it, like, in the Ten Commandments to not lie?" But lie how? Where was the dishonesty? Once again, the irony is that Rachel bore false witness against me by saying I bore false witness against her when I did not.

Third, she said, "This is a poorly produced, badly researched, and pathetically argued hit piece." Again, this was a deflection away from the arguments being made. When someone, generally of the liberal theological persuasion, cannot confidently or directly defend what they believe with Scripture, they tend to attack the personal character of the one challenging their beliefs. (By the way, this is exactly what Beth Moore has been doing lately.)

I believe my work speaks for itself, and you can determine if you think it's "poorly produced." As for "badly researched," my sources are cited. A commenter named Holli said, "Never heard or read these words from her. Where is your reference? Documentation?" There were references in the video, and the transcript has links. This was also not a "hit piece," since the engine that drives a hit piece is using false information to sway public opinion. In fact, it was Rachel who spread false information to sway public opinion about me.

In another comment regarding my video, Rachel said, "I've written four books, hundreds of blog posts, and dozens of articles, and only once have I used a feminine pronoun for God." Friends, that was a bald-faced lie. In the video, I clearly cited two occasions where she did this in two different blogs more than two years apart—one on April 6 of 2012, and the other on May 16 of 2014.

Furthermore, I found at least a half-dozen online comments where she spoke of God with some kind of feminine verbiage (that was just through a general search that took me a few seconds). She made a reference to a quote from liberal writer Alexis James Waggoner who said, "God is a mother." She is listed as a co-collaborator with the band Gungor and the Liturgists podcast on their album God Our Mother. These were not merely careless, occasional references Rachel made—they were thought-out, deliberate expressions of her theology.

In her own words (in the block-quote above), Rachel was unhappy with how God revealed Himself in Scripture. What the Bible said about her, being made in God's image, was inadequate. It made her feel "in perpetual subordination to men." She had to have God on her terms. She called Him "mother," and she called it "liberating." To know the Father sent His only Son to deliver His people from sin and death was not enough for her.

In another comment about my video, Rachel said, "[I'm] not looking for sympathy. I just think this says a lot about how these guys think of women. Like, how freaked out are they going to be when (if all of this is true) they enter the full presence of God at resurrection and are suddenly hit with the reality that God's not a dude?"

That's an incredibly telling comment. First, if anyone warned her that it was blasphemy to call God "mother," she would paint them as a misogynist. Second, Evans did not wholeheartedly believe Christianity was true. And third, I said in the video, quoting from Scripture, God is Spirit and not man (another reason I don't believe she watched it). Regardless, God has revealed Himself in the masculine, and that is how we are to worship Him—according to His word, not our words.

At the end of my video, I said that a person who does not repent will be judged with the nations that worshiped the Asherah, or the mother-god. In Micah 5:14-15, God said, "I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. And in anger and wrath, I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey."

Mere days after she dug in her heels and defended her mother-god theology, lashing out at anyone who would question it, Rachel Held Evans died. She entered the presence of God and has been hit with reality. Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

Closing Comments

Following Rachel's passing, Beth Moore said, "Thinking what it was about Rachel Held Evans that could cause many on other sides of issues to take their hats off to her in her death. People are run rife with grief for her babies, yes. But also I think part of it is that, in an era of gross hypocrisy, she was alarmingly honest."

No, she wasn't. Rachel was not "alarmingly honest." Candid, yes. But being blunt is not the same as being honest. Rachel Held Evans was a liar. She vomited deception and hurled vitriol at those with whom she most disagreed. Her teaching was soul-searing acid. The venom of asps was on her lips. Thousands and thousands of people will go to hell believing the things Rachel said.

She taught as good what God has said He will judge with fire. She encouraged men to burn with passion for each other, and women to exchange natural relations for unnatural ones. She believed boys could change into girls if they wanted, but a boy who claimed to be gay could not change. She chastised the bride of Christ, His church, whenever it refused to exchange biblical fidelity for LGBTQ propaganda. She told women to become pastors, and said, "The best preachers I know are women." In an era of gross hypocrisy, she was a rank hypocrite, who claimed to be of Christ, but she hated His word.

Jesus said, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me" (John 14:23-24). The Spirit says, "Whoever says 'I know Him' but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him" (1 John 2:4).

As I said in a previous blog, I prayed for Rachel that God would have mercy on her soul. I have also been a false teacher, but God has shown mercy to me. Rachel had heard the true gospel, and I hope her heart was turned before its last beat. But whatever may have happened in her final moments, it does not redeem her damnable teaching. Let the reader be warned. Fear God and repent. Repudiate the words of Rachel Held Evans and revere the word of Christ.

Back to 2 Timothy 4:3-5, the apostle went on to tell his protégé, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Bear One Another's Burdens (Galatians 6:1-10)

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:1-10

Last week, we learned about walking by the Spirit, which included the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; "against such things there is no law." Now we love to talk about the fruit of the Spirit. We even have a song about it. If you will recall, the theme of our VBS three years ago was the fruit of the Spirit. Any one of our children in this church could stand up here and give you the fruit of the Spirit, which is wonderful to think about.

But while we may rejoice to memorize the fruit of the Spirit, which is certainly worthwhile, we're not as familiar with the works of the flesh. Why is it important to know what the works of the flesh are? Let me give you three reasons. The first reason is because the Spirit says the works of the flesh are evident. In other words, we must know what they are because the Bible says so. Galatians 5:19-21—"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these."

When we get to the fruit of the Spirit, and we read that the fruit of the Spirit is "love," we must recognize that "love" is not "sexual immorality," because as verse 17 says, "The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other." Our world equates sexuality immorality with love. But if we know God's definition of love, we won't be taken in by the world's re-definition of love. What did God say was love?

Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." The definition of love is, very simply, Jesus Christ. And the love of Christ is sacrificial. No love will ever be greater than what Jesus did for us. But in light of what Jesus did, laying down His life for our sins, we likewise should lay down our lives for each other. That doesn't mean we can atone for one another's sins. But we understand the application of Christ-likeness given in a passage like Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." And then Paul says that thinking this way is having the mind of Christ.

Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her." This doesn't mean that a husband must literally die for his wife. But he must consider the needs of his family ahead of his own ambitions. It's not wrong for a husband to have ambitions. But his priority is first to his family. Take this principle for the home and apply it to the church. Consider one another's needs ahead of your own. In doing this, we love one another, and we won't be doing the work of the flesh.

The second reason is so we don't do them. The rest of verse 21 says, "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." This is the penalty for those who walk by the flesh rather than in the Spirit. Whoever lives according to the flesh will perish under the righteous judgment of God. This should cause us to hunger for the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation to all who believe. Just like the hearing of the Law brings knowledge of our sin, the hearing of the works of the flesh does the same. Then we reach for the gospel, which produces godliness—the fruit of the Spirit. When we walk by the Spirit, we do not gratify the desires of the flesh.

The third reason we should know the works of the flesh as well as the fruit of the Spirit is because we understand the first half of Jesus' command, "Repent and believe." Dave has been teaching through Mark on Sunday morning. At the start, Mark 1:14-15 says, "Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel."

The command of Christ to repent and believe means that we turn from something and we turn to something. We repent or turn from our sin, and we believe or turn to Christ. Apply this understanding to the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. You are turning from a sin nature which manifests the rotten works of the flesh. You are turning to a new nature which produces the beautiful fruit of the Spirit. So knowing the works of the flesh specifies what we are turning from when we are told to repent. The fruit of the Spirit specifies what we will be turned into when we obey the command to believe. Make sense?

So I have spent ten minutes this morning talking about what we talked about last week. Why have I spent so much time talking about this again? Here are three more reasons. Number one, because I like talking about it. Number two, because not all of you were here last week (no conviction or condemnation intended).

Here's the third reason: because the section on the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit is book-ended with this command: Love your neighbor. Galatians 5:14 says, "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Then we get to the fruit of the Spirit in verse 16-26. Now we start chapter 6 with the same command in verse 2: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ," the command to love one another.

Let's consider, once more, the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." What do you need in order to produce and share the fruit of the Spirit? People! You need people to show love to, do you not? You need people to rejoice with. You need people to exhibit peacefulness. You need people to be patient with. You need people to be kind to. You need people to be good to. You need people to be faithful to. You need people to be gentle with. And you need people to be self-controlled toward.

And, furthermore my friends, you need people that they may display this same fruit back to you. You need to let people love you, and do not make it hard on them. You need people to take joy in you, to show you peace, to show you kindness, to give you goodness, to be faithful to you, to be gentle with you, and through accountability, you need people to help you develop self-control.

A lot of us have this sense that the Christian walk is just about me and Jesus—just my relationship with God. My friends, it's not just about you and God. You certainly have a relationship with God through faith in Christ. But Christianity is not just about your association with God, or even just you and your family trying to tough it out in this crazy world. The Christian walk requires fellowship with other Christians. Jesus did not call you to closet Christianity. He commanded you to love each other. And you need each other to fulfill the Law of Christ.

As author and theologian Tim Challies has said, "Sanctification is a community project." You grow in holiness and righteousness and the knowledge of God and therefore also the fruit of the Spirit with other believers. You cannot fulfill the Law of Christ by yourself. You cannot grow in your faith on your own.

Second Timothy 2:22 says, "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." That passage is Galatians 5:14 through 6:10 simplified. "Flee youthful passions," means repent from works of the flesh; "and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace," which you might recognize are the fruit of the Spirit! "Along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart," means that you do this with the church—the body of believers who call on the Lord from a heart being made righteous in Christ.

Sometimes, loving one another means that we will need to call one another to correction. In the context of loving one another and growing together, we have Galatians 6:1—"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." My friends, calling one another to correction is a requirement. It is a command of Christ.

In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus said, "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

That last statement, verse 20, we often tag on our prayer gatherings and Bible studies: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." That's not about a prayer gathering. God is with you when you are praying by yourself, amen? This is in the context of church discipline, and it is the command of Christ that we follow it.

Notice something in this progression of discipline. It starts with a one on one confrontation, and if the person refuses to repent, it gradually becomes more and more public until the whole church is involved. Understand plainly my friends: sin is not, nor has it ever been, a private matter. It takes the body of Christ to help you overcome it. James 5:15-16 says, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

Consider that in Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul calls out two women in front of the whole church: "I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion," talking to the rest of the body, "help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel."

We don't know what the conflict between these two women was, but we get the sense that it had been going on for a while and had not yet been resolved. Paul names two disagreeable women before the church—it's written down in history for all of us to read—and then the apostle commissions the church to restore them in a spirit of gentleness, treating them as sisters.

All throughout this process of discipline, we are told to correct "in a spirit of gentleness." In 1 Peter 3:15, we are told to answer unbelievers with gentleness and respect, and in 2 Timothy 2:25 we're told to correct opponents with gentleness. That same gentle spirit most definitely should apply to the way we correct disagreement among brothers and sisters.

Second Thessalonians 3:13-15 says, "As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."
Notice this directive on discipline begins with, "Do not grow weary in doing good." In other words, do not hesitate to issue correction. Proverbs 12:1 says, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid." We often take a verse like that and apply it to the person who hates to receive correction, but it also applies to the person who will not issue correction. But love helps one another, even in fighting against sin.

Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens," and this is right after we read, "restore him in a spirit of gentleness," and "keep watch on yourself." To admonish a brother or sister, or even to pray for them and be heart-broken over their sin, is to bear their burden. Some of us are going to struggle more than others with the temptations of our flesh. "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ," the law to love one another. John 13:34, Jesus said, "A new commandments I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." And didn't Jesus love us though we had sinned against Him?

Look now at verses 3-5: "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load." Now this is odd. We just read bear one another's burdens, and now we're being told each will have to bear his own load. Doesn't this seem to be a contradiction? It might seem to be, but it's not.

"Bear one another's burdens" is a different phrase than "bear his own load." In fact, the phrase "bear his own load" in the Greek is like a phrase that appeared earlier in Galatians 5:10, when Paul said of a false teacher, "The one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is." Romans 14:12 says, "Each of us will give an account of himself to God." Do you bear a burden of guilt, or have your sins been lifted by Christ? We have these moments now to bear one another's burdens, for we cannot bear their load for them at the judgment seat.

Consider the statement in verse 4: "Let each one test his own work." Second Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" You are responsible to warn your brother or sister when they step off the path of righteousness. But you can't make the decision for them to step back on.

This is a painfully difficult position to be in, to watch a loved one go astray, to have warned them, to have pleaded with them, and still they go their own way. Some of you have seen friends wander from the faith, children, a spouse. All five of my own flesh and blood brothers and sisters have either castigated me for warning them or they've left the faith entirely. I know how this feels. But you can't make them turn back. Pray and ask that the Lord would grant them a spirit of repentance. And once again, "keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." Do not follow them off the path. "Walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous" (Proverbs 2:20).

Verse 4 goes on to say that the one who tests his own work will boast in himself and not his neighbor. I thought we weren't supposed to boast in ourselves. Second Corinthians 10:17 says, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." And that's precisely the point. If your works have been carried out in God through Christ Jesus our Lord, your boast over your work will be in Christ working through you. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." You can't make someone else do good works. But you can do your own work, and do it all to the glory of God.

Galatians 6:6 says, "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches." Let's summarize what we've read so far: Look out for your brothers and sisters, keep watch on yourself, bear one another's burdens, don't think too highly of yourself and deceive yourself, test your own work. Now Paul says, "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches." My explanation of this passage may sound somewhat self-serving; nevertheless, it is for your edification.

Let's say you witness a brother in the Lord losing his temper or a sister in Christ gossiping. You follow that first instruction of Jesus to go and confront them, just between the two of you. Jesus said if they listen to you, you have gained your brother. Mission accomplished! You don't have to go to that next step of bringing two or three witnesses to confront them. There's no reason this needs public exposure.

So now what? Well, tell your pastor. Go to your pastor and say, "You have taught us that this is how we are supposed to handle the situation. We have followed the instruction of Jesus, and we are rejoicing in repentance." Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

Several years ago, I baptized a teenage girl who had repented and had been rescued from some pretty serious sin. Just a few weeks ago, her father texted me a picture of her graduating from college, and said she was still walking with the Lord. It brought tears to my eyes. I told him that, and he said it brought tears to his eyes just to text it to me.

My friends, it may feel like all hell is breaking loose underneath you. And when that happens, my door is open. I will pray with you, and where needed I will remind you of the hope and promises we've been given in the word of God, so that you may find sure footing and be able to stand firm on solid ground. But in the times when it feels like the floodgates of heaven have opened up and poured out on you, would you do me a favor and share those moments with me, too? I will share your tears of sorrow, but I long even more to share your tears of joy.

"Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches." Let me continue to press into this. Again, I say this not for my own benefit. There is another pastor sitting here: Pastor Dwight;you're your lay-elder, brother Dave. About half of you will have a different pastor within the next two years as the military moves you on to another location, so what you are learning here will also serve you there. We also have some visitors today, so you are welcome to find application in this also.

Examine the relationship you have with your pastor. Are you thankful for him? Would you consider the relationship to be a blessing, or do you not really care for what your pastor has to say? If it seems like most of what you say to him is critical, or just about any time he gives you advice or council, you disagree with it, ignore it, or try to go against it, exactly what benefit is that to you?
Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

Remember that the Apostle Paul is writing to a church that has lost their grasp on sound doctrine, and what has resulted is biting and devouring one another. He's trying to bring them back to the glorious truth of the true gospel, and explaining to them what the fruit of that gospel will look like. First and foremost, they will love one another: "Bear one another's burdens," Paul says. Included in that command is the relationship they will have with the elders of the church. Do not be a burden on them. Rather, lighten the load they already have to bear. And do so in this way: "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches."

Let's look now at Galatians 6:7—"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." Remember again verse 1 says, "If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." There are two parts to this: restore your brother or sister, and keep watch on yourself. The Apostle Paul has given the explanation of this passage in two parts. Verses 2 through 5 explain the first part, to restore one another. Verses 7 through 9 explain the second part, to keep watch on yourself. (Verse 6 is kind of a bridge between the two parts. It could go with either part one or part two.)

Should you not keep watch on yourself and fall into temptation, do not be deceived and think to yourself, "Oh, well God is a gracious God. He'll just forgive me, right? After all, He's God! And I'm such a likeable person! How could God not love me?" That would be mocking God. You're sinning and daring God to do something about it. Stand in fear, believer. He will do something about it.

"Whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will form the Spirit reap eternal life." In other words, there are consequences for behavior. Maybe God won't destroy you for the sin you've decided to indulge in. But there will still be consequences. Maybe this one little sin won't cause a great amount of damage, but you get nothing good from it. You will only reap corruption—meaning that it may lead you to do it again, and again, and again, until you're given over to your own depravity.

Do not flirt with such danger, my fellow Christians. "The one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life!" Seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God! As we will be teaching the children this coming week at VBS, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal. The things of the Spirit are free from corruption. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good," Paul says in verse 9, "for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

All of the instructions that we've been concerning ourselves with here have been for the church. "Bear one another's burdens," is an instruction for the church, how brothers and sisters in the Lord show love to one another. It is not going to be the same way we show our concern for the world. Yes, we are also to the warn the world of their sin, but we are also told not to be yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14).

We are first and foremost to care for one another. When you get paid, where does your money go first? It goes to providing for your own household, right? Then whatever else you have gets invested in other areas. So that is going to be the same with your church. Care first for the body of faith. We will have opportunities to show good to everyone. But the church, your church family, is our primary concern, bearing one another's burdens that we may fulfill the Law of Christ.

I have an apple tree in front of my house that has never produced a good apple, and I get mad at it every year. But at the same time, I've never put any work into that apple tree. I don't care for it, I don't prepare it for spring, I don't spray it for bugs, I don't keep bad limbs trimmed back. And I just expect it to produce good fruit and then complain whenever it doesn't.

Apply that to your growth in the church. Are you mad that you're still fighting sin you've never seem to overcome? What kind of work have you put into it? Are you looking down on other's sins and saying, "Why hasn't Gabe done something about this?" Well, what are you doing to grow your brothers and sisters in the Lord? Good fruit takes hard work. And we've been commanded to bear one another's burdens. Do not grow weary in doing good, for you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.

Walk By the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)

16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." Galatians 5:16-26

Over the course of this letter to the churches in first century Galatia, the argument being made by the Apostle Paul is that we are justified by faith in Christ alone, and this is the gospel. Jesus Christ has died for our sins and conquered death by rising again from the grave. Whoever believes in Him is forgiven. Jesus is enough. The work of Christ is sufficient. If someone comes to you preaching Christ plus something else equals salvation, they are preaching a different gospel. For the Galatians, they had been seized by the Judaizers into believing we are justified by faith plus works. The work of Christ was not enough, they thought, and I need to keep these works in order to be saved.

This of course was not the message that Paul first preached to the Galatians when he came to them. He said in chapter 1 verse 6, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ." This new gospel was as good as no gospel at all. In fact, Paul said in verses 8 and 9 that to believe such a false gospel would lead not to life but a curse. The worst curse—the judgment of God.

As we considered last week, Paul said, "I wish that those who unsettle you would go the whole way and cut themselves off from the body of Christ instead of dividing it with false teaching." Sound doctrine always unite. Bad doctrine always divides. As we read last week in verses 13-15:

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another watch out that you are not consumed by one another."

And now verse 16: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." To "walk" in something is a Hebrew figure of speech for how one lives their life. So another way to say this would be, "Live by the Spirit." We see multiple comparisons to walking in the faith throughout the New Testament:

• 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."
• Colossians 2:6, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him."
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1, "Brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more."
• 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

In the first half of Galatians 5, which we looked at last week, we read about how we are set free in Christ. We are set free from the bonds of sin and death. We are released from the burden of the Law. Therefore, we should not submit ourselves again to a yoke of slavery. We should also not use our freedom as a license to sin. Consider verse 13 again: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." In other words, you've been cleansed of your sins not so you can go get dirty again, lest you would be living for yourself. You've been washed so that you might live into God, to love sacrificially as Christ has loved you.

It is a very common pattern among professing American Christians to live life one way on Sunday, and then to live life a completely different way during the rest of the week. When I was in high school, we used to make fun of our friends and even some of our teachers who were Catholic. They lived like the devil during the week and then went to mass on the weekend to get pardoned by the priest. It would be several years later before I realized I was living my life the same way, just with no priest and fewer smells and bells.

The Bible calls this hypocrisy—calling yourself a follower of Jesus but living like you're a follower of Satan. Saying you're a citizen of the kingdom of God, but behaving like you are perishing with the rest of this fallen world. You haven't been saved from your sins. You're still dying to do them. If there's no difference with the way you live your life and the way your unbelieving friends live, examine yourself to see if you're truly in the faith.

Some people will excuse sinful living—whether it's their own sins or the sins of a loved one they don't want to believe is headed for hell. They will say this is an opportunity for God to show more grace. They might quote Romans 5:20, which says, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more!" Or Romans 6:14 which says, "You are not under the law but under grace!" But neither of these passages are a license to sin. "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more," means that you were once dead in your sins and your trespasses, but by the grace of God you have been made alive in Christ Jesus. "You are not under the law but under grace!" means that you will not be judged by the law you previously have broken, but you will live under the grace of God which we have in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:1-4 says, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Verses 15-18 say, "What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."

The Spirit says we are to "walk in newness of life" and "obedience leads to righteousness." We come back again to this understanding of what it means to walk by the Spirit, and walking by the Spirit means obedience. Obedience to what? What are we supposed to obey? The Law of God. But wait, didn't we just read that we are not under the law, but under grace? That does not mean the Law no longer applies to us. Quite the contrary! It means the Law has been applied to us! Here is what I mean by that.

In Jeremiah 31 beginning in verse 31, God talks a new covenant. "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke… For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

These words exactly are repeated again in Hebrews 8:8-12 showing that they have been fulfilled in the people of God, His church, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 21:3 says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God." This people God will put His law within us, and write it on our hearts. This is the work of the Holy Spirit of God within us. This is walking by the Spirit—walking according to the commandments of God.

In his commentary on Galatians, Ronald Fung, professor of biblical studies at China Graduate School of Theology, said the following: "The guidance of the Spirit can be experienced as a reality in the life of the believer, a sign that Jeremiah's prophetic word about the new covenant has been fulfilled. In Old Testament times, the Israelites knew God's law as an external code, but in the New Testament dispensation, the law of God is set in His people's understanding and written on their hearts. God's will is now an inward principle, the result of the leading of the Spirit within the believer."

Consider also these words from the Lord in Ezekiel 36 starting in verse 25: "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you [a soft heart]. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

Same thing that was said in Jeremiah under the promise of a new covenant: "I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." The Law of God has been written on our hearts through the Spirit of God that is within us. In this way, the Law has been applied to us. It hasn't been abolished. That should be very clear considering we just read in Galatians 5:14, "The whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Do you believe you are to love your neighbor? Then you believe the Law of God still applies.

Now, let me make this emphatically clear once again—salvation is not by the Law. "Honor your father and your mother," will not save you. "Thou shalt not murder," will not save you. "Thou shalt not commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet," will not save you. You are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. We read in Galatians 3:10 that everyone who relies on works of the law is under a curse, and in verse 13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." So do not think I am talking out of both sides of my head—saying in one instance that you are justified by faith and in another instance that you are justified by the law.

Romans 3:20 says, "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." It is through the hearing of the Law of God that you became aware that you had sinned against God. But now having called upon the name of Christ and received His forgiveness, He has written His commandments upon your heart, and your love for Him is expressed in your obedience. As Jesus said in John 14:15 and 21, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments… Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, He it is who loves me." Those who love God will keep His commandments, not because they save you, but because He has saved you.

Romans 8:3-4, "God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." Romans 13:8-10 says, "Love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

Jesus came to fulfill the Law, and now as His follower with he Holy Spirit of God in your heart, you fulfill the Law when you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:40, "On these two commandments depend all the Law and the prophets."

In his book How Does God's Law Apply to Me? R.C. Sproul wrote the following: "Has anything changed about God that we would disregard His directives? Is His word still law? Is He still as sovereign as He was in the Old Testament? Is the God of Israel and of the New Testament church a commandment-giving God? His word is law, and His law is His word, because His law expresses His will. And that will, that law, is sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103)."

Note that Dr. Sproul said, "His law expresses His will." When it comes to obeying the directive to "Love God, Love People," we are not free to interpret that as, "Love God in whatever way you are comfortable worshiping, and love people the way the culture says love is supposed to look like." We are to love God the way He says He is to be worshiped, and we are to love others the way Jesus said for us to love.

In keeping the word of God, we walk by the Spirit. But Galatians 5:16 says more than just "walk by the Spirit." It says, "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

We will flesh this out (pun) a little bit more when we contrast the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. They are opposite sides of a divided highway. You cannot be on one side headed in one direction and be in the other lane headed in the other direction at the same time. If you walk by the Spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Your orientation must be in the direction of God. If you are facing God, the world is behind you. If you are facing the world, you turn your back on God.

I read to you earlier from Romans 8:3-4. Let me pick up that passage again in verse 5: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Note there that those who are in the flesh cannot submit to God's law. Continuing in verse 9: "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

Imagine that! The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the exact same power that you have within you. This power has strengthened you, raised you up, brought your dead spirit back to life. You have been raised from death to life by the Holy Spirit of God. If that is the power you have dwelling within you, don't you think you have the power to resist the temptations of the flesh?

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that everyone here should be living in perfection, and if you aren't perfect, then you're not a Christian—that's not what I'm saying. But don't hear me saying, "Christians still sin" as an excuse to excuse your sin. Jesus said, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect," and God has said in both the Old and New Testaments, "Be holy as I am holy." What this means is that you should be growing in holiness. You are not falling back into sin or old patterns. You are growing in newness of life.

Now, though the Scripture does use the word "growing" to describe our progress toward holiness, we might hear that word and tend to take a very passive approach to our spiritual maturity, thinking that it will just happen as naturally as the grass grows. I know that would certainly be the case for me. I can very easily and complacently sit back and think that spiritual growth will just happen. But my friends, resisting temptation, growing in righteousness, being a pillar and buttress of the truth, taking every thought captive and making it to obey Christ, breaking down strongholds and everything that is raised up against the knowledge of God, fleeing from Satan and drawing near to God—this is spiritual warfare. It's less compared to watering your lawn and more comparable to taking up arms.

You know the instruction to put on the full armor of God, right? What does the Scripture say? Ephesians 6:10, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Kim Riddlebarger of Fuller Theological Seminary says the following: "The sinful nature is not eradicated at the moment of regeneration, but the sinful nature is cut off from its source of life. It will slowly but surely whither and die. But though a defeated foe, it will nevertheless fight a determined guerrilla war until we die or until Christ comes back, whichever comes first."

We are fighting a spiritual war daily, and this battle is walking with the Spirit. Consider it your marching orders. This isn't like a brisk walk through the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge. It's a wild frontline battle. While an unbeliever is comfortable with their sin, Christians regularly struggle with indwelling sin. But do not be discouraged or intimidated by this image of spiritual war. For we have been promised in Scripture that the battle belongs to the Lord. Victory is not in your ability to resist temptation or be holy, remember. Victory is in Jesus.

We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 15, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

If we are abounding in the work of the Lord, we are walking by the Spirit. We are not gratifying the desires of the flesh. Returning once again to Galatians 5:17, "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Now what does this mean, "to keep you from doing the things you want to do"? If you're going after the desires of your flesh, you might want to do what is pleasing to God. You might say you love God and you want to do all that is according to His will. But you won't do it. Your desire is to satisfy your fleshly appetites, not take up your cross and follow Christ. You would rather have sexual immorality rather than purity, divisions with other people rather than reconciliation, anger rather than love, intoxication rather than being filled with the Spirit, the idols you've raised up rather than Christ. So you might want to please God, but your heart wants what your flesh wants, and it keeps you from doing the things you want to do. As Jesus told His disciples, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Now let's turn it around the other way. If you're walking by the Spirit and doing the things of God, you won't do what your flesh would want you to do. The very idea of it disgusts you. Sin is gross to the believer that truly desires holiness. You don't even like to think about it. Some people love the memories of past sins. They might remember something sinful they did and savor it, like sucking on a tic-tack. But not the person who walks by the Spirit. They want to think of their sin as God thinks of sin. It makes them sick.

So instead of sexual immorality, which is any sexual pleasure outside of the marriage covenant, you want to submit your body unto the Lord as a living sacrifice. You hate the idea of holding a grudge against anyone, especially a brother or sister in the Lord. You desire to be reconciled. You are not easily angered but rather self-controlled. You are patient affliction. You do not keep a record of wrongs but forgive others. You are faithful to the Lord because you know He has been far more faithful to you. Whatever the flesh wants, you don't do it, because the Spirit of God compels you toward Christ. Galatians 5:18, "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

And in case you haven't picked up on it, I've already taken the liberty of contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: "Now the works of the flesh are evident," Paul says. That means, we who have the Spirit of God know what the works of the flesh are. If the Law of God has been written on our hearts, and our desire is to please our Savior, we hate the very garment that is stained by sin, and we will want nothing to do with these works:

"Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

This is not just a matter of saying, "Hey, don't do gross things." These works of the flesh are condemnable. A person who lives their life in such a way will be destroyed in judgment. Notice that the first one, two, three, possibly four works all have to do with sexual immorality, as well as the last one before Paul says, "and things like these." Meaning, there are more sins that could go on the list, but this list is still quantifiable.

Sexual sins are the surest manifestation of someone who is selfishly gratifying the desires the flesh. Consider that the month of June has been designated "Pride Month." Everyone understands why, right? It was on June 26, 2015 that the U.S. Supreme Court declared in a 5-4 decision that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed for same-sex couples. Therefore, June is "Pride Month." It's very interesting that in their perversity, the LGBTQRSTUV movement was so willing to confess how truly prideful they are.

And that is what sexual sins are—they are nothing but prideful self-seeking, with no regard to anyone but the appeasement of the flesh. In 1 Corinthians 6:18-19, we read, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

As for these other works of the flesh, "idolatry" is desiring anything above God. In Colossians 3:5, Paul says covetousness is idolatry. Sorcery would not only include witchcraft, fortune telling, or communicating with the dead, it would also include taking drugs that alter the mind. The Greek word is pharmakeia, from which we get the word "pharmacy."

Enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, all seem pretty self-explanatory. Now, I've taken the liberty of going with the New American Standard translation of Galatians 5:21, inserting the word "carousing" in place of the word that the ESV uses. Those of you who have the ESV Bible, you know which word I'm talking about. I've done that for the sake of young ears in the congregation.

So we contrast the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. Now notice that it's "fruit" of the Spirit, singular, not "fruits" of the Spirit. We have nine things listed here, but it's described as singular fruit. You don't get to pick and choose which of these you want to be good at: "Oh, I think I'll try a little love and joy. I like those things. I think I'll leave the patience to someone else. Self-control isn't really my thing." You can't do that. These are the gifts of the Spirit, this is the fruit of the Spirit. The person who is walking in the Spirit, also known as a Christian, must exhibit all of the fruit of the Spirit, not just some of them.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love," love the way that God defines love, sacrificial love, putting others needs ahead of your own. "Joy," which is not dependent upon mood or circumstances. You rejoice in the Lord always. "Peace," a peace that surpasses all comprehension, according to Philippians 4:7. It is peace with God, the forgiveness of sins. And that peace will manifest itself in showing peace toward others—not causing or dwelling in division, but letting the peace of Christ rule in your heart.

"Patience." It's the first descriptor of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4. "Love is patient." We're not quick to fly off the handle with one another. We're not demanding responses right now. We're patient. "Kindness." That seems pretty self-explanatory. Not quarreling with one another. Not calling each other names. Not looking down on one another, or thinking more highly of yourself than you out to think. Instead you show no partiality and associate with the lowly. "Goodness." You take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. You abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good, what God says is good.

"Faithfulness." Faithfulness to Christ, faithfulness to His word, faithfulness to one another. You are steadfast an unmoving in your faith. You persevere under trial. You're still going to be a Christian 10 years from now, only more mature than you are now. "Gentleness," similar to kindness. You're compassionate toward others. Considerate. Kindness is more active and gentleness more passive, perhaps. Kindness, you are looking for ways to compliment and encourage others. Gentleness is the way you respond to others or your circumstances.

"Self-control," means that you are able to resist temptation. You do not give in to the passions of your flesh. You are not easily seized or taken in by wild ideas or conspiracies. You have a sound mind. You are temperate. And Paul ends this list of the fruit of the Spirit by saying, "Against such things there is no law." Another way of saying this is something that was said earlier: "Love is the fulfilling of the Law."

Verse 24, "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." This is like something Paul said earlier in Galatians 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Verses 25 and 26: "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another." We are completely content in Christ our Savior, sufficient for our every need. We're not trying to add something to Christ in order to attain satisfaction or salvation. You are saved by grace through faith. And that is enough.