Conviction vs. Condemnation

            There is a massive difference between conviction and condemnation. This is especially true in God’s economy. In the world to be convicted means you are guilty of some crime. But in God’s world to be convicted means that you’ve done something wrong, and you have sincere regret for doing it. 

                  Condemnation in the world means a judgment has been pronounced against you, as in a court case. Condemnation doesn’t exist in God’s economy. The condemnation comes from the enemy of God, namely Satan. 

                  This is what God says to us thru the apostle Paul: “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.”^{[Romans 8:1 Amp]}

                  God knows us. He understands us. Most importantly, He loves us. The Holy Spirit is responsible for bringing conviction into our hearts. Believers know better than to sin and even though it won’t send you to hell, it is still wrong. But we are painfully human, and God knows this. That is why His patience defies logic. 

                  The difference between a self-controlled follower of Christ and a person who claims to be a follower, yet plays fast and loose with the statutes of the Lord is simply that one feels conviction for what they have done or are doing and the other one does not. The one may sin from time to time, but it doesn’t define them. On the other hand, those who tend to be cavalier about their walk with God is more likely to habitually sin in a rather flippant manner, knowing that forgiveness is in the offing. While it’s true that God will forgive you as often as you ask, He does expect us to grow spiritually and rid that particular sin from our lives. However, He NEVER condemns us. He convicts us as a means of helping us grow spiritually.

                  The devil is a master at condemning believers and non-believers as well. That approach can become crippling and for the believer it can cast doubt that God has forgiven them. This is one reason why one should diligently strive daily to commune with God so as to get to know Him intimately. Once you know certain things about God’s character Satan’s fiery darts will have little negative effect on you. 

                  John 8:44 (CEV) lays out the character of our greatest enemy when he says, “Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.” Don’t be tricked by your chief adversary. Understand who he is and what his tactics are.

                  So thank God for the instructive force provided by conviction and rebuke the enemy in Jesus name for his condemnation of you.  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Are Prayers of the Unsaved Heard by God?

The way I would answer that would be in two ways. I would say, yes, he does and, no, he doesn't, and, of course, the yes is obvious. I mean, the eyes of the Lord are on every place. He sees the evil and the good. He knows all things. God is the creator of the universe. Every idle word that men speak will need to be accounted for on the day of judgment. God knows everything that comes out of everybody's lips, so, yes, he hears, but if by hearing you mean does God answer the prayers of the unsaved, this is where I would go into the category of the no rather than the yes for these scriptural reasons. 

I think Isaiah 59:2 addresses this, where God says, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear." Notice that he will not hear. He'll hide his face from you, Isaiah 59:2, so he's talking to a sinful people who have sinful motives that can't be praying in accord with the will of God. 

Even the Jews say in John 9 that God hears not sinners, so there was an understanding in Jewish theology that God is not communing with the unconverted, even though the unconverted may think that they can address God any way they choose, and that God is just waiting like a waiter to serve them. The reason God won't be answering prayers of that sort is found in James4:3; “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” 

Any request from the unconverted, aside from one seeking forgiveness, would be from a wrong motive. That isn’t right in the sight of God. They wouldn’t be praying that His will be done, because they are not inclined to DO His will. For the most part, the unconverted are praying not that HIS will be done, but “MY” will be done, and Jesus says in the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 6, "They think that because of their repetitive prayers."  They're praying often, "that they're heard," but simply because they pray so frequently or they pray repetitively, doesn’t mean God is obliged to answer. It's a rhetorical question. Jesus says, "No, God doesn't hear the prayers of those."

There's many examples where God does not hear the prayers of the unconverted. Another good one would be on 1 Peter 3:12, where it says the eyes of the Lord are in every place and the ears are open unto all of them that are righteous. The ears of the Lord are open, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, so, again, there's a direct scripture that says God's eyes or ears are open to those that are righteous. James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

The way I see it, the unsaved want the benefits of being a Christian without paying for it. Christ paid the price owed, but the unsaved balk at making any lasting commitment to the Lord in exchange for having their prayers answered, and even then, as believers find out, He doesn’t always answer.

Jesus says when you pray, the model prayer begins with what? Our Father who art in heaven. Can just any person call God their father who is in heaven? No, they can't call God honestly, sincerely, and genuinely their father unless they have received the spirit of adoption which enables them to call God their father. The new birth generates new life and a new family unity that they never previously possessed, so you must be born again. You have to have new birth. You have to be in the family of God to expect the father of the family to be hearing your prayers, and that's not to say that even the prayers of Christians are always heard in the sense that they're going to be answered according to their desires, because God can supersede what we think and answer it the way he wants to and to answer it or not answer it according to his own purposes, and hopefully, if we're biblically informed enough, we're willing to say, "Not my will, but yours be done." 

 

Scriptures on the Prayers of Sinners

“We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” ~ John 9:31

“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” ~ Psalm 66:18

 

 

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ~ 1 Peter 3:12

 

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” ~ Isaiah 59:2

 

                  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.christianity.com

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 7

 

7. Christ has promised not to cast us out

 

John 6:37 says: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and him who comes to Me I shall by no means cast out.”

What a precious, unconditional promise from our Savior!  He will never cast out or reject those who have come to Him. We can fully trust in Him and His Word to know our salvation is eternally secure. So we shouldn’t live our Christian life in constant fear and doubt. Our salvation is eternally secure, and we can and should trust in the Word of God, which assures us of this fact. 

“According to biblical teachings, once a person accepts Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they become eternally part of God’s family. This means that believers are children of God and members of His family forever, regardless of their actions or sins. However, believers can fall out of fellowship with the church or God due to sin, which can result in consequences such as being handed over to Satan for discipline. This does not mean they are cast out of God's family but rather that they are experiencing divine discipline to bring them back to a right relationship with God. The ultimate goal of such discipline is repentance, reconciliation, and restoration, not destruction.”

Since we’ve already discussed the fact that God never changes in any way, we can rely on His promises. He is reliable, making Him trustworthy. Our creator has a very high level of integrity that we must imitate. As I like to say: “It is never right to do wrong, and it is never wrong to do right.”  Our Heavenly Father ALWAYS does what is right. And everything that happens in this life happens for a specific reason and purpose, most of the time the WHY is known only to God. 

So if Jesus Himself said that there would never be a reason that He would cast you out of God’s family you can count on that to be true, because throughout the Bible you will find NO lies or deception coming from any part of the Holy Trinity. What they say they mean and at the right moment in time all that has been promised shall come to pass. So rest easy, take comfort in these 7 reasons that reveal our salvation is ETERNALLY SECURE. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

Resources: ebible.com, chrisitianity.com, pilotonline.com, gotquestions.org.

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure – 6

6. God never changes

Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, even forever.”

Everything changes: people, circumstances, environments, the weather. Even our own emotions fluctuate constantly; we can be up one minute and down the next. But our salvation doesn’t hinge on our feelings. God never changes, neither does His salvation, and neither does His love for us. 

“The concept that God never changes is a fundamental belief in Christianity, rooted in several biblical passages. Malachi 3 states, "For I the Lord do not change," and James 1 emphasizes that God is "the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." These verses affirm God's immutability, meaning that His nature and attributes remain constant.

This belief in God's unchanging nature provides comfort and stability in a world of constant change. It means that God's love, faithfulness, mercy, justice, and power are the same as they were when the universe was created. His promises and covenant with humanity also remain unbroken, offering assurance and hope.” ^[1]

            God’s grand plan from the foundations of the world has not changed. Knowing His creation would disobey, He provided a singular sacrifice that would pay the cost of all our sins. The perfection of God realized in His own Son; the second person of the Trinity with all the traits and abilities of the Father. Christ laid down His own life once for all time ushering in the Age of Grace. This is not something that is temporal; it is eternal. God doesn’t take back that which He promises. If you confess your sins and receive Christ into your heart/life, that is eternal with eternal repercussions. Missing heaven is not to be a concern for the true, bible believing individual who’s life, once transformed, lives for the King ... now and forevermore.

So in summary, the belief that God never changes is a cornerstone of Christian theology, providing a stable foundation for faith in an ever-changing world.

            Rejecting Christ along with God’s redemptive plan, voids out the gift. Until time is no more, there is always an opportunity to receive forgiveness. Be very careful not to cast aside your only hope for eternal salvation. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] https://www.fromhispresence.com/you-may-change-but-god-never-changes/

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure – 5

5. God keeps us in His hand

John 10:28-29 says: “And I give to them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish forever, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father…is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

All kinds of things may try to snatch us from the Father’s hand—sin, the world, difficulties, even Satan himself. But in these verses, Jesus assures us by saying that it’s impossible for us to be snatched away. No one and nothing is stronger than God. Now we can jump out of His hand; that would be walking away from your faith. But in the normal realm of things, you are ALWAYS in the very palm of His hand.

“The phrase "in God's hand" in scripture is often used as figurative language to convey a deeper meaning rather than a literal physical act. This symbolic language is common throughout the Bible, where metaphors and figures of speech are used to express God's care, guidance, or control over His people. For example, Isaiah 49 uses the image of God's hand to illustrate His unwavering presence and protection. Similarly, the Bible frequently employs the imagery of hands and arms to represent God's power and action, which is understood as figurative language meant to convey spiritual truths rather than literal physical actions.” ^[1]

                  Figurative or not, the message conveyed is one that helps galvanize the thought that we are eternally secure in the hand of God.  What we go thru in this life is meant to help mature us as followers of Christ. We do not need to be concerned about our salvation if we are true believers and not one who sits on the fence. For those who truly, and sincerely believe and wish to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, you must spend each day mindful of the image you are projecting to the world. While you certainly ca, DO YOU make some sort of difference in your sphere of influence? Can others tell there is something different about you simply by observing your life? THAT is what we are to strive for each day. Being Jesus to the masses around us. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] https://www.preservedwords.com/kjcosmo/1a-figurative.html

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 4

 

4. We have become God’s children

 

John 1:12-13 says: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten…of God.”

When we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we were saved from eternal perdition. But that’s not all. These verses tell us we were also begotten of God to be His children. This is something that can’t be undone. We all know that children misbehave from time to time. But no matter how much they may misbehave; their bad behavior can never negate the fact that they were born of their parents. Even when children are disciplined, that discipline doesn’t undo their relationship with their parents. In the same way, our sins and failures can’t negate the fact that we’re born of God and are children of God. We may sometimes require God’s discipline, but we’ll always be God’s children, born of His divine life.

                  Wait, do you mean even murderers and rapists can become children of God? Yes, if they repent and turn from their wicked ways they too could become children of God. They will undoubtedly end up facing the consequences of their sin(s), but their eternal destination will have been secured. It all has to do with the heart; something God sees clearly, and we do not

Scripture talks about people repenting on their death bed. Maybe this individual was one of the most evil persons in the world, yet on their death bed they have an epiphany. * His life passes before his eyes, and he realizes what he’s done all his life and asks God to forgive him. God knows this person’s heart and knowing their sincerity, forgives him. He has just become a child of God. 

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in your life, God loves you and wishes to forgive you. All you need to do is ask for it with a sincere and sorrowful heart. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

* Epiphany: A sudden insight or intuitive understanding.

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 3

 

3. God is righteous in saving us

Psalm 89:14 says: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.”

God’s throne is immovable and unshakable because the foundation of His throne is His righteousness*. His love motivated Him to save us from eternal judgment. But God’s righteousness is the base of His salvation. 

Many fear God’s righteousness and associate it with His wrath. His righteousness is indeed a fearful thing. Because God is righteous, He cannot tolerate or overlook sin; He’s bound to judge all unrighteousness. But God’s righteousness is also the base of our salvation, which is truly wonderful. 

Let’s see how this is so. Romans 6:23 says: “The wages of sin is death.” This means that all who sin must die. A righteous God has no other choice but to judge sinners and assign them their wages: eternal death. But the Lord Jesus came and bore the judgment of death for sinners on the cross. God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as the full payment for our sins. Just as in a court of law, a judge can’t require a debt to be paid twice, God is bound by His righteousness to honor the price Christ paid for us. So if God wants His throne to stand, He must act in accordance with His righteousness. Since Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by dying in our place, God’s righteousness won’t allow Him to demand further payment from us. This means our salvation is secured by God’s righteousness; He can’t take it away from us. Praise Him for His righteousness! Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/                                                                                               *Righteous: Morally upright; without guilt or sin. (American Heritage Dictionary)

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 2

 

2. God’s love for us is eternal

 

Jeremiah 31:3 says: “I have loved you with an eternal love.”

 

This verse says God loves us with a love that’s eternal. That means His love is unchanging. Human love can be fickle, but God’s love never changes; it doesn’t depend on what we do. God loves us eternally.  His love is unconditional.  Do you understand what that means? He doesn’t just know us; He knows us intimately.  He knows the motivation of our heart. Scripture says He has the very hairs on our head numbered. ^{(Luke 12:7)}

There is nothing in this world that could keep God from loving us. No matter what we do, He never STOPS loving us. Do you understand how long an eternity is? It’s defined as “time with no beginning or end.”  It is the time after death which goes on forever without end. Why would God say He loved us with an “eternal” love if we weren’t going to be with Him IN eternity? I understand that “talk is cheap”, but not so with Almighty God. Whatever He says He absolutely and unequivocally means without question. Eternity is an uncharted amount of time. I would think it would be incalculable. I mean, by what standard would you measure it? It isn’t possible. THAT is why we are considered “eternally secure”.  

The only way this isn’t true is in the unregenerate mind, the mind of one who refuses to accept the existence of an all-powerful Spirit-being. Do so at your own peril. That’s certainly not any kind of threat. It’s just to say are you really willing to throw away your soul based on personal discrepancies that haunt the deepest recesses of your mind? You better be sure, my friend, because your eternity is at stake. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

7 Proofs Our Salvation is Eternally Secure - 1

1. Our salvation was initiated by God

Ephesians 1:4 says: “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love.”

God chose us before we were born, even before the universe was created. Then, when the time was right for us to be saved, He called us. Do you think that God would choose us so long ago, send His Son to die for us, wait for us to be born, and then call and save us, only to abandon us after we’re finally saved? No, He would not. God is the One who initiated our salvation before the foundation of the world and carried it out.

The Bible says God foreknew everything that would transpire in the world that He created from the beginning of time. It says that our election is sure and that it has been predetermined regarding who shall be redeemed and who will not. Man still has a free will, and God has NEVER wanted anyone to go to hell, however, it is not God’s choice, but rather man’s as to whether they will accept His gracious offer of salvation. God cannot predetermine man’s decision making process because THAT would circumvent the whole idea of a person having a free will. 

It tends to confound logic, but thru research, the above is what I’ve come up. I have always been a believer in the fact that we are NOT told in scripture that we must “understand” all that scripture teaches, just that we are to trust the Lord and follow His teachings. Someday we may understand the meaning of certain mysteries, but we may also NOT ever understand. That is unimportant. We must trust God and follow wherever He leads us.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: https://blog.biblesforamerica.org/eternal-security-verses/

 

Deconstructionism

 ... is it a valid way to interpret the Bible?

Deconstructionism is basically a theory of textual criticism or interpretation that denies there is any single correct meaning or interpretation of a passage or text. At the heart of the deconstructionist theory of interpretation are two primary ideas. First is the idea that no passage or text can possibly convey a single reliable, consistent, and coherent message to everyone who reads or hears it. The second is that the author who wrote the text is less responsible for the piece’s content than are the impersonal forces of culture such as language and the author’s unconscious ideology. Therefore the very basic tenets of deconstructionism are contrary to the clear teaching of the Bible that absolute truth does exist, and we can indeed know it (Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 65:16; John 1:17–18; John 14:6; John 15:26–27; Galatians 2:5).

The deconstructionist approach to interpreting the Bible comes out of postmodernism and is therefore simply another denial of the existence of absolute truth, which is one of the most serious logical fallacies anyone can commit. The denial of absolute truth is a logical fallacy because it is a self-contradictory statement. No one can rationally deny absolute truth because to do so one is forced to state an absolute—which is what he is saying does not exist. When someone claims that there is no such thing as absolute truth, ask him, “Are you absolutely sure of that?” If he says, “Yes,” then he has made a statement contradictory to his very premise.

Like other philosophies that come out of the postmodernism, deconstructionism celebrates human autonomy and determines truth by the intellect of man. Therefore, according to the postmodern thinker, all truth is relative and there is no such thing as absolute truth. At the heart of postmodernism and deconstructionist thought is pride. The deconstructionist thinks that he can discover a personal or social motivation behind what Scripture says and therefore can determine what is “really being said.”The result is a subjective interpretation of the passage in question. Instead of accepting what the Bible actually says, the deconstructionist is arrogant enough to think he can determine the motive behind what was written and come up with the “real” or “hidden” meaning of the text. However, if one were to take deconstructionism to its logical conclusion, then the findings of the deconstructionist would themselves have to be deconstructed to determine what the deconstructionist “really” said. The endless circular reasoning is self-defeating. When one thinks about how fundamentally flawed this type of thinking is, one is reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, ‘He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness.’”

The deconstructionist does not study the Bible in order to find out the meaning intended by the writer but to attempt to discern the cultural and social motives behind what was written. The deconstructionist is only limited in his interpretation of a passage by his own imagination. To the deconstructionist there is no right or wrong interpretation, and the meaning of the text becomes whatever the reader wants it to be. One might imagine what would happen if legal documents such as wills and deeds were read this way. This approach to Scripture fails to recognize the fundamental truth that the Bible is God’s objective communication to mankind and that the meaning of the passages comes from God.

Instead of spending time debating deconstructionism or other postmodern theories, we should concentrate on exalting Christ and emphasizing the sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures. Romans 1:21–22 sums up most postmodern thinkers who hold to such theories as deconstructionism: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

This concludes our look into Deconstructionism. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What is deconstruction? Part 3

What does it mean when people say they are deconstructing their faith?

To say, “Deconstruction means choosing easier beliefs” is an oversimplification. And yet deconstruction almost always means adopting views palatable to the unbelieving world. All too conveniently, it means moving away from positions on sexuality, gender, salvation, sin, hell, and other issues not embraced by popular culture. The vast majority who claim to be deconstructing move with the flow of their surrounding culture, not against it. This movement demands “safe space” to ask difficult questions. Yet, ironically, modern deconstruction often settles for easy, comfortable answers. Or it simply chooses which aspects of faith to retain based on personal preference.

While deconstruction implies openness in theory, it most often manifests as an “escape clause” when it comes time to justify one’s new or “progressing” views. Ironically, those who reject Christian culture for not engaging questions can themselves be deeply evasive when asked to do that very thing. It’s easy to ask hard questions. Complex mysteries can be posed in just a few words. Answering those questions, however, takes time and effort. Simply listing complications or nitpicking is not the same as sincerely assessing ideas. Identifying oneself as “in deconstruction” can become an easy excuse for never taking a position but merely rejecting something one dislikes.

There’s a natural tendency to feel “smart” or superior when pointing out the flaws in someone else’s views. When one forgets that the questioning process is meant to go both ways, it can feel like an attack. When challenged to explain their views, deconstructionists often complain they are “not being allowed a safe space” to pose questions. As noted, there absolutely are circumstances where Christian communities unreasonably slam the door on doubters. Yet merely being asked, “Why do you think that’s true?” or “What makes that a better option?” is a part of any sincere line of questioning.

Three counterexamples provide guidelines on how Christians can respond to sharp questions or doubts about faith. These are Nicodemus, Thomas, and the early church. Nicodemus came to ask Jesus about faith (John 3:1–2), and Jesus gave Him answers. These answers were honest, even if not entirely what Nicodemus might have wanted to hear (John 3:3–15). They were certainly not the answers Nicodemus’ culture would have preferred. Jesus’ responses often challenged the assumptions of those who sought Him out (John 4:22–24; Luke 18:22–23).

When Thomas doubted Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus took the gracious step of providing more attention, time, and evidence than anyone reasonably needed (John 20:24–28). Believers should sympathize with those struggling under doubts and be ready to go that extra mile when they can (Matthew 5:41–42). Jesus didn’t merely applaud Thomas for being skeptical; He graciously dealt with the skepticism.

While being respectful of doubters, the church needs to hold its ground on principles that are truly clear or fundamental to faith. That means insisting on truths even if they are controversial to the world at large. The book of Acts records the early church making reasonable concessions to Jewish believers. The church did not compromise cornerstone teachings in the face of intense pressure to do just that (Acts 15). While accepting the need to consider culture when communicating (1 Corinthians 9:20–23), those early believers also refused to accept false teaching for the sake of popularity (Acts 5:29).

Christians need to lovingly engage questions from seekers and doubters. That might mean simply admitting “I don’t know” and offering to look for an answer together. Not all challenges to faith come from a point of antagonism. Some come in the form of curiosity. Some come in the form of skepticism. Some come with intense personal pain and complicated histories. For those reasons, believers should provide “safe space” for others to express concerns and doubts (Romans 12:18; 14:13). Those who “fall away,” even when lovingly treated, don’t reflect a weakness in the truth of Christianity (1 John 2:19). No one should replace sincere seeking with the attitudes connected to the modern deconstruction movement. 

Next we’ll take another look at Deconstructionism, only this article will look at the way they interpret scripture. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

What is deconstruction? Part 2

What does it mean when people say they are deconstructing their faith?

Too often, churches and church members act like social clubs, while failing to wrestle with difficult questions about faith. Believing we have established every answer beyond all doubt reflects a natural desire for control. That impulse is not biblical. In fact, it’s what led groups like the Pharisees to claim they could define “honoring the Sabbath” down to how many steps a man could take. Refusal to accept some level of trust in the face of uncertainty is more than a form of legalism (Mark 7:8–9); it’s antithetical to the very concept of faith (Mark 9:24; Hebrews 12:1).

Rather than allowing room for sincere doubt and questions, some Christian communities reject anything more than superficial curiosity. That may extend to carelessly labelling those with doubts as unbelievers or troublemakers. This lends weight to those who falsely claim that valid answers are only found outside the church. Faith communities may obsess over teachings that are secondary or even superficial. They may cement cultural and political preferences into their view of Christianity. Those errors also feed the false narrative driving much of the modern deconstruction movement.

Some deconstruct in response to deeply personal pain. Those who have been neglected, rejected, or even abused within a church context struggle to separate unbiblical traumas from legitimate teachings of Scripture. Failures and betrayals from Christian leaders create heartache and embarrassment. Pain felt by those we love becomes pain in our own lives. Some respond to these struggles by jettisoning doctrines or beliefs; this is partly an attempt to distance themselves from the stigma of another person’s actions.

Such failures of the modern church can and should be corrected. However, what is now called “deconstruction” reflects long-established and innate principles. There will always be those whose connection to faith is superficial (Matthew 7:21). Others have understanding fragile enough to fail under strain (Hebrews 3:12). Jesus’ parable of the Sower includes two groups who demonstrate a response to truth, only to be overcome by worldly pressure or persecution (Matthew 13:20–22). Paul knew people often succumb to attractive lies (2 Timothy 4:3–4). Paul witnessed close friends yielding to popular trends (2 Timothy 4:10). Even Christ saw people walk away because they did not want to accept His message (John 6:65–66).

Next time we will continue our look at deconstruction; until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

What is deconstruction? Part 1

What does it mean when people say they are deconstructing their faith?

“Deconstruction” is the heading most recently applied to the process of questioning, doubting, and ultimately rejecting aspects of Christian faith. This is an application of deconstructionism, an approach that claims to disassemble beliefs or ideas while assuming their meanings are inherently subjective. Both the trend and its title reflect backlash against the unfortunate habit within some religious circles to downplay deep questions and ignore those who hold them. To openly investigate the nuances of belief, even changing one’s convictions, is a biblical concept. In practice, though, “deconstruction” almost always acts as a polite cover for “demolition.” Modern “deconstruction” usually means replacing uncomfortable tenets with culturally or personally popular ideas.

A fundamental belief in biblical Christianity is that of man’s limited understanding compared to God’s unlimited understanding. Scripture often draws this contrast explicitly (Isaiah 55:8–9; Job 38:1–4; John 6:45–46). Scripture also teaches this truth indirectly, noting how sincere Christians often come to different conclusions (Romans 14:1–5; 1 Corinthians 10:28–32). The Bible says we can be stubborn and interpret His will wrongly (John 5:39–40). This does not mean everything is subject to opinion (1 Corinthians 3:10–14; 15:3–8); rather, it means everything should be open to sincere questions (Matthew 7:7–8). Deconstruction claims to explore such issues, though its ultimate motivation is often not to understand, but to undermine.

Scripture commands each person to scrutinize his or her faith. This includes fact-checking (Acts 17:11), thoughtful preparation (1 Peter 3:15), reasonable skepticism (1 John 4:1), cooperation with others (Proverbs 27:17), multiple perspectives (Proverbs 15:22), and an appreciation for all God has shown in His creation (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1). Scripture often depicts people crying out with doubtful complaints and frustrations (Psalm 73:2–3; Habakkuk 1:2–4). Those who examine what they believe and why they believe it, assessing those views for truth, are following a biblical mandate (2 Corinthians 13:5). Yet this is not what the modern deconstruction movement does.

Next time we will continue our look at deconstruction; until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

We’re Truly a Blessed Nation

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”- Psalm 33:12a

            The people of His inheritance is Israel, however, because of their rejection of Christ, the door was opened for gentiles to receive God’s grace and mercy. This great country of ours was founded on such principles. Sadly, the influence of Satan has permeated much of our landscape. Being given a free will to choose allows us to do as we please. The positive side of that is that when we choose to serve God we do so willingly without coercion. We don’t have to follow the ways of God, but we can. The United States of America was and is great because its’ people as a whole are great. There are still millions of Americans who love this country and believe strongly in God. 

            This nation had been on a path of destruction. Poor decisions and poor leadership took us there. For us to rise up as one nation under God again it will take the commitment of believers to pray each day for our nation. Freedom is not, nor was it ever free. It was bought with a price. Let us not be reckless, but strong in the face of adversity. May God’s perfect will be done for our great nation. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

Key Facts About Eternity

 

(1) Everyone will exist eternally either in heaven or hell (Daniel 12:2,3; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28; Revelation 20:14,15).

 

(2) Everyone has only one life in which to determine their destiny (Hebrews 9:27).

 

(3) Heaven or hell is determined by whether a person believes (puts their trust) in Christ alone to save them (John 3:16, 36, etc.).

 

Key Passages About Hell

 

(1) Hell was designed originally for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

 

(2) Hell will also punish the sin of those who reject Christ (Matthew 13:41,50; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8).

 

(3) Hell is conscious torment.

Matthew 13:50 “furnace of fire…weeping and gnashing of teeth”

Mark 9:48 “where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”

Revelation 14:10 “he will be tormented with fire and brimstone”

 

(4) Hell is eternal and irreversible.

 

Revelation 14:11 “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day and night”

Revelation 20:14 “This is the second death, the lake of fire”

Revelation 20:15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”

 

Please consider these things before you blow off God.

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

Hearing IS Believing

 

So, if seeing is not believing, how can I believe in God? One of the wonderful things about God is that he never leaves us in the dark. He doesn’t just tell us where to go but also how to get there. And the same is true for faith. Consistently throughout the bible, God teaches us that seeing is not believing: Hearing is believing. This is what Paul says: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17). You could not get a more unambiguous verse about how to believe in God. God tells us plainly: Faith comes from hearing!

When we struggle with our faith, we can often forget that God instructs us in how to believe in him. And He teaches us that real faith comes from hearing the words of Christ. This doesn’t mean that all who hear will believe. Many heard Jesus’ words and still rejected him. But this is how the Holy Spirit brings people to faith and maintains our faith: Not by seeing Christ, but by hearing the words of Christ.

In John 4, we see a contrast between those who hear and those who see. An entire Samaritan village come to faith in Jesus, and they explain to the Samarian woman how this happened: “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42).

Not one miracle is recorded while Jesus stayed in that village. And yet they believed in him when they heard the words of Christ for themselves. Hearing is believing. Contrast this with the Jewish village that Jesus visits next. An official begs Jesus to heal his son, and Jesus rebukes them: “Unless you people see signs and wonders … you will never believe”. (John 4:48). The Jewish town would not believe without seeing. But the Samaritans show us that faith comes through hearing. The organ of faith is not the eye, but the ears.

 

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed

 

Jesus offers an incredible promise at the end of John’s gospel: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:21)

Do we really believe that? It is so easy to think that if I could just see God, that would solve all my problems. But it won’t. It won’t actually help you to believe in him. But hearing the word of Christ will. When we struggle to believe, we need to look to the bible and not to the heavens. Immediately after Jesus’ words to Thomas, John explains that He wrote this gospel “…so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” 

The gospel is what God has given us to believe. This is so liberating because you have the gospel. You don’t need look anywhere else. You don’t need anything more. You can believe in God without seeing him. Faith comes through hearing. And those who hear and believe will be blessed.

This concludes our look at Tom Habib’s article of how to believe in God when we cannot see Him. I hope you enjoyed these 3 posts as much as I did. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

This is a Part 3 of a 3 part series taken from an article written by Tom Habib for the Bible Coalition. Tom is a lectures on the New Testament and Greek at Moore Theological College.

Seeing is NOT Believing

First, we need to dispel the myth that seeing is believing. It isn’t and it never has been. The evidence for this is found in the people who did see Jesus. Many people have said to me before, “If I could just see Jesus I would believe in him.” In my braver moments I reply, “No you wouldn’t—if you saw Jesus, you would kill him!” Because that’s what people did. Thousands of people witnessed Jesus perform miracles that were impossible for a mortal man. And yet it was those same crowds that cried out for his crucifixion. Seeing is not believing: just look at those who saw Jesus and did not believe.

Jesus demonstrates this himself in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man descends into hell and pleads with Father Abraham to let him go back and warn his brothers, so that they will not end up there,

Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
‘No, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
He said to them, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ (Luke 16:29-31)

In this parable, Jesus makes clear that someone could witness the resurrection and still not believe. Why? Because seeing is not believing. But this raises a question. If seeing is not believing—then what is the real reason why people don’t believe in God? And Jesus tells us: people don’t believe because they simply don’t want to believe.

In John 7, Jesus’ brothers urge him to “show himself to the world”. They thought that if people just saw Jesus—and in particular his miracles—they would believe and follow him. This is what we often think as well. But Jesus rebukes them: “the world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.” (John 7:7)

Jesus knows that the world will not accept him, and He knows that it has nothing to do with whether they see him and his miracles or not. The real reason that the world will not believe in Jesus is that it hates Jesus. If Jesus were to sing to the world’s tune, it would believe in him in a second. But because Jesus testifies that their works are evil, they hate him. And that is the real reason why they don’t believe in him. They don’t want to.

Later in the same chapter Jesus challenges the religious leaders with this truth: “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:16-17)

The person who wants to do God’s will believes in Jesus. The person who wants to live their own way won’t. And this is exactly what we see in the rest of the chapter. The Pharisees’ rejection of Jesus is shown to be completely unfounded. Even one of their own, Nicodemus, thinks they are being unfair. Despite all the evidence, they refuse to believe simply because they don’t want to believe. Their unbelief is not based on reason but rebellion. They want to live life their own way.

And this is true for our world today. You could see Jesus every day of your life and still not believe in him. The Pharisees didn’t. Jesus’ own brothers didn’t. Isn’t the real reason people don’t believe in Jesus simply because they don’t want to?

The final part is coming with the next post. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

This is a Part 2 of a 3 part series taken from an article written by Tom Habib for the Bible Coalition. Tom is a lectures on the New Testament and Greek at Moore Theological College.