A Backhanded Heresy, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: John 3:1-17

3:1  Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
3:2  He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
3:3  Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
3:4  Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"
3:5  Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
3:6  What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
3:7  Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'
3:8  The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
3:9  Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
3:10  Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
3:11  "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.
3:12  If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
3:13  No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
3:14  And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
3:15  that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.
3:16  "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.
3:17  "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him."

          There is a backhanded heresy at work in the world right now.  So that we are all on the same page, let me state here the common definition of a heresy: a belief or opinion that is contrary to orthodox -- traditional or established -- religious doctrine; an opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted.

          Actually, the world around us is full of manmade religions, religious fallacies and heresies.  Some come from ancient myths and primitive beliefs, some from unscholarly opinions, some from scholars who begin with an opinion and search out only those facts that will support their particular theory or belief.  It is a backhanded heresy because they pick and choose which words of God they will accept to support their error, and deny the rest.

          There are those in the church today who attempt to mold God into human character and make Him subservient to what we think is just and right and therefore holy.  Wanting to avoid condemning those caught up in particular sins, instead of concentrating on repentance and changing the individual, they work at changing the church to fit the latest social mores.  Homosexuality is only the latest in many attempts.

          This past week an ordained member of a Christian church that worships God wrote to me the following declaration: "A god that would require a grisly painful horrible death upon a cross for anyone much less his only son is not a god I would ever worship."  He believes, and espouses, that we gain eternal life by how we treat people here on earth, such as homosexuals.

          I want you to pay special attention to the last verse of today's text, verse 17, which states, "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him."  We often hear the first part of that verse quoted, and it is true because we condemn ourselves.  Christ does not condemn us, indeed, He is our advocate before the Father if we belong to Him.  But the last part of that verse says that we are saved through Jesus Christ.  Our works, our treatment of others, do not save us.  Of Jesus, the disciple John wrote in John 1:29, " The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, 'Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.'"  It is the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on that cross, in yes, "a grisly, painful, horrible death upon a cross" that has bought our freedom from sin with His shed blood.  We have that promise from the inspired Word of God Himself.  To claim otherwise, saying our eternal life is bought by our actions toward others, is merely to repeat what the serpent said to Eve in the very beginning, that God didn't really mean what He said. 

          But indeed, God did mean, and continues to mean, what He said.  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is an unchangeable God; one of His primary attributes.  Isaiah 26:4 tells us that "God is everlasting."  From the Old Testament to the New Testament, we serve a God who does not change: "For I am the Lord, I change not." (Malachi 3:6), and "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17).

          In a world of ethics and morals that change and transform upon the whims of society, we have a rock solid foundation in the Word of God.  These changeable customs will often be at odds with the unchangeableness of the Almighty God.

          Have a desire to do something, but society, based upon God's requirements of us, says you shouldn't do that?  Then should we change society's understanding of what God said?  This has gone on from the very beginning of time.  What is happening now as  the inspired Word of God is twisted and reinterpreted, or even "reformatted" in computer jargon, is happening because the undisciplined desires and feelings of some segments of society run counter to what God desires of us.  So if we want our own way, to give free vent to our desires, feelings, and emotions, without retribution, we must gain, indeed, demand society's approval.  That means we must change what society understands about Almighty God.

          But there is a very telling verse in scripture, in Isaiah 55:8 to be exact: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord."  God neither thinks like mankind thinks, or acts the way mankind acts.  As early as Numbers 23:19, God told us, "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" 

          No one keeps His word like the Almighty God; no one keeps promises like He does.

          His word, His guidance to us, is for our benefit, for there is a war going on all around us, even though we may not see it.  2nd Corinthians 10:3-6 reminds us, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."

          Men need to follow their faith, not their feelings.  Feelings will only lead us to failure.  Our faith will lead us to God.

          I submit to you that there are two actions going on here among men that are causing us real problems in this age.  One is out and out disobedience to the will of God.  The other is an ignorance of the inspired word of God, one reason contributing to the other.  Again and again I hear from those who have not studied the actual Bible, the Word of God, but have launched out on their journey on the basis of interpretations by this scholar and that scholar, each one making a living from their teachings, from their published works.  And yet it is a simple fact that the Bible is its own best commentary.  Anyone who has ever used a Thompson's Chain Reference Bible understands both the simplicity and yet the complexity of how the Holy Bible provides its own concordance and commentary.

          Down throughout history, every generation has taken a run at the Bible's veracity, attempting to use God's words to justify their own perverted behavior.  What is going on now in society is not new, and will forever continue until Jesus Christ returns for those whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  Evil must struggle with righteousness, and righteousness will never submit to evil.  The key to our survival is not getting God or God's Word on "our" side, but making certain we are standing on God's side.  To accomplish that, we need to read and, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, understand what God requires from us on a moment by moment, day by day basis.  In that way we have the strength, the discernment, and the necessary resources to stand against the evil that forever attacks the people of God, and the ways of God.

          Ephesians 6, verses 11 through 18 tell us to put on the whole armor of God, in that the battle for our souls, the war that surrounds us, is much worse than we may suspect.  This is not just some flowery allusion to truth, but is solid truth as God is truth, and we need to take action on it.  We can remain safe through all that goes on around us, being strong in the Lord, in the power of His might (not in our own) for as verse 12 tells us, "...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  Without God's might we are not equipped to survive that. 

          Get into God's Word, learn of Him, find out what is expected of you, what power and love you have at your disposal through Jesus Christ.  There is a reason we are here.  We are meant for better things, and not the chilling words found in Matthew 7:21-23, where Jesus tells us, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?"  But in verse 23, Jesus says at that point He will tell them that He never knew them, that those who work evil must get away from Him.  Chilling words.  Separation from the Lord of Glory.  Forever.

          Get into God's Word, learn of Him, return to your first love, the Son of God who loved you first.  He still does.  Amen.

Week of Worship

June 3, 2012

Invocation:  Almighty and everlasting God, help us to know You in the three glorious expressions of Your being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- that we may share in Your one and eternal glory.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 80

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Deuteronomy 6:4-25

Tuesday               John 5:19-29

Wednesday          1st Corinthians 12:1-13
Thursday              Ephesians 1:1-14

Friday                   Colossians 1:1-14

Saturday               John 16:1-11

Sunday                 Isaiah 6:1-8; Romans 8:12-17; Psalm 29;  John 3:1-17

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Come, Thou Almighty King"

Benediction:  Keep me steadfast, my God, in faith and service, that in me the fullness of Your glory may take bodily expression.  I pray.  Amen.