Take Off Your Theological Lenses!

So many different churches and pastors and priests teach different ways of getting to heaven or getting saved. Catholics teach a different way than Methodists, who teach a different way than Presbyterians, who teach a different way than Church of Christ, who teach a different way than Episcopals, who teach a different way than Baptists.
And many of these various splinters of "Christianity"teach different ways within the splinter groups of their own titles. For example, Reformed Baptist teach differently on salvation than other Baptist churches.

With so many types of Christianity that teach different ways to be saved, it begs the question: "which one is correct on their teaching of how to get to heaven?"

Well, rather than listening to what the churches, pastors, priests, and authors who hold to man-made theologies say, why not go to the Word of God itself? What does it say?

Acts 16:30-31 is one of, it not the most, straightforward verses on this matter. In the passage a jailor asks Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas promptly reply: "BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!". Seems pretty simple, doesn't it?

Sadly, verses like these are either ignored or twisted to fit a certain brand of theology.

Most of these types of Christianity are based on man-made theologies and philosophies that they interpret scripture though the lens of. Most have a preconceived idea or philosophy going into reading there Bible. They approach it with certain teachings or doctrines that they believe as truths. As they read scripture they understand certain verses to mean certain things in regards to their theology. That is how they explain the verses.

Heres an illustration to help you understand that:

Lets say that you have green tinted glasses, everything that you see through them will be various shades of green because you are looking through green lenses. But in reality, most things aren't really green. Sure, there are some things that really are green and those match up with the lenses,  but not everything is green.
Its the same with theological lenses. Sure, some things seen through theological lenses match up with scripture and are true, but in reality, a lot of things don't match up with them, therefore they only see them in light of that theology's teachings. People are so accustomed to wearing these theological lenses that they refuse to take them off and see what is actually there. They are so used to a world of green that they are convinced that everything is green and everyone who sees differently must be wrong.

I realized several years ago that the traditions and doctrines I had been brought up in didn't line up with scripture. Sure, they were loosely based on scripture, but when I started studying the Bible for myself I quickly realized the truth. I could either stick with the theologies and doctrines that I was brought up with, or I could believe in what scripture says. Now, don't get me wrong, the ways I was brought up in the church weren't that far off from the truth, but they were far enough that I could see an obvious difference between them and scripture. 

I prayed about this and started seeking the Lord's will in the matter. He showed me that sticking to scripture in context was more important than what any pastor, priest, author, or church says. In Acts 17:11 Paul shared the gospel with the Bereans. They received the message with great eagerness, yet they were wise and noble enough to be cautious not to automatically believe what he was saying. Instead, these people examined the scripture to see if what Paul said was true. This is how we should treat everything we hear. 

Ive heard many times that in order to easily detect fake dollar bills, bankers study every aspect and detail of the real dollar bills. If you study the real thing enough, the things that are false will be easy to spot. 

Like with the dollar bills, we should cast off all theological lenses and pray for the Lord to speak the truth to us every time we read scripture. We should dive into the word daily and allow scripture to speak for itself. I have found that many of the confusing passages of scripture can be understood by other parts of scripture. Use scripture to interpret scripture, rather than theology. 

I am by no means perfect. And Im not saying that the church I go to is "the only correct teaching". That would be arrogant and foolish. I am simply encouraging everyone to cast aside all external teachings and look to scripture for what it is. Allow the Word of God to shape your beliefs and your life, rather than what the church or church leaders say. Trust the Lord over man.  

        This summer I have been living with a couple outside of DC and every Friday I have been going with the husband to his men's Bible Study that meets weekly at Panera Bread for breakfast, fellowship and devotion. They have been going through a book called "In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life" by  Sinclair Ferguson, a Scottish professor of systematic theology at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas. He is a reformed/Calvinist Christian, which as any of you who know me well enough know, I strongly am against that deceptive teaching. Regardless of that, in a chapter of Dr Ferguson's book, he writes about the assurance of salvation. This is something that is totally backed up by scripture that Catholic teachings are against. I have also met many reformed/Calvinists who are against it. Heck, the entire reformed/Calvinist teaching of salvation is completely contrary to having and knowing assurance of salvation. However, I digress... Despite Dr Ferguson's un-biblical beliefs, his writing comes across as very biblical and is spot on. I guess that goes to show that the Lord can work through and speak through even the most flawed teachings and theologies. Anywho, I wanted to share this chapter with y'all.

“The Greatest of All Protestant Heresies”?

by Sinclair Ferguson

"Let us begin with a church history exam question. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was a figure not to be taken lightly. He was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and one of the most able figures in the Counter-Reformation movement within sixteenth-century Roman Catholicism. On one occasion, he wrote: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is _______ .” Complete, explain, and discuss Bellarmine’s statement.

How would you answer? What is the greatest of all Protestant heresies? Perhaps justification by faith? Perhaps Scripture alone, or one of the other Reformation watchwords?

Those answers make logical sense. But none of them completes Bellarmine’s sentence. What he wrote was: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is assurance.”

A moment’s reflection explains why. If justification is not by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone — if faith needs to be completed by works; if Christ’s work is somehow repeated; if grace is not free and sovereign, then something always needs to be done, to be “added” for final justification to be ours. That is exactly the problem. If final justification is dependent on something we have to complete it is not possible to enjoy assurance of salvation. For then, theologically, final justification is contingent and uncertain, and it is impossible for anyone (apart from special revelation, Rome conceded) to be sure of salvation. But if Christ has done everything, if justification is by grace, without contributory works; it is received by faith’s empty hands — then assurance, even “full assurance” is possible for every believer.

No wonder Bellarmine thought full, free, unfettered grace was dangerous! No wonder the Reformers loved the letter to the Hebrews!

This is why, as the author of Hebrews pauses for breath at the climax of his exposition of Christ’s work (Heb. 10:18), he continues his argument with a Paul-like “therefore” (Heb. 10:19). He then urges us to “draw near … in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:22). We do not need to re-read the whole letter to see the logical power of his “therefore.” Christ is our High Priest; our hearts have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience just as our bodies have been washed with pure water (v.22).

Christ has once-for-all become the sacrifice for our sins, and has been raised and vindicated in the power of an indestructible life as our representative priest. By faith in Him, we are as righteous before the throne of God as He is righteous. For we are justified in His righteousness, His justification alone is ours! And we can no more lose this justification than He can fall from heaven. Thus our justification does not need to be completed any more than does Christ’s!

With this in view, the author says, “by one offering He has perfected for all time those who come to God by him” (Heb. 10:14). The reason we can stand before God in full assurance is because we now experience our “hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and … bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22).

“Ah,” retorted Cardinal Bellarmine’s Rome, “teach this and those who believe it will live in license and antinomianism.” But listen instead to the logic of Hebrews. Enjoying this assurance leads to four things: First, an unwavering faithfulness to our confession of faith in Jesus Christ alone as our hope (v.23); second, a careful consideration of how we can encourage each other to “love and good works” (v.24); third, an ongoing communion with other Christians in worship and every aspect of our fellowship (v.25a); fourth, a life in which we exhort one another to keep looking to Christ and to be faithful to him, as the time of his return draws ever nearer (25b).

It is the good tree that produces good fruit, not the other way round. We are not saved by works; we are saved for works. In fact we are God’s workmanship at work (Eph. 2:9–10)! Thus, rather than lead to a life of moral and spiritual indifference, the once-for-all work of Jesus Christ and the full-assurance faith it produces, provides believers with the most powerful impetus to live for God’s glory and pleasure. Furthermore, this full assurance is rooted in the fact that God Himself has done all this for us. He has revealed His heart to us in Christ. The Father does not require the death of Christ to persuade Him to love us. Christ died because the Father loves us (John 3:16). He does not lurk behind His Son with sinister intent wishing He could do us ill — were it not for the sacrifice his Son had made! No, a thousand times no! — the Father Himself loves us in the love of the Son and the love of the Spirit.

Those who enjoy such assurance do not go to the saints or to Mary. Those who look only to Jesus need look nowhere else. In Him we enjoy full assurance of salvation. The greatest of all heresies? If heresy, let me enjoy this most blessed of “heresies”! For it is God’s own truth and grace!"

What did Jesus say about Homosexuality?

Christians often get attacked because they believe that having sex with someone of the same sex is a sin. Which the Bible clearly says is a sin, just like it says that sex outside of marriage or having more than one sexual partner is a sin. 

Sin is all the same in the sense that one sin separates us from God, and that Jesus paid for all sin. He paid it all on the cross. We are all sinners, and he loved us so much that he paid for our sins so that we may spend eternity with him in heaven. He said that whoever simply believes in him, has everlasting life with him in heaven. 

Now, Ive heard many non-christians and christians say that "Jesus never said anything about homosexuality", well, that is a common misconception. 

In Mark 7:21 Jesus said this:

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders..."

The New Testament was written in Greek, the common language of the time written. The Greek is much more specific in the meanings than english is, allowing for a narrowed down specific/exact meaning. In this verse, Christ uses the word "fornication", which is the Original Greek word: πορνεία. The Transliteration of this word is Porneia.(Where we get the word pornography). The definition of that word is:  illicit sexual intercourse. (adultery, Incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.). This same word is used in Matthew 19:9 as the only reason for getting a divorce. In context, in the Mark verse,  Christ is calling any type of sexual relation that is not between that of a man and a woman in marriage, evil, meaning it is a sin. That is just one of the many things he talks about in that verse. 

Of course in our culture & language we see fornication as meaning just "sex" or sex outside of marriage, but because the English language is not as specific as the Greek, this was the closest English word used in the English translations. 

Do I hate people who do those things? Absolutely not! The Bible calls us to be loving and to treat others the way we wish to be treated and to do all things with love. Christ associated with all sorts of sinners. He was kind and loving to all sinners, but he did not condone their sins. He loved the sinners, but not their sins. THAT is the prime definition of Tolerance. Therefore, I love people who sin, but I do not approve of the sin. I don't approve of the sins I do, that is why it is an every day struggle. We are called, as Christians to "hate evil". Sin is evil. We should be more Christlike. We should love others regardless of their sins, but we should not love their sin.