Jesus

Convictions Formed by God’s Truth

/ Christopher Terry

Once again, we have entered the Fall season. It won’t be long before the air grows cold and the leaves begin to change. The Lord demonstrates his creativity and wisdom over and over again. Who else could make something that is dying look vibrant and beautiful? As C.S. Lewis wrote, “He gives them the seasons, each season different yet every year the same, so that spring is always felt as a novelty yet always as the recurrence of an immemorial theme.”[1] As creatures living in God’s world, we have an idea of what is coming next with the changing of the seasons.

On the other hand, we are still surprised at times. There are good surprises and other times challenging ones. For instance, we can be caught off-guard by the power and effects of the weather. We have incredible technology and can see weather patterns developing. Yet, storms like Hurricane Helene can devastate us. As of now, we are aware of over 200 people who have died.[2] There are countless others who are stranded or missing.[3] As of now there are at least 3 million people who are still without power.[4] Please be in prayer for those who are affected by this storm. It is a reminder of how fragile life can be, and also of our limitations as human beings. The book of Isaiah says, “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” (Isa. 2:22). As we read the pages of Scripture we are reminded repeatedly of the limited nature of mankind. The LORD tells us in Genesis, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). We can be here today and gone tomorrow.

Friends, God made us in his own image, but we are not him (Gen. 1:27). We were made for him and we need him (Rev. 4:11). As created beings we are under our Creator’s authority and are accountable to him. One day each of us will face our Creator – the saved (Rom. 14:10-12; cf. 1 Cor. 3:11-15) and the unsaved (Rev. 20:11-15). This One, who spoke all things into existence and rules them by his powerful word, has revealed his standards in the Scriptures. So, we would do well to know what he has said, and also to do what he has said.  

Brothers and sisters, we are living in a time when people use terms like reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, diversity, equity, and inclusion (i.e. D.E.I.), to name a few. It is important for us as believers to understand what is meant by such terms because we live in a world where these terms are used. Ironically, reproductive freedom refers to ensuring legal access to abortion. So, reproductive freedom is the freedom not to reproduce. We are Americans. We love freedom. Our history contains a War for Independence. So, what kind of American are you if you are against freedom? The language is weighted. But, do you notice that the particular language used intentionally creates a cognitive distance between what is being said and what is being done? This is no accident. It attempts to remove the shock from the practice in question by creating an intellectual fog. As believers in Jesus Christ we must cut through the fog. Paul writes, “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, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

According to the way that God has designed us, when a man “knows” a woman, babies are the expected result (cf. Gen. 4:1-2). So, if we do not like the natural outcome of our actions, do we have the authority to erase the outcome? Abortion is so common in our world that many of us have not lived in a time without such a practice. The arguments and the terms have changed, but the outcome of the practice is the same. Where do we, as Christians, find our standard regarding such a practice? The obvious answer is the Word of God. But, is this from where we draw our convictions? Or, have we bought the lie that people can interrupt, change, or negate what God has established without consequence? Next time you hear terms, consider what they mean and what God’s Word has to say about them. I have given you just one example. Take care, dear Christians, that your convictions are formed by God’s truth, his standard of right and wrong. Do not let carefully crafted language, or manipulative tactics shape your standard. As Paul writes in Romans, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:1–2).

[1] C.S. Lewis, The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics (United Kingdom: HarperCollins, 2007), 258.

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/03/hurricane-helene-death-toll-power-outages

[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmgz3elmjxo

[4] https://www.npr.org/2024/09/30/g-s1-25406/helene-death-toll-damage

God of grace

/ Christopher Terry / 1 Comment

O God of grace

Demonstrated through Your Son

Jesus took the sinner’s place

Your wrath satisfied upon the innocent One

The wonder of redemption

The agony of the cross

The sins of the world upon Your Son

Apart from Christ’s blood we are eternally lost

How does one respond to such love?

A redemption so free

Lives transformed by God above

Christ died for sinners, including me

O God of grace in heaven

You are worthy of all praise

Through Christ’s blood I am forgiven

Help me to love and serve You all my days

Christ died for the lost

Forgiveness available to all who believe

The righteous One hung on a cross

So eternal life, sinners would receive

O come to Christ you sinners

Be washed in His blood

Apart from Him we are lost forever

Through Christ be reconciled to God.

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Pragmatism Rules?

/ Christopher Terry / 1 Comment

Pragmatism has become the god of this age.  If it works, do it.  Regardless of right and wrong, we live in an age dominated with the belief that the end justifies the means.  There is an entire section in Christian bookstores dedicated to church growth.  Rarely, do any of these books deal with prayer and preaching straight biblical truth.  These books deal with discovering what unregenerate people want and then giving it to them so they will come to your church building.  If they find preaching boring…shorten the sermon.  If they find hell offensive…leave it out.  If they want to be inspired …leave out the parts about sin.  We have studied and learned what lost people want and as a result we cater to the lusts of their flesh.  But, they come to churches around the country listening to watered-down preaching and an un-offensive gospel.  If only the apostle Paul knew as much as we do (1 Cor. 1:17).  He said the gospel he preached was offensive to unbelievers and that GOd Himself had to enable lost people to believe it (1 Cor. 1:18-25, 30-31).

I have been sucked into the lie of being more concerned about not offending people than being concerned with not offending God.  I have feared man more than I have feared God.  This is not right.  I have repented of this and asked God to help me to fear Him more than man.  I have asked Him to help me to preach all of His Word and to do it without apology.  Prayer, biblical preaching, and biblical worship are not in style currently.  The truth is that throughout time Satan has attacked these things and believers have been seeking the respect and approval of this world.  Scripture says that we are citizens of heaven.  Christ said that the world would hate us because we belong to Him.  The apostle John said that if you love this world you don’t love God (1 John 2:15-17).  James said that friendship with this world makes one an enemy of God (Jas. 4:4-5).  Scripture says that the world is under the authority and influence of Satan (1 John 5:19; Eph. 2:1-3; 6:10-12).

We have believed the lie that we can convince spiritually dead people who are enemies of God and offended by the gospel to believe in Jesus Christ by speaking our wisdom to them and by entertaining them.  God has chosen the method of believers verbally preaching the gospel to unbelievers and He alone is the one who enables them to believe an offensive gospel message.  We gather as a church to pray, worship, and to sit under the preaching of the Word of God.  As God’s Word is preached to us without apology, it will convict us, anger us, and break us.  It will be uncomfortable at times as God speaks truth into our lives.  God’s Word is essential for evangelizing lost people and for discipling saved people to Christ-likeness.  There is no substitute.

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Moralism or Evangelism?

/ Christopher Terry / Leave a comment

The New Testament church provides us with a picture of what born again Christians are to strive to emulate.  Our American culture makes this a difficult endeavor.  There is such a thing as personal repentance and faith without which regeneration does not occur.  Yet, the body element of Christianity is difficult in our current culture of rugged individualism. American Christians have difficulty understanding the group-life depicted in the New Testament – church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20); common property (Acts 4:32-35); and family care-giving (1 Tim. 5:3-16).  These accounts (along with others) are difficult for us to wrap our minds around because individual fulfillment and welfare have always been at the forefront of our thinking.  The irony of the matter is that this makes New Testament Christianity difficult to accept and practice.  This has resulted in needing to reinterpret Christianity to make it fit out individualistic worldview.  Christ has been recast as the friend who fulfills all our dreams and desires.  He has been remodeled so that He is not Lord of the universe but instead a cosmic life-coach who exists for the purpose of fulfilling us.  This is not New Testament Christianity.

So, what is the answer?  In the past, the solution of American evangelicals was to create the Moral Majority, which was based upon the attempt to moralize unregenerate people, not evangelize them.  Apparently, we believed that God’s method of transforming the lives of lost people (evangelism) was no longer effective.  Since evangelism was no longer effective, we needed to keep the morality of lost people in check.  Therefore, the only effective means of doing so was through politics, petitions, picketing, and legislation.  We could not possibly expect God’s means of transforming the lost to work, so we have sought to the help of politicians to fix the morality of the lost through secular laws, rather than through sharing the gospel so God may divinely transform the lives of lost people.  It is certainly a good thing that we figured out that God’s way of evangelism was not working because looking to the Republican Party to save us is working out great.  I looked for that verse in the New Testament and the only Savior I found mentioned was Jesus Christ.  I also found that His means of changing lives is Christians evangelizing and praying for the lost, while God saves souls.  Scripture never instructs Christians to look to secular government to moralize the lost or as a solution for the spiritual condition of the lost, especially since many of those in authority are lost.

Maybe there would be more opportunities to proclaim the gospel if we were not spending so much time proclaiming the platform of the Republican Party.  Why are we more passionate about moralism through politics than about the salvation of the lost through the gospel?  Do we realize why people around us are so immoral?  It is because they are spiritually dead, as a result of rejecting the gospel.  They are on their way to hell because they have rejected the finished work of Christ on the cross.

When evangelical Christians hear that people want abortion on the demand and homosexual marriage, we become distraught and write our congressman to protest.  Really?  Why aren’t we distraught that these people are lost and bound for hell?  Instead, why don’t we preach the gospel and pray that God will save their souls?  Which response is more inline with the New Testament Scriptures?  Political protest or preaching the gospel and prayer?

Is the gospel so powerless to change the lives of sinners that we must turn to politics and protest?  Should we continue to abandon evangelism for moralizing the lost through legislation?  Moralizing the lost through political legislation is relying upon the efforts of man to change the human heart, which will only result in moral people who are lost for eternity.  Evangelizing the lost through the gospel and prayer is relying upon God to change the human heart.  Which one does God say to trust?  Republicans or God?  Is God up in heaven wringing His hands hoping that the Republicans come up with a more compelling political platform?  I doubt it.  God does not put His trust in humans and neither should evangelical Christians.  Drop the politics.  Preach the gospel.

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Free Online NASB, ESV, NKJV, KJV Bible Software

/ Christopher Terry / Leave a comment

I have been using this for a while and had not yet thought of passing the word to others.  The reason that I like this software is that it contains the NASB in paragraph format.  This is very unique as most of you know who use the NASB.  I would recommend you check it out.  The site is called BerBible.

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Some Thoughts on Baptism

/ Christopher Terry / 2 Comments

Instrument of Regeneration

This view holds that baptism actually removes the sins of the participating individual and places him into the church. Therefore, apart from participating in baptism one may not be saved.

Seal/Sign of Divine Grace which Replaces Circumcision

This view holds that as circumcision initiated one into the covenant community of Israel, so baptism initiates one into the covenant community of the church. It is an outward rite of initiation. Therefore, apart from participating in baptism one may not be recognized as being a part of the covenant community of the church.

Symbolic Portrayal of our Union with Christ

This view holds that water baptism is a picture of the Spirit baptism which has already taken place in the life of the born again believer. It is an outward testimony of an inward spiritual reality which has already taken place. Therefore, apart from participating in baptism the individual has not yet obeyed a command of Christ, but is still saved and part of the universal church.

Required Sign of True Profession of Faith

This view holds that water baptism is the first act of a genuine profession of faith. Therefore, apart from participating in baptism the individual has not yet truly professed genuine faith in Christ.

Critique

The view that I will critique is the view that baptism is an instrument of regeneration. Scripture calls individuals who have repented of their sin and believed the gospel to be baptized in water as a visible testimony to the inward spiritual transformation which has already been performed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of repentance and faith. The emphasis is upon the individual first being a believer/disciple (Matt. 28:18-20). Mark 16:16 also issues belief/faith as a prerequisite for being baptized. Upon reading Acts 2:38 one finds that a prerequisite for being baptized is personal repentance. An individual should not be baptized unless he has expressed personal repentance of sin. Acts 8:12 describes those who were baptized as believing the good news which Philip preached prior to their baptism. The Gentiles received the Holy Spirit by faith in the gospel prior to receiving water baptism (Acts 10:47). Lydia and her household responded in faith to the gospel message brought by Paul and then received water baptism (Acts 16:14-15). Paul required a profession of faith in Christ prior to receiving water baptism (Acts 16:31-33). Paul requires that individuals believe in Christ prior to participating in water baptism (Acts 18:8; 19:4-5). Acts 22:16 also speaks of calling on the name of Christ to be saved, which would occur prior to baptism. Paul emphasizes his call to preach the gospel as more important than baptizing people in water (1 Cor. 1:14-17). On a few occasions he baptized those who repented of their sins and believed the gospel. Yet, apparently this was not essential to Paul that he immediately baptize converts. The reason he was not so concerned with baptizing individual believers was that faith in the gospel was the only thing necessary for one to be saved from his sins (Rom. 1:16; 10:9-13; 1 Cor. 1:21). Paul emphasizes the gospel as the power of God that saves those who believe and he determined to speak of nothing else while in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:2).

There are times in Scripture where the Spirit is described as effecting a washing and removal of the guilt of sin. This was pictured in the O.T. Practice of using clean water to wash away the ceremonial guilt of an individual (Num. 19:17-19; Heb. 9:13). The Psalmist asks God to wash away the guilt of his sin (Ps. 51:2, 7-10). The prophets foretell a spiritual washing that will take place as a part of the New Covenant (Ezek. 36:25-27; Zech. 13:1; 14:8). Jesus speaks of this same spiritual washing that will take place when one believes the gospel (John 3:3-8). The believing individual is washed clean from the guilt of all his sins by the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5; Eph. 5:26-27; ). When an individual places his faith in Christ, he is washed clean by the Holy Spirit – Spirit baptism, not water baptism (1 Cor. 6:11). Hebrews speaks of water and O.T. Sacrifices cleansing people’s flesh – ceremonial cleansing, but of Christ’s sacrifice cleansing people’s consciences – spiritual cleansing through Spirit baptism (9:13-25). Faith in Christ’s sacrifice results in Spirit baptism, which results in our hearts and bodies being washed with pure water – the Holy Spirit washing away the guilt of our sin and regenerating us (Heb. 10:19-22).

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Some thoughts on Biblical Passages Dealing with Baptism

/ Christopher Terry / Leave a comment

Scripture calls individuals who have repented of their sin and believed the gospel to be baptized in water as a visible testimony to the inward spiritual transformation which has already been performed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of repentance and faith. The emphasis is upon the individual first being a believer/disciple (Matt. 28:18-20). Mark 16:16 also issues belief/faith as a prerequisite for being baptized. Therefore, baptism is not permitted for infants or children who have not expressed belief/faith in the gospel. Upon reading Acts 2:38 one finds that a prerequisite for being baptized is personal repentance. This is not possible for an infant. Scripturally an individual should not be baptized unless he has expressed personal repentance of sin. Acts 8:12 describes those who were baptized as believing the good news which Philip preached prior to their baptism. Acts 9:18 speaks of Saul converting to Christianity. This is an unusual account in that Saul is not explicitly said to have believed the gospel. Yet, the passage does say that God had chosen him and he received the Holy Spirit before being baptized (vv. 15, 17). Spirit baptism occurred when a person genuinely repents and believes the gospel, therefore Saul exercised faith in the gospel prior to his baptism (Rom. 8:9-11; Eph. 1:13-14). The same can be said of the Gentiles who received the Holy Spirit by faith in the gospel prior to receiving water baptism (Acts 10:47). Lydia and her household responded in faith to the gospel message brought by Paul and then received water baptism (Acts 16:14-15). Paul required a profession of faith in Christ prior to receiving water baptism (Acts 16:31-33). In this passage, it is said that the jailer’s household was baptized. If infants and non-professing children were included, this would be contrary to the N.T. practice of repentance and verbal profession of faith prior to receiving water baptism. Therefore, it would appear that only those who were able and willing to repent and profess personal faith would have received water baptism. Paul requires that individuals believe in Christ prior to participating in water baptism (Acts 18:8; 19:4-5). Acts 22:16 also speaks of calling on the name of Christ to be saved, which would occur prior to baptism. Paul emphasizes his call to preach the gospel as more important than baptizing people in water (1 Cor. 1:14-17). On a few occasions he baptized those who repented of their sins and believed the gospel. Yet, apparently this was not essential to Paul that he immediately baptize converts. The reason he was not so concerned with baptizing individual believers was that faith in the gospel was the only thing necessary for one to be saved from his sins (Rom. 1:16; 10:9-13; 1 Cor. 1:21). Paul emphasizes the gospel as the power of God that saves those who believe and he determined to speak of nothing else while in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:2).  The following passage is an unusual one in the way that it is stated, 1 Peter 3:20-21.  As I look at the passage it appears to speak of water baptism which is participated in as a visible public testimony to previously placing one’s faith in Christ.  In the context in which Peter speaks, one would not participate in water baptism unless he has already repented and believed the gospel (because of the high cost of becoming a Christ-follower).  It appears that he is speaking of water baptism because he says,

“not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

I think he includes “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” because he is indicating that water baptism does not save nor cleanse a person, but it is an outward testimony of a person who has been saved through faith in the gospel – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There are passages which speak of Spirit baptism and not water baptism. Spirit baptism occurs when an individual repents of his sin and believes the gospel. It entails Holy Spirit regenerating the believing individual, washing away the guilt of personal sins, and placing him into spiritual union with Christ, (Rom. 6:1-19; Col. 2:9-14; Gal. 3:27; Tit. 3:5). Romans 6 speaks of an individual who has repented of his sin and believed the gospel. It speaks of the time when a believer is baptized into Christ or placed into spiritual union with Christ (Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; cf. Rom. 6:3-6, 11). At that time each believer has died to sin, which means that he no longer is a slave to sin (vv.2-3, 6-7, 11-12, 14, 17-18). The believer has also been raise from the dead…so [he] may walk in newness of life, which means that he is a new creature able to serve God instead of sin (vv. 4-5, 8-10, 13, 17-18). The passage is speaking of regeneration or Spirit baptism, not water baptism. Water baptism could not be said to have resulted in believers being freed from sin and enabled to serve God.

There are times in Scripture where the Spirit is described as effecting a washing and removal of the guilt of sin. This was pictured in the O.T. Practice of using clean water to wash away the ceremonial guilt of an individual (Num. 19:17-19; Heb. 9:13). The Psalmist asks God to wash away the guilt of his sin (Ps. 51:2, 7-10). The prophets foretell a spiritual washing that will take place as a part of the New Covenant (Ezek. 36:25-27; Zech. 13:1; 14:8). Jesus speaks of this same spiritual washing that will take place when one believes the gospel (John 3:3-8). The believing individual is washed clean from the guilt of all his sins by the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5; Eph. 5:26-27; ). When an individual places his faith in Christ, he is washed clean by the Holy Spirit – Spirit baptism, not water baptism (1 Cor. 6:11). Hebrews speaks of water and O.T. Sacrifices cleansing people’s flesh – ceremonial cleansing, but of Christ’s sacrifice cleansing people’s consciences – spiritual cleansing through Spirit baptism (9:13-25). Faith in Christ’s sacrifice results in Spirit baptism, which results in our hearts and bodies being washed with pure water – the Holy Spirit washing away the guilt of our sin and regenerating us (Heb. 10:19-22).


Issues to Consider Prior to Participating in Water Baptism

Individuals who have repented of their sin and believed the gospel should participate in water baptism (Acts 8:12; 16:14-15; ). Faith in the gospel precedes water baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31-33; 18:8; 19:4-5; 1 Cor. 1:14-17).

The person should be a disciple of Christ prior to baptism (Matt. 28:18-20). Scripture calls individuals who have repented of their sin and believed the gospel to be baptized in water as a visible testimony to the inward spiritual transformation which has already been performed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of repentance and faith. It pictures the spiritual death and rebirth that has taken place through Spirit baptism (Rom. 6:1-4; Col. 2:9-14). Water baptism is a public declaration of faith in Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). It is not integral for salvation (1 Cor. 1:14-17, 21; Eph. 2:8-9). It is a picture of a spiritual reality.

Baptism should be participated in by professing believers and done by immersion. The Greek word translated baptism means, “to dip, plunge, immerse.” Therefore, since the word has this sense it should administered in such a way. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and He is said to, “come up out of the water” (Mark 1:10). Therefore, baptism should be done by immersion and participated in by believers.

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The Mystery in Postmodernism

/ Christopher Terry / Leave a comment

The buzz surrounding the subject of Postmodernism is interesting and at times a bit annoying.  When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in July 1998 and subsequently enrolled at a local Community College the term Postmodern did not exist (at least it was not common knowledge).  Yet, the philosophy was already present.  The idea that truth was relative and that absolute truth was non-existent was already guiding the lives of those few thousand fellow students.  This is what was being taught in the classroom and it did not take a great deal of convincing because the students were already leaning in this direction of worldview prior to enrollment.  Postmodernism is nothing new.  It is the logical result of believing that truth is relative.

Then what is the big deal?  Conservative Christians are writing books and holding seminars on how to communicate with Postmoderns.  Really?  I guess it is helpful not to live in a cave, but is it necessary to undergo an Intro to Postmodernism module?  The truth is that everyday regenerate people can have conversations about the Christ who has transformed their lives and God can open the eyes of the unregenerate person to believe the gospel.  Maybe it is an ignorant assumption, but is it so difficult to have a conversation with an unbeliever and ask questions to learn what he/she believes?  Upon discovering such information, the believer may then share biblical truth (namely the gospel) and leave the converting of souls to God’s divine action.

I am concerned that we have come to believe that we must purchase every new book and attend every new seminar so we may be equipped to win the lost.  Is it not sufficient to establish credible relationships with people out in the real world and then share divine truth with them when God provides opportunity?  Postmodernism is certainly different from Modernism, but unless you have been living in a cave you will already have credible relationships with people affected by Postmodernism, so you will already have understanding of what they are thinking and feeling.

Therefore, it seems to me that the necessary components of being an effective witness for Christ during the time in which we live is to:

– Walk closely with Christ through the Word and prayer

– Know the gospel message

– Have or establish credible relationships with people around you

– Pray for opportunities to share the gospel

– Share the gospel accurately when given opportunity

– Trust God to do what only He can do – regenerate unregenerate people

It appears that you would not need to read a book or attend a seminar to do so.  Neither do you need to fear the “giant” of Postmodernism.  Unregenerate people have been opposed to the gospel for almost 2,000 years.  Be a friendly Christlike person and seek opportunities to share the life-changing gospel with those surrounding you.

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