You have not yet
resisted to bloodshed,
Striving against sin.
And you have
forgotten the exhortation
which speaks to you
as to sons:
“My son, do not
despise the chastening
of the LORD, nor be
discouraged when you
are rebuked by Him;
for whom the LORD
loves He chastens,
And scourges every son
whom He receives.”
If you endure
chastening, God deals with you
as with sons; for
what son is there whom a
father does not
chasten? But if you are without
chastening, of which
all have become partakers,
then you are illegitimate
and not sons.
Hebrews 12:4-8
To be
intellectually knowledgeable in regards to the basic truths of Authentic
Biblical Faith because you heard them repeated over and over again and again in
Church does not mean that you are fully aware of their significance, or to have
the experience of their transforming influence in your lives. It is not by
making a decision to believe, while a decision is part of the process, it is
only by conversion that one is saved, that is your belief is not a simple decision
it is converting your lives and that conversion imbues a response of great
excitement, true humility, a hatred of sin, humble hope, firm faith, heavenly
joy, ardent love, and unceasing gratitude. An Authentic Biblical Christian must
be partakers in His holiness, that is we must become holy, and this is the
sanctification that occurs in the life of an Authentic Christian: “For they
indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our
profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness…..Pursue peace with all
people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews
12:12,14). Holiness must occur now, in the present and we do not wait to be
holy when we arrive in heaven, for we will be judged on what we do with this
faith, whether it was Authentic Biblical Faith or a cultural Christianity that
has no part with God. We are not perfect in this life as some would preach and
teach; those perfectionist; rather we must be always striving to be perfect and
that perfection in this life becomes so as to fill our lives, showing itself in
everything we do.
Here is
where we find a problem, a problem with those who are those who rely on
experience, signs, and wonders, and supernatural Christianity, those who are
cultural Christians. This problem cannot at first be seen in a cultural
Christian, it is like having a weed grown alongside a vegetable plant, it looks
like a vegetable plant but in time it truth of what it is, is apparent. Unless
the garden is weeded and the weeds removed they will overtake the garden and
ruin the vegetable plants. The same is true of men and women, until they
recognize that they need a physician, they are unaware that they are sick. If
they do not come to terms with their spiritual condition, then how can they
understand the infinite value of what Jesus Christ has done and then be able to
respond correctly? If they do not understand the value of what Jesus Christ has
done, and that we must live according to God’s word that is unadulterated by
heretical views, and falseness, then the door is opened for all forms of
belief, even that belief that is not Authentic Biblical Faith. The lives of
those types of people are filled with the business of this world, allowing the
culture of this world to dictate their theology, and to allow the vanities of
this life to take hold and driving them further away from the truth.
When a boys
or girls are in love there is no stopping them to speak constantly of their
love. This love takes center court over all they desire to speak about: If our
love for God is Authentic love, real love, devoted love, for our creator and
sustainer of life, then would we not also speak much and often about Him? Jesus
makes this fact clear: “A good man out of the good treasure or his heart
brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings
forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke
6:45). It is very noticeable when one speaks with a cultural Christian, the
rarely will use the name of Jesus or speak of His death on the cross, His
resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Oh! They will speak about the wonders
of God in regard to miracles, signs, and special revelations, the supernatural
but they are uncomfortable and even don’t care to talk about the very thing
that thrills the heart of those who are devoted to God and possess Authentic
Biblical Faith. The cultural Christian will speak in the abstract but not
specifically about Jesus. These people are disconnected with Jesus Christ, but
are very connected to their feelings, and emotions, and the anecdotal stories,
but it is as if the Gospel does not connect with them.
Here is
some good news: We have those wonderful words of God. His truths have been
written down for us. There have been men in the past, men of God, those divines
that saw the need for Christianity to return to the Bible, those reformers, but
it seems that they are hardly every mentioned in the Church. Only those
Churches that do not leave these men out of their teaching, those men that
reformed the Church, that from with Protestantism was founded upon, but they
are anathema to some Churches, and the Creeds are never spoken, it is as if
they are afraid to be called liturgical, as if this was against God. But it is
not! Have you ever read, John Knox, John Owens, Charles Spurgeon, J. C. Ryle,
Jonathan Edwards, etc? Have you read the Creeds that came out of the need to
have a succinct writing in regards to the Doctrine of the Bible and to refute
heresies that were dividing the Church. How can these men, their writings that
changed the Church by bringing the truth of God’s word into the light, and
resisted the darkness of the Roman Catholic Church be treated as if they have
no bearing on the present moment? Even the Lord’s prayer is said by rote, and
the real meaning of the prayer is lost in apathy as if it was something that
was only a model. It is not! We come to God, in praise, we ask that He care for
daily, and that He would forgive us as we forgive others, and that He would
keep us from the evil one, so to dishonor this prayer by making is some rote
that the Church does from time to time is to dishonor God. Far too many
so-called Christians, even those who have been elected by God are only Sunday
Christians, we think little about the Church, the brothers and sisters, the
needs of the Church, during the week. This apathy is only a tepid faith. I am
only describing what anyone can see in the Church and we are to be holy, to
grow in sanctification? I do not wish to be just critical, it is a call to
return to Authentic Biblical Faith, and to be changed from the inside out, so
that your heart is upon God and your mouth speaks of God often, and at anytime.
If Authentic Biblical Faith is precious to God how can it not be precious to
us?
Yes! This
will take work! But what better do you have to do? If this is important to you,
not just some hope, some desire that God will find no guile in you, then you
will make the effort. We go to college, get degrees, work long and hard hours
to get ahead in this world, but will you do the same for God, for yourself, for
your wives, your children, your extended family, friends, and to anyone you may
meet, or be asked for the reason for the hope in you; why you are a Christian.
God loves us! This is a fact, it is Doctrine, and the death of Jesus Christ,
His resurrection, and His ascension is a historical fact, anyone can see this
for themselves; but it is the Doctrine of Justification, that free gift of God,
and we need to pray that God would be pleased to change your heart. That change
in your heart will be the hallmark sign of your Authentic Biblical Faith.
O LORD, I know the way of man
is not in
himself; it is not in man
who walks to direct his own steps.
O LORD, correct
me, but with justice;
not in Your anger, lest You bring me to
nothing.
Jeremiah 10:23-24
Turn Your Heart To God
Richard L. Crumb
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