A Problem With Cultural Christianity

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, 

and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 

for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

that the man of God may be perfect, 

throughly furnished unto all good works.

2Timothy 3:16-17 

     Before I begin this blog I must clarify two words as there are some people who give a wrong definition and understanding of the Greek used and translated into English: i.e., the English word "perfect" is used by some theologians that a person can become perfect, without sin in this life, that is, they are as what we are to become after the coming of Jesus Christ, and to have it now. The Greek word; ἄρτιος does not simply mean "perfect" rather it means to adapt, to be adapted, to be suited, complete in accomplishment, ready, and preceding this word is the Greek word: ἵνα, and denotes a demonstration of the idea or purpose or result, and is in order of, albeit, because, lest, making the translation to be clear it means to be complete, so you study God's word, a word that God inspired to teach you His will in order that you may be complete, complete in Him, fully fitted (that is the literal Greek translated furnished). By God's word you can become complete in Him so that you or I can be used truthfully by Him, that is then, to become an Authentic Christian. 
     Herein lies a problem, especially if a person comes to believe in false teaching, or heretical teaching, with cultural Christians. False teaching, or heretical teaching produces a defect in understanding and this produces an exercise of faith that is not in accordance with Scripture. This defect is much like a cancer as most cancers do not produce pain or swelling, or anything for a person to know that their body has been invaded by this deadly disease. This cancer grows undetectable, and often spreads the entire body. When it grows to the point that it becomes apparent a person becomes aware that they need a physician. This is true of cultural Christianity, they do not become away of this unspiritual disease, this condition, and by the spread in their thinking of this disease they come to a false understanding of the infinite value of what Jesus Christ has done and this causes them to respond to in inappropriately. Cultural Christians are just that: cultural, that is, they are filled with this life, with life business and the vanities of this life. No, not all are running around sinning openly, rather they are exercising a type of faith that is not Scriptural: they are not properly being instructed in Authentic Christian Faith. 
     Cultural Christianity is not always apparent in a person, especially those who have become aware of their cultural Christianity. These are those who are truly seeking the truth but have yet to admit that they have become infected with this cancerous disease: false or heretical teaching. How then can we know them? To know if a person is actually serious about the truth, about Jesus Christ, ask them by engaging them in conversation and steer the conversation towards Jesus Christ and matters of faith. Several things will happen, and this is often a response of a vague faith, or a faith that is all about doing, rather than simply believing the inspired words and are following a man-made doctrine(s) as to how to demonstrate faith. 
     Cultural Christians might speak with you about religion, or Church, and this is done more often than not in generic terms. What you will not hear very often is the name of Jesus Christ, or even speak of His death or resurrection. What you will hear more often than not is the thrills and excitement they have found in their misunderstanding about the "real" thrill an Authentic Christian has, and that thrill is simply that they have come to understand about their fallen nature and their need of a Savior and that Jesus Christ by His death on the cross and His resurrection they can be saved. Do you want a thrill, some excitement? Well what more do you need that the Gospel? Cultural Christians will speak about morality, the precepts of morality, and even about the need for positive character and then will allow such things as: homosexuality, abortion, and other sins condemned by God when He inspired men to write the words we call the Bible. This is speaking out both sides of the mouth by saying they believe in Jesus Christ and then speak of the morality of this world that is opposed to God. Cultural Christians have yet to connect their thinking with the facts of what Jesus Christ has done for them, and what God has done for all, and that is He has revealed His will, unadulterated, inspired and leads to righteousness. God's righteousness is not a cultural based righteousness, it is His righteousness and that is the righteousness we all need and should be led by in all that we do and say while we are here on this earth. 
     The truths of God, His will, His requirements, have been written down for us and there is no need for any other understanding that what is clearly written for us in the Bible. We all need to be able to recited these truths in our services, our pulpits. We must not simply say: "this is history," yes, it is, but we are formed by history as history has bearing on present time. We cannot be indifferent to God's word, and this is another problem with Cultural Christianity, they ignore the simple truths of God's word and replace it with what they want the truths to be and say. Cultural Christians are "lukewarm" Christians a type of tepid faith. To be lukewarm, a term used by Jesus Christ when He spoke about the Church in Laodicea: "I know thy works, tht thou are neither cold or hot: I would thour were cord or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16). Ask yourself this question then: "Am I lukewarm? Have become infected with the disease of culturalism? Am I following a man and his/her doctrines and teachings, or am I following the true and inspired words of God? How can I test this? By the inspired word of God and this alone!

I have heard of thee by the hearing 
   of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in 
   dust and ashes.
                      Job 42:4-5

The disease of unrighteousness can be healed

Richard L. Crumb 

The Basic Truths Of Authentic Christian Faith

For God so loved the world, that He gave 

His only begotten Son, that whosoever

 believeth in Him should not perish, 

but have everlasting life. For God sent not 

His Son into the world to condemn the world; 

but that the world through Him might be saved. 

He that believeth on Him is not condemned: 

but he that believeth not condemned already, 

because he hat not believed in the name of 

the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:16-18 

     The above verses are very familiar, not only to Christians but for many, if not most, who have come from a Christian based country, know and even could recite those words; at least verse 16. To be able to recite the above verses, especially verse 16 does not make a person an Authentic Christian. Therein lies a problem: faulty thinking, about God, about Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. There is even faulty thinking about the interaction of emotions and faith. A problem lies in a misunderstanding about cultural Christianity. 

     There are many theological theories about the word "world" in the above verses. Some say this refers only to the "elect." Others say that it means the world, all people. This Scripture is clear and should not cause faulty thinking about the word "world." This verse, verse 16 especially gives us an essential fact about Jesus Christ and His mission here on earth. Historically the Church has accepted the fact that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah and that He came to save. We are instructed by these verses several things: that God love the world. Verse 15 clarifies this word "world": "...that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:15). Who will not perish? Whomsoever, and this word is a possessive case of used as an attributive adjective and speaks to the one or ones belonging to whomsoever and is related to this pronoun "whosoever", that whoever, or whatever person. These pronouns, if you remember in your studies of grammar, is that a pronoun is a word of replacement or substitute for nouns and noun phrases referring to persons or things mentioned in or understood from the context and having very general reference as I, you, he, she, them, this, what, who. Therefore, "whosoever" refers to a person who "believes" in Jesus, not just believes but believes that Jesus Christ is the Savior and was sent by God to save the world. Jesus came to redeem mankind. To do this will of the Father redemption had to do what man could not do for himself and could only be done be Jesus Christ. What was, and is, the plague that mankind from which he/she could not have healing? Death! Mankind dies! This death entered into mankind by Adam and Eve sinning against a Holy and Just God and ignored the warning of God that they would die if they did what God instructed them not to do. Mankind needed and needs, redemption first from death to maintain hold upon them and then when this redemption is complete then mankind could have redemption from their personal sins, and this, by believing. "Whosoever believes!" If you do not believe then there is not redemption. For this to occur, for this redemption to have an affect God would have to do the one thing that only He could do: send to earth to be a man who would show us the way to live now, and to reveal to us that He is the promised Messiah who redeems, the world in general and for a believer in absolute. By the wisdom of God all things were created: "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches" Psalm 104:24). The apostle John gives us as to who this wisdom is that created all things: "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). God sent to earth His Wisdom, Jesus Christ to become man to redeem man. A fact that we must not overlook is that Jesus was despised by many people, and was rejected by His own people, and experienced sorrow and grief. Think on this: If this is true of Jesus, God in a man, to live as a man, had all the problems that we too face should we think it not to happen to anyone who believes on Jesus Christ and lives the life that He has commanded us to live? It was sin, and our sin(s) that Jesus was and did suffer on the cross taking the sin of the world and all for those who believe, or will believe with Him: death was destroyed by death. A sinless man sinned and brought death, a sinless man died sinless and brings life. For this to have for us life we must repent of our sins, and accept what He has done for us: this is Authentic Christianity. Jesus died on the cross and history has recorded this fact, and that those who were His disciples saw Him after He arose from the grave, alive and saw Him ascend into heaven: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures: and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once" (1Corithians 15:3-6a). Jesus died on the cross to pay for sin(s) and this would not have the needed affect upon a person without one thing that only God could provide: His Holy Spirit to indwell all who put Authentic Christian Faith in Jesus Christ. Authentic Christian Believers have what is needed to live Authentically and to live: "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please god. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8:8-9). It is having the Spirit of God indwelling in you that you can be Authentic Christians and have a change from the inside/out to live Authentically. One thing though: you must decide to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and this He will do and will recall to you what you have put into your mind and this from the Scriptures. This indwelling, this saving grace by Jesus Christ transforms as to be able to become all that God intended for you and I to be and for us to live, even after death in this life by the coming of Jesus Christ for His bride, that is all Authentic Christians, those who have truly repented and believe on the Jesus Christ. You will live forever in the presence of God as you cannot live now in this world. God will raise you from the dead, give you a new body, immutable, incorruptible. Death will be no more, sin will be no more. 

     These then are the basic truths of Authentic Christian Faith.

Then shall the dust return to the earth 

     as it was: and the spirit shall return 

unto God who gave it.

                   Ecclesiastes 12:7

Give rise to true humility and gratitude

Richard L. Crumb

 

 

 

The Finite vs The Infinite

Let no man say when he is tempted, 

I am tempted of God for God cannot be 

tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: 

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn 

away of his own lust and enticed

James 1:13-14

     A problem that many Christians have is when they attempt to witness for Jesus Christ as they get caught up in the many questions, many of which are to get a person to run onto "rabbit" trails making it hard to witness. We must remember not to get caught up in some "rabbit" trail and stick to the basics before we attempt to explain the fathomable mind of God. You cannot go any further in your explanation than what God has revealed: The secret things belong to God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29). This verse does not spin away some explanation, a convenient way to avoid the truth, no, it is fact, man who is finite cannot know every thing, in fact, most things, about the infinite. God must be infinite for if not, as the Mormons make Him, anthropomorphized so to make Him to be limited giving way to some doctrine that fits a theology. God reveals to us only that which is beneficial for us to know Him and how we should live. What else is needed? This is the basics: Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah that by His death sin can be paid for us because we cannot pay our own debt owed to God. God is God, that is, God is Just, Merciful, Love, Grace, and Judge. We are accountable, not excusable. God' patience is not His permission. We cannot blame anyone else for our sin: we are the ones making choices: good or bad. Yes, Satan brought to man a sinful way that opposed God and Adam, the first man, and Eve, the first woman fell from God's grace and sinned against God and then all of their progeny, that is you and me, are affected by sin, original sin changing the nature of man causing man to have a fallen nature, a corrupted soul. But, God has provided a solution. 

     A teaching in opposition to what God has revealed to man is false teaching and dilutes the true significance of the cross of Jesus Christ. A teaching that ignores or refutes the fallen nature of man is a false teaching and evidence from the beginning of man is truthful evidence: it cannot be denied and maintain truth. The Love of God, not just an attribute, but God Who is Love offers forgiveness, grace, and enabling power, and this all can be obtained if a person Authentically repents: not because he/she has been caught in a wrong, but that he/she has done wrong before a Just and Holy God Who created all that exists. This is one of those things about God that He revealed for mankind and yes there are things about God that are hard to understand. Is this lack of understanding about a thing normal in life? Yes, even in a new job, a new position, etc., there is a time when there are more questions than answers but in time more is understood, revealed as a person gains knowledge. We have an ability to gain that knowledge for God has provided this for us in His word. We being with milk, and end up eating steak. That is if we stop just drinking in milk. We need not focus on the things we do not understand, those things we may never come to understand. Let us focus on the things that we can understand: i.e., mankind is a fallen creature. God sent forth to man Himself, the Word of God, to pay this debt owed to Himself. This is ludicrous, a ridiculous thing: You have come before the judge and are judged to be guilty and you have no way to pay for this guilty debt and the judge offers to you a way to avoid punishment, that is He offers to pay you debt for you and then you turn around and blame the judge for what you did and had become. That is absurdity! 

John Milton wrote in: Paradise lost, bk. 10, line3s 1086-92: "What better can we do, than prostate fall

Before him reverent; and there confess

Humbly our faults, and pardon beg; with tears

Watering the ground, and with our sighs the air

Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite,in sign

Of sorrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek?"

And shalt return unto the LORD thy God,  

      and shalt obey His voice according

to all that I command thee this day,

     thou and thy children, with all thine

heart, and with all thy soul

                      Deuteronomy 30:2

No one is destined accept by choice

Richard L. Crumb