Antinomianism, Say What?

     I know that I normally don't get into too much theology, but I'm going to make an exception here.  If everyone will just bear with me, the reason will become obvious pretty quickly.  So, here we go.

      Antinomianism, now that's a mouthful of word.  To get a very basic understanding of what it means, we're going to start with the etymology behind the word.  'Against' (anti) 'God's law' (nomos).  The root word anitnomos gives way to our word antinomianism, with the definition 'against God's law[s]' giving way to something along the lines of 'the act of' (ism) [being] against God's law[s].'  There, that wasn't too hard, now was it?  Everyone needs to keep in mind that what we've got here is a very basic and bare bones meaning of both a word and a [belief]  system that has been used in a constantly changing application over  the many years since it first surfaced.  Everyone let out their held breathes now,  because we're not going to explore the applications of this word very much farther than we're at right now.

      Okay then, let's get at it.  Antinomianism has basically two lines of thought.  First, we have Theoretical Antinomianism, which denies the [third] use of God's Law as a practical guide, or moral component, of the Christians everyday lives.  A good example of this is found in Ephesians 6:1-2, which is where Paul re-states a  section of the Law that talks about honoring our parents.

      "Children,, obey your parents in he Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother,     which is the first commandment with promise:"  (Ephesians 6:1-2    NKJV)

       Then we have Practical Antinomianism, which actually has two separately recognized forms. The first of these forms is evidenced when we have professed Christians who openly  show a complete disregard for God's Law(s) in their lives. Then we see the  other form of Practical Antinomianism hard at work when we find no reference to or mention of God's Law(s) in the Sermon Content of certain preachers.  Whether this occurs by choice, or as I have personally experienced, or results from censorship really doesn't matter, as the end result is the same.

        What we've just gone over is what we see in our Churches and lives of Believers today, this isn't something that used to happen.  I'll say  it again, Antinomianism is alive and well today,  in  our Churches and our lives.  You may not have recognized it by it's proper name, but that doesn't deter in any way the damage that is done by whatever name you  choose to give it.  

      What we'll call the 'English Antinomians,' as a part of this mindset,  place such priority to the doctrine of justification by faith alone that it overshadowed their doctrine of sanctification.  They also present that since God cannot see  sin in the Believer, that sin no longer poises any danger to Believers.   To further complicate the Believer's sense of spiritual self, this strain of Antinimianism redefined  the application of sanctification,  reducing it from an on-going  process only completed with the coming of Christ to something much less, specifically to the 'art' of adjusting  to the new status of being  justified.

      Well, there you have it, meaning, purpose, and application of Antinomianism.  It wasn't too bad,  now was it?  The  purpose today was not to give a lesson on this subject, although it may appear to be.  Our purpose here today is to remind everyone to be ever  vigilant.  What we covered today is not a repeat of some old theological arguments that  are not relevant to our  lives today. Take a look around, not just in your  secular world, but specifically at your Church environment.  Be honest  with   yourself and God when you look at what is and is not being  taught that should be, and what is being taught that shouldn't be.  Just as important as that is to look at what people, maybe yourself included, are 'living' in their Christian  lives.  What role, if any, does God's [Old Testament] Laws  play in your  life, and also in the Church you  attend?

    Okay then, I'm done.  My prayer is that I've left everyone with more questions than answers, and with more of a desire to learn more than  the thought that you've learned enough  about this matter.

      Be Blessed!  

What's The Fuss?

       Hey, so I know that I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I know that up  is up, black is black, and so on.  But what I see  more and more of is making less and less sense to me, as regards sin and homosexuality.  Used  to be it was only  those who'd chosen the homosexual lifestyle, and were ashamed of their choice, who tried to convince everyone else that being gay, or queer, or whatever was okay and normal.  If you'll  just think about it for a minute, the shame and guilt that comes from deciding to live a life in total disobedience to God has got to be a tremendous burden.  I suppose it's a normal  thing to try to either try to convince the rest of humanity that the sin they choose to have as a very active part of there life is either okay and normal,  or that it's not their fault that they have  decided to live the homosexual lifestyle.  It used to be only God that got the blame, that He had made them the way they are.  But now genetics gets to share the fault, and  even then those who claim to be Christians bring God into it since He did speak mankind into being.  

       

     What I'm trying to figure out is exactly  what the fuss  is all about.  Nobody seems to have any trouble at all in identifying murder as unacceptable, not  only because it's against the law but also because it's a sin.  We have criminal codes and statutes that says it's illegal and God's Word declares it a sin.  The same thing with rape, assault, robbery, breaking and entering, child  molesting, and a great many more things that some folks make the decision to do.  So why aren't there advocates lined up from here to there in support of murderers, and rapists, and thieves, and child molesters?  Why aren't the perpetrators of these other actions trying to convince those of us who've decided to not break the law and to  not sin against God that what they've done is okay and normal?  To make all of this even worse, to me at least, is that in most states, engaging in homosexual activity is in fact a criminal offense.  Why is it okay to break both man's and God's Law  in this one particular area, to the point of making people who refuse to accept homosexuality as okay and normal as being horrible people?  

     I follow a fellow-pastor on Twitter who made the statement via a post  last week that he would be arrested before he would consider performing a same-sex wedding ceremony, and I am in total agreement with him.  We  have courts issuing judgements against people who refuse to do business with declared homosexuals.  But, and this is a big 'but', I still don't see what all of the fuss is about.  Let's get it together people,  and quit bowing down to satan, because that's what is really at the bottom of all of this.  If you don't believe me just read your Bibles.  Whether it's homosexuality, child molesting, murder, rape, thievery,  or any other act that is identified as sin  by God, the person who makes the choice to participate in the act is actively working for satan.  Just to make myself clear on this, any person who makes the conscious decision  to participate in any act or behavior  that is identified by God as sin is working for satan.  If when I get up in the morning and I make plans for what I'm going to do tomorrow I include raping a women, molesting a child, or having sex with another man, then I'm living contrary to God.  No amount of advocating or blaming someone else can change that fact.  And I'll tell you something else, Scripture makes it very clear that no particular sin is worse than any other sin.  Whether you steal a dollar candy bar or have a homosexual  relationship with another person, both acts are still sin.  

    I've been asked what I feel people who've made the decision to have same-sex relationships should do, and my answer is the same that I give to anybody who's not a Christian and wants to start living the life God would have them live.  Come to the altar, accept the shed blood of Christ as atonement for sin,  and renounce satan in his many forms.  Though it may sound easy, take my word for it, it's far from easy.  It's hard to change your lifestyle, but it's not something you'll have to do by yourself. 

     So I'll ask it again, what's all the fuss about?

     

The Friend That Counts!

When I refer to the gift of life that Jesus gave all of mankind when He claimed the Father's Will as His only purpose for becoming Man, I'm aware that I'm not saying something that hasn't been said a thousand times over.  That in itself illustrates a point that also is older than the ages, that nothing about God,  that is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, has ever or will ever change.  God, in His entirety, is static, consistent, never changing.  Use whatever word or phrase you choose to describe something or someone that is constant, and you're describing God.  Now I want you to keep this  little intro in mind while I share how this morning went.

Earlier this Christmas morning I had my wife, Faith, give me some instruction on how to navigate through Facebook.  When we got to the place where all of my friends were listed, I was a bit surprised to find out I had so many.  I've never heard of a vast majority of the people on my friend list.  Faith assured me that I had to have excepted each and every one of their 'Friend Requests' or they wouldn't be my Facebook friends.  Be that as it may, and I really think that somehow all of those people put themselves on my friend list, as I was looking down the list of friends, I was amazed at how many friends some of my friends had.  I mean some people on Facebook have hundreds and thousands of friends, and that got me to thinking about how few friends I actually have.  I don't mean on Facebook or any of the other Social Media WebSites.  I'm talking about actual, know them face-to-face,  call them on the phone friends.  Then I had it explained to me that people on Facebook didn't actually know all of their friends, but that their friends actually included all of their friends friends, and so on.  Anyway, ....

All of my rambling about the way the whole 'friend' thing works on Facebook sort of describes the process by which the best Friend any of us could ever have is actually our friend before  we ever know Him. Everything He has ever done has been for the benefit of untold millions of people who started out not knowing that He even existed.  Then as people excepted His friendship and told others about Him, His circle of friends grew, even though some people haven't accepted His 'Friend Request.'  But in spite of denied 'Friend Requests'  He was still friends with the one who denied His request simple because other friends had accepted His request.  Does any  this make any sense to anyone except me?  I sure hope so, because it's as clear as a bell to me.  

While there are some similarities in how friends are made and what defines friends on the Social Media thing and our Lord Jesus Christ, the purpose that He has for requesting our friendship doesn't resemble anything we'll find in this busted-up world we live in.  His desire to befriend us has nothing to do with who we know, how much money we have, how well 'connected' we are, what we can do for Him or someone else, or anything else on this list that can go on and on.  He comes  to us, wanting to be our best friend, with no strings attached, unless you call the gift of eternal life, endless love, and all-encompassing grace and mercy a string.  What I've just described is the most perfect and best friend any of us could ever hope to have.

How about it, is He your 'bestus' Friend?

Blessing everyone on this day of celebrating Life!
From my family to you'll, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Terry, Faith, & the kids

He Said, "No!"

A bunch of years ago I delivered a sermon on answered prayer.  This was at a medium-sized local church down in Metarie Louisiana, and I guess that they hadn't had a guest speaker for quite some time.  After the service was over, the pastor and I were standing in the foyer talking with some of the church members when this fellow came up  and told me that he just wasn't so sure about God answering prayer. Everyone standing there got real quite, and were listening when I asked the guy  what he meant.  He said that he'd prayed for a new truck to pull his boat with, and God never answered his prayer.  I asked what made his say  that God hadn't answered, and he said that  he'd never got  the new truck.  That's when I told  him that God had answered his prayer. He asked what  I meant, and I told him that God obviously said, "No!"  

This is a true story, and to me it illustrates mans mindset when it comes to prayer.  A lot of us are real  quick to claim Scripture when it comes to asking God for something.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and  you  will find;  knock, and it will be opened to you."  (Matthew 7:7    NKJV)

What we do, particularly when we're on  the subject of petitioning God for  'wants'  is that we have what I think of as 'selective  recall.'  We  don't recall other Scripture that is very relevant to the issue of God answering prayers.

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;   whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”  (James 4:13-15    NKJV)

The point I'm working towards here is that while, yes, we do have the authority to ask of the Father whatever we would, along with that authority comes the responsibility to ensure that before we do the asking, we've already done the praying necessary to make sure that what we're asking for or to be done is in accordance with His Will.  Does this mean that He will only respond positively to our absolute basic needs?  No, not by any means, in fact Scripture is very clear about that.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God;"  (Philippians 4:6    NKJV)

In wrapping up, I want to revisit the main points again.  First, New Testament Believer's have Scriptural authority to go to  our Lord God for  both our   wants and our needs.  Second, with that authority  comes a responsibility to do our very best to make sure that what we're asking of God is in line with His Will.  Third, and last, God does say, "No" sometimes.

Be Blessed my brothers and sisters, as  we're celebrating the birth of the Son.  Keep  in mind that when we celebrate Christmas, it's not just the birth of Jesus that we're heralding. December 25th, as the day set aside for this celebration, should be held dear as a celebration of life for every  person who has ever  and will ever accept the Christ as their personal Savior.

God be with you all,
Terry

Apologetics & Biblical Criticism

Today I'm going to throw a couple of excerpts at everyone that does a whole lot better job of explaining a couple of areas that are a part of every New Testament Believer's life.  Please feel free to follow the link at the bottom for even more information.

Be  Blessed, 
Terry

The Word Apologetics: Christian apologetics doesn’t mean saying sorry for being a Christian. The confusion arises because, in modern English, the word “apology” has a different meaning from the classical Greek word (apología)from which it was derived. Apología meant a defense or justification of one's beliefs, attitudes, or actions. For example, The Apology is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he defended himself in 399 BC against the charges of corrupting the young by not believing in the gods recognized by the state, but inventing new deities. In other words, apologetics is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of information. Christian apologists also set forth positive grounds for Christianity. 

Criticism:  Most critics of the Bible assume that because something is unexplained it is unexplainable.  When a scientist comes across an anomaly in nature he doesn't give up on science.  How many scientists resigned when they found rings around Jupiter, which was contrary to all scientific explanations?
When the Bible has been proven to be accurate over and over again in hundreds of details, the burden of proof is on the critics, not on the Bible.
Most skeptics do not bring to the Bible the powers of comprehension and interpretation that they  would bring to a reading  of the average newspaper.  Perhaps this uneven treatment should not be surprising.  After all, the skeptic has much too lose if the Bible is right.
Unfortunately, most Christians have not been able to give adequate answers to the questions skeptics as as most churches are woefully lacking in the teaching of apologetics.    This is particularyly sad as there are virtually no so-called Biblical discrepancies that do not have an explanation.  As a result, the world thinks Christians cannot defend the authority of Scripture and, thus, the Christian faith.

http://www.inplainsite.org/html/Page3b_questions_skeptics_ask.html

Death = Life

Matthew Henry, who is known as one of the most insightful commentators [of the Bible] , began his commentary on the fifty-fourth chapter of the book of Isaiah with these words,

                                     'The death of Christ is the Life of the Church.'

In addition to our Lord Jesus Himself, the apostle Paul along with several others who either wrote, while under the inspiration of God, or were quoted in regards to the Bible have all made reference to the fact that it's only by the death of Christ that man can live. What I'm getting at here is that while most of us know this already, is it only an intellectual knowledge or is this a very relevant part of our Christian walk?  This happens far more than most of us realize or want to admit too, that the knowledge of certain things about God and His Will for us never gets beyond the intellect. The end result of this is that while we know these things we never live them.

In this particular instance, knowing but possibly not living the reality that without the death of our Savior we would have no eternal life, what would the alternative be?  I think that oftentimes there's some confusion or misunderstanding when we start talking about things that come after our trip to the altar. Well, here's a hint: It's not an option to live as if you're a new man or woman before the Lord.  There's not a list somewhere that we can pick and choose from, to decide what we're going to do as a part of our new life with Christ.  This mindset has gone a long way in getting the Church in the sad state it's in right now.

Okay, right about now is anyone shaking there head and wondering, maybe aloud, "How can the truth that 'the death of Christ is the life of the Church'  be seen in my life?  That is a really good question, and I would love it if it was asked more often. This is one of those times where I like to reverse engineer things, so lets don't try to identify what should be going on in your life as you grow before the Lord and isn't, let's list some things that are in your life that shouldn't be in any New Testament Believers life.

"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;"         (1 Timothy  2:8    NKJV)

"But reject profane and old wives fables,  and exercise yourself toward godliness."    (1 Timothy4:7.   NKJV)

" But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more  ungodliness."  (2 Timothy  2:16    NKJV)

"...men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud blasphemers,  disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather  than lovers of God,"  (2 Timothy 3:2-4.   NKJV)

Now I don't want anyone thinking that this is a complete list  of what shouldn't be a part of any Christians life, but it is a really good start.  Like I said earlier, we don't have the option of whether or not to have any of these things in our lives, when each of us accepted the shed blood of Christ for the remittance of sins, we also accepted the responsibility to to not have any of this type of mess in our lives.  Here's the thing, the way we live our life reflects who and what we are and seeking after.  Jesus set examples for us to follow, and when we each follow His examples with our lives, then we're setting examples for those  we testify to about Christ to follow.

So, do you just know that the death of Christ is the Life of the Church, or do you live it?

www.youravon.com/fkeiner

Well, she did it! Faith, who some of you know is my wife, is now officially am Avon Representative.  She has her own Page on Avon's WebSite ( www.youravon.com/fkeiner ) for long distance customers, and also for those who may live close by but would still rather do their shopping online.  I know that she's kind of nervous about kicking this new venture off, but we both know that by Gods Grace and lots of prayers everything will work out just fine.  So, if everyone would, please throw up a prayer for Faith for some peace of mind.  And by the way, if you need some Avon, just follow this  Buy Avon link  and visit her WebPage.

Everybody be blessed!

Terry