The Biblical Examiner An Examination of Biblical Precepts Involved in Issues at Hand
(Originally Published in 1993)
Resisting God's Grace
The doctrine of God giving to each individual
unique gifts, skills, talents and abilities for
specific jobs is one of the clearest in the word of
God, 1 Cor 12:6, 11, 12; 2 Cor 10:13; Rom 12:6; Eph
4:7, &c. He gives to individuals according to His own
will and good pleasure, and the individual is/will be
held accountable for his use of the Lord's gifts in the
Kingdom work, Mat 6:33; 1 Cor 4:2, 7; 2 Cor 5:10, 11.
Furthermore, no one can say to Him, Why hast thou
made me thus? Ro 9:20; Da 4:35.
How do we resist God's
grace?
With the God-given ability
to study, see problems, write and present solutions to
social ills, comes the responsibility to use these
abilities from God. The problem is, though, that we
want the gifts and abilities given by the Spirit of
God, BUT WE DO NOT WANT THE RESPONSIBILITIES
which go with the abilities. Responsibilities require
work, sacrifice, standing alone for things which others
cannot see, making enemies in high places (Eph 6:12),
and standing against public policy and sin in every
area (civil, religious, social, &c.). Most want
abilities apart from responsibilities, but to accept
the God-given abilities without accepting (and yes even
thanking God for the abilities and
responsibilities) the accompanying
responsibilities, is an insult to the grace of God,
He 10:29, Of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath
trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the
blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an
unholy thing, and hath done despite (or insult) unto
the Spirit of grace? Acts 7:51 Ye
stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do
always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so
[do] ye. We resist the Holy Spirit when we resist
the responsibilities attached to His given abilities.
In Mat 25:14-30, the
unprofitable servant refused to accept the
responsibility that went with his talent, i.e. he had
an ability from God, yet refused to accept the
responsibility attached to his ability. I know many
godly individuals (pastors & laymen) who, by God's
grace (Ph 2:13), see society's problems and
difficulties; as they talk about the difficulties and
problems, obviously they have plausible (even Biblical)
solutions, yet they do nothing but talk about the bad
situations. The grace of God has given them an ability
to see the problem (the vast majority of people see no
problem), God's grace provides the "thinking" ability
to formulate proper solutions, and yet they do nothing.
By doing nothing, they mock of the grace of God; they
resist the Holy Ghost's (Who has opened their
eyes) work in their lives; they hath done despite
(insult) unto the Spirit of grace. The Master has
NOTHING good to say about them because they resist the
Spirit's enlightening work in their heart by refusing
to take proper action. He calls them unprofitable
servants, good for nothing but His wrath, v. 30.
Note furthermore that being a man of God makes one more
responsible before the Lord. In other words, with his
ability from God, comes a far greater responsibility, 1
Kgs 13:26.
Though totally condemned in
Scripture in passages such as Psalms 82, people's
refusal to accept responsibility with their ability to
grasp and understand social issues is understandable
(see EN). Responsibility involves work, sacrifice,
separation, loss of things one holds important and many
other things which repels the fallen nature. But the
power of God's Spirit enables one to accept
responsibility before God. Certainly, there is great
fear of what man can do (Ps 118:6; Pr 29:25), but if
fear of man makes our decisions, then we have denied
the faith (1 Tim 5:8, provides not a just
society for his family. Also, Mat 10:28; Mat 6:24).
Solomon, after examining absolutely every area of life,
summed up man's total duty: Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man,
Ecc 12:13.
Fear & why Christians refuse
responsibility
Hebrews 13:5 & 6 gives the
major reason why Christians fear what man can do to
them, thus causing them not to accept their ability's
responsibility: they are controlled by covetousness,
i.e. afraid of the cost ([Let your] conversation
[be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such
things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The
Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall
do unto me.). Note the unprofitable servant
in Matthew 25 was covetous: fearful of what he would
lose, v. 25.
Queen
Esther
God enabled Queen Esther to
see past the wicked deceit of the evil man, Haman.
Queen Esther feared man; therefore, she was not going
to accept the responsibility to do what she could.
Mordecai confronted her with her fear, and in doing so,
forced her to make a choice between her fear of man and
her fear of God (although the word "God" is not used in
Esther, it is implied throughout). Esther then made
the choice that every Christian is required to make: If
I perish, I perish. She gave up her covetousness (fear
for her life), made the proper choice and God exalted
His people, Est 4:16.
Thus, if one can see past
the "smoke and mirrors" evil men use to hide their
actions from public scrutiny, it is because of Divine
grace and Providence. The purpose of God enabling one
to rightly evaluate situations is not to impress
others; rather, it is responsibility: responsibility to
take Godly action. The Lord will not give ability to
see without giving ability to do.
The covetousness which
causes Christians (pastors & laymen) to refuse to stand
and act against evil has consequences:
Covetousness prevents God's
people from doing what they know they should do from
God's word: Ezekiel 33:31 And they come unto
thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee
[as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they
will not do them: for with their mouth they shew
much love, [but] their heart goeth after their
covetousness. Furthermore, covetousness causes
pastors and laymen to keep quiet when they should speak
out against evil, Lev 5:1; Deut 22:22-29; Ps 50:18.
Covetousness causes one to
seek safety and deliverance through compromise:
Jeremiah 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many
waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come,
[and] the measure of thy covetousness.
Habakkuk 2:9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil
covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest
on high, that he may be delivered from the power of
evil!
Covetousness brings the
wrath of God: Isaiah 57:17 For the
iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote
him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly
in the way of his heart. (Note that because
everyone is given to covetousness, evil reigns:
Jeremiah 6:13 For from the least of them even
unto the greatest of them every one [is] given to
covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest
every one dealeth falsely.)
Covetousness causes God to
strip one of everything (covetousness was afraid to
stand for fear of loss; now it loses everything):
Jeremiah 8:10 Therefore will I give their
wives unto others, [and] their fields to them that
shall inherit [them]: for every one from the least even
unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the
prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth
falsely.
The Lord Jesus Himself
warned of the evils of covetousness which causes
compromise: Luke 12:15 And he said unto them,
Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life
consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.
Covetousness, being cloaked
in righteousness, is many times hard to recognize: 1
Thessalonians 2:5 For neither at any time used
we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of
covetousness; God [is] witness; 2 Peter
2:3 And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment
now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation
slumbereth not.
The Christian's command is
to flee from covetousness because it is idolatry; it
sets something before obedience to the word of God:
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all
uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named
among you, as becometh saints; Colossians 3:5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon
the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which
is idolatry:
When covetousness is
conquered by God's grace, there is assurance of God's
presence in the stand against society's evils:
Hebrews 13:5 [Let your] conversation [be]
without covetousness; [and be] content with such things
as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee.
An answer to covetousness is
confession prayer: Psalms 119:36 Incline my
heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Finally, blessings of a life
free of covetousness is promised: Proverbs
28:16 The prince that wanteth understanding [is]
also a great oppressor: [but] he that hateth
covetousness shall prolong [his] days.
Covetousness had killed
Christian American's freedom and liberty. Only
oppressive persecution against Godly Christianity lies
ahead unless American Christianity turns from its
wicked ways: covetousness which causes it to avoid its
responsibility to stand for God in a Godless society.
End Note:
Ps. 82, although the
word gods here refers to judges, the
implications of this Psalm speak to every Child of God.
Thus, this Psalm is probably one of God's clearer
presentation of responsibility to stand against
wickedness in society, even if the wickedness is not
directed toward the Christian personally. It points
out that, because they have exalted themselves above
their responsibility, those whose duty is to defend the
helpless, refuse their responsibility. Consequently,
they will be judged by the Lord Himself as He would
judge any other person. (Note that the Lord God has
appointed His people as, what we could call,
"guardians" of His creation. Adam, in the fall, lost
his guardianship; the child of God, through the second
Adam, Jesus Christ, is restored to the place of
guardianship which Adam lost. This "guardianship"
involves guardianship over the helpless.)
The thought of Christian
responsibility toward the helpless is found in Jas
1:27, Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted
from the world. Note the word visit. It does not
mean simply go visit them and pass the time of day.
Visit carries with it the implications of looking out
for their welfare. In other words, visit implies
responsibility to defend the poor and fatherless; do
justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor
and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
(Ps 82:3, 4. V. 2, the Lord asks how long will His
people tolerate the wicked's activity against the poor,
fatherless and needy; how long will they refuse their
social obligations and responsibilities?)
Personal note: we have
been very deeply involved in a couple local battles
(which are extremely time consuming). One is with the
local school board over a 5 mil bond issue to "repair"
3 buildings which have only been open for 5 years
(built at a total cost of 16 mil). As we have examined
many details concerning the 5 mil bond issue, the
apparent corruption and coverups are astounding. One
of the basic points which surfaced was the tremendous
pressure placed on the contractors to hurry complete
the buildings. Evidently, the pressure influenced the
contractors to take "short cuts," and the lawyer for
the school corporation caught the "short cuts" after
the buildings were built. The emotional frenzy
generated over the whole situation is being used to
expedite a 5 mil bond issue to "bring the buildings up
to code." (Though apparently not structurally unsound,
the buildings are being presented as unsound to
generate pressure to proceed quickly with the 5 mil
indebtedness without giving the contractors opportunity
to correct the difficulties.)
Though God clearly condemns
statist education as presented in modern education, we
are forced to support it through property tax (why are
not tax protesters working against the supper ungodly
property tax? Yes, income tax pays for abortion, but
property tax supports the system that teaches abortion
[sodomy &c.] as an acceptable procedure. It's time to
stop straining at gnats [income tax] and swallowing
camels [property tax], for without property tax, an
individual could be self sufficient enough that he
could have no income to tax).
The second area of battle is
the area of increased taxes. Our county does not have
a wheel tax (at the time of this article). The county
commissioners have requested the tax from the council.
We have organized opposition to the new increase tax,
and the number that turned out against the tax
overwhelmed the council. (The courthouse was flooded
on the upper floor where the meeting was, and the
overflow filled the first floor; therefore, I did not
see who all was there.) The fire marshal closed the
county courthouse where the council's public tax
meeting was being held because the building was
overcrowded. The council must reschedule the meeting,
and, Lord willing, we will have more at that meeting.
We are a small county with under 20,000 registered
voters.
In the two instances
mentioned, I am amazed at the lack of leadership among
the general population. I can only speculate, but, in
my opinion, the ones who could lead opposition are so
busy making money that they do not have time to
organize; only the ungodly have the funds (taxes) and
time to organize their battle against people and
property. Furthermore, the "Christian" leaders who
should be taking the stand may be controlled by
covetousness (or just as bad, indifference). I do
understand though, there was at least one other
fundamental pastor at the council meeting which,
because of the crowd, I was unable to meet.
Those of you who work with
people see the same problem I see: a desperate yearning
for leadership. The problem of no leadership is
compounded by two facts: 1) the pulpit is not providing
leadership, and 2) people are really not looking for
Bible-based leadership. Unless there is a general
return to Godly righteousness among "Christians," the
leadership vacuum presents a perfect opportunity for a
charismatic leader to take control, 2 Chr 7:14.
The word of God clearly
tells the Christian that if he does not warn and
protect his neighbor against evil intents of the thief,
the Christian is as guilty as is the thief, Ps 50:17,
18. We have been attempting to warn our neighbours.