Why I Teach On Somber Biblical Topics

If you know me at all, you know that I have a tendency to teach and speak on more somber biblical topics, such as hell, depravity, persecution, trials, sovereignty, election, etc. It’s not that I focus solely on these things but rather I don’t shy away from them. The high school Sunday School class I teach (which I see as a huge honor) know quite well this fact. We have discussed many tough issues and biblical stances.

But why do I do this? Why don’t I just focus on the happier and “more positive” parts of scripture? As I was reading Acts, I found the perfect statement by Paul:

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:26-32 ESV)

The reason I don’t shy away from teaching more somber biblical topics is because Paul tells us: wolves are coming. These wolves will deceive the sheep, not using the positive easy things that are often taught, but they will twist some doctrines and destroy the flock. How can they twist these doctrines? They twist them because they are not often laid out clearly and taught. That’s why Paul says “I declared to you the whole counsel of God.”

I mentioned in another post about the wedge how deception would come in five areas. I could call these issues the “gateway deceptions”. Few would be deceived by someone preaching against the Trinity since that is often taught. However they will and are being deceived about how the Lord sees homosexuality and universalism (to name a couple). It is for this reason that I desire to set myself like Paul and “admonish every one with tears”, “not ceasing day or night”. I often tell the students I teach that my goal isn’t to particulary help them with their life now (though I hope I do), but rather to prepare them for college (where most teenage Christians fall away) and for the next 30 years (where life could kill the heart’s desire for Jesus) where/when they will face possible diseases, hard financial times, death, and other difficult challenges. I want see them prepared to handle anything they face. I don’t want to see their faith shaken, simply because I candy-coated the Bible on what it says. This does not mean I need to be depressing (that doesn’t glorify Jesus and the Bible). It means that I approach these subjects with hope, compassion, and even joy (for every biblical topic helps us know Jesus more).

For Or Against

Christians are no longer known for what they stand for, but what they're against. Stop defining God by hate when he is Love.

— sWingo (@Sarah_Wingo16) October 11, 2013

In the last few years, I have heard the above quote many times. There is a thinking being accepted by many people, believers and non-believers alike, that Christians ought not to speak about what they are against but rather what they are for.

Now to be fair, I do believe that we (Christians) have done a poor job in talking about sin without the hope of the gospel. We have focused so much on the consequences of the sin that we have forgotten Christ’s call for the sinner. We, especially in the Bible Belt, have frequently made derogatory remarks against the people whose sins we know are wrong. Jesus rarely even did that. I say rarely because He did call people names (“white-washed tombs”, “dogs”, “wicked and evil generation”, etc). In fact, in all the instances where He did make derogatory remarks against a person or a people group, there was almost always arrogance in play. Jesus treated the woman caught in adultery with honor and compassion, yet treated the prideful Pharisees (who were just as lost as the woman caught in adultery) with contempt. Yet, for the most part, Jesus responded with kindness to sinners He preached to; so much so that He was called a “friend of sinners.”

The problem arises when we think that the Bible or Jesus doesn’t speak against things. Let me be clear, although Jesus was a friend of sinners and the Bible gives sinners the great hope of the gospel, both it and He speak often about things that the Godhead are against. Here are a few examples:

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment. (Jude 7)

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8 ESV)

People in the post-modern age don’t like hearing negative things (“against”). They rather hear what positive things (“for”). We hear our leaders and politicians turning phrases, trying to put a positive spin on something they are attacking (“I’m not for killing babies, I’m pro-choice”). But they forget the term “apophatic theology”, which is the method of describing God by what He is not. Sometimes we can better understand a position or theology by finding out what it is not. For example, while we know what the fruit of the Spirit are, we know them better because Paul contrasted them with the fruit of the flesh.

I say all of this to encourage us, not to forget the love and compassion of Jesus or the hope of the gospel for sinners, but also to “not shrink from declaring to [people] the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27 ESV). It is not our job to make the gospel more palatable by stripping it of what God is against. It’s our duty and delight to preach the God who is full of fury and love, a furious love that destroys anything that would try to hinder it.

The Wedge Dream

Recently I talked about a dream that my friend had. Due to the post being about the name of my daughter, I didn’t want to go into the dream’s details or some things that the Lord had told him after he awoke. I talked to him and got his permission to write what he saw and heard. Both he and the people he saw in the dream will remain anonymous. For the sake of ease, I will write the dream in first person.

The Symbolic Dream

A great revival had broken out in the Church. It was a “passion for Jesus” movement and it was uniting people from many different streams of Christianity. The leaders of the movement were given a large field that could hold hundreds of thousands of people. They set up a stage and started worshiping and singing. There were national guardsmen all around doing crowd control. The government began setting up infrastructure like bathrooms, a clinic, an organized campground, etc. Soon it looked like Woodstock.

[An international Christian television company] came and started covering the “outpouring” on the second day. They hadn’t put a name on it yet, but were just broadcasting it throughout the whole world. (In this dream, there were always people coming from around the world to the field to be a part of the revival.)

A group of mega-churches all brought their worship teams and started taking turns leading worship between the preaching. There were members of every stream of Christianity and from every denomination represented. As I was listening to the preaching, I noticed that not a single preacher had preached from (or by using) the Bible.While most of what was being preached was biblical, they never once quoted the Bible. They preached through stories, jokes, and worldly wisdom. I even heard one pastor quote Confucius.

Then [a man of God] got on the stage. He had been called to preach his message, The Oil of Intimacy. He gladly took the opportunity to come and speak to those at the revival. He prayed and began his sermon. He said “Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 25. We’re going to talk about the parable of the ten virgins.” Immediately some teenage boys in the front row began booing him. [The man of God] is taken aback, but continues. He said “This parable is about…” but is cut off once again by more booing. The crowd starts yelling “Bring back [the last preacher]! We like what he had to say!”

Immediately, the spirit of prophecy fell on [the man of God] and he started prophesying:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). I tell you there is an overwhelming lack of the knowledge of the Holy in this generation. You walk before Him in the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. But I tell you the truth: God is coming in His holiness to judge the works of wicked men, and only those who dwell in holiness will escape His wrath!

At this point there is an uproar in the crowd. They boo him off the stage. He walked off the stage, and then walked right through the center of the crowd. As he walks, ten people to the left of him and ten people to the right of him fall down in travail because of the fear of the Lord. Before he can get to the back of the crowd, a great earthquake breaks out and the fear of the Lord falls on the back half of the crowd. The whole crowd begins screaming. The front half screams because of excitement while the back half screams because of terror.

Just then, [a famous Christian author] walked on stage to quiet the crowd. He starts talking in a mesmerizing voice. The front half of the crowd becomes transfixed on him and becomes quiet. The back half of the crowd start screaming louder because they can hear nothing in his voice but the shrieking of the demonic. Then, the back half of the crowd separates and goes to the far end of the field. [The man of God] sets up a portable PA system and begins leading the people in repentance, weeping, and mourning.

Once [the famous Christian author] had the crowd under control, he began to speak to them. He said “I would like to give a shout-out to my friends from the Unitarian church.” The camera pans over to a group of people in white t-shirts. The front of the t-shirt has a picture of the earth with the words “One Church, One Bride, One World, One Consciousness.” People go through the crowd passing out these t-shirts and all the people in the crowd put them on. “I’m glad to see such unity in the body of Christ. Isn’t it great when we can all lay aside our differences and gather together to learn from one another?” he said. “I apologize for [the man of God]. He didn’t understand what it is we are doing here. We’re here to get passionate for God and grow in unity with one another.” As I looked, I saw that there were Muslims and Buddhists coming into the crowd.

I was lifted above the field to see both camps at the same time. On the one side of the field, the people we still crying out for God. He was manifesting His presence with signs and wonders. People were being healed of many diseases and being set free of lifelong addictions. Tens of thousands of people were being saved. For hours and hours a day, they would read the Word of God over the sound system. People would sit to listen and weep before the Lord. In the other camp, the preaching became increasingly more humanistic and syncretistic. The people were like frogs being boiled slowly in a pot of water; because the water slowly heated up, they did not realize they were being boiled alive. The meeting broke down into drunkenness and lewdness. People were having their way with one another in mass groups in open daylight. Young women were being raped. Young men were strung out everywhere on illegal drugs. Again, it looked very much like Woodstock.

When both sides were at their peak, [a second man of God] stood up between the two camps. The Christian television company cut the power to both stage and only gave power to [the second man of God]. He began to cry out:

How long will you waiver between two decisions? If Jesus is God, then  worship Him wholeheartedly. If Jesus is not God, then don’t throw around His name to get more followers. God desires that you live a holy life. I tell you the truth: there is one way to heaven and it is through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.”

When he said this, the whole field was shaken and fire came down on the camp that had been crying out to God. They were consumed but not destroyed and they all began to speak in tongues. The rest of the people fled in terror.

Then I awoke. I was shaken at this dream and asked the Lord how this would practically look like in our city. I fell back asleep and had another dream.

The Practical Dream

I saw two women talking in the hallway of a church about a book that [the same Christian author] had written. The next week it seemed like all the women in the church were reading and talking about the book. The pastor took a copy of the book and read it that week as well. The following Sunday he preached on it. He declared it unbiblical and heretical. He said it was dangerous teaching that would tear apart the Church. The women got offended and stood up and left the church. They took with them half of the congregation and went next door to the Unitarian church. The church was experiencing “revival” and people were being added daily to their numbers but mostly from other churches.

The Word

When I awoke from the second dream, I asked the Lord how long would it be till this happens. The Lord answered:

“Within five years, I will drive the Word of God like a wedge in My people. Only those who revere My Word will stand in that day.”

He gave me five areas that this wedge would fall and separate believers from those who become deceived.

1. The infallibility of the Bible
2. The sanctity of life (abortion)
3. Gay marriage and gay ministers in the church
4. Universalism and Unitarianism
5. The false grace movement

I felt the Lord tell me that the churches that stayed true to what the Bible says about each of the five areas would experience the power and presence of God, manifesting in signs and wonders, even if they didn’t believe in miracles. However, those who did not hold fast to what the Bible said about these five areas would become deceived and fall away from God. Though they would seem to meet, worship, and preach in His name, they would be worshiping a god that they made, an idol of their minds and hearts.

Personal Thoughts

My friend had this dream on the Day of Atonement, October 8, 2008. This coming October marks the end of the fifth year. It’s worth repeating what I said a couple weeks ago:

The thing that I find crazy is how prophetic the dream/word was. This dream wasn’t given a month ago. It was almost five years ago. Back then, there was no great gay marriage debate or serious problems with universalism in the church. Upon hearing the dream/word, it was an act of faith to believe that these, what were at the time, small issues would progress to be nationwide issues, particularly in the church. Who would of thought 5-10 years ago that we would be debating whether practicing homosexuals should be ministers and leaders in the church?

I was around when my friend had this dream over four years ago and I’ve seen this dream come true. I’ve seen believers led away, many by popular ministries that preach the thoughts of man rather than the Word of God. I cannot express this enough: doctrine (what the Bible teaches and says) matters! Get to know the Bible. Get plugged into a church that preaches boldly the Word of God. May a flag go up in your spirit if you are listening to a preacher and you don’t continually hear scripture in his/her message.

It’s time for the church in America to choose what side they will be on: the Lord’s or the world’s. The world is aggressively calling Christians to forsake what the Bible teaches us to do and believe. There’s a Unitarian, Universalist, state church that’s been born and is growing in this nation. Choosing the Lord’s (and the Bible’s) side may cost us our comfort, but we will not be moved when the Lord starts to separate the wheat from the tares.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:24-30, ESV)

You may want to read the rest.

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UPDATE: It seems like others have had the same dream and warning. Read Steve Hill’s article about the coming “avalanche”.

Anastasia & The Wedge

My wife and I are very excited. We just had our second child, Anastasia Grace. We believe in making sure our children’s name have meaning behind them. We’re not flaky bunny Christians, we just believe that names can be great reminders of promises and truths over the years and we believe that the season a child is born into is significant as well. There have been many times over the last 20 months that I’ve remembered what our first daughter’s name, Lily Elise, means.

So why are we naming her Anastasia Grace? Before I talk about why we chose this name, I want to describe the season that she is being born into.

Four and a half years ago, my friend had a very prophetic dream. I won’t go into the dream’s details but when he awoke, he heard the Lord say “In 5 years, I will drive My Word like a wedge into my church and this nation.” The Lord gave five key areas where this dividing wedge would fall:

1. The infallibility of the Bible
2. The sanctity of life (abortion)
3. Gay marriage and gay ministers in the church
4. Universalism and Unitarianism
5. The false grace movement

When it comes to dreams, I’m very careful. Just because a godly person (or even a prophet) has one, doesn’t mean it’s from God, even if it looks spiritual. This friend and I were committed deep in prayer together and when he told me it, my spirit was immediately sobered and I knew it was true. The thing that I find crazy is how prophetic the dream/word was. This dream wasn’t given a month ago. It was almost five years ago. Back then, there was no great gay marriage debate or serious problems with universalism in the church. Upon hearing the dream/word, it was an act of faith to believe that these, at the time, small issues would progress to be nationwide issues, particularly in the church. Who would of thought 5-10 years ago that we would be debating whether practicing homosexuals should be ministers and leaders in the church?

The one that I feel is the sneakiest in the church is the false grace movement. This is the belief that because of grace, we’re free to sin rather than being free to live a holy life. It denies the doctrine of repentance, works, and sanctification. While we are not saved by works, our salvation produces works and are the fruit of a truly changed life. Paul would mention this “form of godliness” happening:

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:2-5)

It looks good. It looks godly. But it produces evil fruit.

I’ve had several conflicts with people in the false grace movement. The doctrine is slick and tricky. I’ve watched it destroy people’s lives. People who embrace this false doctrine are more easily prone to compromise on the other four issues. It was for this issue that we named our daughter for.

Anastasia means “resurrection” and Grace means, obviously, “grace”. But another translation for Anastasia is “grace”. So when I call her name, I’ll be saying “grace grace”, reminding her and us of God’s redeeming grace that resurrects our dead lives and makes them live in holiness to Him. Scripture also mentions this combined grace:

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16)

We pray that she is an encouragement to many that we were saved to live lives pleasing to the Lord because that’s what Jesus is worthy of: a pure and spotless bride.

Hard, Easy, and Straight Grace

There’s a lot of talk about grace, false grace, cheap grace, cheap law, etc going on right now in the church. I believe that the theology of grace will be one of the things that separates true believers from those who “have a form of godliness but deny its power”.

The Bible says that the gate to eternal life (salvation) is very narrow and the way is hard (Matthew 7:14). Yet Jesus says His yoke is light (Matthew 11:30). So how do these two paradoxical truths work together?

The hard path to eternal life is the path of grace. Jesus promises that many who walk down this path will veer off to the left or the right. There are two different extremes we can veer off into instead of remaining on the straight path of true grace.

If we veer off to the left, we walk the path of moralism, legalism, and/or cheap law. This is the belief (subconscious or not) that by our works, we are able to earn our salvation. I love the term “cheap law”. It speaks well of this view: the belief that God would accept anything else or less than the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. The whole point of Romans and Galatians is Paul laying out the argument that our righteousness comes by believing that Jesus purchased righteousness for us.

If we veer off to the right, we walk the path of liberalism and cheap grace. This is the belief that, since our righteousness comes from God, we are not required to live lives pleasing and holy to the Lord; that there are no moral law or commandments for believers anymore. Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said:

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.”

Or, even more clearly, it is to hear the gospel preached as follows: “Of course you have sinned, but now everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are and enjoy the consolations of forgiveness.” The main defect of such a proclamation is that it contains no demand for discipleship.

The truth is that the path of grace is the highway of holiness. Be careful of any teaching that tells you to do certain things to earn/keep your salvation. Also be careful of any teaching that does not move us to live holier lives. I know I’m on the path of grace when I am moved to holiness, not by my self-righteous ambition, but my the stirring of the Holy Spirit and by my heart’s response to the cross.

What is required of us?
To let Him help us say yes to Him forever.

Don’t listen to any teaching that would strip the “help us” (veering left) or “say yes” (veering right) out of this statement. The path is hard and narrow, but thanks to the Godhead, it is easy, so keep on the straight path.

(For more information about how salvation, sanctification, and grace work together, click here.)