the basic message # E82
1 John 2:4
The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Let’s do a little experiment. If you’re a driver, think about your route to work or school. If your drive is like mine, you have a variety of roads, highways and streets comprising your trip. Now, try to recall the speed limit on each basic stretch of road. As you remember, write the speed limit on a piece of paper and check it against the posted speed limit as you drive the route next time. In addition, check your actual speed that you drive against that of the speed limit. You’re getting the message already, aren’t you?
Like the passage above, if a person says, “I’m a law abiding citizen”, yet exceeds the speed limit, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. “Are you calling me a criminal and a liar?” I don’t have to, since that has already been proven.
Hebrews 5:12
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
In our church, we like to sing the hymn, “Just as I am”. We like to think about how God takes us just as we are, and that is a comforting thought. There’s only one problem- God takes us as we are, but doesn’t want us to stay there. Someone needs to write a new hymn that has the line, “Take me as I am, Lord and leave me as I am, Lord”. I realize the Calvinist doctrine maintains that a man can’t “fix” himself, and that only God can do that. If I apply that logic to the average Christian, I must assume that the average Christian wrongly assumes he’s saved. (Please let me finish before you send me email telling me I shouldn’t be judgmental) John Calvin believed that humans are incapable of righteousness on their own since they are unchangeably sinful. So- the only way we change is to be saved, correct? If we are saved, God will change the believer, correct? So- if a person claims to be a Christian, yet has nothing to outwardly show a change has taken place, I maintain the person is mistaken. Mistaken is a polite word, since deceived is the more accurate term.
1 John 3:10
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Oh, you’re one of those people who only acknowledge the words of Christ? OK-
John 14:23
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”
Is that better? Make no mistake, friends, we can’t drive the speed limit until we know what the speed limit is, and we can’t grow in holiness until we know what holiness is. Isn’t it time to pay a little more attention to detail? And no, it’s not legalism.