There is a quote from the American writer, Mark Twain, that goes like this:
“It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it’s the parts that I do understand.”
It is important that we not get hung up on all the things in Scripture we don’t understand. It is also important that we understand that the Bible is God’s word, so even if we don’t understand much of it doesn’t make it any less true. As illustration, we may not understand calculus but that doesn’t mean the concepts of calculus are any less true. We may not understand how an engine works but that doesn’t stop us from turning the key, putting it in drive and pressing the accelerator to go.
The ultimate point is, if we don’t allow a complete understanding of some things in the world to get in the way of our acceptance and applications, why would we allow the things of Scripture that we don’t understand to be a roadblock to the things of Scripture that can be clearly understood?
It is on this premise that I would like to share this truth:
Acknowledging our guilt before God is only the start of true saving faith.
Why is this important?
Is important because we have churches in the world that seem to make acknowledging our guilt before God the be all and end all. However, that is just the beginning of saving faith.
We know that the law of God is used to bring about the knowledge of sin. But we can also clearly see from Scripture that the knowledge of sin isn’t the end of our problem, but it is the beginning of the “solution”.
Basically, one of three things happens when a man is confronted with the law of God.
- They don’t believe it and they move on
- They believe it and don’t care, and move on
- They believe it and they’re concerned, and they seek the “solution”
Most of us reading this post have come to believe that the only solution is to be cleansed in the Blood of Christ. This cleansing comes through faith/belief/trust in the finished work of the Cross where Christ paid for the sins of the world.
This Truth in and of itself is not the main purpose of this post today. The main purpose of this post is to address a common theological mistake that people make. This “mistake” often stems from the deliberate deception of preachers unknowingly or knowingly used by the enemies of God to preach false doctrine. I get passionate about this because I fell prey to this false teaching. The idea that if I acknowledge my sin, that I know I deserve hell, but because Jesus died for my sin, and because of this my hand’s been stamped for Heaven; therefore, I can go about life without any real change and continuing to immerse myself in the sin I have always enjoyed and still go to Heaven when I die. This is commonly referred to as “easy-believe-ism”, or liberal theology.
Easy-believe-ism isn’t the only ditch that we can fall into as we try to pursue the narrow road that leads to life. Another dangerous deception can be found in religions like Catholicism which has man-made rules and rituals where confessing your sin to the man in the white collar, who then gives you various directives and pronounces you forgiven, and ultimately leads you to no concern over your sin because you’ll just go to confession again soon. This pattern continues in a sin-sorry, sin-sorry, sin-sorry routine with no evidence in Scripture that this person can be assured of salvation.
What we see in Scripture is when a man has true saving faith, he is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, this is what is referred to as being born again. This new birth results in what Scripture calls regeneration. Regeneration can be defined as the affections and the desires of the heart a man being so radically changed that he now hates the sin he used to love, and he now loves the way and will of God that he formerly was openly hostile to, or indifferent about. He who is in Christ is a new creature, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, new things have come. This means that the old man, the old you, is dead, not physically but spiritually, the old man is dead and the new man has been born.
It is interesting when you point out this reality of Scripture there’s always those that quickly rush in with the claim that you’re preaching perfectionism. Let’s be clear, we will not be perfect on this side of Glory, but make no mistake, we are talking about a new direction, a turning from the sin you used to run toward. We’re talking about direction not perfection.
In the same way, as soon as you say it’s direction not perfection; oftentimes our mind will then easily allow for sin. The biggest take away in all of this is, although not perfect, we will have a shame that accompanies a stumble, or a fall into sin. If we can go on sinning without shame, if we can go on sinning without a determination to turn from that sin, there should be concern.
Here’s some Scripture to meditate on this week that this post is based on:
1John 3:4-10
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Psalm 119:101
I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep Your Word.
Psalm 119:133 (KJV)
Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Isaiah 50:5
The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.
Isaiah 55:7
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
