My family and I went to Mineral Springs Baptist this past Sunday night as my wife’s grandparents go there. \u00a0On a quick side note I would like to say to all pastors and teachers, it is important that you take time to be fed God’s Word as well. \u00a0I realize you spend most of your week preparing to feed other people, but your effectiveness as a preacher or teacher is directly tied to your own spiritual condition. \u00a0How can you or I stand before our people and tell them they need to be faithful to be fed the Word of God, when we only spend our time on feeding them and neglect ourselves? \u00a0Ok, that was the side trip.<\/p>\n
Pastor Jason was preaching on James 1. \u00a0In the middle of his message he made an interesting observation. \u00a0Many times all the unbelievers only hear Christians talk about what we are against (and let’s be honest the list is long). \u00a0I am not saying that as Christians we should not talk about sin and call it what it is. \u00a0In fact if you attend Westlake Baptist you will freely hear the word sin mentioned and preached on not only from the pulpit but also in Sunday school classes. \u00a0We believe that sin separates us from God and unless we come to faith in Jesus Christ sin will eternally condemn us to hell. \u00a0But the point Pastor Jason was making is a valid point. \u00a0Many times we as Christians when pointing out what we are against only deal with the symptom and not the root cause. \u00a0We do this because the outward symptom makes us uncomfortable. \u00a0My question is this, is this not legalistic Christianity the same as it was with the Pharisees in Jesus’ day? \u00a0If all we do is focus on the outward behavior then what we are telling people is that they need to conform to certain acceptable standards and they will be fine. \u00a0My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that is not the message of the Gospel, that is legalism and I want us to remember that Jesus called the Pharisees “white washed tombs who looked great on the outside, but inside were full of dead men’s bones” in Matthew 23. \u00a0Jesus also called them a dirty cup in Matthew 23. \u00a0Have you ever had a coffee cup at your office? \u00a0Many times we fill it up with coffee and when we are done drinking it what do we do? \u00a0Many times we just leave it on our desk. \u00a0The outside is nice and clean, but the inside is anything but clean. \u00a0That is a physical description of the spiritual condition of the Pharisees and sadly enough many Christians today. \u00a0I can hear some of you disagreeing with me so permit me to give you some examples.<\/p>\n
Example number one: Why is it that we preach against homosexuality, but seldom preach against heterosexual co-habitation? \u00a0It is because homosexuality makes us uncomfortable, but we don’t think twice about a man and a woman living together who are not married because at least they are not homosexuals. \u00a0With all due respect that is legalism, that is us as Christians desiring to change a symptom rather than addressing the root cause.<\/p>\n
Example number two: Why is it that we preach against alcohol and drug abuse, but seldom preach on gluttony (over-eating)? \u00a0I read a book called “Lose it for Life” and in it the author makes this point, “If a preacher were to step into the pulpit drunk or take a pornographic magazine up with him he would be fired immediately. \u00a0But we don’t think twice about him carrying an extra 50+ pounds up there with him.” \u00a0Now that is getting very personal for me. \u00a0I am not picking on my portly proclaimers of the truth (because I am one), but simply making a point. \u00a0I hope my point has become a little more clear.<\/p>\n
Please understand my heart on this, I agree that the outward behaviors are problems, but we need to remember that sin is sin, and sin is only the outward manifestation of an inward condition. \u00a0Do we want people to change their sinful behaviors? \u00a0Absolutely we do. \u00a0But we must come to realize that their eternal salvation is more important than anything else. \u00a0I don’t just want their outward actions to be changed for the sake of change, I want to see their heart changed which will inevitably lead to changes in their and my actions. \u00a0The root problem is a depraved heart that leads to depraved actions. \u00a0If God changes their heart (through their faith in His sacrifice on the cross) then I guarantee their actions will change because they are not the same person they use to be.<\/p>\n
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My family and I went to Mineral Springs Baptist this past Sunday night as my wife’s grandparents go there. \u00a0On a quick side note I would like to say to all pastors and teachers, it is important that you take … Read More