As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.—1 Corinthians 15:49.
THANK God, we are to gain by death! We are to have something that death cannot touch. When this earthly body is raised, all the present imperfection will be gone. Jacob will leave his lameness. Paul will have no thorn in the flesh. We shall enter a life that deserves the name of life, happy, glorious, ever-lasting—the body once more united to the soul, no longer mortal, subject to pain and disease and death, but glorified, incorruptible, “fashioned like unto His glorious body,” everything that hinders the spiritual life left behind. We are exiles now, but then we who are faithful shall stand before the throne of God, joint heirs with Christ, kings and priests, citizens of that heavenly country.[1]
[1] Moody, D. L. (1900). The D. L. Moody Year Book: A Living Daily Message from the Words of D. L. Moody. (E. M. Fitt, Ed.) (p. 221). East Northfield, MA: The Bookstore.
What is sin? Who is a sinner? Is that sinful? I have been inclined to esteem myself as basically good. Me the bad guy? No way! The bad guy is someone else. This makes easier for me to be the innocent guy who clearly sees the fault residing in somebody else. They are the ones to blame, but not me. Of course, this is far from anything true.
The Apostle Paul tells us: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Rom. 3:23).1 Sin is likened to missing the mark. Like an archer launching an arrow and missing the bullseye, we all stand guilty of sin, which keeps us from sharing in the moral beauty and perfection of God. So, I am just as guilty before God as the rest of the progeny of Adam and Eve.
But what target are we missing? The target is a right relationship with God. To live opposed to God and the ways of God is truly off the mark. The New Dictionary of Theology indicates that “Scripture employs a variety of words to speak of sin, with meanings ranging from ‘the missing of a mark or goal’ or ‘the breach of relationship’ to ‘ungodliness’, ‘perversion’ or ‘rebellion’. Yet the common theme of every biblical expression of the nature of sin is the central idea that sin is a state of our being that separates us from the holy God; biblically, sin is ultimately sin against God.”2
Sin estranges us from the presence of God. The prophet Isaiah says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, | or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; | but your iniquities have made a separation | between you and your God, | and your sins have hidden his face from you | so that he does not hear” (Isa. 59:1-2). As a way of illuminating the Christians at Ephesus to the extravagance of being saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ for good works, the Apostle Paul describes the dismal predicament of the former life apart from the Lord: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:1-3).
None of us really live blameless lives. We may have never been caught in our wrongdoing but we are far from pure innocence. God has set things up in the universe so that morals can be known through natural law. All possess moral faculties to understand and discover right and wrong, good and evil, truth and error. This is the law of God written upon our hearts (Rm. 1:18-20; 2:12-16). Moreover, God enters into this world and gives to us commandments to follow so that our joy may be complete. These commands presented to us through special revelation from God are then codified in the Scriptures (Deut. 4:12-14; 30:11-14; Psa. 19:7-11; Matt. 5:17-20). We are capable of knowing right and wrong. Our problem is failing to do what is right and to not do what is wrong.
It is from the original sin of Adam that springs forth the actual sin that we do.
Original Sin
Original sin is a predicament we find ourselves as the progeny of Adam and Eve. Paul writes, “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). The sin of Adam and Eve brought into this world suffering and death (Gen. 3:1-24). The whole cosmos was affected by the fall, “for the creation was subjected to futility” and “has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Rm. 8:20, 22).
Adam sinned and died but the effect of the fall passed on to the rest of his descendants because he is the head of all humanity. Concerning this doctrine of original sin, Hank Hanegraaff writes, “While the notion of generational curses and spirits is foreign to the text of Scripture, there is a sense in which all people are cursed as a result of an ancestor’s sin: Adam’s rebellion brought death to us all and tainted every aspect of our being (Genesis 3; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22; cf. Ephesians 2:3).”3 Likewise, J.I. Packer states: “The assertion of original sin means not that sin belongs to human nature as God made it (God made mankind upright, Eccles. 7:29), nor that sin is involved in the processes of reproduction and birth (the uncleanness connected with menstruation, semen, and childbirth in Leviticus 12 and 15 was typical and ceremonial only, not moral and real), but that (a) sinfulness marks everyone from birth, and is there in the form of a motivationally twisted heart, prior to any actual sins; (b) this inner sinfulness is the root and source of all actual sins; (c) it derives to us in a real though mysterious way from Adam, our first representative before God. The assertion of original sin makes the point that we are not sinners because we sin, but rather we sin because we are sinners, born with a nature enslaved to sin.”4 Adam’s fall affects us all.
Adam represented all of humanity in the Garden of Eden, and his fall resulted in the corruption of all humanity. Sin entered into the world through Adam, his sin infects us all, and death signifies the bitter reality of this corruption.5This sinful corruption affects our every thought, word, and deed. From original sin thus comes forth our actual sins.
Actual Sin
Actual sin refers to the specific offenses we commit against God and others. Put it another way: “Sin is failing to do the things we should and doing those things that we should not,” it is “anything that fails to meet God’s standard of perfection,” “a barrier between us and other people,” and “the deprivation of good.”6
The Apostle Paul wrote extensively about the actual sins we commit. In the Epistle to the Galatians, he describes “the works of the flesh” as “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” He then concludes, “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:18-21). 1 Corinthians includes this admonition: “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10).7
Paul wanted to explain to the Christians at Rome what it meant for the righteous to live by faith (Rom. 1:16-17). In order to do so, he had to explain why it is impossible for anyone to stand righteous before God based upon their own merits whether Jew or Gentile. Pagans were condemned because they took the truth about God as revealed in nature and exchanged it for a lie, they worshipped the creature instead of the creator, they perverted the natural use of their own bodies (they specifically perverted the use of the complimentary male and female organs for sexual reproduction), and they acted according to their evil intentions, knowing their deeds are rightly condemned, but doing them anyway and approving those who the same (Rom. 1:18-32). Moralist were likewise condemned, especially those who received the special revelation of God codified in the Law of Moses, since they too failed to keep its commandments (Rom. 2:1-29). Both Jew and Gentil fail to do what they know to be the right thing to do (Rom. 3:1-19). None are righteous according to their own merits.
We are totally depraved. This never means that we commit every possible sin that could be committed when the opportunity presents itself; rather, we inevitably commit offenses against God and others.
Redemption
Our hope is that God saves sinners. The Father sent the Son to save humanity from their sin. The Son entered into this world through the womb of the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ lived a blameless life and obeyed will of the Father in going to the cross. He died and rose again on the third day. It is through His death that we receive atonement for our sins and through His resurrection that we find us new life and the hope of having victory over death.
From Adam came our condemnation, but from Christ comes our redemption. Paul tells us: “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” and “As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:17-19). Elsewhere Paul states: “As by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:21-22). The sons and daughters of Adam and Eve are fallen, dead in their sins, and estranged from God. However, Christ saves the sinner, raises up from death, and reconnects them to God.
This is what makes the celebration of Advent so spectacular. The bad news is really bad. We are dead in sin. However, the good news is exceptionally good. God saves sinners! Christ is the one who redeems us from our sin, and we are made righteous by the blood of the Lamb. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. Dead in sin, we are given new life. We are seated with God in heavenly places. Yes, we are God’s workmanship created for good works (Eph. 2:1-10).
Christians celebrate Advent because the grace of God has come to us through Jesus Christ. They also look forward to the next Advent, when the Son appears again to set things right. They will then be raised immortal, imperishable, incorruptible.
— WGN
There are reportedly four pending investigations against Hunter Biden; Former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman and Victor Davis Hanson weigh in on ‘The Story’ with…
— Read on www.youtube.com/watch
The pandemic and economic fallout have had enormous impacts on the health of people across the globe. Losing a loved one, unemployment and general isolation have all negatively affected peoples’ mental health in ways we are just now starting to comprehend. Statista’s Willem Roper reports that a new survey offers a glimpse into how difficult 2020 has been for the mental health of Americans.
In a new update of a yearly Gallup survey on mental health in U.S., just 34 percent of U.S. adults said they felt their mental health was in excellent condition when asked in November. That’s down from 43 percent in 2019.
You will find more infographics at Statista
Women were significantly less likely to describe their mental health as excellent in 2020, with just 27 percent compared to 41 percent of men. Still, both men and women had 8 and 10 percentage point drops relative to 2019.
Political demographics showed Democrats and Independents were less likely to describe their mental health as excellent this year compared to Republicans. However, those affiliated with the GOP saw the largest drop compared to 2019, going from 56 percent to 41 percent.
This Gallup survey marks a quick, substantial drop in mental health for Americans. The decline in those feeling excellent is the largest in over 15 years, while the drop in those feeling either excellent or good is the largest in the survey’s history. With conflicting realities of a vaccine on the near horizon clashing with rising COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths across the country, it remains to be seen what the long-term effects of a prolonged decline in mental health will have in the U.S.
— Read on cms.zerohedge.com/medical/2020-takes-toll-mental-health
The reason I ask that question is because approximately half of all small business owners in the entire country believe that they may soon be forced to close down for good. Not even during the Great Depression of the 1930s did we see anything like this. The big corporate giants with extremely deep pockets will be able to easily weather another round of lockdowns, but for countless small businesses this is literally a matter of life and death. Every day we are seeing new restrictions being implemented somewhere in the nation, and the politicians that are doing this are killing the hopes and dreams of countless small business owners. According to a recent Alignable survey, 48 percent of U.S. small business owners fear that they could be forced to “shut down permanently” in the very near future…
Based on this week’s Alignable Q4 Revenue Poll of 9,201 small business owners, 48% could shut down permanently before year’s end.
Date: December 11, 2020
Host: Jim Schneider
MP3 | Order
https://embed.sermonaudio.com/player/a/121120211237277/
Jim covers the news headlines of the week (these include just the first half hour)!
–President Trump announced that his administration helped secure peace and a normalization agreement between Israel and Morocco.
–In a new show of military might, 2 American B-52H long-range heavy bombers took off from the U.S. and flew over a swath of the Middle East yesterday, sending what U.S. officials said was a direct message of deterrence to Iran.
–Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib raised eyebrows Sunday after she re-tweeted a message with a phrase that’s associated with calling for an end to the State of Israel.
–Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said the Chinese Communist Party is using gene editing to boost its military.
–China’s Communist Party seems to be implementing a multi-dimensional strategy in the Caribbean.
–Admiral Craig Faller, head of the U.S. Southern Command, warns about the alarming and concerning arrival of military personnel from the elite Quds Force from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, confirming that the military is seeing an uptick in weapons shipments from Iran to Venezuela.
–Joe Biden is pledging to usher in a new era of LGBTQ rights.
–Nickelodeon is joining with one of its transgender actors to role out a trans-youth acting challenge for young people who identify as trans or non-binary and want to pursue an acting career.
–The Republican led Senate Finance and Homeland Security Committee published a new and lengthy report Tuesday further detailing national security concerns related to Hunter Biden’s shady foreign dealings in China and Ukraine.
–Hunter Biden revealed Wednesday that he’s under federal investigation for possible tax fraud.
–Pennsylvania House Speaker and Majority Leader filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court against his own state in favor of the Texas lawsuit against the commonwealth and 3 other states.
–3 suspects involved in the Georgia suitcase scandal have been identified.
–An election supervisor in Coffee County, Georgia, demonstrated in recent videos posted online how Dominion Voting Systems voting software allows votes to be changed during an adjudication process.
–Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward announced yesterday that she’s appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court her federal case regarding alleged irregularities with the voting software used in November’s election.
–Texas Representative Brian Babin has proposed the ‘You Must Be Alive to Vote Act,’ a bill that’s intended to crack-down on alleged instances of people using names of the deceased in order to vote.
Kevin T. Bauder
To restore humans, God first had to deal with the problem of sin. The fall into sin brought humanity under the penalty of death (Gen 2:17). The word death stands as a synecdoche for the whole of God’s judgment. It includes physical death, present obtuseness toward God (in which people are dead in trespasses and sins, Eph 2:1), and judicial condemnation to a second, eternal death (glimpsed in Rev 20:11–15).
Because of human sin, the devil exercises a kind of dominion within the sphere of death (Heb 2:14). This dominion does not mean that the devil directly causes every human to die. Rather, it means that the presence of death in the human race (and in the created order) is directly traceable to the sin that Adam committed at the devil’s instigation. The devil’s lordship over death has made humans slaves to the fear of death. Only when they are freed from this slavery can they resume their rightful station as rulers of the earth.
Death is a just penalty for sin. Because God is just—indeed, because God is Justice—He cannot cancel a just condemnation. He cannot overlook sin, so He will by no means clear the guilty (Exod 34:7). Consequently, humans were enslaved to the fear of death and could only be freed if the penalty of death was paid first.
Jesus did not come into the world simply to communicate religious teaching or to set a moral example, but to redeem humanity from sin and death. He would work this redemption by bearing human guilt and offering himself as a sacrifice for sins. Only He could perform this task because only He was qualified.
What qualifications did He have to meet? The first was the qualification of personal sinlessness. All sinners must bear their own guilt; they cannot bear the burden of someone else’s sins. Jesus met this qualification as one who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners (Heb 7:26).
Second, Jesus had to be able to bear the guilt of many (Heb 9:28). The guilt of even one human sin is infinite because it is an attack upon an infinitely pure and perfect God. That is why hell lasts forever: the guilt of sin cannot be expunged by any passage of time. Yet each sinner is guilty of many sins, and those many sins are multiplied among many sinners. Such crushing guilt, such staggering, colossal, infinite blame, could be borne by no finite being. Not even a mighty angel could have paid the price of human sin. To bear an infinite guilt, the Lord Jesus had to be an infinite person. To become our savior, Jesus Christ first had to be our great God (Titus 2:13). The deity of Christ is essential to our salvation.
Third, to pay for human sins Jesus had to die a human death. That is why, for a little while, He was made lower than the angels: so that He could taste death (Heb 2:9). It was by dying that He was able to destroy the power of the devil and to liberate those who were enslaved by the fear of death (Heb 2:14–15). To die this death, however, He had to be fully human.
In sum, to save humans from the consequences of sin, Jesus had to be both divine and human. How could such a person be possible? To be human is to be a descendant of Adam. How could God—Adam’s maker—be born as one of Adam’s children?
This is the very question that occurred to Mary at the Annunciation. Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to a son who would be called the Son of the Highest. Astonished, Mary asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34).
Mary’s question has two parts. One has to do with the facts of biology: no other woman has ever borne a child without male involvement. The other has to do with the nature of generation. Like gives birth to like. Cows bear cows. Sheep bear sheep. Humans bear humans. How could any human being give birth to the Son of the Highest?
Gabriel’s answer to both questions is the same: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Mary would bear a son, and He would be the Son of God, by virtue of a virgin conception and birth.
Without a human birth, Jesus would not have been truly human. Without a virgin birth, Jesus would not have been God. If He had failed to meet either of those qualifications, He could not have become the sacrifice who would redeem humans from the penalty of sin. All the redeemed of all ages owe their salvation to the virgin birth of Christ.
The virgin birth is not a tangential doctrine located on the periphery of the Christian faith. It is a theological nexus that holds many important doctrines together. Without a virgin birth there could have been no God-man. Without a God-man there could have been no sacrifice for human sin. Without a sacrifice there could have been no human salvation. Without human salvation God’s plan for creation would have failed. The virgin birth of Christ is one of the core doctrines of the Christian faith.
This essay is by Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Not every one of the professors, students, or alumni of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that it expresses.
Hark, the glad sound! The Savior comes,
the Savior promised long!
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne,
and ev’ry voice a song.
He comes the pris’ners to release,
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before Him burst,
the iron fetters yield.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the treasures of His grace,
t’enrich the humbled poor.
Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heav’n’s eternal arches ring,
with Thy beloved Name.
Kevin T. Bauder is Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Not every one of the professors, students, or alumni of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that this post expresses.
Tony Gurule: How Can We ‘Make Churches Full Again’?
We discuss the censorship of Christians on social media platforms and liberal media’s panic programming relating to the ‘Rona.’ How can we reach people with truth, facts, and a biblical perspective on life, the gospel, and eternity? We also talk about the church, Constitution, and coming Antichrist.
Daily podcast, relevant articles on issues pertaining to Christians and more can be found on Stand Up For The Truth.
Steve Smothermon: A Time To Fight! For Christ, Truth, Freedom
We discuss the battle between churches and government over obeying God and religious freedom; blatant media bias and open censorship of American citizens by Big Tech, the role of pastors as military leaders rather than CEOs, and the ‘War on Christmas’ which is truly opposition to Jesus.
Daily podcast, relevant articles on issues pertaining to Christians and more can be found on Stand Up For The Truth.
JB Hixson: Censorship, Last Days Deception, and ‘Gender Surrender’
“Censorship is rampant and it will not be long before any references to Jesus, the Gospel, or biblical truth will be shut down.” JB Hixson
We discuss how Christians are being pressed and pressured today in many ways and what we need to do about it. Open bias and censorship of Christians and conservatives is practically encouraged today in America of all places! Another part of the last days deception is what JB refers to as the “gender surrender.”
Daily podcast, relevant articles on issues pertaining to Christians and more can be found on Stand Up For The Truth.
Carl Gallups: Bible Prophecy, Religious Freedom & the Reset Threat
In 1974, David Rockefeller said, “We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order.” Today we discuss Bible prophecy, America and the ‘last days,’ the Rona, and the ‘Great Reset,’ and more!
Daily podcast, relevant articles on issues pertaining to Christians and more can be found on Stand Up For The Truth.
A very sensitive and often pondered question is, “Do babies who die go to heaven?” Along the same lines, an additional question could be, “Do special needs individuals who do not possess the mental capacity to understand the gospel or profess faith in Christ go to heaven?” Beyond those, someone may ask, “Could this include a young child who was too young to grasp a genuine understanding of salvation?”
These are important questions and every Christian parent deserves an answer. Of course, there are many parents who experience the pain of losing a young child who had professed faith in Jesus Christ, but for many others, the question of eternal security looms.
Thankfully, Scripture is not all-together silent on where children go when they die. We need to ask several diagnostic questions to fully grasp a clear answer.
Here are several passages that showcase God’s affection and thoughts towards children, along with passages about how God holds people responsible for sin. I believe these passages make a case for God’s mercy and calling of children to Himself, should they die before ever making a profession of faith or understanding their need for a Savior. These passages identify a specific view towards children and the logic of God in judging sinners.
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
This passage is tied into a doctrinal concept called, General Revelation. It means that God has revealed Himself through general means like creation. In other words, people look at this world and know that something far beyond them created it, and eternity has been set in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), yet they choose their ideas and choose to worship their idols (Romans 1:-21-23). They are without excuse. But the same cannot be said for babies and those who do not have the mental or physical capacity to grasp general revelation.
5. Revelation 20:11-12 makes it clear that all will be judged based on “what they had done.” This is conscious, willful, mindful sin. This is sinful living that was aware of general revelation (see point #4 above), yet went on suppressing the truth. This does not mean that babies are not considered born into sin because of Adam and Eve (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12), but babies do not actively suppress the truth about God and actively sin against God in rebellion.
Some stories in the Bible make us uncomfortable. Instances in which God commands Israel to wipe out entire cities would certainly be on the menu of “uncomfortable” stories in the Bible. Isaiah 13:16 makes an especially frightening statement regarding children being “dashed to pieces” right before the eyes of their parents. What do we do with these? How can God have a deep affection for children, yet order them to be killed? Why would God allow such horrors? There’s no getting around these questions. We have to tackle them head-on. In some cases, the answer I don’t know is a healthy and humble one when it comes to things we can’t understand in the Bible. That is not the case with this.
When we think about children being killed by God’s armies, we can be pulled towards viewing it through the lens of emotions, pain, fear, tragedy, injustice, and the unknown. For most human beings, life on earth is everything. We may think through our American lens, that poor child didn’t even get to experience their 16th birthday or high school graduation. But God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). He isn’t making decisions based on human milestones in our American context. He is unfolding a divine purpose far beyond anything we can imagine. In cases where God’s love for children seems contradicted by His decree of Israel to kill certain children, we can conclude that God is being merciful to those children and ushering them into eternity faster than otherwise. Through their death, several blessings are occurring including:
To the natural mind, this sort of thinking is crazy. To those who understand what has been revealed about God in Scripture, these truths are a great comfort. Like Job described in Job 3:16-17, death is where there is no more trouble, and where “the weary are at rest.”
My friend, Phil Johnson, who serves as an elder at his church who tells this story:
I met one fellow whose own child died in infancy, and he seemed to think there was something meritorious about believing his own child had gone to hell. Every chance he got, he brought up the issue and boasted about how he and his wife had come to grips with the fact that their child was simply not the elect. I told him I thought he and his wife were in for a pleasant surprise when they get to glory. I recall that he said he was absolutely certain that if God elected that infant to salvation, He would have kept him alive long enough to bring him to faith. my reply was that he would have had just as much biblical warrant to conclude that if God had decided not to elect that child, He would have kept him on earth long enough for the child’s heart to be hardened by sin, and for his rebellion against God to be manifest through deliberate actions. Because whenever Scripture describes the inhabitants of hell, it always does so with lists of sins and abominations they have deliberately committed. We might look at the biblical data and conclude that when God takes the life of a little one, it is actually an act of mercy keeping that child from being hardened by a life of exposure to evil and a life of deliberate rebellion against God. One’s position on this issue says a lot about one’s view of God and His grace.[1]
There is no reason to think that God’s election of His people cannot include infants and special needs persons without the mental capacity to possess an informed understanding of general revelation. These people could most certainly have been “known before the foundations of the earth” (Ephesians 1:4).
While we cannot dogmatically say what age a child must be to be held eternally responsible for their rebellion and rejection of general revelation, we can most certainly come to well thought out conclusions about this subject matter. Based on the evidence from Scripture about God, His judgments, His view of children, and His heart towards those who cannot discern their left hand from their right hand(Jonah 4:11), I believe that children who die, along with special needs persons who do not have the current capacity to understand were chosen before the foundation of the earth.
Recommended Resources:
Safe in the Arms of God by John MacArthur
The Theology of Infant Salvation by R.A. Webb
[1] Phil Johnson, “What About Infants Who Die?” from unpublished sermon notes, 1999. This excerpt can be found in John MacArthur’s book, Safe in the Arms of God.
Source: Do Babies Who Die Go to Heaven?
Is anything REALLY true? Are all truths simply a matter of perspective, culture or “lived experience”? If transcendent truths exist, how can we “ground” them? In this video from J. Warner’s “Quick Shots: Fast Answers to Hard Questions” series on RightNow Media, J. Warner answers this common question related to the claims of Christianity.
To see more training videos with J. Warner Wallace, visit the YouTube playlist.
Are There No Objective Truths? (Video) — Cold Case Christianity
Do not let your good be spoken of as evil.
Lord God, I will abstain from every form of evil. I will provide honorable things, not only in Your sight, but also in the sight of men. This is Your will, that by doing good I may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Let me not suffer as a murderer, thief, evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if I suffer as a Christian, let me not be ashamed, but let me glorify You in this matter.
I have been called to liberty; only I will not use liberty as an opportunity for my flesh, but through love serve others. I will beware lest somehow this liberty of mine become a stumbling block to those who are weak. If I cause one of these little ones who believes in Jesus to sin, it would be better for me if a millstone were hung around my neck, and I were drowned in the depth of the sea. Inasmuch as I did it to one of the least of these Jesus’ brethren, I did it to Him.
I can do good only in Your power, Lord. Enable me to lovingly serve others.
Romans 14:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Peter 2:15; 1 Peter 4:15–16; Galatians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 8:9; Matthew 18:6; Matthew 25:40[1]
[1] Jeremiah, D. (2007). Life-Changing Moments With God (p. 370). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
1 In the Elohistic Psalter (Pss 42–83), the emphatic “O God” signifies essentially the same as Yahweh (“Lord”), the covenantally faithful God. In the seemingly redundant statement “you are my God [El],” the psalmist affirms that his God is El. For the true believer there is no other El than the Lord (see Reflections, p. 250, Yahweh Is El).
The psalmist yearns for fellowship with the Lord like one who thirsts for water after days in the desert. There is no thirst and sense of fatigue like that of a person who walks around in the desert. The arid climate rapidly saps one of strength. So strong is his physical longing for God that the psalmist had an “appetite for God” (C. S. Lewis, 51).[1]
The psalm begins with a confession of absolute confidence in God. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water (v. 1). Faith always lays hold of the personal relationship with the living God. The verb rendered ‘seek’ (shâchar) may come from a noun meaning ‘dawn’ (shachar), and because of this connection many versions have translated it by ‘to seek early’. In the other usages of this verb in the Old Testament the idea of seeking God early is not present, and hence the niv translation (‘earnestly seek’) seems close to the mark. As in Psalm 42:1–2, the psalmist compares himself to dry land which longs for water, and so does his soul long for his God. The same thought appears in Psalm 143:6: ‘My souls thirsts for you like a parched land.’ The expression of longing for God is heightened by the parallel statements ‘my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you’, even though the verb translated ‘longs’ only occurs here. Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 330–389) expressed it well: ‘God thirsts, to be thirsted for’ (Deus sitit, sitiri). He longs to see his people ardently desiring him.[2]
63:1 earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you. The word for “seek” (shhr) is different from the one used in a worship setting (bqsh). A. A. Anderson says the verb shhr belongs to wisdom language (Job 7:21; 8:5; 24:5; Prov. 1:28; 7:15; 8:17). Whether or not it is a denominative verb from the word for “dawn” (shahar), verse 6 nevertheless looks back on the night, and the Septuagint has “I cry to thee early” (orthrizō; thus KJV, “early will I seek thee”). For “I thirst for you,” compare Psalm 42:2. The verb translated “longs” occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament. However, in parallel with the verb “thirst” in the previous colon of the verse, the meaning seems to be “to yearn.” The memory of the Israelites’ thirst during the wilderness sojourn (Exod. 15:22–27; Deut. 8:15) may be in the psalmist’s mind, a crisis whose remedy is mentioned explicitly in Psalm 78:15–20.[3]
1. The Holy Ghost hath here given us some of those sweet and precious words which the people of God are commanded to take with them, when they turn unto the Lord; Hosea, 14:2. Reader, what words shall you and I take with us, when we come before the Lord, but the very words which God hath furnished us with in his holy word? What can a poor sinner say to the Lord so properly and so profitably, as what the Lord hath first said to that poor sinner, in the person of his dear Son Jesus Christ? Do not fail to remark, what a rich cluster of the most precious things are contained in this short verse. You see, the pious soul doth not think it enough to call God the Elohim, but his soul’s chief joy is, that this God is his Elohim. God in covenant, God in engagements; in short, to sum up all in one, God in Christ; for this includes every thing the soul can desire, or is capable of enjoying, in time or in eternity. Reader, it is blessed thus to look up to God, and doubly blessed when we know our right of appropriation in him as our God. And, see what a wilderness is capable of producing, when the soul is drawn out in such sweet enjoyments. Who would not wish to be in a wilderness with Jesus alone, when wilderness-frames are capable, through grace, to bring forth such wilderness-enjoyments? Happy David! when Judah’s wilderness thus opened such rich communion with thy Lord. So found Paul in his prison; and so felt John at Patmos. See these scriptures, 1 Sam. 22:5; Phil. 1:19, &c.; Rev. 1:9, &c. Reader, do not dismiss this verse, before you have asked your soul, whether you know any thing of those thirstings and longings, which are here described, for the sweet enjoyment of God in Christ?[4]
Ver. 1.—O God, thou art my God; or, my strong God (Eli)—my Tower of strength. Early will I seek thee. The song was, perhaps, composed in the night watches, and poured forth at early dawn, when the king woke “refreshed” (comp. vers. 5, 6; and 2 Sam. 16:14), My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee; or, pineth for thee (the verb occurs only in this place). Soul and body equally long for God, and especially desire to worship him in the sanctuary (ver. 2). In a dry and thirsty (or, weary) land, where no water is. This is figurative, no doubt; but it may also contain an allusion to the literal fact (2 Sam. 16:2; 17:29).[5]
1. O God! thou art my God. The wilderness of Judah, spoken of in the title, can be no other than that of Ziph, where David wandered so long in a state of concealment. We may rely upon the truth of the record he gives us of his exercise when under his trials; and it is apparent that he never allowed himself to be so far overcome by them, as to cease lifting up his prayers to heaven, and even resting, with a firm and constant faith, upon the divine promises. Apt as we are, when assaulted by the very slightest trials, to lose the comfort of any knowledge of God we may previously have possessed, it is necessary that we should notice this, and learn, by his example, to struggle to maintain our confidence under the worst troubles that can befall us. He does more than simply pray; he sets the Lord before him as his God, that he may throw all his cares unhesitatingly upon him, deserted as he was of man, and a poor outcast in the waste and howling wilderness. His faith, shown in this persuasion of the favour and help of God, had the effect of exciting him to constant and vehement prayer for the grace which he expected. In saying that his soul thirsted, and his flesh longed, he alludes to the destitution and poverty which he lay under in the wilderness, and intimates, that though deprived of the ordinary means of subsistence, he looked to God as his meat and his drink, directing all his desires to him. When he represents his soul as thirsting, and his flesh as hungering, we are not to seek for any nice or subtile design in the distinction. He means simply that he desired God, both with soul and body. For although the body, strictly speaking, is not of itself influenced by desire, we know that the feelings of the soul intimately and extensively affect it.[6]
63:1. A thirst for God
The psalmist desires God’s presence, which at present he does not experience. He seeks God, whose absence is likened to an absence of water. He is like a thirsty person in a land with no water. As we saw at the beginning of Psalm 42, this image indicates the unhappy plight of the psalmist and his desperate need in the midst of crisis.[7]
[1] VanGemeren, W. A. (2008). Psalms. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms (Revised Edition) (Vol. 5, pp. 488–489). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] Harman, A. (2011). Psalms: A Mentor Commentary (Vol. 1–2, p. 464). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
[3] Bullock, C. H. (2015). Psalms 1–72. (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.) (Vol. 1, pp. 479–480). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
[4] Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, pp. 355–356). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[5] Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Psalms (Vol. 2, p. 23). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.
[6] Calvin, J., & Anderson, J. (2010). Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Vol. 2, pp. 433–434). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[7] Longman, T., III. (2014). Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. (D. G. Firth, Ed.) (Vol. 15–16, p. 247). Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.
Further Reading
GotQuestions: What is Propitiation?
Ligonier Ministries: What Do Expiation and Propitiation Mean?
Bible Hub Topical Bible- Propitiation
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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-
Introduction/Background
Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive
Day 2: A shoot from Jesse
Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time
Day 4: Marry her, she will bear a Son
Day 5: The Babe has arrived!
Day 6: The Glory of Jesus
Day 7: Magi seek the Child
Day 8: The Magi offer gifts & worship
Day 9: The Child Grew
Day 10: The boy Jesus at the Temple
Day 11: He was Obedient!
Day 12: The Son!
Day 13: God is pleased with His Son
Advent, Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 14, Propitiation — The End Time
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren, within any of thy gates, in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.—Deuteronomy 15:7, 8.
How is it possible, dearest Lord Jesus, that I can read this scripture, and call to mind thy obedience for me, in fulfilling the whole law, without connecting with it all the blessedness of looking up to thee under every circumstance, and in every case, for thy favour and thy love? When Jesus became circumcised for his people, he made himself a debtor to the whole law. And is not this delightful precept of my evening meditation a part of it? Surely, Lord! this precept speaks to thee. Not that my glorious surety needed a command to the love of any of his poor brethren; for, blessed Jesus! thy love brought thee down from heaven, and it was thine own free, voluntary love that, at the call of God thy Father, prompted thine infinite mind to stand up as thy brethren’s law-fulfiller from all eternity. But though thou needest not to be put in mind of mercy to any poor brother of thine, yet is it precious to my soul to see that this command of God my Father forms a part in the obedience of Jesus to the whole law; and doubly blessed is it to my soul, to see, that in all the blessings wherewith Jesus, the head of his body the Church, blesseth his people, the hand of God my Father is in it. How hath God the Father manifested his love to his Church in the gift of his dear Son, and in all those blessed commands given to Jesus for the Church’s welfare? And how hath Jesus manifested his love in giving himself, yea, and becoming sin and a curse, for his Church, that all his redeemed might be made the righteousness of God in him? Look up then, my soul, to thy Jesus, thy brother, thy law-fulfiller! He will not overlook, nor forget this sweet precept. Thou art waxed poor indeed, but Jesus knoweth all thy poverty and all thy need; and though thou hast been a transgressor from the womb, and hast forgotten, times without number, thy relationship, Jesus will never forget his. He hath so loved thee as to die for thee; so loved thee as to shed his blood for thee; so loved thee as to plead for thee, and is for ever appearing in the presence of God for thee. And, therefore, he will never harden his heart against thee, nor shut up his hand, nor his heart, nor his loving-kindness, in displeasure. Precious Lord! thou art indeed a brother born for adversity, and one that loveth at all times; yea, “thou stickest closer than a brother!”[1]
[1] Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Evening Portion (A New Edition, pp. 341–342). Philadelphia: Thomas Wardle.
December 11
Amos 4:1-6:14
Revelation 2:18-3:6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
Amos 4:2 – Not much has changed between ancient Egyptian fish hooks and today’s fish hooks.
Amos 4:6 – “Cleanness of teeth” is not referring to good dental care, but is part of the “sarcasm” of this passage. Note the invitation to transgression in Amos 4:4, a leavened sacrifice in Amos 4:5, want of bread in Amos 4:6, and a lack of water in Amos 4:7. It seems likely that the cleanness of teeth refers to lack of eating.
Amos 4:7 – Notice God’s control of weather. Jesus confirmed in Matthew 5:45 that the Father in Heaven “sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Notice the point God made – withholding rain from one city, to make people go to another city. They would go long distances for water, but no distance for God (Amos 4:8). Yes God is the former of mountains, and the creator of wind (Amos 4:13).
Amos 5:4 – “Seek ye me” is repeated in Amos 5:6, Amos 5:8. Note he contrasts this with their rituals (Amos 5:21).
Amos 5:24 – This verse has been quoted by such people as Martin Luther King Jr and former FBI Director James Comey. However, usually the context isn’t brought out – people with one foot in worship of Yahweh (Amos 5:22), and one foot in the worship of Moloch (Amos 5:26). If you’re going to use this verse, you better be committed to the pro-life cause.
Amos 6:7 – The first captives are the ones who are enjoying the luxury of the day.
Revelation 2:20 – The last recorded words of Jesus and we’re being warned about tolerance. The buzzword of today is the antithesis of commitment to Christ.
Revelation 2:23 – When we receive our works, what will you get?
Revelation 3:5 – Who are the overcomers? In Romans 8:37 it’s identified as us – the more than conquerors. But it’s nothing that we have done, but “through him that loved us.” We can overcome thru His love! 1 John 4:4 reminds us that we have overcome, because “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Psalm 130:5 – This year we’ve been hoping in His Word! Keep waiting for the LORD!
Proverbs 29:21 – The importance of mentorship – speaking of if you haven’t seen The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, you’re missing a great movie.
December 11 – The verse quoted out of context. — VCY America
So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things.
(Matthew 6:31–32, NIV)
The other day I was really stressed out over something when I heard a minister say, “Worry is a 20lack of trust in God.” Then I started worrying over the fact that I was worrying! Someone else said, “Just don’t worry about it.” Sounds simple enough, but I come from a line of descendants who speak faith but show fear. Maybe you’ve met them!
Then a friend came up with this novel idea: “Why don’t you try this ‘worry coupon?’ It entitles you to worry as much as you like, but only if: a) it will feed and clothe you; b) it will add to your life instead of taking from it; c) it will make tomorrow better; and d) you don’t mind acting like the pagans do.” Point taken.
Then he said, “If that doesn’t work, make a list of all the things that you’re worried about, put it in a box, and then put it up on a shelf somewhere. If God is either unable or unwilling to take care of you, you can always go get the box back and start worrying again—but at least give Him a chance to work on your behalf! While you’re waiting, pray, stand on the Word, and don’t give your worries a voice.”
Your words have the power of life and death, so speak life! [1]
[1] Gass, B. (1998). A Fresh Word For Today : 365 Insights For Daily Living (pp. 345–346). Alachua, FL: Bridge-Logos Publishers.
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