James White on the Presidential Election of 2008 & 2012

Let me say this.  The recent Presidential Race proves one thing.  Observing both the candidates for President and the candidates for Vice-President it should be abundantly clear that Christians are failing in their task of preaching the Gospel to EVERYONE EVERYWHERE!

Thoughts on the Presidential Election of 2008

Thoughts on the Presidential Election of 2012

Believing Christ's Forgiveness

As of late I have received a couple of requests to address the issue of forgiveness; specifically the issue of forgiving yourself once you know that God has forgiven you through Jesus Christ.  I contemplated a sermon on the subject but felt that this might be the best medium so that the information can be ever at your fingertips.

At the core, we struggle with letting go of our sins of the past.  Some of us struggle more than others.  Oh we mentally acknowledge that we’ve been forgiven of course, but it is hard to actually forgive ourselves because deep down we feel we have to earn God’s forgiveness.  The real battle with forgiving ourselves does not come from the heinous nature of our various sins; it comes in believing that God is really a God who will forgive sinners FREELY with no works or merits on their part.  When we cry out in despair and struggle with forgiving ourselves what we are really doing is forgetting the Gospel; we are doubting God.  I don’t at all mean that to sound harsh so please do not take it that way, but that is what is happening.

Anytime I fret over my past and decide not to forgive myself because of the transgressions on my account I am forgetting the Gospel of Grace which declares that Christ’s blood was and is so powerful that it cleanses me from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  Let that sink in for a moment.  Let all of your past sins run through your mind for a moment and now understand that if you are in Christ they have ALL, every single one, been declared FORGIVEN.

If you were to open up your case file with God and check to see on what grounds all the charges against you were dismissed you would find one answer and one answer only.  It is solely on the grounds of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone that we can be forgiven and not only forgiven but justified!  Freed from ever being in debt over our sin again!

When we deny ourselves something basic, and by that I mean some non-sinful basic human need and we do it on the grounds of still feeling guilty, what we are really doing is trying to punish ourselves so that we feel forgiven. 

But that is just opposite of what the Gospel tells us.  The Gospel says that He, meaning Christ, was bruised for my iniquities.  He took the punishment for my sin.  1 John 1:9 reminds us that God is faithful and just.  Faithful and just!  We need to be careful not to doubt our forgiven position in Christ lest we drift into the dangerous waters of doubting God’s Holy character.

We struggle with forgiving ourselves because we know that we are going to sin again in some way.  We struggle with it because we break our promises and have a hard time believing a God who won’t break His.  But our Father is not like us.  He has promised and He alone cannot break His promise.  It is His steadfastness, not our worthiness, that guarantees our forgiveness.

It is true that we are sinners who do not deserve His mercy but He is faithful and loving and it is by His faithfulness to uphold His promise of forgiveness that we can begin to forgive ourselves and move past the hurt we’ve caused in the past by our sin.  We never forget the things we’ve done to sin against God and others, but we stand in awe of Him because He has (Psalm 103:12).

Spend some time pondering the Gospel today.  Spend some time dwelling on the fact that we are not only promised forgiveness of our sin but also cleansing.  It is Satan’s desire to keep you locked in a state of doubting God so that he can keep you ineffective for the kingdom.

Jesus did not forgive you before you sinned against Him nor did He wait for you to stop sinning before He saved you.  He has said to you as He did the woman caught in adultery

If you believe that God sent Christ to forgive you of all your sin then live like you believe it.  You may think ‘this is too easy, give me some self-forgiveness steps Pastor’, but that is the flesh desiring to do works for forgiveness again.  The key isn’t in some do it yourself process; the key is in believing the Gospel.  Daily as you rise, go about your tasks, and lay your head down at night, REMEMBER THE GOSPEL!  The Gospel was not merely a one-time message you needed to be saved, it is the ever present reminder of the hope you need and the grace God has provided every single day!

The byproduct of forgiveness and justification is peace.  Jesus said He came to bring us peace, not as the world defines peace, but a peace that is beyond all comprehension John 14:27)!  That peace guards our hearts (Philippians 4:7).

Because of Christ we now have peace between us and our own souls (Hebrews 9:14). “O the precious peace of a clear conscience. So many people labor under the misery of a guilty conscience. I’ve heard many say, “I cannot forgive myself.”, but that’s what Good Friday is for!  The forgiving of sinners and the removal of a guilty conscience!

Peace with yourself doesn’t mean that you start seeing past sins as appropriate nor does it mean excusing the wrong you’ve done. Peace doesn’t mean that past sins cease to be painful. It means they cease to be paralyzing. The pain may not be taken away immediately, but the penalty is taken away immediately through Christ. And that makes it possible to heal and move forward in our pursuit of Christ-likeness. 


The only remaining option beyond what has been said above is that you cannot experience forgiveness of yourself because you've never received forgiveness from God.  Jesus Christ has died and been raised and has taken the punishment for your sin.  He commands you, and I am pleading with you, repent and trust in Jesus Christ and God will forgive you!  Not because of your merits because you have none but rather because of Christ's merits!  He is good and He is perfect and He is kind!  Flee to him because He has been kind enough to provide for you a Savior!  If you should turn away from His offer of salvation then know this, the guilt you feel now over the sins you've committed in your life, as painful as they are to you now, is nothing compared to what awaits you after you die.  When you stand before God and all your sins are laid bare before Him and you finally see your sin as not just bad things you've done against others but as rebellious strikes against God Himself.


Seek Him now and KNOW Him as Savior, seek Him later and you'll only know Him as Judge.

Pastor's Bookshelf: "Convert: From Adam to Christ" by Emilio Ramos

I have been blessed by the ministry of Pastor Emilio Ramos for many years. When I learned that he was soon to release his very first book I was incredibly excited to once more benefit from the wisdom God has granted him.

I have just completed the book and can say with certainty that my excitement and expectations for the book were not misplaced.  'Convert: From Adam to Christ' is not only an important book for the church it is a great commentary for all those who are passionate about seeing the lost come to know Christ.

Explaining what Scripture has to say about conversion Pastor Ramos begins with the state of every person who has ever been born and that is their lost condition as a descendant of Adam and an inheritor of the sin nature that fell upon man when Adam sinned in the Garden.

It was such a refreshing and thorough look into what Scripture tells us about the lost.  It was also a sobering reminder of who I formerly was before God graciously saved me from my sin and took me from being 'in Adam' to being 'in Christ'.

"Adam radically affects every person around you who does not possess salvation. They are "in Adam".  For this reason we must explore what it means to be "in Adam"." - Emilio Ramos - Convert .19

Why is it that we look to Scripture for understanding in all areas except evangelism.  We have to be sure we have a proper understanding of the doctrine of man in order to best understand self and evangelize the lost.

Through a study on our part with Adam Emilio brings this out masterfully.  This is why I feel this book is so important to the evangelist.  In general, "Convert" will help the Christian understand what Scripture says about our sanctification.  As the Christian learns more of the depths of depravity that we were thrust into by being 'in Adam' we begin to esteem more highly what it means to now be 'in Christ'.

People often ask why Adam was able to sin but in Heaven we won't be.  The reason lies in understanding that being in Adam, the fallen, ensured our fall into sin just like him.  But being in Christ, the sinless One, ensures our eternal security.

Emilio also stresses the importance to a Christian of having sound doctrine and also applying that doctrine.  Focus on doctrine that never leads to obedience is a waste of time and evangelism without sound doctrine is dangerous.

Lastly, Emilio rounds out the discussion by stressing the importance of submission to the authority of the church you are a member of.  There shouldn't be any rogue evangelists out there who are "just goin' it alone".   God has given the local church as a means for discipleship.  Any Christian seeking to obey and follow Christ will find a Bible based church and submit accordingly.

I thoroughly recommend this book.  Pick it up today from http://convertthebook.com/ .

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

**As with any Christian book, it does not take the place of or redefine Scripture.  Read this book with your Bible open so that you will see that the things it teaches are truths straight from the God's Word.

Don't ignore the warning!

Guest Blogger: Brian Thornton - Legalism, Discipline, & Grace

I am honored to have my friend Brian guest author this post for me.  I was edified by it, hope you will be too. Comments welcome.

I have been asked by my friend, Jason, to discuss the differences between discipline and legalism in the church and how/where grace might apply in the midst of the two. Some describe a true church as a three-legged stool consisting of the right proclamation of the word, the right administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and church discipline. Some would argue that church discipline falls under the second leg of a right administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, but really, who has ever heard of a two-legged stool? Sadly, many churches fail to properly exercise church discipline by not doing it at all. Probably (hopefully) a smaller minority fail at proper church discipline by being overbearing in their practice of it (lording it over the people). Both extreme swings of the pendulum are dangerous and unhealthy for the local body that makes up a church. I think it is also quite possible that what some consider to be church discipline is really legalism, while what others think is legalism in a church is actually nothing more than the practices of a biblical church. In both areas of confusion, misunderstanding and error, grace (and the implications of the gospel) is often sorely lacking. Let’s see if we can flesh this out a little bit.

Let’s start by defining our terms. Within the context of a local church body, what is known as church discipline can be defined as actions taken by the congregation toward a person(s) within that congregation which results in that person(s) being removed from fellowship, with the intent of bringing about repentance by the offending party and a restoration back into fellowship with the congregation. The goal of discipline within the church is always repentance and restoration. It is never punishment or retribution or control. Church discipline is, according to Scripture, the responsibility of the congregation, not the leadership. Matthew 18 makes it very clear that the final decision of removing a person from fellowship falls on the shoulders of the congregation. When church discipline is done badly or not according to Scripture, the results can be disastrous.

Legalism, quite simply, is going beyond the bounds of Scripture, or going beyond what is written, as Paul put it (1 Cor.4:6). It is requiring something that God does not require. An example would be the church leadership telling a person in the church they are not saved and going to hell because of the types of clothes they wear (no joke, this truly happened to a friend of mine). This church added a dress code to the work of Jesus for salvation. That’s going beyond what is written. That’s legalism. Another (and possibly more volatile) example would be a church teaching that there is only one true and correct day to gather as a church to worship together. This may bring to mind groups like the Seventh-Day Adventists who require worship on Saturday and condemn anyone who doesn’t do likewise, but there are scores of churches and denominations that believe the same thing about Sunday being the only proper and true day for gathering together. Legalism can take many forms. It can be quite obvious or very subtle.

The paradox is that what some consider to be church discipline is really nothing more than legalism, and what others think is legalism is actually just the church being the church. For instance, we were involved at a church a few years back where the elders decided they wanted to begin having an intentional, systematic reading of Scripture in the weekly service. This would usually involve a considerable passage from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as the sermon text for that morning. The response from some was really pretty shocking, as several charged the elders with being legalistic with this new practice. While a practice like this certainly could become legalistic if it began to be somehow required or practiced in an unbiblical manner, what the elders here were trying to do was nothing more than adhere to one of the clear commands in Scripture given by Paul to the church: “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Tim.4:13). This was not legalism in any way, shape or form. This church was not going beyond what is written. It was simply the church trying to be the church.

Sometimes, though, what a church considers to be the practice of discipline is actually just plain old ugly legalism and heavy-handed, overbearing leadership. In another church, a young couple had missed the Easter service and had instead gone to visit the wife’s mother that weekend. The following week, the husband went to answer the door one evening and, upon opening it, came face to face with the elders of the church who were there unannounced to “discuss” the couple’s lack of devotion to the church. In another instance these same elders met with another church member to decide the fate of his membership in the church. These leaders, however well-meaning, and regardless of how much they thought they were engaging in church discipline and shepherding, were actually “lording it over” their congregation and were steeped heavily in unhealthy legalism and even spiritual abuse.

In all of these examples I have given here, I would say the one thing that was lacking was grace. The congregants complaining about the “legalistic” Scripture reading did not impart grace to their shepherds. All they knew is that this was a change in the way things had been done and they didn’t like it. And the elders of the overbearing church were not giving their sheep grace and the benefit of the doubt with respect to what they saw as actionable sin in their lives. Some of these may sound over the top to you, but think about your own interaction with other believers. Are you prone to making quick judgments that may be void of grace?  Do you tend to fail to give someone else the benefit of the doubt before making a rush to judgment? I know I do. And the times I make those types of judgments are the times I believe that I have either forgotten the gospel or am failing to apply it to the other areas of my life other than my salvation.

You see, we talk about the grace and mercy of the gospel a lot as Christians when it comes to salvation, but how much do we apply that to the rest of our lives? We have been shown much mercy and patience and longsuffering by our Creator. How much do we, in turn, exhibit grace and mercy and longsuffering to others? Because of the gospel, we have not received what we deserved. But how willing are we to impart undeserved favor and mercy to others.  Everyone to whom much has been given, of him much will be required, (Luke 12:48). How much have you been given? Are you giving to others in the way you have been given? I believe that if we would take the implications of the gospel and let them filter out into every area of our lives, then legalism would diminish, church discipline would be used only when truly needed and with much wisdom, and grace would permeate the church of Jesus Christ. To him be the glory in the church. And may we glorify him as the church by applying the grace of the gospel to every area of our life, not just to our salvation.

The difference between justice and mercy...

I am so amazed at how, in nearly EVERY realm of life, people mistake mercy and justice.  Justice is what is deserved for a particular act.  That can be positive and negative obviously... Mercy is what is not required to be shown in any given situation.  God is required to show justice.  His own inherent Holiness requires it.  He is never ever obligated to show mercy.  Even in our own human legal system.  We demand that courts bring justice, and we know that they are not obligated to show mercy.  Yet when it is on us that justice is being served, we cry out "That's not fair!" and demand mercy.  But mercy is never ours to demand in any situation.  Justice is what is due for a particular act. 

I am thankful that God showed me mercy for my infinite transgressions against Him, rather than showing me the justice that I so rightly deserved.

Is Forgiveness Possible? ER

A friend of mine posted this video to his blog as a challenge to a couple commenters on his blog to watch this video and post how they would respond in this or any similar situation...

So I thought on it and decided I would like to put this on my blog as a question/ challenge not to anyone specifically but to anyone who would like to rise to the challenge.  We live in a day where, sadly, the Gospel in many situations is reduced to something trite.  "Get saved and God will make your life wonderful." Phrases like that.  Phrases that just fail to give the full Gospel (as depicted in Scripture) in all its wonder and beauty.

But a message like "God has a wonderful plan for your life!", would hardly connect and do anything meaningful for a person in a terminal situation... so the challenge.

1.) Watch the video
2.) Put yourself in the woman's shoes and give your response to this man who is more or less asking what he must do to be saved.  What would you say?  Please be thorough as possible and please back up all points with Scripture.

Please don't shy away from this challenge.  Scripture emphatically commands us to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15)... to preach the Word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2).  If you aren't sure how to go about sharing the Gospel Biblically then please email me and I would be more than happy to point you to what Scripture says about it.