That Was Tough

The uncompromising message of Pastor John MacArthur against same-sex marriage

Image courtesy of Youtube.com

I have a disclaimer Before I begin: The image above maybe different from when he had said the message that I’d be referring to. So if you’re going to ask me for a specific Youtube link, you may excuse me for not having a single clip to give. Moreover, I do not own the image nor will use it for profit.

It’s been a month already when the news came out. A mainline pro (ugh!)-, a mainline pro (welp!), a mainline protestant denomination (notice how I intentionally refrained myself from adding “Christian” between “protestant” and “denomination”) approved of “Adam and Steve’s” union to further severe its ties with today’s Evangelicalism. While it’s devastating enough to know that they have totally departed from the historic and Biblical Christian view of marriage, it’s also another way of rejoicing over the fact that not everyone within the fellowship agrees with it.

We’re leaving. Bye.

Not everyone is Christian. It’s as true as saying that not everyone who profess with their tongue that He is Lord will enter the Kingdom of God. They have fallen away and we can only pray that the Lord is not done yet with the people there who are yet to be redeemed.

While the issue is starting to wane in social media (at least to where I’m currently at), there are still notions (out of ignorance probably) that this Presbyterian denomination had done it because they’re Calvinists. Ah! They’re Calvinists, you say? Just because they’re “Presbyterians”? Come on! I invite you to study and read more to avoid fallacy.

I have always loved good ecumenical relationships. When I say “good”, I mean to say real and Biblical, and when I say “ecumenical”, I mean to say that of a coalition without compromising key doctrines and not another. One of which, would be the setting aside of usual and never-ending debates on certain issues pertaining to this, this and this, and rather focusing on the things that tend to question our identity and distinction from other denominations.

“I have always loved good ecumenical relationships.”-Jerboy Magalang

Recently, I posted an article on Facebook about John MacArthur’s critical reaction to seminaries and denominations teaching a new perspective on marriage. Forget the debates on baptism, eschatology and many others as of the moment and just read the very words of his with regard to the issue:

“They have no allegiance to the Bible, … You go back to every one of those seminaries … for a century [they] have been deniers of biblical authority, they have no relationship to scripture, they are the apostate church, they are Satan’s church.” — Pastor John MacArthur

(Read the rest of the article by clicking here.)

Whew. That‘s just it! Pastor John MacArthur putting a nail in the coffin even before it’s finalized. Finally, this is what I believe every professing believer should say about the issue.

There’s but one.

(About Jerboy)

“Not everyone is Christian.”-Jerboy Magalang

This article originally appeared on @sentirem; Jerboy Magalang's blog. Republished with permission from the author and by the grace of co-authors.

Parang di natuto

Konting reality check lang para sa mga kabataan na noo'y aktibo sa Sunday School ngunit gumradweyt na't nagtatrabaho na sa kasalukuyan. Isang tanong:

...Natuto nga ba tayo?
(Oo, tayo. Meaning, kasama ako dun).

Ang dami, dami, dami, dami nating napag-aralan tungkol sa Biblia, sa mga doktrina, sa Diyos, etc. Di na mabilang ang mga memory verses na alam natin. Pero anyare? Nang magkatrabaho na tayo, bakit nangongompromiso tayo? Nasan na yung mga tinuro sa atin at natutunan natin sa simbahan?

Nakakahiya (at nakakainis) mang isipin, pero ganyan tayo. Nagkakaroon tayo ng selective amnesia kapag pasok natin sa office. Lahat ng mga tinuro ni Sunday School teacher, lahat ng mga preaching ni pastor, at lahat ng pangaral ng mga elders ng simbahan... *puff!* - instantly deleted na sa mga alaala natin.

Yung totoo? Natuto nga ba?

Please lang, wag naman natin sayangin yung effort ng mga guro natin sa simbahan, at huwag natin silang ipahiya. Higit pa riyan, wag nating ipahiya si Cristo!

Sa mga kabataang "Kristiano" naman na magtatrabaho pa lang, please lang ano; wag niyo na lang ipagsabi sa mga katrabaho niyo na Kristyano kayo kung di niyo rin naman paninindigan. Dahil sa bandang huli, kapag nahulog na kayo sa pangongompromiso (i.e. nakisama na sa mga makamundong gawain ng mga katrabaho niyo) ay pagsisisihan nyo yung oras na sinabi niyo pa yun.

Ngayon, gusto mo bang bumait pero di mo magawa? Click mo to.

Sino ang tunay na Kristyano?

Ang salitang Kristyano (Eng, "Christian") ay hango sa salitang Griego na "Christianos" (G5546 - Χριστιανός) na ang kahulugan ayon kay Thayer ay "a follower of Christ." Tatlong beses lamang ginamit sa Bagong Tipan ang salitang ito (cf. Acts 11:26, 26:28, & 1 Pe. 4:16), at ayon sa kasaysayan ng sinaunang iglesya na naitala sa aklat ng Mga Gawa sa panulat ng doktor na si San Lucas, ang titulong ito ay unang ginamit sa Antioqua patungkol sa "mga alagad" ni Cristo (v. 11:26). Marahil ay pakana ng mga kalaban ng iglesya ang titulong ito bilang insulto sa kanilang pananampalataya gaya ng ipinahihiwatig sa mga salita ni San Pedro sa 1 Pe. 4:16:

• "Mapalad kayo kung kayo'y kinukutya dahil kay Cristo, sapagkat sumasainyo ang Espiritu ng kaluwalhatian, ang Espiritu ng Diyos. Huwag nawa mangyarig maparusahan ang sinuman sa inyo dahil siya'y mamamatay-tao, magnanakaw, o salarin o pakialamero. Ngunit kung kayo'y magdusa dahil sa pagiiging Cristiano (Gk, Χριστιανός), huwag ninyong ikahiya ito; sa halip, magpasalamat kayo sa Diyos sapagkat taglay ninyo ang pangalan ni Cristo." (MBB)

May halo din ng pangungutya ang naging tugon ni haring Agripa matapos niyang marinig ang testimonya at depensa ni San Pablo tungkol sa ebanghelyo: "Sa loob ng maikling panahon ay ibig mo yatang maging Cristiano ako!" (Acts 26:28, MBB). Tila noong unang panahon ay nagdaan sa mabibigat na diskriminasyon, pangungutya, at paguusig ang mga Kristyano (berbal man o pisikal) sa ilalim ng bansag na ito.

Sa panahon ngayon kung kailan lumalaganap nanaman ang kaliwa't-kanang paguusig laban sa Kristyanismo (lalo na sa ilang mga bansa sa Gitnang Silangan kung saan nanggugulo ang mga pasaway na teroristang grupo na ISIS), ang katapangan natin sa pagdadala ng titulong Kristyano ay maaaring masubok sa 'di natin inaasahang pagkakataon at pamamaraan. Gayunpaman, bago natin maaaring paghandaan ang bagay na yan ay mayroong isang mahalagang katanungan na dapat muna nating itanong sa ating mga sarili: Ako ba ay isang tunay na Kristyano? 

Ang pangaral ni San Pedro sa 1 Pe. 4:14-16 na binasa natin kani-kanina lang ay para lamang sa mga tunay na Kristyano. Sila ang mga tagasunod ni (o sumusunod kay) Cristo Jesus na ating Panginoon. Ayon kay Jesus, "Kung tinutupad ninyo ang aking aral, kayo nga'y tunay na mga alagad ko" (Jn. 8:31, MBB). Samakatuwid, kung hindi mo tinutupad ang mga aral ng Panginoon ay hindi ka maaaring ibilang sa kaniyang mga alagad at hindi ka kasama dun sa mga sinabihan ng apostol na huwag nilang ikahiya ang pagiging Kristyano. Isa kang kahihiyan kay Cristo kung dinadala mo ang kaniyang pangalan ngunit hindi mo sinisikap lakaran ang kanyang kabanalan.

Totoong ang Kaligtasan natin ay natamo natin nang walang bayad sa pamamagitan ng pananalig at hindi dahil sa mga gawa (Jn. 3:16-18; Eph. 2:8-9). Wala ring pagtatalo na tayo'y kinupkop na ng Diyos bilang mga anak niya nang tanggapin natin si Cristo sa ating buhay bilang Panginoon at Tagapagligtas (Jn. 1:12). Ang pagiging tunay na Kristyano ay nagsisimula naman talaga sa sariling puso sa pamamagitan ng buong pagtitiwala lamang kay Jesus bilang tanging Tagapagligtas at buong pagsuko sa kaniya bilang Panginoon (Rom. 10:9-10). Ngunit hindi ito nagtatapos doon; kailangan mo itong patunayan sa harap ng ibang tao (Mat. 5:15-16; Jam. 2:18).

Lingid sa kaalaman ng marami, hindi lamang mga gang o fraternity (na karamihan ay mga salot sa lipunan) ang mayroong initiation rites. Ang Kristyanismo ay may sarili nang initiation rite mula pa noong itatag ito mga 2,000 taon na ang nakaraan! Ang initation rite na ito na nagsisilbing panlabas na paraan ng paganib sa Kristyanismo ay walang iba kundi ang bautismo sa tubig. Ito ang pangunahing panlabas na pagsunod ng isang makasalanan sa Panginoon matapos niyang isuko ang kaniyang buhay kay Cristo Jesus (Mat. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38, 41, 8:12-13 36-38, 10:47). Sa katunayan, walang sinumang mananampalataya sa alinmang pahina ng Bagong Tipan ang mapapatunayang hindi nabautismuhan (maliban doon sa magnanakaw na nakapako sa krus na walang pagkakataon noon na magpabautismo).

May mga simbahan na ipinagpapaliban ang pagbabautismo sa mga mananampalataya hangga't sila'y hindi pa nakakaunawa nang lubusan sa mga pangunahing doktrina ng Kristianismo (na kadalasan ay tumatagal ng ilang linggo, kung hindi man ay buwan). Ang masasabi ko'y walang basihan sa Biblia ang ganitong sistema. Nung araw ng Pentecost ay sumampalatya ang mahigit 3,000-katao at nabautismuhan din silang lahat sa mismong araw na iyon (Acts 2:41). Matapos marinig ng isang bating (o eunuch) ang ebanghelyo ay tinanong niya si Felipe kung pwede na ba siyang bautismuhan (Acts 8:30-36). Ang naging tugon ni Felipe sa kaniya? "Kung nananampalataya ka ng buong puso ay mangyayari" (tal. 37). Nang kumpirmahin ng bating na siya ay "sumasampalataya... na si Jesu-Cristo ay Anak ng Diyos," hindi na nagpatumpik-tumpik pa si Felipe at agad niyang binautismuhan ang bating (tal. 38). Ilan lamang ito sa mga patunay na ang pagsampalataya kay Cristo at ang pagpapabautismo ay magkaugnay at di-mapaghihiwalay. Sa katunayan, ang pagpapabautismo ang siyang nagsisilbing panlabas na tatak ng ating pakikipag-isa kay Cristo (Rom. 6:4-8). Sa pamamagitan nito ay ibinibihis natin si Cristo sa ating mga buhay (Gal. 3:26-27) bilang patotoo na siya ang ating Panginoon at tayo'y mga alagad niya. Ito ang nagsisilbing monumento na tumatayong representasyon ng ating minsan at magpakailanmang pagsuko kay Cristo, paghuhugas ng ating mga kasalanan, at bagong buhay na natamo natin sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kamatayan at muling pagkabuhay.

Noong panahon ng mga apostol, sa tuwing gugunitain ng isang Kristyano ang kaniyang pagkakaligtas, ang nasa isip niya ay ang kaniyang bautismo at ang nirerepresenta nito (tingnan sa Rom. 6:2-8 & Gal. 3:26-27). Hindi ibig sabihin nito na nakakapagligtas ang bautismo o hindi maliligtas ang sinumang hindi bautistado. Bagkus, ang bautismo ang nagsisilbing kumpirmasyon na tunay ngang naborn-agen ang isang taong nais magpahayag ng pananalig kay Cristo. Ang "bautismo ngayon ay nagliligtas sa atin," wika ni San Pedro. "Hindi sa paglilinis ng karumihan ng makasalanang likas kundi ang tugon ng isang malinis na budhi sa Diyos. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng pagkabuhay muli ni Jesucristo" (1 Pe. 3:21, SND).  Nakakalungkot isipin na sa panahon ngayon ay napaka-babaw na ng unawa ng maraming simbahan sa kahalagahan ng bautismo sa buhay ng isang Kristyano. Ito'y nagiging opsyonal na lamang para sa karamihan, at ang ipinalit na nila sa pwesto ng bautismo (bilang representasyon ng ating pananalig) ay ang pagsambit ng panalanging pagtanggap o sinner's prayer na wala namang basehan sa Kasulatan.

Kapatid, nais mo bang matawag na Kristyano? Sundin mo ang mga aral ng Panginoong Jesus. Ang unang pagsunod kay Jesus ay ang paglalagak ng pananalig sa kanya (Rom. 5:1, 8:1). Kung isinuko mo na ang buhay mo kay Cristo, bakit hindi mo siya ibihis sa iyong pagkatao sa pamamagitan ng bautismo? "Sapagkat sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya kay Cristo Jesus kayong lahat ay naging mga anak ng Diyos," ayon kay San Pablo. "Ito ay sapagkat lahat kayong binawtismuhan kay Cristo, ay ibinihis ninyo si Cristo" (Gal.  3:26-27). Huwag mong sarilinin ang commitment mo kay Jesus. Sa paningin ng ibang mga tao ay ikaw parin yung dating tao na nakilala nila. Upang malaman nila na iba ka na, dapat mo itong ipakita sa iyong mga gawa o sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatuloy sa mga aral ni Cristo. Huwag nating gayahin ang mga pasaway na Judiong mananampalataya sa Jam. 2:14-24 na pinagalitan ni San Tyago sapagkat inaangkin nila na sila'y may pananampalataya pero puro lang sila ngawa at di sila makitaan ng gawa. Kaya naman, ang pagangkin natin sa pangalang Kristyano ay hindi lang din dapat sa ngawa, kundi sa pamamagitan din ng gawa.

Amen?

- Jeph

Nagbibigay ba ang Diyos ng mga utos na hindi natin kayang tuparin?

"Lord, grant what thou commandest, 

and command what thou wilt." 

Ito ang mapagpakumbabang panalangin ng isang Aprikanong obispo noong ika-5 siglo kung saan ay hiniling niyang ipagkaloob sa kaniya ang pagiging masunurin sa mga utos ng Diyos. Ipinapakita ng panalanging ito na tayo, bilang mga makasalanan, ay nangangailangan ng tulong ng Panginoon sa paglakad natin sa kabanalan. Ngunit sino ang magaakala na ang simpleng panalanging ito ang siyang magu-udyok sa pagsisimula ng isa sa mga pinaka-malalaking talakayan (o debate) sa kasaysayan ng Cristianismo hanggang sa kasalukuyang panahon? 

Ang panalanging nabanggit ay galing kay San Agustin na nanungkulan bilang obispo sa lunsod ng Hippo noong 391 hanggang siya'y namatay noong 430 AD. Ipinangaral niyang ang Kaligtasan at paglakad natin sa kabanalan ay nakasalalay unang-una sa lahat sa pagkilos ng biyaya ng Diyos sa ating mga puso. Ito ang kahulugan ng mga katagang, "grant what thou commandest" sa kanyang sikat na panalangin. 

Ngunit kung sa Diyos nakasalalay ang pagsunod natin sa kanyang mga utos, nangangahulugan ito na wala tayong likas na kakayahang sumunod sa Diyos; at kung gayon nga, lalabas na naguutos ang Diyos ng mga bagay na imposible nating matupad. At kung ang ipinaguutos ng Diyos sa atin ay imposible nating matupad malibang ipagkaloob niya sa atin ang pagsunod, bakit pa niya tayo sinisisi kapag nagkakasala tayo? Kasalanan parin ba natin kung hindi niya pinagkaloob sa atin ang pagsunod?

Yan ay ilan lamang sa mga tanong na umikot sa isipan ng isang moralistang monghe na si Pelagius (na nasa Roma noong kapanahunan din ni San Agustin) kaugnay ng panalangin sa itaas. Iginiit ni Pelagius, bilang protesta sa mga katuruan ni San Agustin, na dahil nilikha tayong lahat ng Diyos na likas na mabuti at ayon sa kanyang sariling wangis, tayo ay may sapat at likas na kakayahang maging masunurin sa kaniyang mga utos. Tayo ay binigyan ng Diyos ng "freewill" o kalayahan/kakayahang pumili sa pagitan ng mabuti o masama. At dahil ika niya'y taglay na natin sa ating mga sarili ang kakayahang maging matuwid, isang insulto umano sa Diyos na ipanalangin pa sa kaniya na masunod nawa natin ang mga utos niya. Kung tutuusin, ika ni Pelagius, ang pagiging banal natin ay naka-depende lang sa tamang paggamit natin sa kakayahang inalagay na ng Diyos sa ating kalikasan (o nature). Sa katunayan pa nga, ayon kay Pelagius, ay maaari tayong maging perpekto at walang-sala kung nanaisin lamang natin, at kung may tulong man na ibinibigay ang Diyos sa tao, yun ay ang ipaalam lamang sa tao ang mga katotohanan na dapat niyang paniwalaan at sundin. Kumbaga, ang tulong na binibigay ng Diyos ay eksternal lamang, hindi internal. 

Matapos ang mahabang debate sa pagitan nina San Agustin at Pelagius ay nagpasya ang Simbahan na ibilang ang mga aral ni Pelagius (i.e. Pelagianism) sa hanay ng mga hidwang-aral (heretical teachings) na dapat tanggihan ng bawat Cristiano. Ngunit anong naging basehan ng sinaunang Simbahan sa pag-kundena sa mga katuruan ng Pelagianismo? Hindi ba't may pilosopikal na katuwiran naman ang mga sentimyento ni Pelagius? 

Ang mga aral ng Pelagianism ay itinayo ni Pelagius, unang-una sa lahat, sa mga pilospikal na sentimyento, at hindi sa Salita ng Diyos. Mali ang kaniyang pinanggalingan, kaya mali rin ang pinatunguhan ng kanyang mga konklusyon. Inuna niya ang kanyang mga pilosopikal na presuposisyon bago niya kinunsulta ang Salita ng Diyos, sa halip na kunsultahin muna ang Salita ng Diyos bago pagtagpi-tagpiin ang mga pilosopikal na implikasyon ng mga ito. 

Halimbawa, mababasa natin sa 2 Tim. 2:25 kung paano sinabihan ni San Pablo ang batang-bata pang pastor na si Timoteo na "sawaying may kaamuan ang mga nagsisisalangsang; baka sakaling sila'y pagkalooban ng Diyos ng pagsisisi sa ikaaalam ng katotohanan." Hindi ito sasabihin ng apostol kung ang tanging tulong lamang na ibinibigay ng Diyos sa mga makasalanan ay ang ipakita sa kanila ang katotohanan at kung ang pag-talima ng tao ay nakasalalay lamang sa kaniyang sarili. Ang mga katagang "baka sakaling sila'y pagkalooban ng Diyos ng pagsisisi" ay maliwanag na nagpapakita na ang pagsisisi ay kaloob (gift) ng Diyos na hindi niya ipinagkakaloob sa lahat (Rom. 9:15-18, 11:6-8). Maliwanag ding kinokontra ng talatang ito ang kaisipang "kung ipinagutos, samakatuwid ay may kakayahan tayong sumunod," sapagkat ayon sa talata - ang mga pasaway ay dapat daw "sawaying may kaamuan"—o sa madaling salita ay dapat silang hikayatin magsisi sa pamamagitan ng pangangaral ng katotohanan sa malumanay na paraan—ngunit ang kakayahang magsisi (at maging ang mismong pagsisisi) ayon sa apostol ay nakasalalay parin sa pagkakaloob ng Diyos (i.e. "baka sakaling ipagkaloob sa kanila ng Diyos ang pagsisisi"). 

Ganyan-ganyan din ang prinsipyo na makikita natin sa Php. 2:12-13. Sa talata 12 ay ipinaguutos ng apostol sa atin na "lubusin ninyo ang gawain ng inyong sariling pagkaligtas"—na ang kahulugan ay ipamalas natin ang bunga ng pagiging ligtas na natin sa pamamagitan ng paglakad sa kabanalan. Dahil ba ipinagutos ito ay iisipin na nating may likas na kakayahan tayong tuparin ito? At kapag natupad ba natin ito ay maaari natin ipagmapuri na nagawa natin yun dahil sa sarili nating desisyon at lakas? Hindi! Ayon sa apostol, dapat nating lubusin ang gawain ng ating pagkaligtas "na may takot at panginginig," o may buo at sukdulang pagpapakumbaba. Bakit? Bakit kailangan magpakumbaba nang sukdulan? "Sapagka't," ayon sa apostol sa sumunod na talata, "Dios ang gumagawa sa inyo maging sa pagnanasa at sa paggawa, ayon sa kaniyang mabuting kalooban"! Sa Ingles, "For it is God who is the cause of your desire and of your acts, for his good pleasure" (BBE). Samakatuwid, hindi natin yun matutupad nang hiwalay sa pagkilos ng biyaya ng Diyos; "sapagkat kung kayo'y hiwalay sa akin," sabi ni Jesus, "ay wala kayong magagawa" (Jn. 15:5). 

Siguro iniisp mo: bakit ipinaguutos ng Diyos ang mga bagay na di natin kayang gawin? Para ba pag-tripan lang tayo? May magagagawa ba ako kung hindi niya ipagkakaloob sa akin ang "pagnanasa at sa paggawa, ayon sa kaniyang mabuting kalooban"? Masisisi niya ba ako sa mga pagkukulang ko? 

Ang sagot ng apostol sa tanong na iyan ay ganito:

"Nguni't, Oh tao, sino kang tumututol sa Diyos? Sasabihin baga ng bagay na ginawa doon sa gumawa sa kaniya, Bakit mo ako ginawang ganito? O wala bagang kapangyarihan sa putik ang magpapalayok, upang gawin sa isa lamang limpak ang isang sisidlan sa ikapupuri, at ang isa'y sa ikahihiya?" (Rom. 9:20-21)

Bilang mga makasalanan, tayong lahat ay pawang mga maruruming putik lamang na ang kapalaran (o destiny) ay nakasalalay sa mabuting pasiya ng matuwid na Magpapalayok.. Hindi kasalanan ng Diyos kung bakit tayo napa-alipin sa Kasalanan at naging mga maruruming putik sa kaniyang harapan; kagagawan natin yun! (Ecc. 7:29; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3). Kaya kahit pa walang pagkalooban ang Diyos ng pagtalima, at ihagis tayong lahat sa impyerno nang sabay-sabay (dahil sa karumihan ng ating mga puso na walang pagnanasang sumunod sa kanya - Ecc 9:3; Jer. 17:9; Rom.8:7-8), makatarungan parin siya! Samantalata, kung pagpasiyahan niyang gawing "sisidlan ng awa" ang isang lumpak ng putik, at gawing "sisidlan ng galit" ang iba pa (Rom. 9:22-24)—walang maipagmamayabang ang una, at walang maidadahilan ang huli.

Ngayon kung ipinaguutos man ng Diyos ang mga bagay na hindi natin kayang tuparin, iyon ay upang turuan tayong humingi ng tulong sa kaniya, at upang turuan tayong maging mapagpakumbaba kung sakaling matupad natin ito sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang biyaya. Sa pamamagitan ng kautusan ay ang pagkakilala—hindi ng sarili nating kakayahan (wala tayo nun!)—kundi "ang pagkakilala ng kasalanan" (Rom. 3:20). Yan ang diwa ng panalangin ni San Agustin sa itaas. 

Kapatid, ikaw ba ay wala pang pagnanasa na sumunod sa Diyos? Manalangin ka, sapagkat sa Panginoon nanggagaling ang "pagnanasa at sa paggawa, ayon sa kaniyang mabuting kalooban." (Php. 2:13)

Pero dahil ba sa Diyos nagmumula ang pagnanasa nating sumunod ay pwede na tayong paupo-upo na lang? Hindi! Bagkus tumayo ka at "lubusin ninyo ang gawain ng inyong sariling pagkaligtas na may takot at panginginig." (tal. 12)

Ngunit kapag nakatayo ka na ba't masunurin na ay pwede mong angkinin ang kapurihan para sa sarili mo? Huwag! Sapagkat "Dios ang gumagawa sa inyo maging sa pagnanasa at sa paggawa, ayon sa kaniyang mabuting kalooban." (tal. 13)

Tayo ay responsable sa ating mga ginagawa, ngunit Diyos lamang ang dapat papurihan sa anumang kabutihan na ating nagagawa dahil sa pagkilos ng kanyang biyaya. Ang dalawang prinsipyong ito ay dapat maging balanse sa ating mga buhay upang maiwasan ang katamaran at pagmamayabang. 

- Jeph

Eternal Security and Licentiousness

Paul told the believers in Rome that there's now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Aside from having been freely acquitted and counted righteous in God's sight through faith in His Son (Rom. 3:24-28, 4:4-6, 5:1), Paul wrote that they have also received the life-giving Spirit of Christ by whom "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts" (Rom. 5:5), leading them to walk in the newness of life God has prepared from them beforehand (Rom. 8:2-27; cf. Eph. 2:10). There's no way Sin can take hold of them once more because they're no longer under its power (Rom. 6:1-2). God, who is greater than all, makes everything to work together for the good of His children (Rom. 8:28), and this is in accordance to His good pleasure and eternal purpose in predestination (Rom. 8:29; cf. Eph. 1:4-5, 11). Thus, all whom God has chosen for Himself in eternity past will be finally glorified (Rom. 8:30). Nothing can totally overcome them because their sovereign Father is in control (Rom. 8:31; cf. Jn. 10:27-39). Because God didn't spare His Son but gave Him up for their own sake, surely He will also grant them whatever grace they need unto the fullness of Salvation (Rom. 8:31-34).

Having said all the above, the conclusion is inevitable:

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:37-39)

This conclusive declaration of Paul concerning the assurance of salvation for those whom God has called according to His purpose (i.e. the elect) echoes that of Christ in John 10:27-29 which says:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." (Jn. 10:27-29)

Baptists call this doctrine as Eternal Security[1] in Christ; a glorious display of the greatness of God's grace and sovereignty in the whole process of redemption, yet also one of the most controversial and often misunderstood. The main objection thrown at this biblical teaching is that it seems to entice the Christian to be slothful and licentious. Critics of eternal security argue that if one cannot lose his salvation, it follows that it won't matter if Christians would just sit around the corner and neglect all that God has commanded them to do. Never mind going to church (Heb. 10:25). Never mind going out for evangelism (Mat. 28:19-20). Never mind reading the Bible (Josh. 1:8) or making every effort to become more like Christ (2 Pe. 1:5-10). Why bother if in the first place being holy or not won't make any difference to one's eternal destiny? Seems legit.

On the contrary, however, the glorious truth of our salvation being not in any way dependent on human performance should serve as a motivation for true Christians to be all the more eager to glorify their Lord and Savior with their lives. This is clearly seen in Titus 3:5-8. After stressing the complete gratuitousness of our salvation in verses 5-7, the apostle Paul went on to say:

"The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people." (Tit. 3:8)

Paul advised Titus to insist on the glorious doctrine of our gratuitous salvation in order to compel "those who have believed in God" to be "careful to devote themselves to good works"! This worked for me personally. When I learned from my study of God's Word that my Lord and Savior remains faithful even when I'm not (2 Tim. 2:13); that He will carry into completion at the day of Jesus Christ the work of salvation that He has begun in me (Php. 1:6; cf. Rom. 8:30); and that no one can ever pluck my soul out of His sovereign hand (Jn. 10:27-29), great joy, peace, and deep gratitude filled my innermost soul. All worldly fear and insecurity that once troubled my heart vanished altogether (Rom. 8:15), and I was left energized and ablaze to do more for Christ. Definitely, the doctrine of eternal security didn't make me slothful and licentious. Quite the opposite; it made me a better person!

Now I don't deny the potential danger in over-emphasizing the statement: "we are still saved even if we sin." While it is true that God never ceases to be our Father despite our shortcomings (see Heb. 12:5-11), this is just a portion of the whole truth concerning our eternal security in Christ, and a portion of truth is no better than a lie if not united with the other portions of the whole truth. The whole truth—and this must always be stressed—is that since God mightily preserves and sanctifies His children by His grace, all true believers will surely persevere in faith and holiness[2] unto the end (1 Sam. 2:9). The apostle John wrote:

"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them." (1 Jn. 5:18)

A child of God may sometimes fall into sin through neglect and temptation, but God would never permit him to totally return to his old sinful lifestyle or finally repudiate his saving relationship with Christ (1 Cor. 10:13; Heb. 12:2; 1 Pe. 1:5). Our Father, being infinitely wise and sovereign (Rom. 10:32-36), can use even our downfalls to benefit us at the end of the day (Rom. 8:28). Yet it should also be emphasized that all professing Christians have the responsibility to evince their salvation by their works (Php. 2:12; Jas. 2:14-24; 2 Pe. 1:5-7). Doing so doesn't make one eternally secure, but it further confirms the genuineness of one's profession of faith (Mat. 7:16; Jn. 8:31; 2 Cor. 13:5; 2 Pe. 1:10).

In the final analysis, Eternal security is not a teaching that promotes idleness and licentious living. Far from it. It is a biblical doctrine that brings glory to God's grace and mobilizes true Christians to unceasingly worship God by pursuing Christ-likness.

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)

Praise God for His unfailing grace!

-Jeph

----------

[1] Early Baptist documents with strong Calvinistic leaning such as the London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) call this doctrine as Perseverance of the Saints, emphasizing the need for professing Christians to persevere in faith and holiness as an outward evidence of their being truly born-again. Some Baptists, however, didn't like the term Perseverance as it can give wrong impression that we maintain our salvation by our works, so they prefer to call it Preservation of the Saints—emphasizing God's active role in keeping his saints secure. Both are valid designations and refer to the same concept, but in this paper we will use Eternal Security for the sake of brevity. 
[2] This doesn't mean we can no longer sin. Christians do sin (1 Jn. 1:8), but they don't deliberately live in Sin (1 Jn. 5:18), nor can they return to their old sinful lifestyle (Rom. 6:1-2) because they are now a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17)

"Changed from glory to glory" (Part IV): The Spirit that gives life

This is the longest entry, so far, in my exposition regarding Sanctification, but I pray that God will give you patience to read through this post entirely and digest them by heart.

In the previous entry we have proven that God's law doesn't have any intrinsic power to sanctify us. Left in ourselves the law is but "the letter that kills" - which only aggravates the sinful passions of our flesh by its righteous admonitions (cf. Rom. 7:7-14). God's intention in handing out His law is to show man his sinfulness; to terrify him, in order that he may abandon self-dependency and rely on God's grace alone for healing, redemption, and sanctification.

Our sinful nature indeed avails for nothing except to sin. It cannot and will not bring forth any spiritual good that God's requires of men according to His law. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (Jn. 3:6a). "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7-8). In order that we may fulfill God's law, a special divine influence powerful enough to overcome the rebellion of our flesh is needed. This divine influence, as you know it, is the Spirit of God indwelling everyone who are in Christ. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all" (Jn. 6:63). "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules" (Eze. 36:27). How the Holy Spirit works in our lives in making us more like Christ will be the central topic of this paper.

IV. The Spirit that gives life

"And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my 

statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Eze. 36:27)

In order for anyone to be able to fulfill God's law, he must first and foremost be freed from the power of Sin (Rom. 6:20). Those who are in Christ are already free from the tyranny of Sin, in the sense that its guilt and penalty have already been taken away by the blood of Christ (Rom. 3:24-25), and that the course of their moral lifestyle now faces a whole new direction (i.e. from rebellion unto sanctification - Rom. 6:18). However, in a narrower sense, we still do not posses total freedom from Sin in every respect, in so far as we remain imperfect in practice and in deed (1 Jn. 1:8). The reality of this truth is evident in Paul's words: "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5; cf. Rom. 8:13). Thus, although "we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin" (Rom. 6:6), we are still to "put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires" (Eph. 4:22).

Having said all these, we conclude that the liberating power of the Spirit is necessary not only with respect to our conversion, but also to our daily sanctification as Christians (2 Cor. 3:5-6). God's aid should be continually implored by the faithful as long as he lives in his mortal flesh. When the Holy Spirit grants us liberty from any sinful habit that we have, it inevitably leads us to actually overcome that habit and walk according to God's will. This victory is worked out in us by the Spirit in many ways which I have listed below:

1) By illuminating us concerning the truths of God's Word. "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (Jn. 17:17). The primary external means the Spirit uses to sanctify the redeemed is God's Word; i.e. the holy Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Mere reading or hearing of Scripture will not profit us anything if we don't understand what we read or hear. This is when the illuminating power of the Spirit comes in. Because He dwells in us (Jn. 14:17), the Spirit can lead us into all truth, as Jesus promised: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (Jn. 14:26); and again, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come" (Jn. 16:13).

 2) By convicting us of Sin. "And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (Jn. 16:8). A Christian may know all the truths concerning God and His will, but unless He is convicted of his own sins and depravity, he will never turn from his old ways and seek God for deliverance and transformation. Man, however, cannot produce this conviction in his own heart (2 Tim. 2:25-26). It is God's gift through His Spirit. 

3) By infusing love in our hearts. In John 14:16-17 & 26, we find a concise description of the sanctifying agency of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. Note that every time Jesus tells his disciples that love is (or should be) the motivating factor in obeying His commands (v. 15, 21, 23), He immediately mentions the Spirit's internal influence in the life of believers. Jesus is implying that when our hearts begin to love God and take delight in His law, the praise should be ascribed to God Himself, who has "[poured His love] into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom. 5:5). This infusion of love is also described in the Bible as God writing His law on our hearts (Jer. 31:33). Therefore, it is God's gift that we truly love Him and hence ardent in obeying His commands (Deut. 30:6, cf. Rom. 2:28-29; Eze. 11:19-20; 36:26-27; 1 Jn. 4:19).

 4) By leading us not into temptation. "It was I who kept you from sinning against me" (Gen 20:6).  If it is in order that we should willfully walk in righteousness that the Spirit infuses love in our hearts, the same Spirit also infuses hate in our hearts towards carnality and Sin so that we may successfully overcome temptation. Jesus taught us to pray that God should lead us not into temptation; that is, that we may not fall into it and Sin (Mat. 6:13).Certainly, if we have in us the natural power to overcome the enticement of evil, Christ wouldn't have taught us to make such supplication. Thus it is God's gift also that we succeed in mortifying our sinful habits, for it is "the Spirit [who] helps us in our weakness" (Rom. 8:26; cf. Php. 2:13). 

5) By making us pray. "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Rom. 8:15). All the gifts mentioned above can be obtained by the Christian with or without requesting them in prayer. Nonetheless, those gifts are basically procured through prayer. In fact, Christian sanctification is a process mobilized by our total dependence on God's grace (manifested in prayer) and the power of the Spirit (1 Thes. 5:17; 2 Thes. 5:23-24). Yet in order that we may not boast of our progress in holiness on account of our being prayerful, the Scripture also reveals that it is God (by His Spirit) who moves us to come to God in prayer. "For what do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, it is itself a mark of divine favor that we desire and begin to pray. This is one of the glorious mysteries of our faith: That God commands what He wills, but He also grants what He commands. That God entreats us to pray, but it is also Him who makes us to pray. "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Php. 2:13). And again,  "...but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Rom. 8:15b).

6) By interceding for us. "...for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom. 8:26b-27, ASV). As frail humans, we cannot actually make a prayer worthy of God's attention: "for we know not how to pray as we ought" (v. 26b). The only reason I see why this is the case is that it is impossible for us to pray with a perfectly undivided heart, however adorned with deep flowery words and intense emotions our prayer can be. But there is truth in the saying: "God will provide" (Gen. 22:8), because God has "sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" (Gal. 4:6). It is the Spirit who makes our prayer acceptable by praying it Himself on our behalf "with groanings which cannot be uttered." Now the Bible also teaches elsewhere that Christ makes intercession for "those who draw near to God through him" (Heb. 7:25), but the nature of His intercessory ministry should not be confused with that of the Holy Spirit. In His high priestly office, Jesus Christ intercedes for the saints in the right hand of the Father to entreat His mercy on their behalf, on account of His saving and sanctifying blood shed on the cross so that they might be saved "to the uttermost" (Heb. 7:25a; cf. Rom. 8:32-34, 39). The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, intercedes for us within our hearts so our prayer will be worthy of God's attention. 

7) By permitting us to fall for a time. Now it seems strange to say that the Spirit who works our sanctification, also in some occasion permits us to fall. But I would contend that when the Holy Spirit does, it is due to our unfaithfulness and pride. However, since the Holy Spirit is God and infinitely wise, He perfectly knows how to make use of our downfalls to benefit us at the end of the day (Rom. 8:28). St. Augustine wrote: "God in some degree forsakes you, in consequence of which you grow proud, that you may know that you are 'not your own,' but are His, and learn not to be proud" (On Nature and Grace, Ch. 32 [xxviii]). So when the Holy Spirit withholds His influence from us, it is basically due to our prideful heart, yet it is also for the purpose (and notice the irony) of taking away that same pride that is in our hearts. Unless we are driven to despair by the realization of the fact that we can do and are nothing apart from God (Jn. 15:5), we will never appreciate His grace. Sometimes we must learn the hard way. Thus, the Holy Spirit would at times allows us to trip and fall in order to bend our pride (i.e., the mindset of self-sufficiency), to humble us, so that upon realizing our hopelessness apart from God's grace, we may cry out to the Lord in despair as David did: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit!" (Psa. 51:12). Moreover, in allowing us to trip and fall, the Holy Spirit gives the Father an occasion to manifest His fatherly love and deep concern for us by hitting us with His rod of disciple (Heb. 12:5-9), the end result being is our sanctification in holiness (v. 10-14). 

There are many preachers today who hold that the Holy Spirit will not be free to work in our lives if we ourselves are not willing to change. I don't subscribe to such view. Our willingness and desire to change is proof that the liberating power of Holy Spirit is already at work in our lives, as I've shown many times over. Hence, it is not we who give the Holy Spirit freedom to accomplish His will, but Him who frees us and works within us "to will and to act according to His good pleasure" (Php. 2:13). This is not to say, however, that we are thoroughly passive in that we don't exert any willing cooperation with the Spirit's working in our pursuit of holiness. But when we willingly cooperate, we must acknowledge that it is God's Spirit Himself who made us to cooperate, so that we may not glory in ourselves but in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:30-31). "For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Cor. 4:7).

In my next installment for this exposition, I will answer a serious question (or objection) concerning God's justice in molding us the way He wants us to be according to His goodness and absolute sovereignty.

To God be the glory!

"Changed from glory to glory" (Part III): The Letter that Kills

In the past two entries (part one & part two), I have sufficiently presented from the testimony of Scripture that (1) God demands practical holiness to all His children as necessary outward evidence of their saving relationship with Him and that (2) even after being regenerated and justified we still do not possess the full ability to walk in His righteousness apart from the inner working of His Spirit in our lives. This special influence of the Holy Spirit on the Christian will be further discussed in the next post, but for the meantime, let's briefly examine the role of God's law in our pursuit of being more Christ-like day after day.

III. The Letter that Kills

"When, indeed, [God] by the law discovers to a man

his weakness, it is in order that by faith he may refuge

to His mercy, and be healed" ~ St. Augustine of Hippo

It is basic that every Christian preacher and pastor should be highly ardent in exhorting God's children to "walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul" (Deut. 10:12). This is why every Sunday's preaching and sermon are full of lectures concerning what we should and we shouldn't do in conformity to God's precepts. Do this, do that. Stop doing this, abstain from that. This is law. And in so far as these moral principles were taken from the Word of God, it is God's law.

Now the law is in itself good because it reflects God's holiness and justice. Yet however, it is in itself insufficient to lead us to transformation and holiness. Note I'm not saying that the law is unnecessary for achieving holiness. What I'm trying to say is that the law alone wouldn't effect our Sanctification. In fact, left in our sinful flesh the law wouldn't bring us anything good but only disaster. Paul wrote:

"For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death." (Rom. 7:5)

For some reason, as observed by Paul, whenever the law is presented to us our flesh becomes even more aggravated to do exactly what it says we shouldn't do. When we are prohibited to lust, that's when we lust all the more. Why is that? Is Paul now implying that God's law wasn't somehow really holy and good since it apparently arouses our sinful passions whenever we are exposed to its admonitions? Paul gives us an answer:

"What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me." (Rom. 7:7-11)

For sure Paul didn't intend to double-talk when he asserted that the same good law that prohibits covetousness actually "produced in me all kinds of covetousness," (v. 8) and that through it "sin came alive and I died" (v. 9). What he meant is this: The law is spiritual and intrinsically good having God as its direct souce. Strictly speaking, the law has absolutely nothing to do with our being sinful. The problem of Sin is in our sinful flesh, which is in its very nature "hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot" (Rom. 8:7). So the heart of the problem lies not in the law itself, but on our sinful nature which is unable to delight in the spiritual commandments of the law. Paul wrote:

"So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin." (Rom. 7:12-14)

Therefore, the law plus our flesh will not effectuate genuine moral transformation in us. Mere presentation of law, the preaching of God's moral precepts, rebuke against sinful activities, and all kinds of appeal unto godliness will not profit us anything towards Sanctification unless by the aid of another influence powerful enough to overcome the hostility of our flesh. 

Now the reason why many preachers fail to effectively lead Christians to grow more in holiness, though their sermons are filled with invitations to live godly lives and all, is that they focus on law without also emphasizing our inability to fulfill them with our own will-power and might, and that we should be totally dependent on God's power in pursuit of holiness (1 Cor. 2:14; Php. 2:13). Without these essential elements, a preaching or sermon would be simply law - the letter that kills - which would make its hearers to trust in their own strivings and harden their own hearts all the more (Jer. 17:5). Of course they may for a time, out of fear or sense of obligation, do what the law says, but the quality of their labor is superficial and not long-term in the final analysis. There can't be any genuine transformation inside out.

The proper use of God's law

Unlike the popular opinion that God's giving us His commandments indicates that we have the ability to fulfill its righteous demands (or in Pelagius' own words, "If I ought, I can"), the Bible actually states the contrary:

"Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." (Rom. 3:20)

God's law doesn't tell us, "You can make it! You are able! You are strong!" On the contrary, it actually mirrors how frail we are as sinners and that every efforts of our flesh won't make us win God's favor. This exposition of sin is the prime purpose of God's law, for by it, we discover how utterly weak we are, in order that by faith we may run to God for mercy and be healed (Gal. 3:24). St. Augustine beautifully states it this way:

"The law was therefore given, in order that grace might be sought; grace was given, in order that the law might be fulfilled. Now it was not through any fault of its own that the law was not fulfilled, but by the fault of the carnal mind; and this fault was to be demonstrated by the law, and healed by grace." (On the Spirit and the Letter, Ch. 34)

We are no longer under the law of works but under grace; the law of faith. In other words, our motivation for walking in righteousness should not be compulsion or legalism, but total dependence and gratitude to the grace of God in Christ which works in us. This "grace" through which we are healed and enticed to fulfill the law refers to none other than the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit without whose influence the law is but "the letter that kills." 

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3:17-18, KJV)

In the next entry, we will discuss how the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Triune God, works our transformation into being more like Christ day after day. God bless and stay tuned.

To God be the glory! Amen!

"Changed from glory to glory" (Part II): Are we capable?

(Read the first part here)

II. Are we capable?

"...even the beginning of our faith, as con-

tinence, patience, righteousness, piety, and
the rest... all God's gift, so that he that glo-

ries may not glory in himself, but in the Lord
~ St. Augustine of Hippo

Some Christians have this idea that when God freed us from the power Sin (at the point of Conversion), He thereby made us wholly capable of bringing about the moral transformation He expects us to achieve after being saved. Thus, it now lies in the power of our own will to walk or not to walk in God’s righteousness since He has already done His part by enabling us. Consequently, when we implore God’s help to work into our lives, it is only that we might perform our duties more easier or with less difficulty; but we can nevertheless attain to that Christ-likeness on our own in so far as we have already been freed from the power of Sin.

This idea is very appealing and prominent among many Christians today. However, I honestly believe God’s Word doesn’t support such view.  The Bible gives no indication that God made us wholly capable of sanctifying ourselves when He freed us from Sin. Freedom from the power of Sin does NOT grant us total independence from any spiritual influence so that we may be left on our own. Instead, God freed us from the power of Sin so that we may be under the inspiration and sanctifying influence of His Spirit (Rom. 8:15). To be exact, the Bible equates freedom from Sin [or deadness to Sin] to our incapability of totally going back to our old sinful lifestyle (see Rom. 6:1-2), but never to moral capability. Observe Paul's statement in Philippians 2:12-13:

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Php. 2:13). 

In exhorting the Philippians to "work out" their salvation (that is, to evince their justification by doing good works), Paul immediately added that they must strive do so with complete humbleness and lowliness of heart (i.e. "with fear and trembling"). Why? Paul gives us the reason: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Paul takes way all grounds of human boasting regarding our sanctification by exposing that it is God Himself who gives what He demands us to do according to His will. Note he didn't say, “God has already given you the ability, and the rest is up to you,” but rather “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Certainly, this divine inner working would be rendered completely superfluous if believers already possess the ability of obeying God’s will on their own.

This is not to say, however, that we cease to have a will under the inspiration of God's grace, or that it is no longer we that act when we do that which pleases God, but that the actual execution of godly virtues is an evidence that God’s grace is at work in our lives. Moreover, when it is asserted that Christians are void of natural ability to reform themselves for the better, it doesn't mean we remain sinners or in bondage to Sin even after we are saved. Rather, it is simply acknowledging that we are in every way dependent on God's grace in our pursuit of holiness, and that whenever when we experience victory from our old sinful habits and lifestyle, it is by God's working and not by our own powers and capabilities that we overcome them (Php. 2:13). As St. Paul puts it:

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." (2 Cor. 3:5)

Christ told His disciples, “without me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5); meaning, we are incapable of moral reformation by our own strength. It is God's gift that we have the ability and desire to change (cf. Gen. 20:6; Deut. 30:6; Eze. 36:26-27; Rom.  5:5; Php. 2:13).

In the next post we will discuss the role of God’s law in our journey to attaining moral Christ-likeness. Stay tuned and God bless!

To God be the glory!

"Changed from glory to glory" (Part I): Called and appointed to be holy

I. Called and appointed to be holy

The moment we put our faith in the Lord Jesus, we have been counted as holy in God’s sight based on the finished work of Christ on the cross (Rom. 3:24-25; 4:5-6). This is to say that judicially, in God’s sight, we are already just, righteous, and perfect. He no longer sees our sins because it has been washed away by the blood of Christ and that we are covered by His righteousness through our faith in Him (Rom. 5:19; 1 Cor. 1:30-31; Rev. 7:14). It is by grace that we are saved.

However, the story doesn’t just end in our being saved / justified. After saving us from the penalty of our Sins, He also expects us to "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2; cf. Eph. 2:1-10). God didn't just call us unto a saving relationship with Him. He also called us to walk in all holiness to the praise of His glory!

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Pe. 1:15, KJV) 

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Pe. 2:9, KJV)

It is an amazing thing that God has counted us righteous in His sight (justified us) not by our own efforts, but He wants us to be practically righteous (i.e. Christ-like) as well.  This isn’t about maintaining our justification, but evincing the justification we had received once and for all. Concerning the difference and connection between justification and sanctification, Dr. Millard J. Erickson observes:

"...Sanctification is a process by which one's moral condition is brought into conformity with one's legal status before God. It is a continuation of what was begun in regeneration, when a newness of life was conferred upon and instilled within the believer. In particular, sanctification is the Holy Spirit's applying to the life of believer the work done by Jesus Christ...  

...In order to  focus more sharply the nature of sanctification, it will be helpful to contrast it with justification. There are number of significant differences. One pertains to duration. Justification is an instantaneous occurrence, complete in a moment, whereas sanctification is a process requiring an entire lifetime for completion. There is a quantitative distinction as well. One is either justified or not, whereas one may be more or less sanctified. That is, there are degrees of sanctification but not of justification. Justification is a forensic or declarative matter, as we have seen earlier, while sanctification is an actual transformation of the character and condition of the person. Justification is an objective work affecting our standing before God, our relationship to him, while sanctification is a subjective work affecting our inner person." (Christian Theology, Part IV, 46, pp. 968, 969)

"I am the Light of the world,” (Jn. 8:12) says Jesus Christ, and as Christians we must reflect His light which is in us by showing people that we changed! (Mat. 5:16). This has been God’s plan long before He called us; even before the world began:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:28, KJV) 

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10; cf. 1:4-6, KJV) 

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,..” (2 Tim. 1:9, KJV)

You see moral transformation and sanctification isn’t optional.  It is every Christian’s duty and privilege at the same time. Striving to be more Christlike day after day manifests our deep gratitude to all the great things God has done in our lives.

But the question should be asked: Are we capable of doing this? Do we have the natural ability to reform ourselves for the better? This will be discussed in the next entry of this series.

To God be the glory!

Gusto kong bumait pero di ko magawa!

Tukso. Nariyan yan sa halos lahat ng dako. Sa barkada. Sa paaralan. Sa internet. Sa bahay. Kahit saan! Lahat ng kabataang mananampalataya ay humaharap sa samut-saring mga tukso ng sanlibutan. Lahat tayo ay dumarating sa punto na bumibigay tayo sa panggogoyo ng kaaway.

Pero teka lang. Hindi ba sa kaloob-looban ng puso natin eh hindi naman talaga natin gustong gumawa ng kasalanan sa Diyos? Ang ibig kong sabihin, hindi ba lahat naman tayo na tumanggap kay Cristo ay nagnanais magbago at lumayo sa kasalanan? Pero bakit ganun, mas pinipili parin nating magkasala sa tuwing inihahain ng kaaway sa atin ang masasarap niyang putahe?

Ayaw nating magkasala, pero ginugusto nating magkasala. Ang gulo noh? Nalilito ka na ba? Ako rin eh.

Ang phenomena na ito ay ipinaliwanag ni San Pablo sa kanyang sulat sa mga taga-Galacia. Ayon kay San Pablo:

"Sapagka't ang laman ay nagnanasa ng laban sa Espiritu, at ang Espiritu ay laban sa laman; sapagka't ang mga ito ay nagkakalaban; upang huwag ninyong gawin ang bagay na inyong ibigin." (Gal. 5:17)

Kaya pala! Ang pagkakaroon natin ng dalawang magkaibang pagnanais sa puso natin ay repleksyon ng nagaganap na gyera sa pagitan ng Espiritu na nananahan sa atin, at ng ating laman o lumang pagkatao. Taglay natin ang kagustuhang magbago, ngunit dahil nadadaig tayo ng pagnanasa ng ating laman, hindi natin magawa-gawa ang kabutihang nais nating gawin. Sabi nga ulit ni Pablo:

"Ito ay sapagkat ang ginagawa ko ay hindi ko nauunawaan sapagkat ang hindi ko nais gawin ay siya kong ginagawa. Ang kinapopootan ko ang siya kong ginagawa. Ngunit kung ang hindi ko nais ang siyang ginagawa ko, sumasangayon ako na ang kautusan ay mabuti." (Rom. 7:15)

Alam natin ang masama at mabuti. Sumasang-ayon tayo na ang kautusan ng Diyos ay mabuti. Sang-ayon tayo na ang anumang uri ng adiksyon o bisyo na nakasisira sa katawan ay masama at di kalugod-ludog sa paningin ng Diyos. Alam nating masama ang magsinungaling. Alam nating masama ang makipag-away. Alam nating mabuti ang maging masunurin sa ating mga magulang.

Pero bakit ganun, lalo parin nating ginagawa ang kasalanan? Anong problema? Ayon sa Kasulatan, ito ay sapagkat mahina ang ating kalooban o will hinggil sa katuwiran. Ayon nga sa apostol: "...ako sa aking sarili ay naglilingkod sa kautusan ng Diyos sa aking isipan, ngunit sa aking makalamang kalikasan naglilingkod ako sa kautusan ng kasalanan" (Rom. 7:25b).

Ang ugat ng problema ay nasa disposisyon ng ating mga puso. Ayon nga kay Jesus, gawin mo munang mabuti ang puno at tsaka ito makapagbubunga ng mabuti (Mat. 12:33). Ngunit sino ang may kapangyarihang baguhin ang kalikasan ng isang puno? May kakayahan ba ang puno na gawin yun sa sarili nya? Syempre wala.

Kung gayon, sino ang makapagliligtas sa atin mula sa miserableng kalagayang ito? Pakinggan ang wika ng apostol:

"O anong saklap ng aking kalagayan! Sino kaya ang magliligtas sa akin sa kalagayang ito na nagpapahamak sa akin? Wala nang iba pa kundi ang Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Jesu-Cristo na ating Panginoon! Salamat sa kanya!" (Rom. 7:24-25a) 

"Ito ay sapagkat ang Diyos ang kumikilos sa inyo upang inyong loobin at gawin ang kanyang mabuting kaluguran." (Php. 2:13)

Sa madaling salita, hindi natin ito kayang pagtagumpayan kung sarili lang natin. Sa katunayan pa nga ay wala tayong magagawa kung hiwalay tayo kay Cristo (Jn. 15:6). Ang Diyos lamang ang may kakayahang baguhin ang disposisyon ng ating puso upang ibigin natin siya.

Ayon sa Panginoon,

• "At tutuliin ng Panginoon mong Dios ang iyong puso, at ang puso ng iyong binhi, upang ibigin mo ang Panginoon mong Dios ng iyong buong puso, at ng iyong buong kaluluwa, upang ikaw ay mabuhay." (Deut. 30:6)

Sa mga taong may pagibig sa Diyos, ang mga utos ng Panginoon ay hindi mabigat o mahirap sundin (1 Jn. 5:3). Gayunpaman, ang pagibig na ito'y hindi bunga ng pagsisikap ng tao, kundi produkto lamang ng biyaya ng Diyos na binili ni Cristo para sa atin sa pamamagitan ng kanyang dugo (Rom. 5:5-6, 8:32). 

Kapatid ko kay Cristo, may mga kahinaan ka bang hindi mo mabitaw-bitawan at inaakala mong wala ka nang pagasa sapagkat hindi mo ito mabago? Gusto mo bang bumait pero di mo magawa? Tatapatin kita. Hindi mo talaga kaya! Hangga't hindi mo inaamin sa iyong puso na hindi mo kayang magbago at tanging Diyos lamang ang may kakayahang ipagkaloob ito sa iyo, paulit-ulit kang mabibigo - at hinding-hindi ka magtatagumpay. Sabi nga ng Kasulatan,

"Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoon: Sumpain ang tao na tumitiwala sa tao, at ginagawang sandigan ng lakas ang kanyang sariling bisig, na ang puso'y walang pagtitiwala sa Panginoon." (Jer. 17:5)

O ano pang hinihintay mo? Babasahin mo ba ito at kakalimutan na lang? Bumalik ka sa krus ni Cristo NGAYON! Isuko mo ang lahat-lahat ng mga kahinaan mo sa paanan ng ating Panginoon! Kay Cristo lamang matatagpuan ang TUNAY at TIYAK na pagbabago!

Maraming salamat sa Diyos! Sa kanya ang buong kapurihan!

Amen!

Prove your own selves!

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them,
and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (Jn. 10:4)

I feel deep sadness and dismay whenever I hear news of well-known evangelical preachers departing from the true gospel message that is once and for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3). I feel a deep concern for their souls, especially for the souls of undiscerning people whose hearts their false teachings (heresies) might gain access leading to their sure destruction (Acts 20:29-30; cf. Matthew 7:15-16). Also, because they still claim themselves to be Christians (despite their crossing over the bounds of orthodoxy), the biblical testimony regarding the divine preservation of all the redeemed is brought into question. For if God truly preserves His children from finally repudiating the faith, why do we hear of Christians ending up being heretics? Did these apostates lose their Salvation? Were they ever saved?

Why did Christ have to be righteous & sinless?

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth..." (Isaiah 53:7)

Jesus Christ was a good man. I mean a really, really a good man in an exceptional sense. St. Peter says He has never committed any sin, and neither was deceit found in his mouth (1 Pe. 2:22; cf. Isa. 53:9). St. Paul made it plain that He has led a life of consistent submission to His Father's will and has known no sin (1 Co. 5:21; Php. 2:11). St. John says the same thing to that effect (1 Jn. 3:5). Our Lord himself admitted that He's sinless (Jn. 8:29, 46). Old Testament prophecies speak of Him as the "holy One" of God (Psa. 16:10; Isa. 49:7). It was announced to Mary by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive in her womb God's holy Son, and indeed Christ was (Luk. 1:35). There are plenty of other evidences throughout Scripture that proves Jesus' sinless perfection.

But why did Christ have to be righteous? Why did He have to be sinless? Some may respond and say: "Well, he didn't really have to. Being God, He is by nature holy. So if He lived righteously, it's because that's just what He is in the first place." I am in full agreement that Christ is divine and is by nature holy, but the Lord himself testifies that one purpose for which He came into this world was to fulfill God's holy precepts (Mat. 5:17). In short, He had to. It was His mission (Jn. 6:38). So the question remains: What for?

Spurgeon On Humility

From his sermon Pride and Humility, delivered at New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, 1856:

“Now let us briefly enquire, in the first place, what is humility? The best definition I have ever met with is…to think rightly of ourselves. Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s-self…

Humility is to feel that we have no power of ourselves, but that it all cometh from God. Humility is to lean on our beloved, to believe that he has trodden the winepress alone, to lie on his bosom and slumber sweetly there, to exalt him, and think less than nothing of ourselves. It is in fact, to annihilate self, and to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as all in all.”

From his sermon A Mournful Defection, delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, 1877:

“Remember, dear brethren and sisters, if you would be preserved from falling, you must be schooled in humility, and keep very low before the Lord. When you are half-an-inch above the ground, you are that half-inch too high. Your safety is to be nothing. Trust Christ, but do not trust yourself. Rely on the Spirit of God, but do not rely on anything that is in yourself.”

-Jeph

When The Enemy Strikes

Yesterday I dropped by the OMF Lit. Bookstore at Boni to browse for a book I could buy for myself as an advance Christmas gift. It was a good timing because the bookstore is now on a Christmas 20% discount sale, and I thank God for that. 

They have many new good books, really, but there's a particular one (not a new one, though) that really caught my attention. The book is entitled "When The Enemy Strikes: The Keys To Winning Your Spiritual Battles" by Charles F. Stanley. I did a little peeping through a couple of pages of the book and was made convinced this one's really for me. In short, I didn't hesitate to purchase one.

The book is about identifying who our spiritual adversary is (if you think you know him already, think again), the tactics he is using to bring us down and destroy our joyous fellowship with the Lord, and the defenses and offenses we must make to counter the enemy's constant assault. Here's what its jacket has to say regarding its contents:

Fear, discouragement, loneliness, anger, temptation. These struggles are common to every human. Yet not all circumstances or negative emotions originate within. They could be the result of a willful, coordinated assault of Satan.

In When The Enemy Strikes, best-selling author Dr. Charles Stanley explores the often-overlooked reality of spiritual warfare--the tactics used by Satan to taunt, confuse, slander, and harm. Your adversay wants to crush your will, delay your promise, hinder your destiny, destroy your relationships, and lead you into sin. Dr. Stanley reveals how you should respond.

The most important component of warfare, says Dr. Stanley, is the supremacy of God--both His sovereignty and His power. Practically, this means the battles you face are ultimately allowed by God to bring you to a place of greater reliance on Him. His strength crushes the enemy.

This is a world of conflict between good and evil, of powers beyond the merely human. The battle is unavoidable, but take heart! God has given you the strength to stand.

-Jeph

I Have Cartooned Myself On Facebook, Too!

Son Goten

A facebook buddy sent me a private message just recently inviting me to support a certain campaign against child abuse by changing my profile picture into my favorite childhood cartoon character. After reading the message, I was like: Ano nanaman kayang pakulo ito!? I thought it was just another typical non-sense pauso (like the jeje-mania thing) which will eventually wane soon, so I just ignored it.

But upon further browsing on facebook I was surprised at how many people have actually involved themselves in the craze. Most of my friends have already cartooned themselves, posting in their walls invitation for others to do the same. This got me very curious, so I did some google search about it.

In fairness, the craze was for a good cause--namely, to raise social awareness against child abuse by honoring our childhood memories. (It is also, in a way, beneficial for our peace of mind because pictures of ugly people in facebook will somewhat lessen. Isn't that great!?)

So in short, I have decided as well to cartoon myself. (Thankfully, I didn't have a hard time choosing my cartoon character). I picked the one which reminds me of my childhood days the most: Son Goten of the classic cartoon series, Dragonballs Z. He is the one in the picture above. Cute, isn't he?

How 'bout you? Have you gotten into the action? And which cartoon did you choose?

Post Script:

The meme officially ended Monday, December 6.


-Jeph