John Baker

 It doesn’t take a great deal of investigation to realize that many recent influences both inside and outside of churches of Christ are feverishly attempting to mold God’s people into a different image. In recent years, those who have grown dissatisfied with the Lord’s church have often charged God’s people as being like the Pharisees in our beliefs and practices. While I do not believe this to be a valid criticism, Christians everywhere must still take care that we do not become like the Pharisees in our actions and attitudes.

We may not understand much else about the Pharisees, but we know that Jesus said to beware of them (Matt. 16:6). Simply put, the Pharisees sinned by obeying God’s laws purely for purposes of self-promotion. These men took the focus off of God and His greatness in an attempt to exalt themselves. What attitudes must we avoid as Christians?

Pharisees emphasized rules without relationships — The Pharisees of Jesus day believed that godliness was a means of gain (cf. 1 Tim. 6:5), so they learned the Bible better than anyone else, and they solidified a position of power and prestige among God’s people. Pharisees were highly esteemed by just about everyone because of their rigorous law-keeping, but they loved something more than God: “they loved the best places at the feasts and the best seats in the synagogues” (Matt. 23:6). Their problem was that they emphasized rules to the exclusion of a relationship with God (cf. Matt. 7:21-23). Brethren, we ought to beware that we do not make Christianity merely a system of rules to be kept, and nothing more. God wants us to depend on His power and goodness through prayer, study, and meditation on Him (Ps. 63:1-2). God desires faithful obedience (Rom. 1:5), but He simultaneously desires a loving relationship with us (Phil. 3:10).

Pharisees justified themselves to God — Jesus once told about a Pharisee who justified himself before God by pointing out all the good things he had done (cf. Luke 18:9-14). This man sinned by taking his eyes off the grace and mercy of God and focusing on himself. We ought to beware of boasting in our own spiritual accomplishments. Jesus says, “When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what was our duty to do’” (Luke 17:10). In Christian service, the focus is always on God and His glory (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17). We emphasize and exalt Christ, and we boast in the great things He is doing through us (Gal. 6:14; Phil. 2:13). What folly to self-righteously seek to justify ourselves before God!

Pharisees tried to bind what God has not bound — “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God” (Deut. 4:2). Pharisees were guilty of taking their traditions and elevating them to the status of God’s commandments (Mark 7:6-7). It’s one thing to carefully obey what God has said, but we must take care lest we elevate mere opinions and traditions to the status of Scripture. God’s word has left some matters to the realm of human judgment, and we bind our opinions on others at great peril to our souls. We are not God, and thus we ought to be careful not to put ourselves in His seat of judgment!

We all need to beware of becoming modern-day Pharisees. Being Pharisaical has nothing to do with genuine, faithful obedience; rather, it refers to a self-aggrandizing, self-centered view of obeying God’s laws. Our service to God must be faithful (Rev. 2:10), but our motives in serving must always seek His glory and not our own (Jn. 3:30). Let’s allow our relationship with God to genuinely be the greatest joy of our lives. – JB

 Ninety-eight percent of American homes have at least one television. The average adult between the ages of 25 and 40 has watched between thirty and forty thousand hours of television. The average child watches 30 hours of television each week.¹ Brethren, it is well past time that we examine the important implications of television where Christian living is concerned. What has television done to us?

Television has made us artificially emotional — Everybody cries when “Old Yeller” is put to sleep at the end of the famous Disney movie. Isn’t it strange that we often laugh, cry, and respond emotionally to the fictional characters and events in our favorite movies and programs, while scarcely a thought is given to the greatness of God and the precarious state of the lost? “Rivers of tears run down my eyes because men do not keep Your law” (Ps. 119:136). When Jesus wept (Jn. 11:35), it was because of real people and real events. Television, on the other hand, takes us to a fantasy world where our emotional and empathetic energies can be spent on fictional events. Could it be that we are sometimes desensitized to our own world as a result?²

Television has made us into consumers — When Jesus said, “the lamp of the body is the eye” (Matt. 6:22), His point was that we often end up coveting the things we see. Television capitalizes on its ability to produce slick images that stimulate our desire to have “more” and “better” things. God says that covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5), while television repeatedly tries to convince us that we deserve better that what we have. This consumer mentality affects our view of the church as well. Thanks in part to television’s influence, many now approach the worship of God with a self-centered, “what’s in it for me?” attitude. To many people, worship is more about being impressed and less about the active expression of praise and gratitude to the God who loves us. The next time we’re tempted to say, “I didn’t get much out of worship today,” perhaps we ought to ask ourselves if we approached God as true worshippers (Jn. 4:24) or as selfish consumers.

Television has made us poor listeners — Television is a series of fast-moving images that actually works against the ability to think and reason. Just a century ago, audiences could listen to speeches and debates that literally lasted for hours on end. Now, the average attention span of an adult is somewhere between three and five minutes. Listening is an active process that involves concentration of the mind and reasoning abilities. Television makes no such demands. When we’re bored or disinterested, we can change the channel. T.V. producers know just how long to spend on a scene so our attention doesn’t wane. In fact, television does everything possible to keep our attention while never really demanding the concentration required for good listening skills. By contrast, Jesus repeatedly demanded that we listen, using the word, “hear” some 22 times in the book of Matthew alone (cf. Matt. 11:15). Perhaps we ought to consider whether our attention span has been affected by hours of television viewing. More importantly, how has our ability to genuinely pay attention to God’s word been affected?

Television in and of itself is not an evil thing, but we can scarcely afford to ignore its influence. It does affect our ability to hear and respond to God’s truth, and it is entirely capable of hardening our hearts (1 Tim. 4:2). Let’s be aware of the effects of television in our lives. — JB

Sources Referenced for this Article:

¹Turner, Timothy. Preaching to Programmed People. Grand Rapids: Kregel Pub., 1995. p 20-21.

²Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin, 1985. p. 75-6

John 3:16 is a magnificent and classic passage dealing with God’s grace and man’s salvation: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”Unfortunately, the meaning of this passage is often taken from its context and used to advance the idea of salvation by faith alone. This is because men often misunderstand the original meaning of the word “believe” in John 3:16. Is Jesus telling us that we can be Christians merely by trusting Him as our personal Lord and Savior, or is there something more involved in His use of the word, “believe”?

Evidence from the passage itself — As we read John 3:1-21, it becomes readily apparent that John 3:16 is not all Jesus had to say concerning salvation. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came by night to discuss the coming kingdom with Jesus (v.1-4), and Jesus explicitly tells Nicodemus that he must be, “born of water and the Spirit” (v.5) in order to enter the kingdom! Later in the conversation, Jesus alludes to an Old Testament story to illustrate His point: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). What is to be made of this statement? The careful student of Scripture ought to take note how the Israelites were saved in Numbers 21:4-9 (the passage to which Jesus is referring). When God sent fiery serpents among the people, many were dying because of the bites they received. God told Moses to create a bronze serpent and put it on a pole: “and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8; emp. added). No one was saved by merely acknowledging God’s power to cure, rather, the person who trusted and obeyed the Lord’s command lived (cf. Numbers 21:9)! Friends, this is the context in which Jesus uses the word, “believe” in John 3:16. It took more than mental acknowledgement and acceptance to save the Israelites in the wilderness, and it will take more than that to save us today. Salvation by “faith alone” is nowhere taught in Scripture, especially not in John 3:16! The word, “believe” in John 3:16 must be understood in light of what Jesus has already told Nicodemus about salvation — Biblical faith involves both trust and obedience.

Evidence from the Greek language — The word “believe” in John 3:16 is a translation of a form of the Greek word pisteuo. Lexicographer J. H. Thayer, an authority on the Greek New Testament, defines pisteuo as being, “used especially of the faith by which a man embraces Jesus, i.e. a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah – the divinely appointed author of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God, conjoined with obedience to Christ” (Greek-English Lexicon, T. & T. Clark, 1958, p. 511; emp. added). Thus, the word “believe” in the New Testament always carries with it the idea of obedience, not just mental affirmation. There is more to salvation than merely trusting Jesus as the Messiah! We must also be willing to obey His command to, “be born of water and the Spirit” to enter the kingdom of God (cf. John 3:5).                                                                                                                         — John Baker

 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes (1 Cor 11:26).” Christians need to think about and take seriously the Lord’s Supper, observed upon the first day of every week. Nothing else we do as Christians can match the simple beauty and deep reverence surrounding this ceremony instituted by Jesus Himself. Let’s consider the significance and the importance of observing the Lord’s Supper.

Purpose — The Lord’s Supper was first observed in an upper room on the very night Jesus was to be arrested (1 Cor 11:23). The Savior took the unleavened bread, gave thanks, and broke it unto His disciples saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19).” Next, He gave them a cup of, “fruit of the vine,” and said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you (Luke 22:20).” The bread and the cup are not themselves the literal body and blood of Jesus, but they serve as a tangible reminder that His sacrifice was and is real! They remind us of a new and better covenant made possible by His death (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12). We observe the Lord’s Supper to remember and proclaim both what He did for us and what it means to us.

Importance — Scripture indicates that the Lord’s Supper is the primary reason for the church assembling on the first day of the week (cf. Acts 20:7). Its importance, therefore, can hardly be overstated. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 contains some very, very frightening and sobering words: “Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” The idea of “eating unworthily” relates directly to our manner of observance. We may be tempted to allow our minds to drift and wander in many aspects of the worship assembly, but we dare not take lightly our observance of the Lord’s Supper! To fail to focus and remember the sacrifice of Christ during the Lord’s Supper is to bring the Lord’s condemnation upon ourselves (1 Cor 11:29)! When we eat the bread and drink the cup, let’s be sure our minds and hearts are focused on Jesus and His death on Calvary. To do otherwise is to be guilty of sin.

Practice — Often, we may find it difficult to focus our minds and hearts on such a solemn occasion. Even in the worship assembly we are not immune to the temptations of Satan. Many who seek to properly observe the Lord’s Supper find help in a personal reading of passages directly related to the purpose and nature of Christ’s death. Some suggested passages that fit well into the context of the Lord’s Supper include: Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19; Romans 5:6-11; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; Hebrews 9:11-28; Hebrews 10:1-18. This is by no means an exhaustive list of passages dealing with the death of Jesus, but these do help in our understanding the depth and significance of that sacrifice. May all of God’s people resolve to worship Him, “in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24).”

John Baker

Appetite is a personal decision. It is determined by self-examination and by focusing within. A child decides what to eat by the amount of pleasure the particular food will bring. Consequently, the foods high in fat are consumed while the broccoli and cabbage remain on the plate. When the child grows to be an adult, the appetite preferences are maintained.

Appetites can be learned and maintained into adulthood in every area of human existence. What is your appetite in clothes? What is your appetite in cars? What is your appetite in reading material? Whatever your appetite, you started developing a liking for it when you were young and now nothing else seems right. One such appetite is sexual preference. Most refer to homosexuality as an, “alternative lifestyle,” but the Bible treats it like an alternative appetite. Those who prefer intimacy with members of their own gender justify their sins as being an expression of their true identity. Evidently, God made a mistake when He created them male or female.

In the beginning, God created them both male and female. He could have made a help meet suitable for Adam named Steve, but He made Eve. It was His design that a man should seek out a female for a wife. Anything else is going against the grain of how man was created. When men or women exchange the natural use of their bodies in order to burn with passion after members of their own sex, they are in danger of losing their own soul (Romans 1:24-32).

Even though God condemns homosexuality in all forms, He still lets each one of us decide for ourselves. Should we choose to develop an appetite for that which God calls perverted, we will suffer our due penalty. Just because we have free choice does not mean that all available choices are right. It is up to us to develop an appetite for what is pleasing in God’s sight.

Those who say that they are a female inside a male body would have us believe that God is a monster. He has condemned them for something they cannot change. He is sending them to hell because of a choice they did not make. He is punishing them over something that really makes no difference at all. To these I say you can change your appetite in sexual preference if you really want to. It is your choice and yours alone. You started developing a taste for this perversion long ago and now it has gotten out of hand. I would also say that it does make a difference. Our perception of heaven, the church, and our own identity are born out of a healthy home life where a man and a woman live together as God has directed. If an alternative appetite for sin is practiced in the home, the rest of life’s most important institutions are doomed.

We should develop an appetite for doing God’s will. Learn to love those things which glorify God. Hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matt 5:6). The choice is yours. You can change anytime you want an alternative appetite.                                                             — Dale Fonville

 If you’ve been to any bookseller or movie store recently, you’ve probably noticed a new phenomenon: the “Left Behind” series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Presently, there are eight novels in the series along with nearly twenty, “children’s books,” and one feature film for those who are not such avid readers. And Biblically speaking, it is the truth that has really been “Left Behind.” Let’s notice what God has to say about the unfortunate teachings in this wildly popular series.

Rapture of the Saints — The basic premise of the first “Left Behind” novel is that one day in the very near future, Jesus is going to secretly rapture all those who are saved. Everyone who is not a Christian, this book teaches, will be left here on earth to witness a horrible tribulation accompanied by the rise of an, “Antichrist.” Folks, this could not be further from the truth. Jesus is coming back only once (cf. John 14:1-6), and that coming will be far from secret (cf. 1 Thess 4:16). When the Lord descends from heaven, it will be to execute judgment on both the righteous and unrighteous (cf. 2 Thess 1:7-10). There will be no, “rapture” in which part of the humans alive are taken and part are left behind. When Jesus returns, the world will end (cf. 2 Peter 3:10-12).

Rise of the Antichrist — While certainly entertaining, the “Left Behind” series loses even more credibility with its story of the supposed Antichrist who is to come. LaHaye and Jenkins see the Antichrist as a Romanian man who rises in political and military power until he controls the forces of darkness on the earth. The Bible says something quite different, however. John wrote these words almost two thousand years ago: “Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that antichrist is come, even now there are many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time (1 John 2:18).” John says that antichrists were present in his day! Not only that, but John does not limit the number of antichrists to just one man. He says there were many! Later, John actually tells us who the antichrists are: “he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ; he is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22).” You see, there were people in John’s day who believed that all matter was evil, and that Jesus had not literally come in the flesh. This doctrine was known as Gnosticism, and to adhere to it was to deny that Jesus is the Christ. When John speaks about antichrists, he is warning Christians about false teachers in his day, not a Romanian ruler who will conquer the world 2000 years in the future.

Signs of the Times — Legion have been the people who have attempted to predict the time of Jesus’ second coming. The “Left Behind” series points to current events in our world as indicators that the “end times” are upon us. Peter, who was closer to Jesus than just about anyone, said that, “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:10).” Thieves don’t telegraph their arrival in advance, and neither will Jesus. He Himself said that He had chosen not to know the hour of His return (Matt 24:36). If Jesus doesn’t know when He will return, then how arrogant is it for men to predict when the end will be? May all of us strive to study His word and prepare ourselves for His judgment. You can be assured — He will not leave any soul behind.

— John Baker

The church in the first century was faced with a unique problem: in the absence of God’s written word (the New Testament was not yet completed), how could they determine what was authoritative and what was not?  In other words, how would they know someone’s spoken message was from God Himself?  The answer: the ability to perform miracles confirmed that God’s word was true and authoritative (cf. Heb 2:3-4).  One of the most sensational and convincing miracles of the first century was the ability to speak in tongues.  Sadly, however, many in our day have misunderstood the purpose and nature of the miracles in the Bible.  Let’s examine the topic of speaking in tongues from a Biblical perspective.

Purpose — In Acts 2:4, we have the first record of miraculous tongue speaking.  The apostles were granted the ability to speak with, “other” or “different,” tongues.  In contrast to what is claimed today, however, it seems evident that the apostles were speaking in actual human languages (cf. Acts 2:7-11).  The result?  Amazement and curiosity among those who witnessed this miracle (Acts 2:12).  The apostles’ sudden ability to speak a language they had never before studied got people’s attention, and Peter’s sermon (Acts 2:14-39) pierced their hearts with the gospel message.  Tongue speaking was ameaningful sign to unbelievers (cf. 1 Cor 14:22), not the stringing together of meaningless syllables.  The ability to speak in tongues helped convince others that what early Christians said was true! 

Limitations — Many today claim that all Christians automatically have the ability to speak in tongues.  This does not appear to have been the case in the first century, however.  Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions in 1 Cor 12:30, “Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”  The implied response to all these questions is negative.  Further, Paul says that he wishes that all the Christians at Corinth had the ability to speak in tongues (1 Cor 14:5).  The ability to speak in tongues was, therefore, not a universal gift.  Instead, miraculous power had to be received from the laying on of the apostles’ hands (cf. Acts 8:17; 19:6).  Those who claim to be able to speak in miraculous utterances today must have first come into contact with one of the original apostles!  Such are the limitations of any miraculous gift.

1 Corinthians 14 — The context of 1 Cor 14 indicates that the worship assemblies in Corinth had degenerated into a spiritual “free-for-all” in which the miraculous gifts of the Spirit were being abused and causing confusion (cf. 1 Cor 14:26-33).  Paul’s message to the Christians at that place was that they should only speak in tongues when there was an interpreter present (cf. 1 Cor 14:5, 13, 28).  When one sees so-called worship assemblies today that are characterized by disorder and confusion, one has to ask, “Is this not the very problem that the apostle Paul was trying to correct?”  The ability to speak in a language one has never studied is indeed a miracle, but as Paul predicted, the time for miraculous tongue-speaking has ceased (cf. 1 Cor 13:8-10).

John Baker

 One of the most hazardous jobs in the ancient world was to be a kerux (“herald” or “proclaimer”). The kerux was somewhat like a diplomat — he went into enemy territory ahead of his advancing army and attempted to avoid the coming conflict by demanding the immediate surrender of the enemy. If the enemy rejected the terms of surrender, the kerux would often be put to death as well in order to insult the king the kerux represented.

Originally, the role of kerux was occupied by a high-ranking government official. For example, when the king of Assyria wanted Jerusalem to surrender, he sent the Rabshakeh, his third in command, to offer Assyria’s terms to the seemingly helpless Jews (Isaiah 36:1-3). However, the extreme danger involved in the work of a kerux later prompted the Greeks to stop sending their high-ranking officials to an early demise. Instead, Greek rulers would often look for a man of relatively little importance or significance to be the kerux — the bearer of the king’s message to the enemy.

Interestingly, when the Holy Spirit inspired men to write the New Testament, He used the Greek word kerux (found some 72 times in the New Testament) to describe the work of one who proclaims the Gospel. In what ways is the role of a Christian like the kerux?

Christians are envoys of the King — God has sent us into the world as His messengers. We are His envoys, and we represent Him. An ancient kerux would bear the official insignia of the king he represented. Likewise, Christians are to bear the insignia of Jesus Christ: “The aroma of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:14-17). Does your life bear the insignia of the King you represent? Does your character show that you are Christ’s representative?

Christians are proclaimers of a message — A kerux was neither a negotiator nor an ambassador; rather, he had only one job — to faithfully proclaim the message of the king he represented. Christians do not have the authority to negotiate terms, nor do we have the right to change the message God has prepared for the world (cf. Gal. 1:6-8). Just as the job of a kerux was to clearly proclaim exactly what the king said, so Christians are to carefully preach (“kerusso” — from kerux) every word of God (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

Christians are sent into the world with God’s terms of surrender — When John the Baptizer and Jesus began to proclaim(kerusso) the coming kingdom of heaven, their message was one of surrender: “Repent” (Matt. 3:1; 4:7). When Peter preached to the crowd on Pentecost, his goal was to provide God’s terms for surrender to those who had crucified Jesus (Acts 2:23-39). Every time Christians speak God’s word to those who are lost, we are proclaiming God’s terms of surrender — the need to repent. The Gospel is good news precisely because God offers His enemies blessing and reconciliation instead of judgment. Surrender to God incurs the greatest blessings imaginable (Eph. 1:3). Now, that’s good news!

Christians have no special stature — The Greek kerux did not require any special education or status in order to do his job (in fact, little status or education was often very desirable — for reasons given above). It was not the office but the message that was really important. In the New Testament, kerux appears as a noun only 3 times, but appears in verb form (kerusso)some 61 times. Thus, the Bible’s emphasis is not upon a Christian’s status as a herald (preacher), but upon the act of faithfully proclaiming the King’s message. Christian, you are a herald for the King of Kings. How well are you fulfilling your mission as a kerux for Jesus Christ? —JB

 Satan and his cohorts in this world have greatly confused people concerning many Biblical terms. One such example concerns the Biblical distinction between preachers and pastors. This confusion is somewhat understandable because so many denominational preachers refer to themselves as “pastors.”

Let it be known to one and all, once and for all: A Preacher is, Biblically speaking, different than a Pastor.

At this point some will wonder whether we are merely quibbling over words. After all, everyone in Christ’s church is a minister (Eph. 4:11-12), so does it really matter what we call ourselves? Jesus taught that what we call ourselves is veryimportant: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matt. 23:9). In context, the Lord’s point is that no one should adopt religious titles like “reverend” and “father” because they take glory away from God and focus it on men. So God will indeed hold us accountable for the way we present ourselves and the work we do. What we call ourselves, religiously speaking, is important.

The word “pastor” is the English translation of one of three Greek words in the New Testament that describe a particular office in the Lord’s church. The other two words referring to this office are “episkopos” meaning “bishop,” and “presbuteros” meaning “older man.” The word “pastor,” then, refers to an office held by an older man who meets certain qualifications spelled out in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 among other places. Most often, the 21st century church refers to our “pastors” as “elders” or “shepherds.”

A pastor must be married, and he must have a good reputation both in and out of the church (1 Tim. 3:1-2). A pastor is also required to have children who believe, meaning that they are New Testament Christians (1 Tim. 3:4-5; Titus 1:6). Further, a pastor is a man who has proved from long experience that he is a man of godliness, character, and self-control (Titus 1:7-8). He is not a novice, an inexperienced man in the faith (1 Tim. 3:6). A pastor is able to shepherd souls because he has already shown his ability to raise a family and train his children in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6). He has been God’s man in the community, the home, and the church for many years. As a result, he is eminently qualified to lead and to feed God’s people, spiritually speaking.

Looking at those qualifications, it is clear that the term “pastor” should not be used flippantly, nor should it be applied to those who are not qualified for the office. It is wrong for a preacher or minister of any sort to adopt the name “pastor” when he is not properly qualified to hold the office. Such a practice leads to confusion among God’s people and degrades the honorable work of elders.

So, finally, a personal appeal from me, a simple preacher of the Gospel, to you: please don’t call me the “pastor.” I am merely 29 years old and my only son is just beginning to cut his first teeth. Not only do those facts disqualify me, but I have a great deal to learn about being a Christian, to say nothing of being a husband and father. In short, I lack the wisdom, the experience, and the necessary qualifications to be called a “pastor.”

Let’s be careful about the way we use Biblical words. Satan is a master of confusion, and we may well be guilty of causing someone to miss heaven because of our indiscretions. — JB

I don’t like war. If I had my way, I’d turn back the clock of time and make sure all the terrorists were arrested before they ever boarded those aircraft last month. Still, I realize that the prevention of just one tragedy would not halt the tendency of human beings to fight against each other. No matter how much we may wish differently, it seems some battles just cannot be avoided.

Whether we like it or not, Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare. God commands that we, “put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).” We face an enemy who is every bit as vicious and deceitful as any terrorist, and what’s more, our enemy refuses to show himself. Satan is content to work behind the scenes, never quite revealing himself, even though we all can see the effects of his presence (read Job 1).

And herein lies the real danger: because our enemy is unseen, it becomes very easy for people in the church to forget our true purpose. Some have forgotten who the true enemy is, and others have begun to question whether we are even fighting a war at all!

There are some soldiers in the Lord’s kingdom who have decided to give up the fight altogether. These “deserters” have decided that it would be easier to surrender their lives to sin. They know the consequences of sin (Rom 6:23), but would rather be amused and entertained than fulfill the purpose for which they were created (Eccl. 12:13). To them, the Christian life seems too inconvenient and too demanding.

Some soldiers of the cross are passionately fighting the wrong battles. Instead of working to win more souls to Christ, it seems that these brethren are intent on scrutinizing every action and motive of their fellow Christians. And woe to him with whom one of these overly suspicious soldiers finds fault! Brethren, we should be concerned about sin among us (Jude 3), but let’s be sure that we are not developing the kind of critical, judgmental attitudes Jesus warned about (Matt. 7:1-6). To this kind of soldier, the enemy seems to be everywhere, and everyone’s intentions are suspect!

Still other soldiers pay lip service to their struggle, but in reality they seek to embrace the enemy with open arms. “We shouldn’t get so worked up over doctrine,” they say, “but instead we should unite under the cross and celebrate God’s grace.” Fact is, the Bible says that doctrine is VERY important since it will be the basis for our judgment in the final day (2 Jn 9; John 12:48-49). Those who seek unity at the expense of clear Bible teaching will one day realize that they have, in reality, stopped fighting and embraced that which is ungodly (Amos 3:3; Eph 5:11). It seems better to these soldiers to call a truce than to fulfill their marching orders (see Mark 16:15-16; Matt 28:18-20).

Brethren, we are engaged in the most serious kind of warfare — spiritual warfare. We fight by teaching people the truth. We fight by keeping our hearts pure. We fight by checking our attitudes and motives constantly. We fight by loving those outside of Christ enough to tell them that they are in danger (Jude 23). What kind of soldier will you be? Jesus has already gained the victory (1 Cor 15:57). “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).”   — John Baker