Month: March 2022

From time to time, I feel the importance of emphasizing the value of our members attending all the services of Berean Baptist Church. We are studying the last part of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians which speaks of sanctification and the evidentiary change in a believer’s life. Someone said, “Two things are at stake here. One, your own soul is at stake, so you need to understand whether you’re a real Christian or not. Secondly, the church needs to be observant about this so that we deal with the people for their own sake and for the protection of the church.”

            What issue is so important that your soul is at stake because of it? What is so important that the church must be protected from it? The issue is sin and the belief that a person may profess to know Christ and yet continue to live in sin. Your soul is a stake because there are many in fundamental churches today that teach it is not necessary for a believer to submit to the Lordship of Christ, but may assent to the bare facts of the gospel, believe in Christ, and yet continue to live the same lifestyle of sin that was lived before. The problem with this preaching is that it gives false hope to those who believe their souls are safe from hell, when in fact, the lack of a radical, demonstrated change in a person’s life reveals the person has not actually been saved by the grace of God.

            The apostle John makes this very clear with his arguments in 1 John concerning the nature of sin, the work of Christ, and the contrast between believers and unbelievers. Sin is the character of the devil, and habitual sin could not be the character of a person who has become a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Those who are born again have received the indwelling Spirit of Christ. They have a new nature with new desires. John also argues from the standpoint of Christ’s work. He tells us in the third chapter that Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Christ’s power over Satan is demonstrated immediately upon a believer in the work of salvation. The power of Satan to blind the sinner’s heart against the gospel must be broken. This is accomplished in regeneration when the sinner is brought to spiritual life in order to repent of sin and believe the gospel. Christ’s power does not stop upon initial belief. When the individual becomes a child of God, the sustaining power of God’s grace enables him to persevere in the faith. We are in the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. If a Christian could continue living the same life as before, at least three biblical doctrines must be denied—the new birth as a new creation in Christ, perseverance of the saints, and progressive sanctification. In effect, Christ’s present work in the believer is completely nullified.

            Also, in 1 John 3, the apostle makes this statement in verse 10: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God…” This is the King James translation which we advocate at Berean. But in addition to the KJV, the ESV, NIV, NEB, RSV, CEV, NASB, and the Amplified Bible among others, all translate this to the same effect. All of these are very clear that a life of righteousness is evidence of the new birth. The preceding verses are emphatic in making the point that a true believer will demonstrate his salvation by a life of holiness.

            Your soul is at stake over this issue. Receiving the Lordship of Christ is evidence that you have been genuinely converted. The health of the church is at stake because an increasingly unregenerate membership will be death to the preaching of the gospel. I am afraid many that miss church could be greatly benefited by such teaching. Often, they are the ones who need it most. Examine your life. Are you one of them?

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            How are Christians to live as we expectantly await the coming of our Lord? Since the time Christ founded the church and ascended to the Father, the church has eagerly anticipated the time of His return. The disciples thought it would be nearly immediate, believing as they watched Him ascend that His absence would be momentary as He made all things ready for the establishment of His kingdom.

            Our studies in 1 Thessalonians showed that the late timing of His return was confusing causing the Thessalonian church to believe they had missed it. The common opinion was that since Christ had not quickly returned something was radically wrong. The critics of Christianity scoffed at the believers’ hope asking, “Where is the promise of His coming? All things are just as they were and will continue as they are.” The delay and the scoffers fueled the doubts of God’s people and led them to despair.

            In this letter to the Thessalonians, Paul corrected the high points of their confusion and redirected their thinking. Once he had them on the right track, he settled into the mode of putting into practice their enlightenment of the truth. The terrible calamities of the last days would not be theirs. They were not living in the darkness of despair with judgment hanging over their heads as were the enemies of Christ. They were new creatures in Christ. They came out of the blindness of hopelessness with the promise they would obtain their final salvation. No matter how long it takes for the Lord to return, we will never be overtaken by any of Satan’s tricks.

            The Lord does not want us to live in despair, and yet many times I heard the comments of members after the end times sermons that Christ must soon return, or they won’t be able to bear the terrible direction our country is headed. I often caution believers to be patient. Perhaps patience is the greatest virtue because it lets God be God. He works in His time not ours. We have no promise that it won’t be another two thousand years before Christ returns. Time means nothing to God because He is timeless.

            This part might seem like an odd ray of hope, but there is no believer who will fail to see Christ and be rid of this world in any longer time than the span of one lifetime. Do you understand? You will see Christ soon whether He returns to earth in one year or one thousand.

            I believe Paul made this clear to the Thessalonians. The business at hand is preparing to see Him whether in death or in the rapture. His delay does not stop our preparedness and obligation to sanctification. One way or another, our redemption is near. Our focus cannot be what enemies, the government, the squad, or anyone else does. Our focus is the worship of Jesus Christ. Paul concludes the Thessalonian letter on this very topic—the worship of Christ in the church.

            It is perfectly fine to wish for, hope for, and pray for Christ to return. In fact, Jesus said we are to pray the Kingdom will come. It won’t until Christ’s returns, so obviously praying for it is appropriate. Invest in that hope, but if it is not realized in your lifetime, seeing Christ will be. See 1 Thessalonians 4 to learn that the end of life for a believer is to fall asleep and in a split second awaken to be with Christ forever. It is not too long to wait for patiently because it happens in God’s time.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Can Hell be Hotter?

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; ^[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:2-3)

            One of the most serious errors of today’s evangelical movement is the construction of a god and of a savior that is very much different than the one presented in scripture. The modern fallacy is to believe the God of the Old Testament was very harsh, unforgiving, and much too demanding. We read the Old Testament laws given to Moses at Mount Sinai and we shudder at the consequences ordered by God to make restitution for breaking those laws. There are many examples that could be given, but one that comes to mind is the sin of adultery. God said, “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10). These laws are difficult for the modern hearer because the god that has been constructed today is one that would never think of punishing evil doers so harshly; and certainly He would never punish anyone in an eternal Hell. And yet in the book of Hebrews, we learn these laws were given to man through the administration of the holy angels of God. God’s holiness demanded such punishment so that scripture says the penalty paid is a “just recompense of reward.”

            Churches today offer salvation from a god that is much less demanding. This god loves you and is unconcerned with your petty indiscretions (re: actual crimes against His holiness!). You owe nothing to God, but He owes everything to you. There are no requirements, no real standards—all you need do is acknowledge He has something to offer.

            These verses in Hebrews are some of the strongest refutations in scripture about this idea of God and His Christ. Hebrews affirms that God is just in giving a penalty for the transgression of His law. What is more amazing from these scriptures is that the demands of God are not decreased because we have entered the New Testament era, but are rather intensified. In the Old Testament, angels were attendant at the giving of the law (Ps. 68:17), and prophets such as Moses taught it to the people. Obedience was expected even though the law itself could never bring anyone into a personal relationship with God. “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Hebrews 7:19).

            The better hope is the Lord Jesus Christ and knowledge of Him is through the gospel. The writer makes a simple but profound argument. Christ is God’s own Son, the express image of His person (1:3). He has spoken, not angels and not men, and His gospel is the only way to come into a saving relationship with Him. If the hearers of the Old Testament Law could not escape God’s punishment for disobeying an inferior law given through angels and men, how much less can we expect to escape punishment for disobeying the superior law which actually brings salvation (Rom. 8:2) and was given by the One who sits in majesty on high (1:3)?

            Rather than God demanding less today than He did in the Old Testament, He demands incredibly more. Punishment for rejection of God’s message today is far greater than it was then. To put it simply, Hell has become hotter! We will not escape it if we neglect salvation in Christ.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith