Walking with the Dead

Berean Baptist on December 30, 2019

In the beginning of Revelation 3, the Lord had a letter delivered to the church at Sardis. Using comparative terminology that most people understand, we might cautiously call this church the Zombie church. I use the term only to emphasize the point with a contemporary reference. They had a reputation of being alive, and yet in the Lord’s estimation they were dead. Their reputation of life might well have been their many social works and their benevolent programs practiced without the power of the Holy Spirit.

            I believe the issue in Sardis was their attempt to be Christian without knowledge and belief of Christian doctrine. Although some in Sardis were faithful and were not defiled with sin, it seems they were in the minority. The church at one time must have been filled with the faithful, but over time unbelievers became dominant. Membership in the church made them appear to be believers, but they were living a false profession.

            How do we know they were not believers? The best indication is the use of the word dead to describe them. The Lord never speaks of His people as being dead. To be spiritually dead is to be without faith in Christ and thus without life in Christ. It is the living (believers) versus the dead (unbelievers). Dead is the often reference in scripture to those still depraved in heart and still in their natural condition apart from God (see Ephesians 2:1-5).

            Since the church at Sardis is used as an example of churches across all ages, we conclude there are active churches doing many works without the knowledge of doctrine that proves they are God’s people. I have addressed this issue from this pulpit many times as the reason the Berean Baptist Church does not fellowship with many churches nor care to join with them in cooperative efforts. We have only one method of cooperation—a common belief in the true gospel of Jesus Christ. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. This is the basis of Christian unity—it is doctrinal not emotional. We must be compelled by more than common compassion to work together. It must be doctrinal unity in the faith of Jesus Christ.

            We encounter many churches that have a zeal for Christ, but their zeal is not according to knowledge. Ask them about their doctrinal positions and you are greeted with either blank stares or this response, “Does it matter?” It matters because we cannot glorify Christ without knowledge of His ways and works. These are found in scripture encapsulated in the doctrines of the faith. For example, does it matter if you believe Christians are safe and secure in their salvation, or if you believe salvation can be lost? Yes, it matters. The first displays dependence on faith in Christ alone, while the second is dependence on self. One affirms justification by faith and the other justification by works. The first upholds the promises of Christ and gives glory to Him for salvation, while the second glorifies self and our ability to do enough good things to be saved. If salvation can be lost because of doing evil things, it can be gained by doing good things. One ratifies the doctrine of scripture—the other blasphemes the God of heaven.

            When we join with churches that are muddled in their doctrine, are unsure of their doctrine, or have no sense of Christian doctrine, we link arms with the dead. We cannot do Christ’s work without the vital connection of life through the belief of the truth. The living in Christ have no business in the graveyard of the dead.

            What will we do? Continue to walk in the light of Christ’s truth and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. To do otherwise, to work with unbelievers, is to shame the name of Christ.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Wickedness in High Places

Berean Baptist on September 26, 2016

Psalm 58 is another of the psalms in which David had difficult dealings with Saul. In this case, his anger is kindled against the leaders in Israel who either stood by silently or agreed with Saul when David was wrongfully accused. The idea in the psalm is that judgment had been perverted and these leaders had turned their backs on their responsibility as judges to uphold truth. They were dishonest and deceitful in their dealings.

This, of course, is not at all uncommon in the hierarchy of government. Who among us is not often angry at the inequities of our rulers? It is a sad commentary on American politics when the Congress of the United States regularly hovers around less than 20% approval ratings. Most believe Congress is a band of thieves that are more concerned about their job security and their pocketbooks than they are about the constituents they serve. Whatever it takes to get elected, they will do. If this means perverting justice, so be it.

In the third verse, David reveals the source of the corruption. “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.” The source is natural depravity. We come into the world with a sinful nature, and we speak lies with the first breath we take. It is no wonder politicians have perfected the art of lying—they’ve had all their lives to practice! Some have stated the depravity of politicians this way: Question, “How do you know a politician is lying?” Answer, “He opens his mouth.” This is an old joke, but it is certainly biblical. However, this truth is not confined to politicians. All of us are this way. We all have inherent sinful corruption, which is the reason we so desperately need a Saviour. The person who is wicked from the womb has also perfected the art of sin as he daily rehearses his art form.

Yet out of this abject sinfulness of our nature, and our will, and our practice, we are told sinners can elevate themselves and they can do better. The lies of the toothy grinned preacher who teaches such things is no better than the lies of the politician with all his broken promises.

Man is a woefully depraved creature who must be handled by God. The righteous Judge will always deal righteously, so He will remove these sinners from their haughty perches and bring them before His own tribunal. There, perfect justice is served. Verse 10 is strikingly vindictive in its assessment of this: “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.” This does not sound much like the “Christian” attitude of love and tolerance. Accordingly, we must remember that in the present time we are not to rejoice in the eternal punishment of the wicked. However, when the Lord comes in glory, we will see the perfect justice of God at work and regard His judgment against the reprobate as a merciful act towards His own people.

There are many that disagree with David’s call for justice. People who sympathize with criminals more than with their victims really have a problem with this. They are freakishly concerned that a criminal must not suffer one ounce of pain in his execution rather than commiserating with a victim that may have been cruelly tortured. This is the world turned upside down according to godly justice. As one commentator stated, “It is sickly sentimentality and a wicked weakness that has more sympathy with the corrupt oppressors than with the anger of God.”

The real issue here is weak Christianity, or absent Christianity, that does not understand the exalted holiness of God in contradistinction to the utterly debased condition of man. I think David had it right. The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart, and he certainly had his finger on God’s pulse in this matter.

Pastor V. Mark Smith