People Sharing Jesus

As Jesus talked about prayer, he made a passing remark on human nature recorded in Luke 11:13.  He spoke of his listeners that day and, by association, of us as being evil.  The word “evil” has become for us a word reserved for only the most monstrous of human beings.  We could readily list some past and current examples of evil people.  They would be murderous and cruel.  Many people would refuse to regard themselves as sinful and in danger of judgement simply because they do not belong to this infamous class of rogues.   When Jesus used this word, he was speaking of our bondage to the sinful nature.  Throughout Scripture we are helped to see that the heart of man is “evil and desperately wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9)  The term “total depravity” is a theological term for our lost condition outside of Christ.  We cannot save ourselves apart from God’s grace as revealed in Jesus Christ.  Our minds are effected by sin. Our reasoning is corrupted by sin.  Our emotions are effected.  Our bodies are effected.  That is why the bible says we are in darkness until Christ brings us light.  God’s Word states, “There is none righteous, no not one.”  (Romans 3:10)  When God’s word says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23), none of us are left out.  When Jesus said that we are evil, this is what he meant.  We are in desperate need of God’s grace and forgiveness.  Why don’t you take a moment right now and reflect on your own need for God’s forgiveness.  Beware that you not seek to justify yourself in all your actions and ways.  Such people become even more deeply enslaved by sin.  Read Romans 8 for a powerful look at the sinful nature versus the life led by God’s Spirit.  Only Jesus can justify us before the holiness of God.  He made that possible by dying on the cross for our sins.

Dan Wooldridge

Evangelical churches have emphasized salvation through the years in terms of whether or not one has had the experience of being saved.  To be sure there is an experience of salvation.  It is interesting to note that the prophet Isaiah revealed God’s concern as being that of fruitfulness.  A fruitful vine is a living vine.  Jesus also made clear that we would be known by our fruits.  In John fifteen, He gave us the wonderful analogy of the vine and the branches.  Hebrews 6: 4 and following describes the tragedy of falling away from God and concludes with references to thorns and thistles leading many to see Isaiah 5 as the Old Testament backdrop for the passage.  Since Hebrews 6 is a watershed passage for whether or not salvation may be lost, I chose many years ago to write my masters thesis on the passage.  One of my conclusions is that only those who bear fruit truly have the life of God in them. 

The salvation that God gives is lasting, but not all who company with the people of God truly belong to the people of God.  A careful study of various passages will yield the conclusion that fruitlessness, or the yielding of “bad fruit”, is spiritual lifelessness.  There comes a day when God let’s the vineyard go because it will not produce good fruit.  The image of burning is brought out in Hebrews 6:8 and in John 15:6.  In both cases the image reveals judgement for not producing fruit.

Dan Wooldridge

Jesus taught us that what a man is on the inside is God’s primary focus.  This is the fundamental difference between religion and Christianity.  Religion is always the performance of external rituals, the conformity to external codes, and the meeting of external requirements.  Many have turned their Christian experience into a religion by substituting the meeting of man made requirements for genuine transformation by the Holy Spirit.  If you really want to examine your walk with the Lord, you must somehow search your heart.  This is not quite as easy as it sounds.   Our sinful nature quickly masters the art of self justification.  You must set aside time to pray for God’s own perspective on your soul.  You must honestly ask yourself how you measure up to the teachings of God’s Word.  A good exercise for this is to slowly read Matthew 5 through 7 as a prayer guide.  As the Spirit speaks to you about a sin or shortcoming stop and confess it.  Ask God’s forgiveness.  Ask also His help in correcting wrong attitudes or actions.  Take your time in doing this.  It is noteworthy that this “Sermon on the Mount” in these chapters begins with matters of the heart.  In fact it is a soul searching sermon all the way through.  Believers who thoroughly examine their hearts can be more effective than those tirelessly busy with church work who are filled with all manner of corruption.  In fact, even lost people can easily identify those professing Christians that are all about appearance, but are unchanged on the inside.  They readily and rightly conclude that such people are no better than themselves.  Even the eternal destiny of those who operate solely by external appearances is in question.  “These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”  (Isaiah 29:13)  There is no more devastating deceit than to be self deceived.

Dan Wooldridge

     “I am afraid I can’t hold out?”  Over the years some people have resisted following Jesus for fear they could not stay the course.  This text gives some helpful truths that ensure a productive Christian life.  The call to prayer for those who serve is not only helpful to the missionary, but to the one who prays.  It is a way to be involved in God’s work.  God chooses to move through the prayers of his people.  On a table in my office, I keep a number of pictures of people in missions under a glass cover.  This reminds me to lift them up in prayer when I sit at that table.  I also introduce at least one hundred guests per year to their names and ministries.  I have been blessed by this gentle reminder to pray.  It has also been an encouragement to those whom I pray for.  Only the Lord knows how those prayers have contributed to the work.

Paul is confident that the Thessalonians will be faithful.  His ultimate confidence is in the Lord.  God lovingly holds his own.  They are urged to steer clear of irresponsible people.  We are always in the world, but we are not to be of the world.  Professing Christians who do not live consistently are a horrible influence.  They should be avoided.  They should also be told why they are avoided so that conviction may come to them.  Be on the lookout for good examples.  Imitating excellent discipleship is like practicing to ride a bike.  One day it just comes naturally to us.  A particular problem addressed was that of influence from idle people.  A possible interpretation for this passage is that these idlers were gossips.  People who gossip and slander should be avoided.  They should also be told they are being avoided.  It is appropriate to stop such people in middle of their talk and inform them that you do not want to hear what they are saying.  Once you listen to such talk, your ear will become a garbage can into which more and more such information is carried.  Most such talk involves talking about others, and this is always inappropriate when those spoken of are not present and cannot answer for themselves.  Do not say behind ones back what you will not say to their face.  Those who are busy about important work or who are busily serving the Lord do not have time for idle talk.  We are to warn those who live irresponsibly out of love for them.  Often people are in sin because they do not recognize the seriousness of their behavior.  We must be bold enough to challenge them.

Paul closed his letter with his own hand.  This indicates that he dictated most of what was written.  This was important to communicate in light of the forged letters that had been used by false teachers.

Dan Wooldridge

Christians did not invent the triune nature of God.  The bible declares it.  The word “trinity” is a word coined to express what God’s Word affirms.  God’s Word simultaneously affirms that there is only one God, and that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.  Some try to escape this by suggesting that there are three Gods.  Some even see a plurality of gods with humans having the potential to become gods.  Some try to see God as performing three roles in succession.  Each of these approaches will not stand the test of careful searching of the Scriptures.  When Jesus could speak of the Heavenly Father as being one with Him, He did not merely mean that the Father was in unity with Him.  When He spoke of the Holy Spirit and then said that He would come to us, He obviously meant that the Spirit was one with Him as well.  There is no jealousy with God.  Whatever the Father does, the Son does, and the Spirit does as well.  These truths arise from divinely revealed Scripture.  They may stretch us or challenge us, but there they stand.  There is only one God, and He has revealed himself in three persons.  The Father, Son, and Spirit, are equal and eternal.

Read the first chapter of John’s gospel and note that the “Word” of which John speaks is Jesus Christ.  Read also John 14:15-18 and note that Jesus simultaneously speaks about going away and the Counselor who will come.  In that same context He says, “… I will come to you”.  When the Spirit comes to us, Jesus has come to us.  That is why we can say Jesus lives in our heart.  Notice also that the Counselor comes from the Father.  Many many other texts reveal these truths.

Dan Wooldridge

Dan Wooldridge

    The message of the return of Jesus is a message of hope and blessing to those who love the Lord.  Some of the first recipients of this letter had been shaken by false reports about the return and were greatly unsettled and filled with uncertainties.  Paul wanted to assure them that Jesus return would be accompanied by some unmistakable signs.  First there would be an apostasy.  Some believe that this means that churches will be empty.  I personally do not think that is necessary.  All that is required to fulfill the prophecy of apostasy is for churches to abandon the clear message of Jesus and the truth of Scripture.  We could get to that point in a relatively short period of time given the often deplorable state of biblical content in many of today’s churches.  The most vibrant churches today are not in the Western world.  They are in Asia and Africa.  We would be hard pressed to disprove that apostasy has not already occurred in much of Europe and parts of North America.

 The man of lawlessness would precede the return of Jesus.  This is a man who seemingly is the embodiment of evil.  He is the antichrist that John the apostle alluded to.  This man demands to be worshipped.  The prophecy has long been believed by many to indicate that he will enter a reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem.  There is no Temple now, but there are constant reports of plans to build one.  Personally, this interpretation makes sense to me, but I would caution against using this possibility to argue against the immediate return of Christ.  Our interpretations are always subject to God’s correction.  Clearly there will be elements of miraculous power associated with the career of the man of sin.  These powers will likely be from the evil one.  The prophecy is that only those who are lost will be deceived by these signs.  God actually acts in judgement by allowing these deceptions to come.  He is not passive but active in the condemnation of those who love unrighteousness.

This section closes with Paul’s expressions of thankfulness for his readers and his encouragement to them about future.  He urges them to stand firm and walk in the truth.  Jesus always punctuated His teachings about his return by urging His disciples to be busy about His work.  Paul also wants to encourage the Thessalonians so that they may serve vigorously and share boldly.  When Jesus comes, let us be found seeking to make a difference in this world in His name.

Dan Wooldridge

Dallas Willard is a noted author.  He has served as a professor of philosophy at USC and his courses are very popular.  He says that from time to time a fellow professor will approach him with caution and say something like, “and you … you are a follower of Jesus.”   To which he replies, “You had someone else in mind.”  Think of all the great leaders in human history.  Think of the founders of world religions.  Think of the military leaders.  Think of the men of science, art, and literature.  When you are finished, you will note that there has never been anyone like Jesus.  Though he never wrote so much as a note that survives, the libraries of the world are filled with books that thoroughly examine every word his hearers have written down.  His message on the value of the individual has caused a revolution in education, medicine, social consciousness, international relations, and the list goes on and on.

  Jesus is not, however, solely a person of history.  He is still speaking, still leading, still governing, still healing, still changing lives, and still writing the story of His coming to earth.  Do you ever hear anyone talk about the difference Alexander the Great has made in their life, and yet untold millions from every continent on earth can testify to the personal impact of Jesus upon them today.  Untold millions will speak to Him while I write this blog.  He will speak back to them by the Holy Spirit with life giving direction.  You may call this delusional, but the evidence of the comfort, wisdom, and guidance they receive is hard to refute.  History is His story.  There has never been a man like Him.

Dan Wooldridge

The above question is one of the most commonly debated questions of our day.  Those of of us who believe God’s Word to be truth without error are often castigated for affirming Jesus as the only way.  In light of verses like John 14:6  and Acts 4:12, how can we do otherwise.  What is often missed in this discussion is that the question could be restated as follows, “Can one be saved by any other god than the one true God?”  That is the real issue.  Abraham did not know the name of Jesus, nor did any of the people of God in the Old Testament.  They did, however, know the one true God.  Once God made himself known through God the Son, to reject Jesus was to reject the one true God. 

There are basically three groups of people who do not yet believe on Jesus Christ.  There are those who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ.  There are those who have not had the good news of Jesus clearly communicated to them.  There are those who have had the good news clearly communicated and have rejected Jesus Christ.  The third group in the most fearful of circumstances.  Read Matthew 10:15 and Matthew 11:20-24.  The message of Jesus in these verses shows that not all of the lost people in history are under the same level of judgement.  Romans 1:20 indicates that the one true God makes Himself known through creation.  Romans 2:7 at least suggests that some people may follow what light they have toward eternal life.  This verse seems to suggest that some people may discover the one true God and believe on Him without ever hearing the name of Jesus.  The tragedy of other religions in the world is that they come up with substitutes for the one true God and leave their adherents even more in the darkness than before.

All salvation is through Jesus Christ because He alone has revealed the one and only God.  Those who say that all religions are reaching for the same god fail to realize that some world religions are not even about a god.  Some world religions declare man as part of god.  Some world religions deny Christ His rightful place.  In short, to say they all are reaching for the same thing is an impossible suggestion.  We can trust God to deal with all who will one day stand before Him in a just and holy way.  He will do what is right.  In the meantime, we have no option but to follow Jesus on His terms.  When He said to go into all the world and make disciples, he knew that they all needed to know Him, the reason He came, and the message He brought.

If you want to read a classic book that will help you with this discussion, find a copy of Don Richardson’s Eternity in their Hearts.

Dan Wooldridge

    As you may have heard, two representatives of a group called the Jesus Seminar are scheduled to be in Georgetown in early April.  I am not certain as to the topics they will present, but I am very familiar with what they have said and written.  This meeting will be held just prior to Easter.  The timing of the event leads me to point out my strongest, though by no means, my only dispute with these “scholars”.  I strongly resent those who use their scholarly credentials to make claims that deny the existence of the supernatural.  They remind me of modern day Sadducees.  They like the Sadducees are too intellectual for their own good.  With very carefully contrived language the people of the Jesus Seminar deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Now may I quickly add that they would deny what I just said.  They define the resurrection in terms of an existential experience that people of faith have in common.  They would say that the followers of Jesus came to the conviction that Jesus was somehow still alive and proceeded to tell stories in support of that conviction about empty tombs and so forth.  Some of them will concede to actual visions of Jesus as being alive from the dead, but one is left with a Christianity that is almost entirely subjective and stripped of its central feature.  Only those who refuse to read the plain words of Scripture could come up with such a conclusion.

 In my view it is not conservative beliefs about Jesus that these people oppose, but Jesus himself.  We live in a day when many are trying to reinvent Jesus.  It seems to me that there is a strong effort to make Jesus not so miraculous, not so unique, and not so divine as He truly is.  Do not be deceived by this.  I am already keenly aware of a number of young people who are drinking in this poison and using it to refute the faith of their fathers and mothers.  A good read for those who are interested in being more informed about this is the book, The Case for the Real Jesus by Lee Stroebel.  He lines up a wide variety of scholars to demonstrate that the time honored views of Jesus Christ held by Christians everywhere are built on a solid foundation.  In the words of the great old hymn, “On Christ the solid rock I stand.  All other ground is sinking sand.”

Dan Wooldridge

   We who have lived our lives in a nation that has enjoyed freedom of Religion cannot fully grasp the trials of those in countries like Myanmar.  In Myanmar pastors are threatened, imprisoned, killed, and harassed along with their congregations.  Churches are burned to the ground.  Christian villages are uprooted and driven into refugee camps.   To a greater or lesser degree this was the experience of the churches in the first century.  They were seen as a threat to the old ways.  The government systems had made peace with idolatry and worked out a civilization.  The Christian faith threatened that civilization with dramatic changes that took place in individual lives.  The result was persecution.

   How can we relate to this?  We, like them, should experience a change that challenges our culture.  Jesus did not come to help us fit in.  Our lives by their very nature should be discomforting to the worldly systems around us.  We should be growing in faith and in the love of God.  God brings about a certain radiance in the lives of those changed through a relationship with Jesus.  Some are drawn to Christ by that radiance and some are repelled by it.  Though our persecutions are far less severe, we may be whispered about, ridiculed, mocked, excluded, and generally dismissed as not being very bright. 

Another reality bears consideration.  It was not just that the Thessalonians suffered persecution, but how they handled trials that set them apart.  Every one of us will endure trials of some kind or another in life.  Nothing so reveals the nature of Christian faith as how we handle trials.  When those who do not know the Lord see the way we endure afflictions of various kinds, they can be led to see the power and victory that faith brings.  This strength in the face of trouble can cause them to see the emptiness in their own lives and expose their own fearfulness that has no solace.

In the end, God will wipe away every tear and settle every score.  Paul’s prayer for his readers was not so much that they would never suffer as that they would grow more like Jesus and live transformational lives.  In this world we will inevitably face our challenges.  What is most important is that the name of Jesus is magnified by the way we deal with them.  Our future is bright beyond description.  In the words of a great old hymn, “We cannot fail.  We must Prevail.  Have faith in God!  Have faith in God!”