Changed from the Inside Out

J.A. Matteson

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."  

2 Timothy 4:3-4

These words ought to startle every sincere follower of Jesus Christ. It is fashionable in our present day for many professors of Christ to reject the very idea of doctrine as incompatible with the gospel. In reality there is great irony in this assertion because the gospel is, in fact, doctrine. Doctrine is both a biblical word and concept, it simply means teaching. Beware of teachers who deride, ridicule, and diminish the need for doctrine in the church. When we peel away the layers of the thinking of these teachers often we discover a malignant deadly assumption, namely, that because Christians are under grace they no longer are obligated to observe the moral Law. The term for that teaching is "antinomianism", which is the view that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law. When the apostle speaks of adhering to sound doctrine he means that written in scripture (Old Testament--there was no New Testament at this time) and the teaching of Jesus Christ and the apostles (which would later become the New Testament). Why is this issue important? Because there are many professing Christians today who think that holding a head knowledge sort of belief in Christ is sufficient for salvation when they willfully live in a pattern of perpetual unrepentant sin. That is a dangerous assumption which presumes upon the grace of God. The apostle James clearly speaks to this errant teaching by sounding forth a warning, "Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22). The "word" referenced is the gospel which is the entirety of the teaching of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Old Testament law, ceremonially and morally. The point of the gospel is that by grace God accepts sinners the way they are with their hurts, hangups, and dysfunctional habits. Further, by his grace he does not leave them helpless in sin, but places within them his Holy Spirit who establishes a new nature, one that hates sin, being enabled by the Spirit to increasingly say no to sin and yes to righteousness. The apostle Paul speaks to this marvelous transformation, "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). All professors of Christ are well served by noting the apostles words. Note that he states, "And that is what some of you were." Can you see that he is obliterating the false teaching of antinomianism which says live however you choose, and as long as you say  "I believe in Jesus" you're on your way to heaven? That is a false gospel that will send people to hell. Jesus himself warned the crowds following him and yet were disobedient to him, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Now it must be stated that no true Christian can do this perfectly in this life. And yet one of the hallmarks of genuine faith is a life undergoing transformation where patterns of sin are replaced with patterns of righteousness. If that describes you rejoice because your name is written in heaven. If that does not describe you and the pattern and desire of your life is predominately sin, you may have a serious spiritual concern. It is spiritually healthy and biblical to periodically do some introspection to ensure that the faith we claim to have is in fact saving faith and not a counterfeit, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Copyright (c) 2016  Immutable Word Ministries 

Changed by the Spirit

J.A. Matteson

"This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?"  Galatians 3:2

How often do you catch yourself still trying to please God through performance?  Why is it we continue to think that if we just read our bible more, pray more, memorize more scriptures and the like that God would love us more?  Where is that coming from? Well it is not coming from the message of the gospel.  Think about this, when did Jesus Christ die for your sin, before you believed in him or after?  Listen carefully to what the apostle Paul says about this: "but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).  Allow the joy of that truth sink in for a moment.  If the God of the universe purposely died on our behalf before we were even born, before we believed in him, while we were living in sin, it is irrational to think he will now love us more if we strive to be perfect. Here us a trustworthy statement: we can not be perfect, only Christ is perfect!  That's the whole point of the gospel, it is Good News!  How do we receive the Spirit?  By faith in Jesus Christ, believing the gospel.  Again listen to the apostle: "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13).  How may we know that we have received the Spirit?  Because we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.  How may we know that our faith is genuine and not counterfeit?  Because the Spirit changes us from the inside out, our disposition, likes and dislikes, slowly conforming us to be like Christ in our thinking and behavior.  This is what is referred to as the fruit of the Spirit, those qualities he produces in our lives: "For the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).  So allow yourself to be your own fruit inspector.  Are those qualities increasing in your life?  If they are that is the Spirit's work in your life.  The truth is, all who come to Christ by faith are changed by him. As many theologians have stated: Christ loves and receives us as we are, but his love for us does not leave us as we are.  Continue to pursue Christ, read his word and talk to him, listen to him.  More importantly believe his word by living it, and the Spirit will do amazing things in your life, things you could never imagine possible.

Copyright (c) 2016  Immutable Word Ministries

Youthful Wisdom

J.A. Matteson

"He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."  Proverbs 13:20

Young person, what is it that you seek?  Are you enamored with fame, position, power, or wealth?  Who's favor do you seek?  Is it that of your friends, teachers, boyfriend, girlfriend, parents, brothers and sisters?  Who's opinion matters to you?  Truthfully, are your decisions influenced more by your feelings or by carefully thinking things through before you choose a course of action?  And while we have never met I would venture to say you want to invest yourself into things you deem worthwhile, enduring, beautiful, creative, to leave your unique mark on this world, to leave it if possible, a bit better because you lived.  Right?  Otherwise what's the point if it all?  Yet you are in the flower of your youth and by your perspective the day that you find yourself aged seems like an eternity away.  Indeed you secretly feel immortal and the very thought of your life ending seems impossible, that happens to other people, but not you.  By now you have experienced the unexpected loss of a friend or known of a friend of a friend who died in their youth.  You are unsure how to process it.  But process it you must.  And in the quiet moments of your inner thoughts you know something about death is wrong, it's not right, it's not supposed to be this way.  It's so permanent.  The melancholy introspection causes you to long for something above and beyond the normal human experience on earth, you long for that which is eternal.  Where did that come from?  There is an answer and it is this: God has hard wired into your being the longing for eternity because you were created by God as an eternal being, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  How you ask is that even possible?  Why would God do this?  God tells us why in the book of Genesis, "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground'"(Genesis 1:26).  To be created in God's image is not reflected in your body because God is Spirit and does not have a physical body. To be created in God's image is to mirror his likeness in terms of personhood. Personhood, what is that?  God thinks, feels, makes decisions, plans, creates, and so forth.  Consider how people differ from dogs and cats, they may have feelings and instincts but are incapable of complex thinking, reading, mathematics, and the like. They don't build ships, libraries, or open restaurants. So not only has God placed eternity in your heart because God is eternal, he has also placed within you a desire for significance, that too is something animals lack.  So now we come full circle back to my original question: young person, what is it that you seek.  Sure we all seek different things daily, but strip those things all away and at the core of your inner self your greatest longing (placed there by God) is for a life of significance and ultimately eternity, and neither of those longings can be yours apart from knowing God and fulfilling his wonderful plan for your life.  Look at that first scripture again, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."  Do you consider yourself a wise person.  Sure you do.  But by who's standard, yours or Gods?  What does it mean to "walk" with wise people?  A better question is who is wise by Gods standard and who is foolish?  Here's the truth, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10).  From Gods perspective the wise person is the one who acknowledges his existence and who displays a deep respect for him.  So who does God consider a foolish person?  You guessed right, "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good" (Proverbs 14:1).  So how can you fulfill a life of significance?  Be a wise person, that is, one who acknowledges and lives in daily relationship with God through his Son Jesus Christ.  At that you might push back, thinking that's pretty restrictive.  Surely all religions worship the same God, right?  Wrong.  The eternally wise God took on humanity through the person of Jesus Christ, lived the perfect (sinless) life we are incapable of living, died for our sins in our place on a wooden cross, and was raised from the dead on our behalf, so that all who place their trust in him for the eternity they desire will not be turned away.  Is Jesus really the only way to God?  In his own words, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Did Jesus make any promises about eternal life by trusting in him for it?  Yes he did!  Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).  That's awesome news, isn't it?  So is there anything else to living wisely?  Yes, choose your friends carefully by hanging around other wise people who can help you as you help them live your life according to the good plan he has designed for you.  Remember that if you decide to hang out with unwise people you will cause yourself harm, "Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33).  Now that you know what it truly means to be wise, go do it.

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever.

True Wisdom

J.A. Matteson

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  Proverbs 9:10

It's all so simple and at the same time mysterious. That is, how can we know true wisdom to live a meaningful and satisfying life with a heart of understanding to live prudently? The ancient words of King Solomon tell us: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). What does the old guy mean by "fear"? Does he mean terror? No. He means reverence (a deep respect) for the holiness of God and a healthy respect for His wrath as a consequence to those who reject Him. That premise is the beginning of living wisely. It is to be playing, if you will, the game of life with a full deck of cards, to have the good judgement to perceive life as it truly is, a gift from God who created all things and to whom all things are accountable. So to acknowledge that God exists, is holy, and is the ruler of all things is the beginning point of living a life of wisdom. And this wisdom is available to everyone; however, many reject it. The king next goes on to say that once we have attained true wisdom by acknowledging God's existence and submitting to his governance over our lives that "knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." In other words Solomon is suggesting we can know God personally and intimately. Think about that for a moment because it's an amazing truth. The God of the universe invites everyone to know Him personally; that is fantastic! Where can we gain this knowledge of God? The answer is right in front of us: the Bible. It is God's inspired revelation to the world of Himself. Want to know the heart of God? Read and study the Bible. The more you commit yourself to knowing the heart of God through the Bible the more "understanding" you will acquire on living out a life of true wisdom, a life pleasing before the God who created you to know Him and love Him and to know His love towards you. 

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 4:8)

Moral Rot

J.A. Matteson

"Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD...saying, 'Are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You...O our God, will You not judge them?  For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 2 Chronicles 20:3, 6, 12

Unrighteousness, wickedness, and perversion have risen against the LORD and His children. The moral rot and filth of a depraved people has arisen, seeking to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Assailing the land homosexuals, lesbians, transsexuals and others who practice every form of indecency are lauded as virtuous by those in government authority. And if it were not sick enough that the sacred arrangement of marriage should be altered to include that which is an abomination to the LORD, not satisfied with sanctioning the perversion of consenting adults, tyrant Barak Hussain Obama has now taken depravity to the superlative by mandating that children of the opposite sex share open locker rooms and showers! Such a provocation of the holy order of the LORD and nature is beyond description. It is nothing less than vial defiance and outright disdain for Jesus Christ. But, God is God and He does not suffer fools indefinitely. Those who sow corruption will reap it. The LORD does not slumber, being fully aware of the ways of the wicked. Let the example of Jehoshaphat serve as an encouragement to lovers of Jesus Christ. The battle against wickedness and every form of evil belongs to the LORD. As the apostle Paul stated our fight is not against flesh and blood (people), but it is spiritual in nature. Those committing and advancing gross immorality are pawns of Satan, they are his children, being moved along to do his desire. Therefore, like Jehoshaphat the focus of Christ's disciples must be upon Him and not on the wicked. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus Christ. He raises up nations and leaders as well as humbling them. Let us, therefore, understand as Jehoshaphat understood, that the nature of the battle against perversion is spiritual, and let us raise our prayers and eyes to Him who is our banner to gain the victory and restore righteousness in the land so that His name is exalted. God will prevail over His enemies in His time and in His way. That is both a biblical and historical certainty. 

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8).

Humility

In the crucible of humiliation by the hand of God our pain is proportionate to our pride.

J.A. Matteson

Fully Persuaded

J.A. Matteson

"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." 1 John 5:11

Are you fully persuaded of the joyful anticipation and implication of eternal life?  Is eternity something you daily ponder in light of your present difficulties?  Do you fret and strain during the course of the passing years and sigh at the changing reflection in the mirror?  How often do you catch yourself calculating your estimated time left this side of the grave with a foreboding sense of melancholy?   Answering yes to these questions indicates you are walking in the flesh rather than by faith.  And walking in the flesh will never deliver the joy and peace you seek.  The child of God is eternal life in nature by the promise and power of God.  Once that reality is grasped in its magnificence it changes everything.  It alters how we view our stuff that God has made us managers of.  It transforms our relationships with believers and non-believers.  It radically impacts decisions affecting our calendar and checkbook.  And perhaps most notably it alters our thinking when enduring difficulty, of whatever variety it may be.  Stop counting your mortal years and projecting an estimated end to them.  Yes, God has appointed a final day for your present sin laden body to return to the ground from which it was taken, but you will continue for eternity, eternity!  In God's appointed time he will provide you with a glorified body that will never age, become ill, or in any way suffer imperfection.  And in that perfect glorified state you will forever be with the Lord Jesus Christ, who ransomed you from the power of sin and death, to be with him forever.  Eternal bliss and joy inexpressible is promised you.  Now, don't miss this most important fact, what God has promised you already possess; that is, eternal life is not waiting for you in the future, it is a present reality.  Listen to the promise, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).  You see, eternal life is not merely a state of being, it is foremost a relationship with Jesus Christ, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).  It was this truth as illuminated in the minds of the apostles by the Holy Spirit that infused them with a boldness that shocked the world, obliterated fear and recalibrated their perspective to an eternal plane from an earthly orientation.  This same joy is available to every child of God today when eternity is embraced in their daily experience.  The apostle Paul expresses this joy beautifully, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). 

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God endures forever."). Isaiah 40:8