Words the Church Needs to Hear

The quote below is from David Platt’s sermon to the Southern Baptist Convention this past Wednesday morning. You can watch the sermon in its entirety by going by clicking here. Then you will click ‘Watch Streaming Video’ and find his sermon by the day and time. These are timely words the Church needs to hear:

God raise up a church that is no longer content to wait for a tingly feeling to go down our spine to cause us to rise up and do what we have already been commanded to do. We don’t have to ask questions. He wants the gospel and the glory of God in all nations. So what happens not just when missionaries, but when pastors, music ministers, and staff members, members of churches, accountants, and engineers and teachers, and lawyers, and doctors, and stay-at-home moms… what happens when we all realize that we were all created for and commanded to accomplish a global mission? What happens when we begin to look at our houses, and our cars, and our stuff, and our lifestyles in light of the radical needs around the world? What happens when we begin to trust boldly in the name of Christ and we commit our lives to telling the nations that he is great? When that happens, the lost find a savior, the poor find a helper, and the church finds a God who satisfies more deeply than any and everything else this world has to offer us. God may it be so!

The Mormon Confirmation Prayer

I’ve had several hits from search engines on the last post I wrote on the Mormon confirmation prayer. I want to give some clear information for anyone who might find it useful regarding this prayer. Maybe you’ve just sat with two clean-cut, nicely dressed, sincere, young Mormon missionaries (called Elders), and they have shared with you the story of Mormonism. They have more than likely then asked you to read the Book of Mormon and pray to see if what they say is true. They have based this off James 1:5, and probably told you that you will getting a feeling like a “burning in the bosom.” So now you’re at the point where you’ve probably been presented with a lot of new information, and you’re thinking, “Now what do I do?” I have one word for you: Don’t! And here’s several reasons why not.

The first reason you should not pray this prayer is simple: it’s not for you! If you read James 1:5 it says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” It is a great promise, but here’s the problem- if you’ll go back and read verse 2 you’ll see that James directs this promise to his brothers (and sisters). James is addressing this to people who are already followers of Christ and have the Holy Spirit. This is not a prayer for everyone. It is only for followers of Christ.

Mormons believe that their church is the only way to follow Christ. By their reasoning, they are asking you to pray a prayer based on a promise that is made to them, but not made to you. The reasoning is inherently contradictory. They are using a prayer for believers in attempts to convert someone who is not a believer.

At this point, hopefully you are beginning to see a problem with their methods. There’s a lot more you need to know. The next thing you need to know has to do with Joseph Smith’s first vision. Hopefully, the missionaries have shared with you that Joseph Smith claimed to have seen a vision of the Father and Son. If you have know the Bible well, you may see the irony here. If not, here’s what you need to know. 1 John 4:12 says “No one has ever seen God.” John 1:18 says the same thing (cf. John 6:46). When John says God he means God the Father. In Exodus 33:20 God tells Moses that he cannot see His face and live.

Now I hope you are seeing that you need to look further into Mormonism before you even think about this prayer. Here’s some things you should look into:

Polytheism & The Nature of God

I would suggest finding a copy of Joseph Smith’s sermon entitled the King Follett Discourse. A quick search should help pull it up online for you. Here are some statements that should catch your eye:

“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens.”

This contradicts with several Scriptures: Psalm 90:2 He goes on to say,

“If the vail was rent to-day, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible,–I say, if you were to see him to-day, you would see him like a man in form–like yourselves, in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image, and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked, and conversed with him, as one man talks and communes with another.”

Not only is God an exalted man, but He is still like a man in form. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.” Next Smith adds,

“We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity, I will refute that idea, and will take away and do away the veil, so that you may see.”

This one is clearly against all that the Bible says about God. To show this, we’ll turn to Isaiah 44:6-8, which says,

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses!

God is the first and the last. There is no time when He was not God, nor will there ever be.

We’re just getting started. Here’s where it gets interesting. Smith says,

“Here, then, is eternal life–to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you,–namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one,–from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.”

Whoa! Hold the phone! “Learn how to be Gods?” What is Smith talking about now? The previous quotes have taken the God of the universe and stripped Him down to being an exalted man. Now Smith exalts man and says, “you will be like God.” These were the serpent’s words to Eve! In Genesis 3:5 Satan says to Eve, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Smith goes on to say that you will do “the same as all have done before you” Gods? Plural? Let’s go back to Isaiah. Isaiah 45:5 says, I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.” Isaiah 46:9 says,” I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.”

Deuteronomy 6:4 tells us the “Lord is one.” The Bible is clear. There is only one God. The other gods of the nations are false. Those who hope in other gods will be put to shame. So is this just an isolated example? Not at all. Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and several other early Mormon “prophets” taught polytheism and deification (that man becomes a god). Brigham Young taught that Adam was God the Father and came to earth to be the literal father of humanity. These are not isolated statements, but reflect an overall trend toward polytheism that is progressive in Mormonism. Missionaries won’t present you with these things. They may even be naively unaware of them, but you need to know!

The Book of Mormon

The next thing you must know is that the Book of Mormon is a fraud. It purports to have been written by Israelites who migrated to North America 600 years before Christ. There are several anachronisms that blatantly contradict the Bible. Joseph Smith copied whole passages from the King James Bible and changed words to make them mean the exact opposite of the biblical passage (Isaiah 2:1-9; 2 Nephi 12:1-9). The book of Jacob ends (7:27) with the word “adieu.” “Adieu” is a French word; a language not yet in existence in 600 BC! There are several quotes from New Testament books written in the first century and books of Old Testament prophets written 50-200 years after the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon claims that these Israelites built a temple in the Americas like Solomon’s temple in Israel. 1 Kings 5 tells us that the temple construction took 183,300 men. The immigrants to the Americas came with just a few men. Even if they could find the materials to build a temple, it would take hundreds of years for them to reproduce and have enough manpower. Not to mention that there is no evidence of any mining or construction of this magnitude anywhere in North America! (See Gleason Archer’s Appendix in his Survey of the Old Testament Introduction textbook)

Prophets and the Gospel

The basis of the Mormon claim is that at the death of the apostles, the entire church changed the gospel and went apostate (left the faith). Here’s the problem with that statement: In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says of the church, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Deuteronomy 18:22 says if a prophet speaks and it whatever he predicts does not happen, he’s a false prophet. Jesus is making a prophetic statement. If the church went apostate in the 1st or 2nd century as Joseph Smith and the Mormon church claim, then the gates of hell have prevailed and Jesus is a false prophet. If Jesus is a false prophet, Joseph Smith is too and Mormonism is false. If Jesus’ prophecy is true, then Joseph Smith’s most basic claim is false, and Joseph Smith is a false prophet. There is no other option. It is a lose-lose for Smith and Mormonism.

The absolute most important thing you need to know is that Mormonism teaches a different gospel. It is a gospel of works that is alien to the teachings of the New Testament. They teach that the gospel and commandments of the Mormon church go hand in hand. This is another gospel. Galatians 1:6-9 is clear that there is only one gospel. Paul says, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” 2 Corinthians 11 is clear about anyone proclaiming another Jesus (v. 4, which Mormonism does), but the greatest caution Paul gives is this one about false teachers:

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Satan disguises himself as an angel of light! Those who follow him will appear to be good people. They will wear nice clothes, comb their hair, come from good families, and seem to be all around good people. They are not as they seem! Watch out! These are the proverbial wolves in sheep’s clothing, and some of their best converts are church members (from Southern Baptist churches!) who aren’t properly equipped to deal with their claims. Ask questions here. Do research. Find a former Mormon who became a Christian and ask them why they left.

There is so much you need to know before you even think about praying any prayer or entering into Mormonism. I would suggest doing a lot of reading scripture and researching the background of Mormonism. Joseph Smith’s past is littered with idolatry, sorcery, and lies. He made many prophecies that failed. He translated a whole book (the Book of Abraham), which turned out to be an Egyptian book of the dead (”The Book of Breathings”). I would suggest a couple websites and books to aid in your research:

Have You Witnessed to a Mormon Lately by James Spencer

Mormonism Unmasked by R. Phillip Roberts (has a great appendix on the differing definitions of words between Mormonism and Christianity that shows how Mormons use Christian words with altered meanings attached)

Mormonism Explained by Andrew Jackson (downloadable from gigapedia)

A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction by Gleason Archer (has some great information on Mormonism in an appendix that I cited above)

http://www.irr.org

http://www.utlm.org

The True Gospel of Jesus Christ: Jesus is the promised Savior, sent by God to live a perfect life of obedience, die in place of sinners on the cross, and rise from the dead, conquering death. To be a follower of his, you must submit to him as the Lord (absolute ruler) of your life. He makes all the decisions and you joyfully obey his words, which are found in the Bible. A true follower of Christ is actively participating in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, doctrinally sound, local body of Christ called a church. Followers of Christ should be obedient in baptism, love others (especially within the church), and participate in the Lord’s Supper.

For more information on how to become a follower of Christ or how to find the type of church described above, feel free to contact me at: AJ633@netscape.net

The Scandal of Divorce in the American Church

Church members divorcing at the same rate as the society at large; remarrying in mass numbers; rampant adultery, fornication, and pornography – What is the church to do? We had a discussion last night with our church body about marriage and the family. Afterwards, my wife and I were discussing divorce in the context of the church. How should we respond as the church?

The New Testament gives us two situations in which divorce is acceptable: adultery and an unbelieving spouse. Notice I say that divorce is acceptable. I think the tendency is to wrongly see divorce as being optimal or even necessary. That is not the case.

The case of adultery seems clear-cut enough, but I think there is more to be said. The Bible has much to say about marriage and adultery, especially throughout the prophetic books. In tracing the history of the nation of Israel, we see this history rife with spiritual adultery. In the prophets, the Lord writes Israel (and Judah) his bride a certificate of divorce and sends her away. She is wedded to the idols of foreign nations.

The picture that Yahweh paints in Hosea is one we should pay close attention to. It is one of the clearest pictures of the gospel in the Old Testament. God takes those who have been unfaithful as His bride and redeems her. Through His Son, He has bought back His bride out of prostitution. As Christians seeking to imitate our God, we should be willing to take back a truly repentant adulterous spouse. We can only do so understanding that this is what God has done for us. It is not without great pain and struggle, but our trials lead to perseverance and joy. This is a picture of the gospel to a watching world as we identify with the sufferings of our God and Savior.

Marriage is used throughout the Scriptures as an imagery of God’s love for His people. In the Old Testament, it is Yahweh and Israel and in the New Testament this often takes the language of Christ and the Church. These are two different ways of saying the same thing. Marriage is meant to show the world the gospel and we must keep this in mind as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission. If we fail in our marriages as Christians, then we have brought shame upon the gospel and ultimately we tarnish the Name of God. So how are we to treat these situations?

What about an unrepentant adulterous spouse?

Since this unrepentantly adulterous spouse is both 1) adulterous and 2) not a believer this qualifies for both the reasons for a divorce being acceptable. I want to reiterate here that while divorce may be acceptable, it is never good. A common question may be, ‘What if my spouse is a believer?’ This is where Jesus’ words on church discipline come into play. If the church is to treat an unrepentant sinner as a “Gentile and a tax collector,” the most loving thing may be to do the same to this spouse. Hopefully in this case you are in a church which will exercise discipline and reinforce your actions. This sends a message of judgment to the unrepentant that should loudly and clearly say, ‘Repent and be restored!’

The above course of action is probably the most loving course in the case of a spouse who claims faith in Christ. This course of action is in line with God’s actions toward His covenant people in the Old Testament. He called them to repent, and when they refused, He sent them away into exile. From exile He brought them back and restored them to Himself by laying down His life. As the offended party in this relationship, be prepared to do the same for your (ex-)spouse, and thereby image forth the gospel.

What about an unbelieving spouse?

This is where we arrive at the second situation where divorce is acceptable. Paul speaks of the unbelieving spouse in 1 Corinthians 7. His first admonition is to remain with them if they will remain in the marriage. This will give us consistent opportunities to share the gospel. I believe this situation actually has many further applications to other common questions. For example…

What about spousal abuse?

This is a dilemma often faced and perhaps seldom understood biblically. There are two options for the believer in this case: 1) stay and love the hell out of them (literally), or 2) leave the home without seeking divorce.

Option number one is the most difficult. It will almost definitely require enduring physical and verbal abuse. Why stay? The reason for staying must be to glorify God by seeking to live out the gospel in front of the abusive spouse. You stay knowing that you will face persecution. You could even face death. This option will seem foolish to many, but God’s ways often do. The abused spouse must remain, knowing exactly what they are facing. The goal here is to provoke a response to the gospel. You need to be open, clear, and very explicit with your spouse that your goal is his/her repentance and faith in Christ. Pray for conversion and expect rejection. Pour the salt of grace into his/her wounds as you constantly return hatred with love. The abusive spouse has four options in response: 1) beat you to death, 2) repent and trust Christ, 3) stop the abuse but remain unrepentant, or 4) send you away and divorce you.

Option two may be the easier one to recommend, and may be wisest when children are involved. In this case, the goal is not to pursue a divorce, but to separate the abused spouse and children from a volatile home and seek help. As in every other scenario, the goal is restoration. This will be a painful, and perhaps long process. The abusive spouse may choose a divorce at this point. This is where Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 7 come into play. He tells the believers in Corinth that if an unbelieving spouse wants to divorce them, they are no longer bound to this spouse. You may continue to pursue a restored relationship and seek for this spouse to come to know the Lord, but you are no longer obligated to this marriage. The abusive spouse may not choose divorce. If this happens, continue to pursue restoration at all costs and do not give up hope! Ask for help at church. Urge the elders of the church to exercise church discipline and to pursue the unrepentant spouse, especially if they claim to be a believer. If they go on unrepentant, they should be treated as an unbeliever (Matthew 18:17).

What about remarriage?

This is perhaps the most difficult and often neglected question. It may be the one we are most hesitant to ask. Here are some basic principles:

A spouse who is a believer and was married to another believer should continue to seek restoration. He/She should not seek other relationships. If the separated spouse enters into a new relationship, this is adultery. We hesitate to say this, but this is what God calls it. A divorce between believers is not legitimate in God’s eyes unless adultery is involved. While there may be a legal divorce in the eyes of the local judicial law, God’s law recognizes these people as husband and wife. Entering into a relationship in this state is adultery in the eyes of God. Which brings us to our second principle…

A husband/wife whose spouse committed adultery is free to remarry. Again, restoration is always the best option but this may not happen. If one spouse chooses to marry a new husband/wife, the other spouse should consider the divorce final in the eyes of God (cf. Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

A Crucial Stand

Our churches must take a stand on these issues in accordance with God’s Law. A step that must be taken is on the front end. We must preach and teach how marriage and the gospel are intertwined. We must expose the sinful ways of the world that lead to divorce. We need to confront lust and pornography and expose Woman Folly for the harlot she is (cf. Proverbs 9).

We also need to take a difficult stand as pastors. Do not marry someone who claims to be a believer and is divorced for reasons other than the two situations discussed in the New Testament! You are not helping them, but giving them over to sin. You will be judged as a pastor more strictly on the day of judgment.

Our culture has made divorce and remarriage too easy, and the church has fallen in line. Hate what is evil and love Yahweh and His righteousness! You will seem insensitive and they may call you a Bible thumper, but remember it was God’s own people who crucified Jesus. Identify yourself with your crucified Savior as you stand for the gospel by protecting marriage!