Christians are Hypocrites...

Christians are hypocrites. First of all let me say to you these three words are absolutely true. These three words are also loaded with many thoughts and valid concerns from those outside of Christianity. I would also say these three words have been used as an excuse to dismiss altogether the claims and validity of Christ. They have also been used as an excuse for Christians to distance themselves from the Church.

Why do these three words have such heavy meaning and why do they carry such heavy criticism when levied against Christians? I believe they carry such weight because first they criticism is true and secondly, because those within and outside of Christianity have an extremely unbiblical view of the doctrine of sin. In other words, people at large do not realize how sinful, how truly wretched they are in the eyes of God.

The apostle Paul says in Romans 3:10-11, that there is NONE that does good, not even one! There is none that even seeks after God. In the following verses he goes to explain how wicked men truly are. This is the unsaved man. Jesus even refers to the religious leaders of his day as a brood of vipers. Tim Keller recently said that, "The Christian understanding of sin is much different than people think. I can't preach a sermon or pray a prayer without sinning."

I have no problem with the statement that Christians are hypocrites because we all are. The problem I have is the connotation behind the statement. That because Christians are hypocrites it invalidates the truth of the gospel and I can continue to reject God and live in my sin. As Mark Dever brilliantly put it, "Christians may be vipers like the rest of the world. The difference is, they know they are." The unbeliever refuses to come to the realization that they are wicked and in need of grace. The only difference between Christians and the unbeliever is God's grace has been given to the believer to know their need of forgiveness, repentance and a Savior. The need for an advocate, Jesus Christ to stand before God and say, "I have absorbed and taken all of the Father's wrath for this viper, for this hypocrite. They have received in the place of wrath, My righteousness." This doesn't mean Christians are better, this doesn't mean we do not sin anymore. It simply means that God in His grace has pardoned our sin and in it's place we've been given the righteousness of God's Son. The Christian then seeks to rely on grace in this life to live unto righteousness, until the day of ultimate redemption in heaven where we are freed forever from the bondage of sin. If you realize today that you are a viper in need of grace. Call out to God, repent and believe the gospel.

10 Lessons Seminary Never Taught Me

I was reading a blog post by a pastor and seminary graduate that I couldn't like and agree with more. He gave 10 lessons that Seminary never taught him. As someone that was in ministry and then went back to seminary, I had a unique perspective and was able to see a lot of these things in myself when I left Bible College. The zeal of young can be a wonderful strength, but it can also bring with it, complete arrogance and downright stupidity, both of which I was guilty of early in ministry.

Jeff Robinson in his post gives these 10 things he never learned in ministry. I will just summarize them here and for a more detailed and really well written version please read his full version here.

1. Ministry is war
2. My fictional church, was a fictional church.
3. Theological knowledge, does not equal pastoral maturity
4. Love surpasses knowledge
5. If I will become a useful instrument in God's hand I must suffer.
6. Because of my western definition of success is worldly, it will bother me when attendance is low or they don't respond well to my teaching.
7. I will often exhibit an acute fear of man.
8. Many people in my church will not like me, no matter how much I love them or treat them with kindness.
9. I will often be mystified and frustrated that my ministerial labors do not yield "product."
10. My theological heroes didn't have it easy either.

Why is church membership so important?

9 Marks ministries gives these 3 great reasons to have a well-defined and clarified church membership. Check out their website at 9marks.org

1. Showing the world who is a Christian and who is not. The clearer the line between Christian and non-Christian, the clearer the gospel will be.
2. Demonstrating that the gospel is a life-transforming message. When a church is full of people who have been set free from slavery to sin and now are slaves of righteousness (Rom. 6:15-23), it will show the world that the gospel really is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16), and that this salvation necessarily involves living a radically new life of holiness and obedience to God.
3. Displaying the power of the gospel to unite people. When a church is composed of Christians who are united in faith and love, that church demonstrates that the gospel has power to unite people who would otherwise be divided. It also shows that the gospel is not limited to any ethnic or social group, but is rather a universally relevant message that calls all people to repent and offers eternal life to everyone who believes in Christ.