The Gospel is Not The Great Commandment

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
(Matthew 22:37)

One of the greatest mistakes being made in evangelicalism today is the belief that the Great Commandment is the essence of the Gospel itself. Countless preachers today teach their audiences that they must love God and love others, and consider this to be the core focus of the Christian faith. Just searching for the words, church "mission statement" "great commandment" on Google reveals tons of churches who use this as their charge for what they should be doing in the world. But this is not the Gospel.

Simply put, the Gospel is that Jesus Christ, the God-Man, came down to earth to die for mankind as the perfect sacrifice for sin, died and shed His blood on the cross, taking the wrath of God on His shoulders, was raised from the grave three days later, and ascended into Heaven in front of 500 eyewitnesses. And if one repents of his sin and trusts Christ as savior in response to this act of God, receiving forgiveness, then that person will be saved from sin and from Hell, and enjoy eternity with God in Heaven. (Paul summarized the Gospel in the beginning of 1 Corinthians 15, for reference.)

But when preachers say that the Gospel is the Great Commandment, what they have done is re-instituted the Law and hold people to an unreachable standard, giving them false faith. No one can love God on their own in the way Jesus described things as Matthew recorded them. And no one can love their neighbor so perfectly either. So when a preacher uses the Great Commandment as their explanation of the Gospel, they make a gospel of works, not the true Gospel.

When a man is saved through hearing the true Gospel and repents and puts his trust in Christ, he then loves God and loves neighbors as a result of the saving faith that he has. This is not the qualification for the forgiveness of his sins; it demonstrates how his inner being has been changed by the Lord and how he responds to the forgiveness of his sins. (And, remember that this love will still not yet be perfect.)

When a man hears a gospel that says that he must love God and his neighbor, he will spend the rest of his life believing that he is doing well enough in his efforts to do charity and kindness. He will never understand the magnitude of his sins, why a savior was necessary, or why he will stand before the Great White Throne only to be cast into Hell after he dies.

The Worst Thing A Preacher Can Hear

The worst thing a preacher can hear is not from someone who says, "I disagree with you and despise you for what you are saying." The worst thing a preacher can hear is from someone who says, "Preacher, thank you for what you are doing and how you are trying to make a difference in the lives of your listeners. Your message has truth and I cannot argue against it. Yet I will choose to continue in my own way and go to Hell."

Why Do Men Avoid Sin?

The man who does not sin of his own volition does so because he wishes to be a moral man, but still has to be weighed in the scale of justice against a perfect standard.

The man who does not sin for the fear of the wrath of God is like a criminal trying to make for a better court case through good works, but will still be found guilty when his life is judged.

The Christian who does not sin does so because he realizes that the price for his sins was the life of the Son of God Himself, and he would hate to heap any more weight on that cross.

The Peril of Sexual Sin

The main difference between sexual sin, such as pornography and fornication, and other types of vices is that it shackles the mind. The alcoholic can remember the taste of fine liquor, its intoxicating aroma, and the euphoria that comes from imbibing, but the memory will not make him drunk. The thief can remember the exhilaration from stealing, the feeling of taking money or objects from someone without their knowing, but the memory will not put ten dollars into his hand. And, the glutton can remember wonderful cuisine and overindulging in eating, but the memory will not spontaneously make him gain weight.

Yet for a person whose mind has been tainted by the sight of images of people engaged in all sorts of debauchery or the personal experiences of promiscuity, all it takes is one errant glance, one hint of perfume, or one glancing touch to flood the mind with those vivid memories and engage in adultery in the heart. While other sins are public and require some physical or verbal action, the theater of thought can provide a most wicked stage that can be viewed independently of anyone in proximity to the sinner being remotely aware of what lust is traipsing its way across the brain. Even a passing moment of engaging in wrongful desire can imprint a fantasy that can be replayed again and again for decades.

Flee sexual sin with all your might. Flee as Joseph did when Potiphar's wife tried accosting him. Flee the chances to see Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop at night. Run with all your strength in the opposite direction as hard and fast as you possibly can so that you may never have an occasion for your mental faculties to be compromised and plague you for the rest of your life.

And if you happen to be one who has the nightmares of your sexual sins cross your thoughts on a daily basis, flee to the Savior. He is the only one who can lighten, blot out, and erase those sensations from your mind. He will free you from your past and save your soul from Hell itself.

Do You Understand Levi's Name?

One thing I love about my church is its evangelistic focus and outreach. We care so much about the souls of people in our town that late every Sunday afternoon, the church gathers together at our pastor's house for prayer. Then. we pick up materials and go door-to-door throughout the town, giving them to people or sticking them on their front porches along the way.

I love doing this with my family, especially. It's great having time to relax and take a walk around town, doing God's work. We usually split into two groups to hit both sides of the street at once and make games out of giving out tracts to keep the kids going.

And, yesterday was a perfect day to go out. It was warm and sunny, and tons of people were sitting on their front porches, chatting with neighbors, and watching their kids play in their front yards. I was surprised by how many people were taking walks or taking their children to the local parks. For every two or three houses we visited, there was at least one person nearby.

After we finished one cul-de-sac, there was a family coming up the hill to where we just were. Mom and dad were walking along while a very proud grandma was pushing her new grandson in a stroller. When they came near, we greeted them and gave them some cards inviting them to our church's two year anniversary service next weekend (Hey, free lunch!).

We started making some small talk about their baby, because for being just three months old, that kid had a head of hair that would make some newscasters and weathermen jealous. I mean, Rod Blagojevich would say, "Wow, that is a lot of hair." Then we asked what they decided to name him. His mom said that they named him, "Levi."

I asked the mom if she knew the origin of her child's name. She knew it was a Bible name, but said that her mom (grandma) would be able to answer it better. God couldn't have teed up a more perfect opportunity to share the Gospel, and grandma was smiling because I think she, too, as a believer, knew what was going to happen next.

I explained how Levi was one of the sons of Jacob, along with his eleven other brothers. And I told her about how the tribe of Levi had such and important role in offering the sacrifices for the people of Israel. When I asked mom if she knew why they did this, she said, "No."

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)

I shared how the sacrifices were a covering for sin for those people at that time. But I made it relevant to mom because I talked about sins like lying, stealing, blasphemy, and adulterous thoughts--things that people still commit today. And I explained how God's justice means that when He judges people, it will be against His perfect standard.

Then I transitioned the message into Jesus Christ, and how He wasn't just the sacrifice to cover sins, but the sacrifice that forgave sins and took God's wrath on His shoulders. And I finished up by explaining how people who believe this need to repent of their sins and trust in Christ.

It was a great, pleasant conversation, and wonderful being able to explain it to her family. They had just moved into the neighborhood and had been attending another church in town, but were checking things out overall. I recommended that they should come to my church to hear more preaching like this and get to learn the Bible more. They thanked all of us, and went on their way to their home.

I always recommend finding those great areas to bridge off and share the Gospel. Sometimes God serves them up so easily like they did with Levi's name, and sometimes you might just have to interrupt and say, "Hey, I want to share something completely unrelated with you." But know that we're always called to share the Gospel (Mark 16:15) and don't wait for the, "perfect opportunity," that may never come.

Battle of The Mormons, Round 1

There's nothing quite like preaching on the streets when you can tell someone wants to hurt you. When someone is standing just a few feet away from you and you can almost tangibly feel their anger rippling through the air. It's been a long while since I've had an encounter like that, but that is exactly what happened on Monday at the skate park.

There were a surprising number of parents watching their kids that afternoon. I made the rounds giving out water and talking to them here and there when I came across a mother sitting on one of the stone planters, reading a book. As I struck up a conversation with the intent of sharing the Gospel, she said that she was a Mormon.

Because Mormons tend to believe that they worship the same deity that Christians do, I had to change the conversation. I started off by focusing on how they believe that they will try their hardest and Jesus will make up the difference. Then, I swung to how we have two different Jesuses. And, as I started wrapping up, I pointed out what the Bible said about the afterlife. That was when her husband walked up.

He was a big dude, about 6'5" and full of muscles, with a shaved head. He reminded me of a movie tough guy, with a subtle accent and the mannerisms of someone who lived on the east coast. Obviously, he wasn't happy that I had been speaking to his wife, and particularly when I warned her about how believing in a false Christ would lead her to Hell. Although he kept his volume down pretty well, and didn't threaten me directly, it was clear that he was mad and I wasn't sure if things would get physical or not.

I kept my cool, too. I agreed with him that if I saw a man talking to my wife about matters of faith, I would introduce myself to the fellow as well. But I wouldn't back down at all on the truth of the Gospel and kept pressing the point to them.

While our conversation got circular pretty quick, there were some good exchanges worth noting:

--

Him: "You know, we Mormons will never come to your house and tell you that you're going to Hell."

Me: "I know. That's because you have an incorrect view of the afterlife."

--

Me: "You and I worship two different Jesuses."

Him: "No, we don't."

Me: "Do you believe that Jesus is a created being?"

Him: "Yes."

Me: "Do you believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers?"

Him: "Yes."

Me: "Okay, we have two different Jesuses."

--

Me: "If I die and what you believe is true, I will go to the lowest level of Heaven and have a chance to hear the Mormon gospel again (and I would be pretty dumb to not pick it at that point)."

Him: "Yes."

Me: "And if what I believe is true, you will face an angry God who will judge you and send you to Hell."

--

Him: "You have to admit, there's a big difference between lying and stealing, adultery, and murder."

Me: "James 2:10 says that if you break the Law in one point, but keep all the rest, you're a law breaker and will be judged by that. Do you disagree with the Bible here?"

Him: "Yes."

--

Me: "1 Corinthians 6:9 says that no idolater can make it to Heaven."

Him: "Are you saying that I'm an idolater because I worship differently than you?"

Me: "Yes, I am."

--

Him: "Do you realize how rude it is to talk to some guy's wife and tell her she's going to Hell?"

Me: "But is it true, or not?"

--

Him: "What about all the people in Bora Bora who never hear the Gospel, but live otherwise good lives?"

Me: "Have they committed sins?"

Him: "Well, yes."

Me: "Then they're not good."

Him: "But they've never heard about Jesus!"

Me: "People go to Hell because they sin against God, not because they've never heard of Jesus. They have Creation and a conscience to tell them that there's a God, and they choose to do evil anyway."

--

His Wife (wrapping things up): "I know you believe something different than us, and I'm okay with that."

Me: "I'm not! Because what I believe will have horrible consequences for you."

What Is True Jeopardy, Alex?

I was watching the recent Tournament of Champions on Jeopardy! during dinner. One man had been trouncing the other contestants pretty well, and by the point he got to Final Jeopardy, he led the second-place contestant by about $6000. All he had to do was wager one dollar more than the maximum possible bid of his contender to win.

The final category was unveiled: Words In The Bible. Naturally, I got a little excited at seeing this, and jokingly said to my family, "I wager all of my money!" They laughed at my bravado, as I usually make outlandish bids whenever there is a Double Jeopardy question up on the screen.

When they came back from commercial, Alex Trebek read the final question:

"In Genesis 2:24 these 2 words are what a man shall do to his parents & then to his wife; add a letter to 1 to get the other."

Immediately, I shouted the answer. "Leave and cleave! I win the game! Booyah!" My family teased me because they knew I had it right (for a change), and we waited to see who would win the show.

The first man answered, "What are honor & ... ?" That was wrong; fortunately, he wagered nothing.

The second man answered, "What is love and lover?" Again, a wrong answer. Unfortunately for him, he wagered everything he had but $50.

The third man, the leader of the pack, answered incorrectly, too. Luckily, he had wagered only $250, making him still the winner. But it was his reply that intrigued me the most:

"What is be good?"

This is what many people think is the theme of the Christian faith. You become a Christian to add Heaven points to your tally in a goal of getting rewards after you die. God wants you to be good, and hopefully the good will outweigh the bad. And even the smartest of people on Jeopardy! believe this idea, too.

But no one can be good enough to get to Heaven. You see, God is a perfect God, and Heaven is a perfect place. If you're not perfect, you would add imperfection to Heaven, which would corrupt it. All it takes is one mistake, one error, one sin to cause this corruption. But we keep on thinking that we can do good enough to tip the scales to earn our way into Heaven. And that is the definition of true jeopardy.

Maribel The Cashier

I was prepared for battle this afternoon. I had mentally rehearsed my lines. I knew the logic I was going to use in making my points. I was prepared for the inevitable objections and how to escalate the battle to the next level when necessary. And I had an ultimate trump card in my pocket.

You see, as I went to pick up my wife's van from the dealership, I knew that I was going to have to argue why I shouldn't have to pay for one of the charges on the bill. The air bag light had been coming on intermittently, and the mechanics wanted to charge about $150 for their diagnostics. The only problem is that even they couldn't figure out why at random times the dash would light up. They hypothesized that the culprit was a short in the switch that goes to the driver's side seat belt, but that would cost $400 and offered no guarantee that it would cure the problem.

Needless to say, I wasn't keen to the idea of shelling out a ton of cash for an ineffective diagnosis. I could have taken the van in town to my mechanic and had the codes pulled from the computer for free. But against my better judgment, I went back to the dealership after telling them a year ago that they would never get my business again, only because the car was still under warranty, and the transmission also seemed to be having trouble.

After a week of waiting and calls not being returned in a timely manner, I went into the dealership ready to make war, with nothing less than a total waiving of those diagnostic fees as my victory. When I first met the rep who had been handling my ticket, I turned my cell phone to record mode as a precautionary measure, in case I would be given the runaround. He led me into the cashier area and grabbed my paperwork. "Oh, great. Here it comes," I thought to myself.

He turned the pages and explained all of the repairs that were made to the transmission. He hit the highlights for the rest of the analysis of the van, and talked about what work they did. He also remembered to include my free oil change in the mix. Then, he turned to the payment statement.

$100 even. The warranty deductible only.

They waived the fee and agreed that since they couldn't figure out what caused the problem, I shouldn't have to pay it.

I couldn't believe it. I felt so elated and happy that they fixed the problem with the transmission, did the oil change, and were fair with the charges. My frustration and anticipation of conflict dissipated.

I went over to the cashier to pay the bill and started speaking to the young woman named Maribel. I noticed she had a large scar running from her neck down toward her chest and asked her about it. She said that she had a heart defect as a child and the doctors have sometimes cut that area to confirm that everything is working properly.

I gave a complete Gospel presentation to her, and she even asked me to stick around to ask a few more questions. She sounded genuinely concerned with her eternal salvation.

Now, had I remained in my state of anticipating a battle, I can't guarantee that that conversation would have happened that way. I doubt that opportunity would have happened that way at all. The only thing I can say is that it was a God thing.

Summer Silence

Normally, I enjoy how summer is the perfect time for sharing the Gospel with people. The weather is warm, people are happy to be outside, you can see tons of families walking everywhere, and there are a variety of venues for starting up conversations. But, recently I've been feeling really frustrated and perturbed about something.

You see, during this summer my community has a ton of festivals in the parks, summer celebrations, and activities where hundreds, if not thousands will go to enjoy themselves. We're talking fireworks shows, carnivals, parades, movies on the streets, and neighborhood celebrations, to name a few. And many of these activities have the sponsorship of local churches in the area, who are willing to foot some or all of the bill themselves. Yet, they aren't taking the time to share the Gospel directly.

I know that this is not specific to my locale, but symptomatic of a larger problem in America where public events that are organized by churches go out of their way to make things so inclusive that they never take the time to share all of the details of the Gospel. They pass out information about their church services, give handouts and toys to the kids, and shake the hands of people passing by, but do not take the time to ask (as my brother Mr. Genor would say), "Excuse me, sir. Are you saved? If you die tonight, do you know you would go to Heaven?"

What happened to the urgency and duty to share the Gospel with people? Why is it that churches are going out of their way to avoid any sort of conversation that could lead to conviction of sin, faith in Christ, and repentance of sin? When did the idea of inviting someone to church by putting up some amusement park rides become equivalent to evangelism?

Worse yet, there are stories on the web of Christian evangelists who go to these events on public property only to be tossed out. What lunacy is that?

In the coming weeks, I'll be passing out tracts at some of these events and we'll have to see what the outcome will be.

Subjective vs. Objective

I really wish they would teach logic in schools nowadays. I'm not talking about making students into PhDs, or busting out Latin phrases like, "post hoc ergo propter hoc," but just some of the basics of understanding what is sensible and what isn't. Case in point: Monday at the skate park.

One teenager believed heavily that if all the world used psychotropic drugs like LSD, psilobycin, and pot, that everyone would be in harmony. And every time he brought up an argument, he could not understand the logic of what he was saying.

Round 1

Him: "Cannibis is natural, and since God gave it to us, we should use it."

Me: "So your premise is that if something is natural, it is therefore good?"

Him: "Yes."

Me: "So by that logic, why don't we eat the poisonous part of the fugu blowfish?"

Him: "You're not making sense."

Round 2

Him: "Well, even the Bible says they used cannabis to make rope and clothing."

Me: "That would be hemp, which is different than pot, and I don't recall that in the Bible."

Him: "Well, they're of the same species, so that makes it good."

Me: "So by that logic, if something is of a similar species, that makes it good. Why, therefore, don't you eat the nightshade, which is the deadly cousin of the potato?"

Him: "You're not making sense."

Round 3

Him: "Have you ever used drugs like LSD or pot before?"

Me: "No, I haven't. Never will."

Him: "Then you can't comment on it until you've tried it."

Me: "So, by that logic, I cannot comment on murder until I've killed someone, rape until I've raped someone, or cheating on my wife until I've committed adultery."

Him: "You're not making sense."

Round 4

Him: "Drugs are good because the experiences you get shape reality."

Me: "You mean that your subjective experience will alter reality?"

Him: "Yes, it will alter reality for you."

Me: "No, reality shapes your experiences, not the other way around. Reality is objective, experiences are subjective. Reality is in common universally, experiences are not."

Him: "No, they will alter reality for you."

Me: "So if everyone takes drugs and believes that they can fly, will that actually occur?"

Him: "You're not making sense."

Why is it so hard to believe in absolutes today? I blame teachers, partially.