Living a Legacy
Today, each of us lives in the legacy of others while at the same time we are leaving our legacy for those who will come after us. There are those who have gone before that have surrendered all to God and He has used them to pave the road we now walk on. These are the spiritual giants on whose shoulders we now stand. Our Christian heritage came at a great cost and the personal sacrifices of many men and women.
There is also a legacy of sin that has laid a path before us. This path has been crafted to draw attention to self-gratification rather than giving of ourselves to a purpose greater than ourselves. The empty promises of vanity line the wide path. Solomon explored this path for most of his life. At the end of his life, King Solomon said, “I did not deny myself anything but pursued every pleasure my heart desired.” At the end, he said it was all vanity, like someone grasping for the wind. Jesus made it clear that two gates lay before us. In Matthew 7 He said,
13 " Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Even to the Christian, there lays two paths. One inherits a promise, the other shame. Look at these two passages:
Daniel 12
3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
Matthew 5
19 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
These are the legacies that everyone will choose. We will either shine like the stars for eternity, or we will be called the shame of heaven. In our modern culture, we are being taught by our very churches that the path of shame is a noble legacy. Those who buy into this lie are placing themselves under the condemnation Jesus warned us about. Also in Matthew 7, Jesus stated, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves”.
There will be smooth talking teachers who claim to be prophets that will encourage others to turn from the path of righteousness and abandon the legacy God has intended for us to live out. “Beware of false prophets”. The will come and are here. They teach that sin is not sin and God’s law is subject to your feelings. They preach a false gospel that appeals to human sinful nature knowing that they are forfeiting truth to do so. Truth has been redefined to mean feelings. Feelings are a weak measure for truth because they are fickle and unreliable. I always feel good when I am getting what I want and what thief doesn’t feel like he is exercising some right in stealing? What murderer doesn’t feel justified in his actions? What adulterer isn’t following his or her feelings? It feels good when we want gratification, but when we feel like we don’t want consequences, our feelings have proven to be an enemy.
Legacy of Shame
Misery loves company. When someone is living contrary to God, they always try to draw someone else into their world. It gives false comfort to people knowing that they are not alone in their sins. The Bible teaches that God is an immovable, eternal rock that does not change. Modern theology teaches that God is ever changing, soft on sin and has no standard. The book, ‘Conversations with God for Teens’ provides an accurate view of this modern theology. The author, Neale Donald Walsch, puts himself in God’s place and then answers questions asked of God. Teenagers ask questions and the God (aka Neale Walsch) answers them. Here are some quotes from this book:
Q) Who are you? Brigit, 13
A)…There is no one and nothing that I am not.
Q) Even bad people and bad things?
A) There are no “bad” people and no “bad” things, only people and things that you have called “bad”.
It means that we have different values. It means that we have different understandings. It means that you have made judgments, and I don’t make judgments.
Q) God doesn’t make judgments? I thought that is what God did.
A) The human race has been thinking that for a long time, but it is not true. It’s one of those misunderstandings I’ve been talking about. It’s an illusion. The illusion of judgment. Followed by the illusion of condemnation. It has been written: Judge not, and neither condemn.
Q) You forgive everyone, no matter what the sin?
A) I do not forgive anyone. That is the first thing you must understand about me. I will not forgive you, ever, for anything that you do. Once you are clear about this, you will have a new understanding of God, and you will be able to interact with me in a whole different way. I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive.
Q) Ayla, 13 – How can I erase the bad things I have done from your judgment book so that all will be forgotten and I can start over?
A) There is no “judgment book”. That is what I’m trying to tell you all here!
It may be a surprise for most humans to learn that there is no such thing as right and wrong. There is only what works and what doesn’t work, given what it is that you are trying to do.
The point being made is that Absolute Right and Absolute Wrong do not exist. A thing is “wrong” only because you say it is wrong, and a thing is “right” for the same reason.
Right and wrong, therefore, do not exist as absolutes, but only as momentary assessments of what works and what doesn’t work. You make these assessments yourself, as individuals and as a society, given what you are wishing to experience and how you see yourself in relationship to everything else that is.
Q) Why an I a lesbian? – Jenny age 16
A) This is very natural, you are very natural, and the way you are is perfect for you. I love you just the way you are, because the way you are is perfect for you. And that means it is perfect for me. Go now, out into the world, and celebrate who you are.
Let me summarize what has been said here:
-God is everything and everyone
-There are no bad people
-There is no right and wrong
-There are no absolutes
-God does not judge
-Sin does not exist
-You determine truth
-Truth is changeable
-We are perfect and should celebrate our passions regardless of what they are
Modern Liberal Theology – Legacy of Rebellion
The book, ‘Conversations with God for Teens’ explains the ‘Modern Theological’ movement in a nutshell. From cover to cover, this book denies every foundational principle taught in the Bible. The book also boldly asserts that there is no such thing as hell, judgment and teaches that God divided himself into many parts including man, animals and all living things. This religious worldview is called pantheism. Pantheism teaches that God is all and all is god. The New Age movement has altered pantheism by using Christian terms to make it palatable to the Christian church. This book also teaches that heaven is what you create. Walsch has echoed the liberal movement that we find within our churches today. In Luke 18, Jesus asked a redundant question. He asked, “Will there really be faith on the earth when the Son returns?”
The Bible has foretold that in the end times that the church will turn from the faith and accept other doctrines. 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us that the Day of the Lord will not come until there is first a falling away from the faith – or apostasy – and then the man of sin will be revealed. The revelation of the anti-Christ is dependent on the failure of the church. It is the absence of truth that opens the door for preaching of the lie. Darkness never overcomes the light. Darkness is the absence of light. It is only when the church of Jesus Christ fails to uphold the light of the gospel that the world begins its descent which enables the man of sin to thrive and be accepted. The longer the world stays in the dark, the more it hates the light. That is why the Bible says that the time will come when they will not endure the truth. Look at 2 Timothy 4:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Is there any part of this passage that is acceptable in today’s political thinking? We are commanded to convince others of the truth and do the work of an evangelist. Today we are taught that it is ok to have your religion as long as you don’t try to proselytize. Rebuke and exhortation are not acceptable because it is judging and proclaiming an absolute truth. Contrary to the world’s ideas of the Bible, we are not told that we cannot judge in the scripture. We are commanded by the Bible to judge. We are not to judge the heart, but we are commanded to judge actions, fruit (or what type of disciples a ministry produces), and doctrine. We are commanded to examine the doctrine of teachers and preachers and determine if they are wolves or children of God based on how are aligned with the scriptures. We are warned that the measure of our judgment will be used to judge us.
In the last days, people will despise teachers of truth and will seek out those who will teach them what they want to hear. “I’m ok, you’re ok”, “there is no judgment”, “there are no consequences”, “explore your passions”, “there is no sin and no hell”. Anyone who upholds the Bible as absolute truth will be condemned by those who say there is no condemnation. We will be judged and called evil by those who say it is wrong to judge because there is no evil. We will be told that there are absolutely no absolutes. The modern tolerance will not tolerate people who don’t agree with the new spirituality.
In modern theology, it is ok to be religions and to have a form of spirituality as long as Jesus Christ is not Lord of all. This modern theology was foretold in exact detail in 2 Timothy 3:
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Are we not seeing this today? Everything about modern theology teaches that self is the only measure of truth and the only purpose in life. People are taught from elementary school to be lovers of self. The headlines have shown that the love of money is a priority. The collapse of Enron due to fraud and embezzlement, 7.1 billion dollars in fraud caused the collapse of WorldCom, Adelphia’s 2 billion dollar fraud are all examples that have become headline news within the last few months. When self is on the throne, everything I touch becomes a tool for my gratification. Integrity cannot survive in a selfish worldview. Living for pleasure without any concept of the future is all that matters. People fill their lives with a moment of gratifying happiness only to inherit an emptiness that keeps them searching. People may be religions, but their form of godliness has no power. True godliness changes lives. When I conform to Christ, my character and priorities are shaped into His character and the eternal perspective holds a higher value than my temporal gratification.
Legacy of Truth
The problem of truth begins when a teacher or preacher’s focus begins to shift from their purpose to their status in the eyes of this world. We tend to forget that it is not the role of an evangelist to save souls. It is not the role of a teacher to change the lives of the people they are teaching. These are the role of the Holy Spirit. I can’t change anyone and I can’t save a single soul. I can only be obedient so God can use me for His purpose. My role is to proclaim the truth and persuade others to receive the truth. The Holy Spirit is at work in lives. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of sin and leads us to repentance through the cross of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to bring about change and conform us to Christ. A preacher’s role is to persuade others not to resist the Holy Spirit. It is also a teacher’s role to be an example so that hypocrisy does not become a barrier that prevents others from yielding to God’s call.
As Christians we are all called to be disciples of Christ and disciplers of others. Our ultimate goal is to follow the legacy Christ has laid before us and others have obediently paved to make our way easier and then to point others down that same path. The whole world may be going down the wide path, but we are called to lead others away from it and to the narrow path that we are following. We are not called to preserve our status in the world’s eyes – in fact, we are told that if we are truly living godly, we will be at odds with the world. We will be called evil, narrow minded, ignorant, intolerant and many other insults. Jesus told us that if they persecuted and spoke evil of Him, they will persecute and speak evil of us and those who follow Christ should rejoice to be a part of His suffering. Is there any example of someone who served the world and abandoned the truth of the Scriptures who said at the end of their life, “I am glad I followed my desires?” I can’t think of one. However, we have countless examples of men and women who died to themselves and lived for Christ who proclaimed that they were glad. No one says on their deathbed that they wished they had lived a sinful lifestyle or wished that they had taught more people to live ‘unrepressed’. Many say, “I wish I had begun to love God sooner.”
Though we can’t change a single life, we have been given the authority to influence lives. We have been given the power to break down the gates of hell and persuade the captives to be free. The world teaches that freedom is in expressing yourself, casting off inhibitions and balking at ‘repressive thinking’. The world teaches that freedom is through sin. Of course they don’t call it sin, but this world view expresses itself through everything that the Bible calls sin. What is overlooked is that sin is never freedom. Casting off restraints may seem like freedom when you dive into sin, but in reality we are stepping over the boundaries and diving into a pit which becomes a prison. If we follow sin to its final conclusion, do we find happy people? Are drug addicts happy? Are alcoholics happy? Are prostitutes happy? Are prisoners happy? Is a mother who had an abortion happy in her latter years? Everyone who sins may not suffer extreme consequences, but everyone who chooses to live for self will be empty inside once the appeal fades.
As Christians, we are called to defend the hope within us and persuade others to submit to Christ rather than a lifestyle at war with God. In our post-modern culture, there is no understanding of God and there is no foundation in which we can effectively persuade others to the value of the Christian life. Unfortunately, most Christians do not understand why God does not allow people to sin freely. We will conclude this study by looking at and answering four questions: who is God; why is there sin; why must God judge sin; and why was Jesus’ sacrifice necessary?
Who is God?
The first principle we must know in order to understand God is that we cannot fully understand God. If we tried to fully explain God, we would be putting Him inside a box and then we would no longer be looking at God, but we would be creating a god in our image or according to our desires. We can’t understand God as He is but we can understand what He has revealed about Himself to us through the scriptures. Look at 1 John 3
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
It is not until we stand before God that we will see Him as He is. Until that day, we are given a glimpse of Him by what is revealed about His nature. Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”. What do we know about Jesus? He was holy and without sin; He loved the sinner but had no tolerance for sin; He showed tender mercies to those who came without pretense and cut through the hypocrisy of those who thought themselves to be righteous. We could spend hours discussing what the Bible reveals about God, but if we could walk away with a glimpse, it should be His holiness.
Above all, holiness is how God is defined throughout scripture. The Bible says that without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Holiness is a word that is almost beyond definition. It is easy to understand our holiness, but difficult to understand God’s. Our holiness comes directly from God. We are set apart for Him and He makes us holy. Hebrews 12:10 tells us that God chastises to correct us so that we may be partakers of God’s holiness. When we are commanded to be holy, we are setting ourselves apart from the world’s ways and conforming to His image and partaking of His holiness.
Each time the angels proclaimed God’s holiness, they shouted, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”. In the Bible, when something is stressed for importance it is repeated twice. Only the holiness of God is repeated three times for emphasis. He is holy above all. The closest definition to God’s holiness is His ‘set apartness’. There is nothing like God. He is set apart over all His creation and He is above all creation. In Isaiah 40:18 God asks, “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?” The answer is ‘nothing’. There is no comparison that can be made. God is holy, holy, holy and we are called to be holy by conforming to Him.
Why is there sin?
If we don’t have a basic understanding of God, then we can’t possibly understand sin. Did God just arbitrarily decide one day to make a bunch of rules to cause mankind grief? Of course not. Sin is a violation of God’s law and God’s law is based on His own character. A foundational truth in scripture is that God cannot change. The word of God is based on the character and nature of God. God’s law is based on the character and nature of God. God did not create man to live separate from God, He created man in His image so that we could know Him, be one with Him, and have a loving relationship with Him. The law reveals to us the nature of God and what we must become in order to know Him. Sin is a violation of the character and nature of God. Only what is holy can exist in God’s presence. We are separated from God because our sin causes us to be contrary to God’s holy nature. Before anyone can come into His presence, sin must be paid for and removed. It is foolish to think that God created us in His image and then should accept our sins which is a direct challenge to His own nature. Will God welcome into heaven and into His presence those who are challenging His very nature?
When people say that there is no such thing as sin or that God will overlook sin, they are saying that He created us to be our own little gods. It is like saying that we will exist completely devoid of His presence. In reality, this is not possible because it is only by His power that anything exists. Only through God does anything live, move or have its being. This includes the devil. God has allowed this time of rebellion when we can willingly choose to love Him or declare that we do not want to be like Him or with Him. I believe that God has allowed sin into the world so that we could have the opportunity to love Him. Without a choice to sin, there could be no choice to obey. When God brings time to a close, we will have already chosen to love or despise our Creator. Rebellion will come to an end, but the love we have chosen will remain forever.
Why doesn’t God just remove sin instead of judging it?
To turn a blind eye to sin is a direct violation of God’s word. As stated earlier, His word is based on His nature and character. God cannot change. To ask God to do away with sin without judging it is asking God to change His nature instead of we allowing Him to change ours. Sin is a direct rebellion against the nature of God. The purpose of sin is to challenge God. At Satan’s fall, he challenged God and said, “I will exalt my throne above the Most High”. Sin still does that today. Sin is our attempt to exalt our kingdom above the kingdom of God. God’s rightful place is on the throne of my life, but sin attempts to exalt my will above His will in rebellion against God.
All sin will and must be judged. If God did not judge sin, He would not be just. God has indeed judged sin for everyman who will receive it. On the cross of Jesus Christ, the debt to every sin was paid. God did not merely forgive our sin; God judged our sin. Because God is just, He has also allowed us to refuse that payment and stand in judgment to give an account for our own sins. Heaven would be hell to anyone who did not want God or did not want a God who violates their desire to create their own god. We have the right to push away the mercies of God and many would gladly be judged rather than to step off the throne of their own lives. God is merciful, but He did not violate His own law to show us mercy. Look at Romans 3:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
We are freely justified by God’s grace only through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Take special note of verse 26, “that He might be just and the justifier”. God was just. He did not violate His own law. Romans 4:5 tells us that God justifies the ungodly by making them righteous because of faith in Christ. However, God did not pervert justice in order to justify the ungodly. He became the justifier. God avenged sin by becoming the sacrifice for sin. The sins of us all were laid on Him and the wrath of judgment was poured out on Jesus on the cross. Through the cross, God judged and avenged sin while at the same time extending grace and mercy to any who will accept reconciliation. We are the ones who violated the law, but God is the one who accepted the penalty. Through our sin, we are the aggressors against God’s nature; but He is the one who took the first step toward reconciliation.
Why Did Jesus have to Die on the Cross?
Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and the Ruler of Righteousness. On the cross, Jesus united righteousness and peace. Where there is no righteousness, we cannot have peace with God. The Bible says that while we were enemies of God, He reconciled us to Himself through Christ. The underlying principle to understanding the cross is knowing three things: we were created by God to have a relationship with Him; God loves us; and God cannot change. We have all heard people ask, “Is there anything God cannot do?” Yes. God cannot lie; God cannot change; God cannot sin; God cannot violate His own nature. If God could do these things, He would not be perfect and would not be God. God has revealed these things about Himself.
Because God cannot change, we know that Jesus could never have been separated from the Father. God cannot be divided because He is the unchanging Eternal Rock who is eternally the same. Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus cannot become sinful, because He is eternally the same. So it is important to understand that Jesus cannot change and because He is God, He cannot be separated from God. We also know that Jesus bore our sins in His own body. He did not abandon His physical body nor did He insulate Himself from our pain. Acts 20:28 says that God purchased the church with His own blood. We know when Jesus’ spirit left His body. When He died, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
People struggle with the idea of God taking sin upon Himself, but remember that God is holy and cannot be affected by sin. Sin can’t hurt God, but God will always judge and avenge sin. For those who trust in Christ, our sins have already been judged. Those who reject Christ will be judged with their sins. However, sin does not require Jesus Christ to be separated from God.
The wages of sin is not separation - it is death. Separation is a broken relationship with God that occurs when we turn from God and go our own way. Sin is choosing to reject God and disobey His law. When Jesus bore our sins, it was the penalty of sin. He was not disobedient, nor did He reject the Father. He was sinless before the cross and was sinless on the cross. When He became sin for us, this means that He is in the stead for our sin. Just as a sacrificial lamb bore the penalty of death in the stead of Old Testament saints, Jesus became our penalty. The sin He bore was judged and He received the wrath of God and the penalty of death. The wrath due the whole world was laid to His account, but it doesn’t change who He was. He was credited with our sins, but He was not sin itself. In the same way, the Bible tells us that we are credited with His righteousness though we are not righteous. The separation is not God turning from us, but us turning from God. Repentance is always on our part. God is always in the same place. Immediately when we turn, God is there.
I do believe that Jesus truly felt forsaken. I just don’t believe that He was forsaken. It was human emotions, not spiritual separation. The Bible says that He had to be tempted in all ways like us so He could be our faithful High Priest. We suffer emotionally and have feelings that cause us to feel abandoned or forsaken. When I feel like God is a million miles away, in reality He is carrying me through the dark times.
It is God’s own nature that prevents Him from speaking sin out of existence. Sin must be judged because it is in direct opposition to God’s holy nature. Only by taking the penalty demanded by the law could God justify us while holding true to His own nature, character and Word. The Bible says that He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He did not become sinful in nature anymore than we become divine in nature. Romans 4 explains it well:
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Jesus was credited with our sin and we are credited with His righteousness. We who are ungodly by nature are credited with the righteousness of God because of our faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us. There is no other way to wipe away our sins than through the blood of Jesus Christ. Religion can’t do it. Works can’t do it. To reject that grace is to reject God and the life He gives. Hebrews 10 makes it clear:
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people."
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
There is no greater sin than to reject God’s payment for your sins – with the exception of rejecting and then teaching others to reject it. This is the legacy God has laid before us. You must choose who you will follow. In Matthew 7, Jesus said that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter into heaven. Many people will come showing good works and great accomplishments. Many people will show Him their religion. He said, “Then I will declare to them, ’I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” That is the question – do you know Him? Nothing else matters. We can follow the world’s view of religion and be called noble, but Jesus will call anyone who presents their own goodness ‘one who practices lawlessness’. There is no righteousness outside of God’s righteousness. Each person who depends on themselves remains under the curse of the law. Unless you have the righteousness of God, you are under condemnation of the law of sin. Colossians 2 says:
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
If your sins are not nailed to the cross, you are dead in your sins. Jesus has set you free and calls for you to come. Though your sins be as scarlet, He has washed them white as snow. When God forgives, His promise is to cast your sins into the depths of the sea to be remembered no more. Big sins and little sins are all the same to Him. All have been forgiven for any who will receive Him.
