I could not help but notice an incident that happened with a father and his daughter at our Bible booth last week. The dad was answering the question about James 2:24: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” He pushed the button that answered that, “we are said by faith only” and he found out he was incorrect. Undeterred by the verse, the man was still convinced that we are saved by faith only. “I would argue that point!” he said.

It is interesting how people who claim to believe in God and His word are so quick to disagree with what our savior said. This is problematic for the man, but it is even more concerning to realize that he is passing this attitude on to his daughter. It is easy to disregard verses that challenge our ideas of faith, but God’s truth is unchanging (Heb. 13:8).

To specifically deal with the man at the fair, many people get defensive and think that James is teaching that faith is not essential to salvation. Of course it is! Nobody will ever get to heaven without faith (Heb. 11:6; 10:38; I Pet. 1:5, etc.). The text did not say that faith does not save – it said that faith only (sometimes translated as “faith alone”) does not save. Why is that? James answered that in verse 26: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”  Who would conclude that the body can live without the spirit? The person who believes faith alone saves!

Not all “faiths” are equal. For example, we are told about many individuals in Biblical times who had a faith that was dead. They did have faith though. John 12:42 describes people that believed in Jesus but did not want to confess their faith for fear of man. We are told that they loved the praise of men more than God (verse 43). James mentioned that even demons believe in God (James 2:19). Clearly, having faith in God is not the same as being faithful.

Logically speaking, who thinks that acknowledging danger means they are automatically safe? No one! If I believe I am trapped in a fire and could die, I still must do something to be saved. Likewise, if I believe in Jesus Christ and know that I am lost in sin, I am not saved yet. This is why James taught that faith without works is dead (2:26).

Arguments about “faith only” are usually connected to a misunderstanding of grace. When Paul stated that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Eph. 2:8), the apostle was not teaching that grace “does the works” that James said was necessary to be saved. Grace is the gift of the PLAN of salvation. In other words, we would all be lost without Christ coming, dying on the cross and providing a way to have the remission of sins.

Grace does not mean that man should not do good works. If works were not necessary, then everyone (faith or not) could go to heaven just based on grace. Remember, God’s word calls belief a work (John 6:28). The fact that mankind was given conditional salvation (i.e. that we must do things to be saved) does not lessen God’s grace. It would if one thought they were earning their salvation. This was the point Paul made in Ephesians 2:9: “not of works lest anyone should boast.”  Faith without works is just as useless as works without grace. Works alone cannot save a soul. No matter how many good things you do, you cannot earn your salvation. It is a gift that has conditions.

Jesus made many powerful statements about salvation: “Unless you believe I am He you will die in your sins,” (John 8:24); “Unless you repent you shall all likewise perish,” (Luke 13:3); “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16). Notice how they all contain conditions. Faith without works is dead, and works alone does not save either. May we seek God’s salvation, not our own!

Chuck

This title seems harsh, right? Am I trying to drive members away? Am I being callous toward people with legitimate reasons to miss worship? Before anyone jumps to conclusions, this article is not dealing with members who might make excuses for missing church services. Rather, it is for those who criticize others for missing when they do not know the facts.

As Christians, we are to be loving toward one another (I Thess. 4:9). If we have the kind of godly love that our Lord has in mind, then we have a love that thinks no evil (I Cor. 13:5). Giving our brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt is vital to maintaining proper Christian attitudes. Without this disposition, all kinds of gossip and false thinking can arise and create serious problems between brethren.

We are not jumping to conclusions if a Christians says they could not attend worship and then floods social media with information suggesting otherwise. When we do not have any information though, it is not the place of Christians to judge.

Truthfully, all kinds of issues can arise to hinder good brethren from being able to assemble with the saints. Those who cannot assemble but really want to will take advantage of other tools to participate to whatever degree they can. They might watch services live online or later when they are feeling better. They might study the Bible alone if they are sick and cannot attend a class with the group. They also let brethren know where they are so their brethren do not worry unnecessarily. This lesson is about not wanting to jump to conclusions about others, so we should not want others to jump to conclusions about us either. Let’s make the effort to keep one another in the know (Gal. 6:1-2).

Christians also need to be aware that Hebrews 10:25 (about assembling with Christians) has to do with serving the Lord. If brethren are making excuses and missing, the Lord takes it personally, not us as Christians (John 7:7). Let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt. And may we keep each other informed to give assurance.

Chuck

For over 35 years of preaching on modesty, I have always struggled to understand why so many Christians have no problem wearing revealing clothing. Perhaps I have found the answer. While recently discussing this subject, I said I would love to survey all my sisters in the Lord to know how they define the “immodest apparel” Paul referenced in I Timothy 2:9.

During this conversation, I was given an answer I had not thought about. I do not presume that this one answer represents the thinking of all my sisters in Christ. I only share this to spur thinking about the subject. As always, we shall examine this issue from God’s point of view.

Again, how do people define “immodest apparel?” I was told that “Immodest apparel is simply having an improper heart. It all has to do with one’s attitude. If a woman dresses provocatively for the purpose of wanting to create lust, then it is wrong.” Upon hearing this, I could see where this woman and perhaps others were coming from. From this point of view, it is entirely possible for a woman’s intentions to be innocent and for the man to be in error for his lust.

I can see the reasoning with idea, and it certainly answers why some Christian women feel at ease wearing very little clothing when it is hot or when they are dressed up. But is this true in God’s eyes? Can Christian women (and men too) have a proper heart when their clothing is revealing? Let’s look to God’s word to understand His will on this subject.

First of all, let’s not confuse a sincere heart with a pure heart. One who is sincere could possibly be just naïve – lacking knowledge or life experience, they simply may not have given the matter much thought. Such a person may very well be upset if someone was lusting after them. But ignorance is not bliss. People can be sincerely wrong on any issue, especially dress. A pure heart is found in someone who is seeking to be holy by following the teachings of our Lord.

So how does God define “immodest apparel?” In Proverbs 6:10, Solomon spoke about the attire of a harlot. According to the argument I was given, this would mean that you can only have the attire of a harlot if you have the heart of harlot. Solomon went on to state that the harlot followed up her attire with other actions to seduce (verses 11-23). The dress was just part of the plan. This begs a question – can you dress like a harlot and not entice? You cannot.

Without question, people can have impure thoughts no matter how a person dresses. You can read about Amnon and Tamar (II Sam. 13). Tamar was not trying to entice Amnon, but that did not stop him from lusting after her. The presence of people like Amnon does not mean that immodest dress does not exist though. I will also interject that men are not justified in having unlawful thoughts no matter what they see (Matt. 5:27-28). This is where such passages as “flee youthful lusts” comes into play (II Tim. 2:22). There are times we must simply leave a situation and not dwell on it to avoid sinning.

Getting back to our original text about modest apparel, Paul did not tell Timothy to warn the sisters, “remember to avoid having evil intentions when you dress.” No, they were told how to dress. The word “modest” means well-ordered, decorum, seemly. He was not addressing the heart here. Does a Christian’s heart play a role in how they decide what to wear? Of course it does. If we do not care about what God thinks or what dress does to men, then there is a demonstrated heart problem.

The scriptures speak a lot about the dangers of causing a brother to sin (Matt. 18:6; Rom. 16:17; II Tim. 3:6, etc.). We all know that we cannot make someone sin, but we also know that those who even tempt others to sin will be held accountable. This is true with the way a person dresses.

To be frank, men are stimulated by sight. This tendency is what got David into trouble (II Sam. 11). This tendency also led to the beheading of John the Baptist. When Herod saw his step-daughter dance before him and others, he ended up making a promise to her that he regretted (Matt. 14:1-11). It is a mistake to think immodest dress is not connected with dancing as both are linked with the concept of lasciviousness or lewdness (Gal. 5:19; I Pet. 4:3).

Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves (Gen. 3:7), why did God clothe them (verse 21)? Because they were not sufficiently covered yet. Was nakedness wrong for Adam and Eve even if they had a pure heart? This might seem ridiculous to ask, but it is worth thinking about. Why would it be wrong to walk around without any clothes on? If the sin has to do with those who look rather than those who are unclothed, it should be possible to have no cloths on and still be righteous. Some people are perfectly comfortable in nudist colonies, but God still wants us to clothed (James 2:15). Also note that Jesus made the obvious point that nakedness should bring shame (Rev. 3:18).

When Christians (men and women) want to let their lights shine, they obviously must be mindful of the “toos.” We must ask themselves, “Is this too low to wear?”  “Is this too tight to wear?” Is this too high to wear?” Christians are called to strive to be modest, not sexy. Our sisters have a tremendous task of trying to buy modest clothing that is designed by worldly people who largely do not value modesty.

Brethren, be wary of creating double standards in your home. Are you comfortable with your sons wearing the same length of shorts as your daughters? If not, why not? We know how the world thinks. Whether talking about dress or any other worldly act, saints are considered strange if they follow God rather than man (I Pet. 4:4). Beware of the wiles of the devil and do not conform to the world (Rom. 12:1-2).

Chuck                                                                                       

I was pleased with all the interest people expressed after we set up our Bible booth at the farmers market last Saturday. Friends called, emailed and texted me to ask how things went. As far as I was concerned, it was a great success. But what do I mean, “As far as I am concerned”? I say that because I know the goals of this effort. What should our attitude be during outreach efforts? Here are some things we must never lose sight of:

Spreading the Word

As both individual Christians and collectively as a church, we need to get the gospel out (Mark 16:15). If people are going to be converted to Christ, it has to come from preaching His gospel (Rom. 1:16). Whether it be from the pulpit, a personal Bible study, TV or radio program, or even a Bible booth, the focus musty be on teaching God’s word with its power to save (James 1:21). Our efforts at the farmer’s market and the county fair are not anything flashy. If our goal is not to simply plant and water and have God give the increase (I Cor. 3:6-9), then we have lost our proper focus.

Exposing Error

Effective teaching will provoke thought, and sometimes conflict. After all, light exposes darkness (Rom. 2:19). The word of truth will not mix with variation or compromise. It should never be the goal of any evangelistic effort to be non-controversial as if we were ashamed of the gospel. Not only that, you are not actually helping if you are afraid to expose false doctrine (I John 4:1). You cannot stand for something without standing against something else. Again, if we are more concerned with not offending anyone, our evangelistic efforts will not be successful.

Defending our Faith

The church is to be the pillar and ground of truth (I Tim. 3:15). The church has always been under attack and frequently been falsely accused. As long as there are false teachers, there will always need to defend ourselves (I Pet. 3:15-16). Soldiers of Christ will put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-16) and doing everything possible to stand for what is right. There will be temptations to not study and thus not be able to give an answer. This is not a solution – it is a problem. Those who do not want to be asked questions will not be able to defend the faith.

Helping the Seekers

There are people in this world that are looking for the truth. They want answers and need to know where to go to find them. Providing opportunities for the lost allows the Lord to use us to help others (Matt. 7:7). When a man was asked if he understood what he was reading in the scriptures, he replied by saying, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:30-31). It is true that everyone can know the truth (John 8:32), but Christians can provide avenues for others to learn. However, if there isn’t that desire to provide help, then this effort should not be done.

Developing our Talents

If you want to create courage and learn how to talk to people, reaching out with the gospel is a way to do that. You cannot help but grow when you find yourself engaged in various Bible discussions (I Pet. 2:2; Matt. 25:15-28). Learning what to say to people is great, but never underestimate the need to know how to talk to people (Eph. 4:15). Learning to be swift to hear and slow to speak is vital in reaching people with the gospel (James 1:19).  Those not interested in growing need not put forth this effort.

Chuck

Lord willing, this coming Saturday will be our annual singing. Brethren from many congregations have been invited, as have members of the local community. But what is the value in having a singing? Let’s take a closer look at this as we prepare for our coming event.

I think James put it best when he wrote, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms,” (5:13). The idea of singing is to voice what we know to be true. The Corinthian brethren were told, “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding,” (I Cor. 14:15).

It is a glorious time when children of God gather to blend voices together in praise. The Proverb writer stated, “By transgression an evil man is snared, but the righteous sings and rejoices,” (29:6). Saints praise God to acknowledge the greatness of the Creator. There is no lack of things to be grateful for in song. When there is joy in the heart, our lips will flow with songs of praise.

Even though our opening text mentioned that the cheerful sing, those who are facing difficulties in life can find strength and comfort in singing too. Paul and Silas, after they were beaten and cast into prison, prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:25). Even at midnight, the other prisoners heard them singing. These servants of the Lord were unashamed of praising in song and you can be sure it helped them through this very difficult time in their lives.

We are specifically told what kind of singing our Father is pleased with. We know that singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs is acceptable (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs can also help us teach and admonish each other. Coming together to sing praises is far from a waste of time. All who can attend our singing will leave strengthened. We hope to see you there.

Chuck