Theology – James Tippins: Recent Episodes
James H. Tippins
The second commandment is something that many people have questions about often. I wrote an article last year in relation to the question, "Can a Christian Violate the Second Commandment with Pictures of Jesus?" Here is a podcast on that answer.
Everywhere we look we see the idea of studying the Bible. Well maybe not everywhere, but in every Circle of Christianity it seems that there's always someone talking about studying the Bible. As a matter of fact, most likely every religion in the world has some writing that requires being studied. From study comes knowledge, and from knowledge comes belief. While every truth claim cannot be true. For the Christian, we believe that the Bible is truth. Jesus says in John 17 when he prays that eternal life is knowing the one true God and knowing the son whom he has sent. So in this line of thinking, studying the Bible is actually the study of God which is actually the knowledge of God which is actually salvation. For many churchgoers, however, the study of God's word has been relegated to just mere pragmatism or topical investigation. Sadly, this type of study that we find very normative in our culture, is not sufficient for salvation. Neither is it sufficient for a right understanding of the gospel of grace. And because the right study of God's word is waning in our present economy of faith, many pastors and teachers have gone the way of teaching moralism and humanism and calling it Christianity. All of this type of teaching results in a different type of learning. So that the believer or the professing Christian if I can, have no idea what they're talking about because they are listening to the wrong information. Now we could go on and on and discuss types of interpretation and different ideas related to what the Scripture is actually teaching. But if we are honest, the simplest syntax of the holy writ is very easy to understand. So when I ask the question, "are you. listening?", I am asking if you are truly listening to the word of God. Let's all be very honest, every day we hear thousands and thousands of words. We see hundreds and hundreds of images that teach us something. We are inundated in our society by information overload. Some of which we go and seek and others that are just imposed upon us without our knowledge or permission. Because this is true, many people have developed a worldview that is so foreign in comparison to Scripture, that it's no wonder that so many congregations do not look like the people of God any longer. The remedy to this is not more teaching about how to be or how to look like God's people from a humanistic point of view but is direct and simple teaching straight from the Bible. If many pastors were to poll their congregations they would find very few congregants actually read their Bible every day. Now many people may do a small devotion or read a short paragraph related to some scriptural teaching. And these things are not bad in and of themselves, but they are not sufficient for the knowledge of truth. So often when I make a statement like this, people will say, "I'm not a theologian." To which I respond, well you should be. A Christian that is not learning is a Christian that is not growing. In the Christian that is not growing, is a Christian that is not living. There's much to be said about this particular dilemma and there is plenty inside the Bible that give us a clear picture that Scripture is necessary for the health and joy of every Christian and in turn every congregation. So as we consider this idea today let us take a moment and hear the word of the Lord written by the apostle Paul to Timothy.
2 Timothy 3:14–17
[14] But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it [15] and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (ESV) This text shows us that the Bible is enough for a successful Christian life and it's...
In Titus 3 Paul is clear that before God saved us we were foolish, given to fleshly passions and were hating one another. That is great news! This is the GOSEPL of JESUS CHRIST! Because this is true, the scripture is very very very very clear.... did I say very? Yes, very clear that those who walk in the way Christ walked are in Christ, and if they do not, then they are not in Christ. So the purpose of my writing today is to answer one simple question: Why do so many pastors live in disharmony, hate, envy, gossip and murderous ways against each other and people among them? Scripture names the reasons, let's look at a few today:
Unbelief This means that the guy who walks around talking bad, gossiping, hating others, not loving the brethren and feeling envy against others is an unbeliever. He may have "professed" Christ, and he may have even been sincere, but this profession is just like the one that the devil will proclaim, worthless. It's just words, nothing more. He may even have great training and knowledge of scripture, but because of his life, and his lack of love, he is a worthless nothing of wicked proportions. Now before you call these statements as the like of their "kind", let me show you the same thing in the Word of God. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:16 ESV)
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. (Titus 3:1-11 ESV)
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (1 John 1:6 ESV)
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:4-6 ESV)
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:9-11 ESV)
So, the man of "god" that hates his brother is a liar. He isn't a man of God, he is a man of the god of this world, the devil. Pride Well, I could just really stop with the first one, because being a slave to pride is a mark of an unbeliever, not a true child in a common faith. But in all reality, many pastors hate their brothers and it is seen in pride. A sense of feeling better than others because of many things, including a "bigger" congregation,