“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Galatians 3:22
According to God’s Word, everyone has sinned. That means that you have sinned before a holy God. Your sin stands as a barrier between you and God so that you cannot have a relationship with Him nor can you hope to enter heaven. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).” Because of this separation between God and man, something must be done. But the question is: “What will you do about your sin?” You Can Ignore Your Sin Many people today simply ignore their sin. They may acknowledge that they have sinned at some point in their lives, but they refuse to consider the consequences of sin. Many of these will stand at the Great White Throne Judgment, to receive the just reward of their sin. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).” Others ignore their sin by refusing to admit that they have ever done wrong before God. These people may live good, moral lives, but they are still sinners before God. The very act of refusing to admit sin is a lie people tell themselves and an insult to Almighty God. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us...If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:8, 10).” Simply ignoring sin cannot help us. Something must be done with all the sins that each individual has committed. You Can Attempt To Bear Your Sin Some people consider themselves able to remove the stain of sin from their own lives. To accomplish this purpose they go about doing good, helping the poor and needy, and going to church. While all of these things are good things in which to be involved, they cannot do anything about the sin that has already been committed. Still, some seek to erase their sin by doing good and being good. But the fact is, God has told us that the very best we can do is unacceptable to Him. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6).” Also, by seeking to bear their sin through good deeds, these people have ignored what God has provided for them. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3).” Some consider their church attendance and the work they have performed for their church to be sufficient to remove their sin. Jesus told of these people in Matthew 7:21–23. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” We can consider the people referred to as being faithful church members, having been baptized, partaking in communion, and attending many church services. However, none of these things helped them as the Lord calls them people “that work iniquity.” So, in all that they do, these people cannot remove their own sin through religious efforts. You Can Allow Christ To Bear Your Sin The whole purpose of Jesus’ coming to this earth was to bear your sin. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).” “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” All that Jesus suffered on the Cross was to free you from your sin so that you could be at peace with God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:1, 8–10).” Jesus has already suffered the penalty of sin for you so that you can be free from sin through Him. “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:25).” “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).” “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:10–12).” Today Jesus calls you to come to Him for forgiveness of all your sin and life through His death on the Cross. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).” “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).” “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:14–16).” If you choose to allow Christ to bear your sin, there are two things that God requires of you. 1. You must turn away from your sin and faith in yourself, your religion, and your ideology. You must realize that your sin is the cause of your separation from God (Isaiah 59:1) and that none of these other things can help to relieve you of your sin or bring you closer to God (Ephesians 2:8–9). This means that you must repent. “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13).” “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15b).” 2. You must also place all of your faith in Him as your only hope for salvation from your sin. “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference (Romans 3:22)...” You must then call upon Him, asking Him to take the load of your sin. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation . . . For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:9–10, 13).” The choice is yours to make. What will you do about your sin?
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Originally published November 2005.
While out visiting recently, my wife met a woman who described herself as a pagan. She had a five-year-old son, very near my oldest son’s age. The boys played together for a few minutes, which opened up a door of further discussion with this woman. She said that, while she was pagan, she allowed her son to attend church if he chose to do so. She then began asking about the church, and especially what we did in regards to children her son’s age. She told my wife that she had taken her son to several churches, but had not liked what she had seen in these places. “All they do is play,” she said. If her son was going to go to church, she wanted it to be in a place where he would learn something, not just play and be entertained. The Difference Between this Pagan and Many Christians How sad that this unsaved woman had more discernment than many Christians today. She claimed to be pagan, which is defined as someone who does not recognize God in any religion. Yet, she knew that for her son to go to church to play was a waste of time. Why is it that God’s children have not figured this out? It seems that the first question Christians ask about any church is, “What sort of activities do you have for the children?” A church without numerous activities for young people and children will fail to see large numbers of visitors who last, unless these visitors are without children, or they feel that activities aren’t what makes for a good church. Some Christians Go to Church to Play So many so-called fundamental Baptist churches have changed the format of their Wednesday evening service. It used to be that the children would sit and be taught from the Word of God right alongside their parents, then there would be a time of prayer over the many needs of the church and its people. Nowadays, many churches have done away with prayer, except for an opening and closing prayer. The adults have a Bible lesson, while the children are taken off into another room or building to play and be entertained. The majority of the adults in attendance are “helping out” with the children, and miss out on the teaching from God’s Word. We will never raise another generation to fear and serve God when we refuse to teach them anything but games and an occasional devotional. Even the occasional devotional is nothing to brag about. The children only endure it so that they can get on with playtime. Other churches try showing videos to their children to keep them entertained, while their parents are singing choruses along with the worship team. What we see happening today is a competition between the world and churches. What children find as they grow older is that the world has better entertainment than the church, and they drift away from the church and the things of God. Many parents’ hearts have been broken over this very thing, but they do not seem to understand that they, the parents, have taught their children to crave play over truth. Some Christians Skip Church to Play Any excuse is acceptable for skipping a church service in these last days. Church services are cancelled or rescheduled for the benefit of the Super Bowl, or any other event in the community. This teaches our children that church is unimportant; that we hear enough of the Bible at some times to leave it out at other times. Many individual believers skip church for various reasons. It seems that meeting with family and out-of-town guests is much more important than meeting with God in His house. Folks claim that they need to get away from everything, but they only succeed in getting away from God. And, in the end, their children never come to God. This circumstance is nothing new. For centuries people have been unfaithful to the house of God. Even the prophet Isaiah was given some words to say about people’s appetite for play rather than God. “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:13-14). It seems a great effort is necessary to get folks out on Sunday morning, while the Sunday night service is nearly impossible to get many people to come to. God’s people sit in the pew and think about all the things they could be doing if they just hadn’t come to church. According to Isaiah, these people miss out on the blessing of God, while they dishonour the Lord by their lack of attendance. They certainly aren’t helping their children to develop a relationship with God. Where Is the Teaching? “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15). ” As a whole, our children are not being taught in the things of God. Memory verses used to be a part of our Sunday School class when I was growing up, but I hear very little of that sort of thing now. I do hear that it is unwise to expect that children should sit and learn Bible verses, meanwhile, we expect them to learn what they are taught at school. I hear that it is unwise to expect that children should sit and be attentive in Sunday School or a regular church service, meanwhile, we expect them to sit and be attentive in school. These are wrong priorities, and these wrong priorities will bear bitter fruit. Who is to blame for this lack of teaching among our children? I believe that we can find a two-fold failure to train our children in the things of God. First of all, these children have parents who are responsible to teach and train their children in the things of God. Deuteronomy 11:18-19 says, “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” The first need for parents who desire to teach their children, is that they have a personal walk with the Lord. The “do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do” philosophy has never worked with teaching and training our children, and it never will. Beyond this, parents must immerse their children in the things of God. In other words, parents need to talk about these things with their children constantly, not just on the way to church and on the way home from church, but daily. We need to start young with our children because if we do not, the world certainly will. We must follow the Lord’s command to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). ”The phrase “bring them up” seems to mean that parents are to make the nurture and admonition of the Lord a way of life for their children. This means that if parents are to teach their children the things of God, they must regularly attend a church that will teach their children the things of God. It is inconsistent for parents to seek to train their children at home, and then take these same children into a church that will please their children’s flesh, rather than teach them the truth. But, what if the father is not a Christian? Should the mother sit idly by and watch as her children are raised as heathens? Of course not. The Apostle Paul talks about Timothy’s training in the Word of God. This training did not come from his father, who was a Greek (Acts 16:1), but from his mother and grandmother, who were believers (2 Timothy 1:5). What a precious thing it is to have a whole family that loves God and serves Him together, but we cannot allow a lost or backslidden loved one to keep our children from being taught in the Word. Also, a pastor is responsible for the teaching of those who attend services at his church. The Apostle Paul said, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28). ” There is no mandate for a pastor to seek out ways to entertain his flock, but to feed them from the pure Word of God (Matthew 28:20). It is the pastor’s responsibility to see that even the children in his church are being taught in the Word of God. He must set the priorities for the children and youth of the church. Will they be taught godly things or games? It is vastly more popular to try to entertain the children because a happy child is a cause for parents to remain in a church. Therefore, pastors are tempted to create or allow more and more activities for the children. Many pastors seek to justify this clamour for fun by calling it an outreach tool. The way I remember it, tracts and a New Testament were outreach tools. Has the Word of God become so powerless that it takes modern media and modern tactics to draw folks to Christ? What we lack today is not more methods, but more consecration. If God’s people were devoted to Him, there would be no need for other methods to draw people into our churches. What we have to offer a lost and dying world is far better than a little fun on a Sunday or Wednesday. We have the hope of abundant, eternal life and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have the truth. Because we have the truth, we must teach it to our children. If we do not have the truth, then, by all means, let them be entertained rather than diluted. Why is it that a pagan understands more about what should go on in church than many Christians today? I believe that Satan has been working overtime to blind and distract believers from our purpose, which is to bring Christ to a Christ-less world. We must examine ourselves, and be certain that we are not guilty of entertaining our children at the cost of teaching them the truth. If we are not faithful to teach our children in the things of God, in a very few years we will see many churches close their doors, missionaries return from the field due to a lack of support, and countless souls sent into a hopeless eternity. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." -Exo 20:8
The topic of the Sabbath has become a hot button issue for many Christians in these last days. Much confusion and distraction surround the subject. Sadly, many once-solid Christians have fallen from their steadfastness into the Messianic movement and related cults. New Testament churches and faithful Christians need to understand what the Scripture has to say about the Sabbath so that the Devil cannot use this issue to cause them to err from the faith once delivered unto the saints. The Placement of the Sabbath "And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none." (Exo 16:25-26) Moses makes it clear that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week (Saturday). Other holy days were called "Sabbath days," even though they fell on other days of the week. However, the weekly Sabbath was always the seventh day. Nowhere in Scripture (Old or New Testament) is the Sabbath day said to be changed from the seventh day of the week to any other day. Today, those who demand that New Testament Christians worship on the Sabbath are sometimes called "Sabbath-keepers." These Sabbath-keepers make a point to tell us that the Pope changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. This is silly. The Scripture identifies the Sabbath as the seventh day of the week, and no man can change the Word of God to suit himself, no matter his position or title. What brings about confusion to some New Testament Christians are those believers who unwittingly call Sunday the "Lord's Sabbath." Of course, this is an error, and we should refrain from giving a name to the first day of the week that does not belong to it. The People of the Sabbath "See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." (Exo 16:29) "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant." (Exo 31:16) As we consider the Sabbath day and the place it should hold in the lives of New Testament Christians, it is important to consider the Sabbath in its proper context. The Sabbath was not given to Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. It is not until Israel was wandering in the wilderness that God spoke of the Sabbath. When God first spoke of the Sabbath, no one was around but the children of Israel. In fact, in Exodus 31:16 (printed above), we find the Lord making it very clear that the Sabbath was for the children of Israel. No one else was included in this statement. Even when the Sabbath day was incorporated into the 10 Commandments (Exo 20:8), it was given as a part of the covenant that God made with Israel alone (Exo 34:27). That means that when a Sabbath-keeper tries to guilt-trip a New Testament Christian into attending church services on Saturday (or even Friday evening), they are trying to enforce a covenant that was never intended to apply to New Testament believers. We would do well to turn a deaf ear to these manipulators. The Purpose of the Sabbath The Sabbath-keeper loudly proclaims that the Sabbath is the day in which we should attend church services. They tell us that this is what the Lord meant when He commanded us to keep the Sabbath holy. Is this what the Scripture teaches? The word "Sabbath" comes from a Hebrew word meaning "intermission." That doesn't sound like a church service. It sounds as if someone is taking a break or a rest. This is evident in the things that the Lord said about the Sabbath. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exo 20:8-11) An honest reading of these verses brings us to the conclusion that the Sabbath was intended to be a day of rest, rather than a day of worship. Further study shows that the priests were required to perform certain duties in the Tabernacle/Temple on the Sabbath day, but the people were not called upon to gather together for the reading of the Scripture. During the Babylonian exile, the Jews began to meet on the Sabbath day for the reading of the Torah and to keep their culture and language alive. This became the common practice for the Jews, as we see in the New Testament. However, we do not find it expected or commanded anywhere in Scripture. The Sabbath was supposed to be a day of rest! So, if someone tries to make you feel bad about going to church on Sunday, just remember that the Sabbath was never for that purpose. The Plan of the Sabbath Since the Sabbath was given to Israel, as a day of rest, what should the New Testament Christian do about it? Are we to continue its practice today? Very simply, we can keep the Sabbath as a day of rest, or we can choose not to keep the Sabbath as a day of rest. We are not bound by the covenant made between God and the nation of Israel. The Apostle Paul addressed this topic as he wrote to the church in Colosse. He said, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col 2:16-17) The Apostle Paul did not expect these New Testament believers to follow the Law of Moses, which was only a shadow of good things to come. His desire was for believers to follow Christ, the substance for which Israel had been waiting. The Purpose of Sunday Having considered what the Scripture teaches about the Sabbath, we must ask ourselves what we are to do on the first day of the week (Sunday), or why we meet for church services on Sunday. There is much that could be said on this subject, but we will briefly state the highlights that we find in Scripture. The first reason that we meet together on Sunday is to commemorate and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We find that the Lord Himself met with His disciples on Resurrection Sunday to bring them peace and direction (Joh 20:19-21). A little study informs us that Jesus met with His disciples again on the following Sunday (Joh 20:26). This sets a good pattern for us today. The second reason that we meet together on Sunday is to fellowship together and to hear a message from the Lord. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight." (Act 20:7) The breaking of bread that is referred to in this verse is not the observance of the Lord's Supper, but a potluck or "fellowship" meal that the members of this church enjoyed together. This meal was accompanied by the preaching of the man of God, which is needful for every believer. The third reason that we meet together on Sunday is to bring our tithes and offerings. "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." (1Co 16:2) Would it not be strange for the Apostle Paul to make this statement if New Testament Christians are supposed to meet together on the Sabbath? Yet, he tells the church at Corinth to bring their tithes and offerings when they gather together on Sunday. This leaves no doubt as to what day of the week believers should gather together. To draw this to a close, we must realize that the Sabbath day has nothing to do with the New Testament Christian, but is part of the covenant that God made with Israel. We do not need to fear the heckling of the Sabbath-keepers. Instead, stay faithful in gathering together each Sunday to celebrate the Lord's resurrection, fellowship together, bring our tithes and offerings, and hear a message from the Word of God. Everywhere you look, people are hurting from the happenings of 2020. Death, unemployment, lockdowns, and restrictions have combined to make this a unique year in my lifetime. We hear of people facing discouragement and depression due to all the heartache that has been dished out by 2020. These situations sadden me, and I must pray for those who are suffering.
I have faced personal difficulties in 2020. There have been health issues for myself and others in my family. There have been legal issues as one individual has sued me for a fender bender that occurred nearly three years ago. There have also been attacks against my youngest son, myself, my parents, our sending church, and our church plant in Canada. These are the difficulties I am willing to share. 2020 has given me plenty of reasons to be discouraged, disappointed, and depressed. As we reach the end of 2020 and look at the new year coming in just a few hours, I want to share some reasons why I am not discouraged by all that has happened. Instead, I am encouraged about what the Lord has done, despite the difficulties. I am encouraged by what the Lord may do. I am encouraged by what the Lord will do. What the Lord Has Done While we had to stop our door-to-door and literature distribution efforts as a church, we have found other ways by which to get the Word of God into a lost, dark world. We have given away about 35 Bibles and 60 New Testaments through an ad we posted on Kijiji (sort of like Craigslist, but WAY better). We distributed these Bibles and New Testaments because individuals contacted us to receive one. Toward the end of December, we produced a booklet entitled Seven Steps to God. We also recorded a YouTube playlist of these lessons and added the link to each booklet. We have already given away 6 of these booklets to people who have reached out to us. This response amazes me! We plan to continue this effort in 2021. We have not seen high attendance to our church services due to the fear promoted by the media and the various restriction measures that have been in place most of the year. However, we have had several people search us out and come with a heart to join us and learn from the Word of God. Some of these folks were saved several years ago, while others came to the Saviour during the lockdown. We are already planning the baptism of three individuals in the next few weeks. These events tell me that the Lord is still working, even if it is not as quickly as I would prefer. I have seen the Lord work and bless in my own family. Just a week or so back, my youngest son made public the Lord's call on his life to preach the Gospel! What a thrill that was to hear. I have also had the privilege of training all three of my sons in our church plant's college-level Bible Institute. This has been a joy to me, and I am looking forward to seeing my two oldest sons graduate in June 2021! Many of you already know about the personal attacks on myself, my family, and especially my youngest son. These have been vicious, yet unfounded, attacks. It has sometimes been hard to answer the telephone, knowing that the topic is likely to be these false accusations again. Through this difficulty, the Lord has given us new friends and prayer partners. These good folks would never have known or prayed for us had they not received these malicious accusations in their email or through their church website. Some churches have even chosen to take us on for financial support as a result of these attacks. The attacks still hurt, but the Lord has been good to us through it all! What the Lord May Do What the government will do regarding their restrictions is unknown. We do our best to cooperate while still meeting together as a church family. Despite this uncertainty, we are looking forward to what the Lord may do. We are toying with the idea of beginning an internet radio station. We would not be live 24/7 but would have consistent programming each weeknight. Of course, we could ramp up the hours we are live as we are able to obtain further programming, etc. We are excited about the possibility of this opportunity as a means of outreach in our city. The Lord may allow everything to return to "normal" in 2021, and to bless the seed we have sown in 2020 with a tremendous harvest of souls. We will keep sowing the seed because we do not know what the harvest will look like. However, we do expect a harvest of some sort. The Lord may count us worthy to suffer for His Name. This means more difficulty than we have ever experienced, but if it means Jesus' Name being lifted up, it would be well worth the pain. I am not prophesying that this WILL happen in 2021, but there are indications that it MAY happen. As Jesus told us, "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets (Luke 6:23)." What the Lord Will Do I am certain that the Lord is going to use our efforts for His glory; that our labour is NOT in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). If I am faithful to sow and water the seed of the Word of God, God has promised to give the increase. God will not give the increase to allow me an opportunity to brag on my ministry, but to lift up His own Name. I am OK with that! The truth is that I am here for Him, so I don't need the spotlight. I am certain that the Lord is going to continue to keep His promises to me, that He wrote in His Word. I have trusted these promises for nearly 41 years since I first trusted Christ, and I have always found the Lord to be true to His Word. I have NO reason to think that the Lord will turn His back on His promises just because we enter the year 2021. I am also certain that the Lord is coming soon. It could be before we reach midnight in Edmonton, which means that we won't see 2021 on earth. That would suit me just fine, except for the plight of the lost who are around us and need to come to Christ. The more I think of how difficult 2020 has been, the more my mind returns to the "blessed hope" of every believer. When Jesus comes, He will reward His servants for their faithfulness. It is exciting to think that I may receive a crown that I can then cast at the feet of Jesus, for He alone is worthy! There is no reason to be discouraged as we prepare to enter into 2021! The Lord has been too good to me in 2020 to be discouraged. To be honest, I am excited to see what the Lord will do in my heart, and through my life in 2021. I am excited about enjoying His promises even more deeply than ever. I am excited about being one step nearer to His coming. The Apostle Paul said that these last days would be perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1). In the verses following, Paul described the character of these last days, and they are indeed perilous! What is more fearful is the realization that these character traits were applied to professing Christians, rather than the lost world (2 Timothy 3:5-7). We see these character traits played out before our very eyes, from those who profess godliness, but deny its power in their own lives (2 Timothy 3:5). We also see that these professors are constantly “learning” more about God, getting so close to Him (in their own words), yet they can’t seem to grasp the simplest Bible truth
One very practical avenue by which we see the character of these perilous times is the philosophy that church is unnecessary, and that “nowhere does the Bible command us to attend church.” Too many professing Christians have the idea that church is optional, for those who have nothing better to do with their time, or for those who are just feeble-minded sheep, not being mature enough in their Christian walk to step out on their own. So, let’s take an honest look at the Bible. Is there one verse of Scripture that says, “Thou shalt attend church?” And, if not, why would we think that people should attend church? Those who oppose the idea of church attendance will rejoice to hear me say that the Bible does not directly say, “You have to attend church.” It says a good many other things that we will consider, which will inevitably lead us to the conclusion that it is God’s will for every believer to attend church (and be a member of a New Testament church, too). Let us begin at the beginning. The Word “Church” Requires Church Attendance The Greek word that is translated “church” is “ekklesia.” This word means “an assembly.” But, more than that, it means “a called-out assembly.” When we are speaking of a New Testament church, we are talking about “Christ’s called-out assembly (Matthew 16:18).” By mere definition, you have to assemble (attend) to have a church. But, we do not really have to appeal to the Greek to understand this truth. The best dictionary for the Bible is the Bible! When we approach the word “church,” we find that God gives us a clear definition within the pages of Scripture. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen was detailing the history of Israel before the Sanhedrin. As he spoke of Moses and Israel in the wilderness, he used the phrase “the church in the wilderness.” The Old Testament never uses this terminology to describe Israel in the wilderness. Instead, the Old Testament uses the phrase “the congregation of the children of Israel (Exodus 17:1).” This means that the word church may be defined as a congregation. Again, the very word congregation teaches us that to have a church, one must congregate (assemble/attend)! The Purpose of the Offices of the Church Requires Church Attendance The New Testament teaches that a New Testament church has only two offices: Pastor (Elder/Bishop) and Deacon. As we study the office of the Pastor, we find that he is given by Christ as a gift to men (Ephesians 4:11-16). The purpose of a Pastor, according to Ephesians 4:12-13, is to produce maturity among the believers, to accomplish the work of the ministry, to build up the church (as a whole) so that every (Paul uses the phrase “…we all…” He left no believer out of this statement!) believer might arrive at the unity of the faith, to the point that they are moulded into the image of Christ. It is impossible for a pastor to accomplish this in the life of every believer, if every believer does not attend church. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).” As a Pastor, Timothy had a responsibility to “pass the torch” of the faith to the next generation, but that could not happen without believers attending church. The Example of the Churches in the New Testament Requires Church Attendance The book of Acts is filled with examples of how the early believers conducted themselves. There should be no doubt that they have set an example for us, as Paul said about the Old Testament: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4).” What was their example? Jesus commanded His church to remain in Jerusalem until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. He gave this command as they were assembled (attending) together. “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me (Acts 1:4).” The new believers at Jerusalem assembled with (attended) the rest of the church there. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:41-42).” As you search through the book of Acts, you really do not find a believer that is not an active member of a New Testament church. Even in the ministry of the Apostle Paul, we find that he went preaching the Gospel and ended by planting churches with those new converts (Acts 14:22-23), which gives a further indication that God’s plan is for every born again believer to be an active, attending member of a New Testament church. Barnabas and Saul assembled with (attended) the church at Antioch. “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11:26).” The “Gotcha” Verse for Church Attendance So, the Bible doesn’t say, “Thou shalt attend church,” but there are indications everywhere one looks in the New Testament that promote faithful church attendance. Still, there is one more reason why church attendance is necessary. While God didn’t say, “You must attend church,” He did say, “Do not fail to attend church.” In Hebrews 10:25 we read, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” It is very clear that God’s will is for every believer to assemble with other believers (remember, a church is an assembly). This requires faithful church attendance! According to this verse of Scripture, we are not to attend church less as time goes on. We are to attend church more, and more faithfully, as we draw closer to the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In the end, there is not one verse that says, “Thou shalt attend church.” There is, however, one verse that says, “Thou shalt not fail to attend church (Hebrews 10:25).” There are also the many examples in Scripture that teach us the necessity to attend the House of God. There is even the meaning of the word “church” which teaches us the necessity to attend together with other believers. We should not fall prey to the character of these last days by thinking that church attendance is for the weak, and that we are so spiritually mature that we no longer need to attend church anymore. We need to grow in the Lord in these last days, and one of the best ways of accomplishing that is through faithful church attendance. People are often intrigued when they find out that our church is "Independent" Baptist. They often have many questions about how an Independent Baptist church can function and thrive in this world.
Being an Independent Baptist church makes us different from any other church or group, even those who have "Baptist" in their church name. Many "Baptist" churches have a similar, if not identical, statement of faith as their Independent Baptist counterparts, but the difference is easily seen in the practical application of that statement of faith. First of all, an Independent Baptist church is different because it follows the pattern of the church that Jesus established. This is a broad, sweeping statement, which will surely raise the hackles of those who would defend their denomination. Still, I think it is clear that many churches and denominations do not follow the pattern of the church that Jesus established. One way in which Independent Baptist churches follow the pattern of the church that Jesus established is by rejecting any form of hierarchy. This hierarchy can be seen both internally and externally among the many non-independent (denominational) "Baptist" churches. When there is an internal hierarchy, there is no level ground among the church membership. In an internal hierarchy, those who hold a particular position in the church have a greater say in what goes on than another member who faithfully serves the Lord but holds no position. Still, others have boards and committees who make all the pertinent decisions that need to be made within the church, and no other members are consulted in these decisions. In both of these cases, there is an internal hierarchy. This is not the pattern that is laid out for us in the New Testament. When there was a decision to be made, the Pastor brought the issue to the attention of the congregation, who decided by 1) seeking God's direction, and 2) by majority vote (Act 1:15-26; 6:1-6; 15:13-23). When there is an external hierarchy, there is no consideration of the church membership. Different denominations are set up in different ways, but there is always something bigger and more important than the church itself. There may be a provincial, regional, national, and international group of which the individual congregation, or church, is a part. No one cares about the individual church, because the focus always goes to the top, where the president, council, or synod makes decisions for all their member churches as a whole. This is not the pattern that is laid out in the New Testament. There are only two offices within a New Testament church: pastor (also called bishop or elder) and deacon. The New Testament knows nothing about any position that would supersede the authority of an individual church. Another way in which Independent Baptist churches follow the pattern of the church that Jesus established is by emphasizing the church. While many churches will emphasize their denomination, an Independent Baptist church will emphasize the church. Jesus taught the importance of the church by making the church the last resort for reconciliation between fellow believers (Mat 18:17). Jesus taught the importance of the church by making it the thing that would overcome the gates of hell (Mat 16:18). Throughout the New Testament, it is the church that is emphasized, rather than anything over the church. Secondly, an Independent Baptist church is different because she acknowledges Jesus Christ alone as her Head (Eph 1:23; 5:23; Col 1:18). This is impossible in any form of hierarchy or denomination because the hierarchy or denomination forms the head of those churches that make up that denomination. Many "Baptist" churches do not even take the time to put together a statement of faith, because they claim the denominational statement of faith as their own. This means, that if the denomination chooses to change their statement of faith, they have changed the statement of faith of a great number of the churches which make up that denomination. This is not recognizing Christ as the Head of each church, but the denomination! However, every Independent Baptist church will seek the face of Christ for her doctrine, direction, devotion, and demeanor, because He is her Head! Thirdly, an Independent Baptist church is different because she has one goal. Many denominational churches, including "Baptist" churches, have a different goal set for them each year by their hierarchy or denominational leadership. These goals may be social, and they may be humanitarian, but they are not the same from year to year. The goal of the Independent Baptist church does not change from year to year, because we follow the goal that was set for us by our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ! Before ascending back to Heaven, Jesus gave the Great Commission to the church He had founded during His earthly ministry. This Great Commission is delineated for us in Matthew 28:19-20: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." This Great Commission, in all of its parts, is the one goal of every true Independent Baptist church. We have a desire for all people groups of the world to hear the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also have a desire for every believer to follow after the Lord in Scriptural baptism, and to continue to grow as they are taught and trained in the things of God. In focusing on these things, we are carrying out the goal of fulfilling the Great Commission! Fourthly, and Independent Baptist church is different because we have one rule book. Most denominations have rules by which they are governed, even to the point of governing the manner of worship within each church. If the individual church fails to follow the rules laid out by the hierarchy or denomination, they run the risk of being removed from the denomination, or even of having their goods and property confiscated by the denomination. An Independent Baptist church has only the Bible as her rule book. If the Bible says that something is sin, the Independent Baptist church will preach that such a thing is a sin. If the Bible promotes something as good, the Independent Baptist church will preach that such a thing is good. We do not appeal to the Church Fathers, commentaries, or the writings of men to find what it is we should preach and practice. We believe that God has already written down the things we need to know within the pages of His Book! Fifthly, an Independent Baptist church is different because we can glorify God (Eph 3:21). When a denominational church does something special, the praise and glory go to the denomination. When an Independent Baptist church does something special, all the praise and glory go to God, because it is obvious that no human wisdom or ability was able to accomplish what that church has done! We aren't here to honour our denomination; we are here to honour God through Christ! The only way by which we can honestly accomplish this is by being an Independent Baptist church! No, as an Independent Baptist church, we are not the same as all the other churches around, even those who carry the name "Baptist." There are some important, Biblical differences to which we hold and practice tenaciously, as we seek to please the Saviour! Every day we make choices based on our priorities. We choose to stay home or go out based on what is truly important to us. We even use the term "essential" to demark the heights to which we raise certain activities or places.
For the lost and carnal believers, anything spiritual is non-essential. That doesn't make it so, it is just that spiritual things do not interest them. Even some who claim to be spiritual Christians have lost the urgency or essentiality of many spiritual activities: Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, etc. What was once a high priority for them is now a mere afterthought. Those who used to be in church every time the doors are open can fall into a place where they have no more concern about missing church services for any number of reasons. However, church is essential for several reasons: 1. Church is essential because it is commanded. Hebrews 10:25 is still in the Bible, even though we have been required to miss assembling recently. Now that the restrictions are being slowly lifted, we should not be content with sitting at home watching the live stream or trying to fit in a view whenever it is convenient. We should feel an obligation of obedience to our Lord to be in our place. 2. Church is essential because it is encouraging. In Hebrews 10:25, we are told that we need to assemble to exhort one another. The word "exhort" means "to invite; console; implore." These are the elements of encouragement. When we sit at home and watch the live stream when we could physically meet with our church family, we are missing out on the encouragement that we could give to someone else. In fact, when we fail to attend we discourage those who notice our absence. We also miss out on the encouragement that we could receive from someone else. 3. Church is essential because it strengthens our faith. Remember the Sunday afternoon/evening of Resurrection Day? Jesus met with the disciples and built up their faith. They were "ready to charge hell with a squirt gun." That is, all of them except Thomas. Thomas wasn't strengthened in his faith. He was still grovelling in doubt simply because he failed to think that church was essential (especially a Sunday afternoon/evening service). Thomas did attend the following Sunday afternoon service and Jesus showed up! All of a sudden, Thomas' faith was strengthened, and he was just as excited about the Lord's resurrection as the other disciples had been the week before. We need to be present with God's people so that our faith will be strengthened. 4. Church is essential because it gives a testimony. When we claim to know the Lord Jesus and fail to meet with Him and His people, we are saying something to the lost world around us. We are saying that Church is not essential, and even implying that Jesus is not important. Giving church such a low priority in our lives is also a poor testimony to new converts. A baby Christian looks to those who have been saved for a longer period of time to find out how to practically implement their new-found faith. How sad when the testimony they see says that family, travel, work, sports, and everything else are of a higher priority than the assembling of believers. On the other hand, when we believe and practice the essential necessity for church, we are presenting lost and saved alike with a testimony that is sure to please the Lord Jesus. Each one of us needs to examine ourselves to see whether or not we find church to be essential. If we find that we are giving low priority to meeting together with God's people, we need to repent of that and return to real, energetic faithfulness to the House of God, wherever they might be meeting. "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" -Galatians 4:16
Young preachers are often surprised to learn that not everyone who claims to be a Christian wants to hear exactly what God says. These young men study and preach their hearts out, only to find that there is a negative reaction to their message. This negative reaction isn't confined to just the young preachers. Pastors often get the blame for things they never did. Pastors are often blamed for wicked motivations in their preaching when it is the Holy Ghost that led them to preach on a certain topic or mention a particular thing that hits home with some who are not what they ought to be with the Lord. Pastors are often blamed for letting the family down when the parents refused to be faithful to God's house or to live at home what was preached from the pulpit. On the other hand, pastors are also blamed for people's negative responses to the things that they do! This verse falls into this category. The Apostle Paul wrote to the churches of the region of Galatia to correct the doctrinal error that had infiltrated their churches after his initial departure. This doctrinal error is still in existence in our world today, and expresses itself in two ways: 1) those who claim that something must be added to the completed work of Christ to obtain salvation, and 2) those who claim that something must be added to the completed work of Christ to maintain salvation. Both of these ideologies are wrong, but they cover most of what calls itself "Christian" today. Paul, as was his way, was direct and to the point. He did not pull any punches. On the other hand, Paul was not unloving toward these believers who made up the membership of the churches of Galatia. He systematically proves that there are false "gospels" and false "brethren." He goes on to reiterate the truth that the Gospel is received by faith, rather than by any sort of works. Paul also knew people. He knew them generally, according to their culture or sect. But, he also knew these believers from Galatia individually and personally. He knew what would be the reaction of those who had been persuaded of the correctness of these Judaizers (those who taught that the Law was a required addition to Christ's finished work to either obtain or maintain salvation). They would immediately react to Paul's epistle by framing him as an enemy of the people. But, it was this same Paul who had initially brought the truth of the Gospel to these people. The Judaizers had not put in an appearance when these people were lost. They only showed up after the fact, to divert these converts from the truth! It was Paul who had laboured, prayed, and wept over their lost condition until they had come to Christ as their only hope of salvation! Yet, it was this very Paul that was being cast as the bad guy! Paul knew that this would be the response of some, and he addressed them by asking if he had become their enemy. Certainly, he had become the enemy of these Judaizers, because he was questioning their salvation; he was questioning their doctrine; he was questioning their truthfulness. Honestly, Paul should have been questioning all of these things, and so should the believers of Galatia. Paul then revealed the only reason why these Judaizers would set Paul up as an enemy of the people: because he had told them the truth. The truth would expose the error of the Judaizer. The truth would open the eyes of the yielded believer, and cause him to run from the error being taught by these questionable men. The truth would set these believers free from the bandage into which these Judaizers sought to place them! This brings us back to where we began. Many make out the Pastor to be an enemy of the people of his church or his community because what he teaches and preaches does not align with how they live and what they think to be true. However, if that Pastor is preaching the Word of God as it is to people as they are, we must realize that he is doing nothing more than telling them the truth! If you have a Pastor who faithfully tells you the truth from the Word of God, you should never make him your enemy. He is trying to help you! He is trying to open your eyes to a greater truth that you are not seeing! He is often trying to warn you to avoid an error that will harm you, your family, and your church! Instead of making an enemy of your Pastor, you ought to thank God for the Pastor that He has given to you and your church! You ought to let your Pastor know that you are thankful for him and for his faithfulness to tell you the truth. You ought to encourage your Pastor to continue to tell you the truth, even though you may not agree with him. If you have been guilty of making an enemy of your Pastor, you ought to go to him and ask his forgiveness for your wrongdoing. Do not excuse yourself by saying, "He knows that comes with the job." The hurt that he and his family feel when you make him an enemy can be overwhelming, and a sincere, humble apology will go a long way toward healing the hurt you have caused. Do not excuse yourself by saying, "But that happened years ago." The hurt you cause can linger on for many years, even causing discouragement and a desire to quit. Yes, preachers and pastors realize that not everyone will enjoy their preaching, especially when it opposes their "pet" doctrine or ungodly lifestyle. However, the faithful man of God will continue to tell the truth from the Word of God, even if everyone makes him their enemy! By Jerry Jackson
Many times Pastors will lament from the pulpit the lack of young men surrendering to the call of full-time ministry. It truly does seem like we are seeing less young men give themselves totally to the call of God, and many who do “surrender” to the call of God have too many stipulations to be fully used of God (full-time salary, housing provided, a great benefits package, etc.). I believe that we have many young men surrendering to the call of God for all the wrong reasons, but, thankfully, not all young men fall into this category. Some young men watch their Pastors stand each church service and proclaim the Word of God, and think to themselves, “I want to be like that: I want to be able to stand in front of people and tell them what to do!” Of course, the man of God realizes that he is NOT telling people what to do when he preaches; he is simply relating the message of God with all the fervour and compassion that God has instilled in his heart. Still, young men often do not discern this reality and see the Pastor as the man “in charge” of everyone who walks in the church doors. When we focus on the character of those young men to whom God is extending a call into His service, there is one word that should rise to the top of the list: faithfulness. The Biblical illustration of this is seen in the lives of Saul and Barnabas. They were faithfully serving the Lord in the church at Antioch before God called them to leave home and venture out into the “regions beyond.” Yet, we have come to a time where faithfulness is almost an afterthought. Some Pastors are so thrilled to have someone talk about surrendering to enter the ministry that they do not care what is the character of that young man. Other Pastors have the opinion that the Lord will teach faithfulness at some future point. Neither of these thought patterns has been a help to the work of the Lord! On the one hand, the pride and prestige of the Pastor are built up, while on the other hand, young men are put into the work of the Lord who have yet to learn how to serve the Lord in the easy times and the difficult times. Recently, a young man decided that he wanted to be a missionary. Apparently, he made this decision while at winter camp. He spoke at length to the camp speaker about this decision. When he got home, he made no mention of this decision to his Pastor, but he did circulate the idea of his decision to a few people in the church. This behaviour was manipulative, trying to use the back door to get recognition for his decision. This same young man did nothing to begin to prepare himself for a life of service as a missionary. The church of which he was a member had an active Bible Institute, where he could have received an adequate Bible training, yet he declined to take advantage of this opportunity. He had grown up in a preacher's home and felt that he already knew all there is to learn from the Scripture. This prideful attitude would not serve him well if he actually entered into the ministry. Also, this young man had been given one task in the church, yet had failed to follow through with that task. He had asked the Pastor for a job in the church when he first joined the church, and the Pastor had assigned him the task of passing out visitor cards to every first-time visitor. This is not a difficult task, yet he balked at fulfilling this task. There were times when a visitor would enter the church, and he would flatly refuse to take a visitor card to that visitor. This lack of faithfulness (a refusal to communicate with his Pastor, a failure to be teachable, and a failure to fulfill even the smallest task assigned to him) calls into question the supposed call of God on this young man's life. A missionary must learn to communicate with his Pastor. This is one of the manners by which he is accountable to his sending church. If a church member cannot communicate with his Pastor when they are together in the same place, he will never learn to do so when far away on a foreign field. Beyond the Pastor of his sending church, a missionary must also communicate with his supporting churches. These churches may number anywhere from 10-100, yet each church deserves to hear about the work that God is doing on the missionary’s field of service. If a missionary won’t communicate with his own Pastor, it is unlikely that he will communicate with any other church, unless he has an ulterior motive. A missionary must always be teachable. No believer in Christ has “arrived” when it comes to the Scripture and every believer must continue to search the Scripture and grow in the Lord. Beyond this general truth, a missionary must always be teachable, as he learns how to deal with people of a different culture and language. That aspect of missionary life is an aspect of constant learning. A missionary must be faithful in fulfilling the smallest of tasks. When initially planting a church, the missionary is responsible for every aspect of setting up for services and tearing down afterward, as well as passing out every visitor card. He must take responsibility for the finances of the mission work, and plan every detail of any activities. He must also be faithful to evangelize the lost in his area of service. It is true that we need more young men to answer God's call into the ministry. It is also true that we need more young men to learn to be faithful in their church before they begin to claim that God is calling them into further areas of service. It is imperative for Pastors to look for faithfulness among the young men of their church, and if that faithfulness is missing, the claimed call of those young men should be suspect. It is also imperative for Pastors to promote faithfulness among all their members, for that is the plan of God for His churches. Is The New King James Version As Good As The King James Version (1611)?
By Jerry Jackson The King James Bible (Authorized Version) has been used of God for over 400 years. While other Bibles may have been around, they were not popularly used by anyone. However, in these past two hundred years, Satan has sustained a dreadful, focused attack upon the Word of God, both in Hebrew and Greek and in the English. Satan knows that if he can only deprive the believer of the Word of God, he will be helpless to ward off Satan’s attacks. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do (Psalm 11:3)?” “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)…" We are certainly aware of these things and have stood against the RV, RSV, ASV, NIV, and the countless number of other lookalikes on the market today. But I am seeing a trend to look kindly upon the New King James Version, as a mere update of the “old faithful” Authorized Version. Churches are still standing for the Authorized Version on paper and in the pulpit, but individual members are guilty of reading from and even carrying to church the New King James Version. This is dangerous ground! If the individual members do not stand strong for the truth, the church as a whole will not stand for long. This is like a large tree, whose roots have been damaged by someone digging all around them. The tree may look good and healthy for a time, but eventually, the faulty roots will tell as the tree dries up and begins to rot. Wait a minute! Isn’t the New King James Version (NKJV) just as good as the King James Version (AV)? Are there really any major differences, outside of the updated language? After very little study, the answer comes as a resounding “YES!” There are major differences between the NKJV and the AV. These differences should be enough for every individual to ditch any copied of the NKJV that he may have at his house. In a brief summary, here are some of the changes that have been made by the NKJV.
The NKJV Confuses More Than It Clarifies The following section comes from an article found on the following website: http://www.av1611.org/nkjv.html “Among the first changes that greets the reader of the NKJV is the removal of the much maligned ‘thee, thou and ye’. The Preface to the NKJV states, ‘. . .thee, thou, and ye are replaced by the simple you. . . These pronouns are no longer part of our language.’ But ‘thee, thou and ye’ were ‘NO LONGER part of the language’ during 1611 either. (just read the intro to the 1611 King James, there are no ‘thee', ‘thou’ and ‘ye’). In fact, Webster's Third New International Dictionary, says of ye: ‘used from the earliest of times to the late 13th century. . .’ (p.2648) And yet the 1611 King James was published 400 years later in the 17th century! “So why are they there? "The Greek and Hebrew language contain a different word for the second person singular and the second person plural pronouns. Today we use the one-word ‘you’ for both the singular and plural. But because the translators of the 1611 King James Bible desired an accurate, word-for-word translation of the Hebrew and Greek text - they could NOT use the one-word ‘you’ throughout! If it begins with ’t’ (thou, thy, thine) it's SINGULAR, but if it begins with ‘y’ (ye) it's PLURAL. Ads for the NKJV call it ‘the Accurate One’, and yet the 1611 King James, by using ‘thee’, ‘thou’, ‘ye’, is far more accurate! “By the way, if the ‘thee’s’ and ‘thou’s' are ‘. . .no longer part of our language' - why aren't the NKJV translators rushing to make our hymnbooks ‘much clearer’? ‘How Great Thou Art’ to ‘How Great You Are’, or ‘Come Thou Fount’ to ‘Come You Fount’. Doesn’t sound right, does it? Isn’t it amazing that they wouldn’t dare ‘correct' our hymns - and yet, without the slightest hesitation, they’ll ‘correct’ the word of God!” The NKJV Changes The Meaning Of Many Verses We should not be afraid to study this subject for God has commanded us to study, hasn’t He? If you are using the NKJV, God has NOT commanded you to study. 2 Timothy 2:15, in the AV, say, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In the NKJV, this same verse says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” “Study” and “be diligent” are not the same thing at all. This undermines the doctrine of personal responsibility for our walk with God and our knowledge of His Word. The translators of the NKJV should have been fearful of corrupting the Word of God, don’t you think? “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God (2 Corinthians 2:17a)…" The translators of the NKJV didn't fear the corruption of the Word of God because that warning doesn’t exist in the NKJV! “For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God…" The word “corrupt” means "to alter, to mar, to infect". The word “peddle” means "to sell illicitly, to hawk, to distribute." These two words do not mean the same thing, even giving the benefit of the doubt! This undermines the need for doctrinal purity because it only condemns the “peddling” of the word of God, not the “corruption” of the word of God! The AV tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” This verse teaches us to avoid anything that might even look wrong, especially to those who are lost. The NKJV says, “Abstain from every form of evil.” The meaning of this verse is totally lost in the NKJV. This undermines the doctrine of personal holiness, which God expects from every truly born again person. We have given three examples to show how the NKJV changes the meaning of many verses in the AV. We will not take the time to show more, but the Bible does tell us that these three examples should be enough to show us the error of using the NKJV. “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established (2 Corinthians 13:1 [AV]).” The NKJV Reverses The Meaning Of Many Verses The introduction to the 1979 edition of the NKJV tells us that, “A special feature of the New King James Bible is its conformity to the thought-flow of the 1611 version. The reader discovers that the sequence and identity of words, phrases, and clauses of the new edition, while much clearer, are so close to the traditional that there is remarkable ease in listening to the public reading of either edition while following along with the other.” So, each and every verse of the NKJV should have the exact same meaning as that found in the AV for this to be true. Let’s check and see if this is the case. Romans 1:18 AV: “...who hold the truth in unrighteousness…" NKJV: “...who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…" Romans 1:25 AV: “...Who changed the truth of God into a lie…" NKJV: “...who exchanged the truth of God for a lie…" 1 Timothy 6:5 AV: “...supposing that gain is godliness…" NKJV: “...who suppose that godliness is a means of gain…" Once again, we have three witnesses to the truth that the NKJV reverses the meaning of many verses in God's Word. Is this really the kind of “bible” that we should want to read and use in our personal Bible reading? NO! The NKJV Weakens Major Bible Doctrines Even if we could stomach the changes already discussed, we come to the breaking point at the major doctrines of the Bible. If, as we have been told, the NKJV is only an update of the AV, we should be able to find no difference in the doctrinal teaching of the NKJV. However, that is not the case. The Deity of Christ John 1:3 AV: “All things were made by him…" NKJV: “All things were made through Him…" Colossians 1:17 AV: “...by him all things consist.” NKJV: “...in Him all things consist.” Acts 3:13 AV: “...hath glorified his Son Jesus…" NKJV: “…glorified His Servant Jesus…" Eternal Salvation Hebrews 10:14 AV: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” NKJV: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 AV: “...unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” NKJV: “...to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:15 AV: “...in them that are saved…" NKJV: “...among those who are being saved…" How many major Bible doctrines have to be belittled or denied before we finally get the idea that the NKJV is not merely an updated AV? The NKJV is nothing more than another perversion of the truths of God's Word. The only difference being that the NKJV is much more cleverly masked as a “Bible” than are the other myriads of “translations” on the market today. Beware of the NKJV! It is not God’s Word, and it will do you harm! If you own one, do not give it away to someone else. Get rid of it! Let us be true to the Word of God, by identifying it (AV), by reading it, and by living it! |
About Jerry JacksonJerry has been writing for many years now. He has written tracts for several churches, as well as his ministries in Papua New Guinea and in Canada. He has had the opportunity to have many of his articles published in several Independent Baptist periodicals over the years. His main goals are to teach truth and lift up the Saviour. Archives
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