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The Tithe That Binds, part 2

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship, The Church.

Having presented the case that Old Testament tithing is no longer binding as a law for New Testament believers, I thought it important to lay out further the principles, or patterns, of giving that saturate the New Testament.  I will also be writing a third and final part that will answer the most common objections that I have encountered in my ministry.  As stated in part 1 of The Tithe That Binds:  “While tithing is no longer a law to be obeyed, it certainly remains a principle to be applied.  Whatever our view on tithing, the binding principles behind the giving of tithes is strongly reaffirmed in the New Testament: faith, sacrifice, and worship.”

Rather than a continuation of a total tithe of 23.3% (Num.18:21-24; Dt.14:22-27; Dt.14:28-29), the New Testament presents giving based on the principles of faith, sacrifice, and worship.  (These are certainly not the only principles, but they are the prevailing ones).  These three principles were also present in the Old Testament economy, but they have taken on an even more profound importance under the New Testament.

1)  Faith: True New Testament giving is first of all an act of faith.  Both sacrifice and worship are impossible without faith in God.  When we give out of obligation, guilt, or greed (hoping to get something from God), then the purpose of giving is lost.  The reason we give is to joyfully see the work of God carried on, lives changed, provisions given, and God glorified.  The purpose of giving is to turn our naturally stingy hearts into generous hearts.  Indeed, we are to give joyfully or not at all.  Paul’s word to the Corinthian Church, though he doesn’t actually use the word “faith,” is a reminder of how our giving is really an indicator of the quality of our faith.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8—The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2)  Sacrifice: Sowing bountifully not only requires faith but also sacrifice.  By its very nature, faith hinges upon giving up something in order to gain something better.  For example, real faith in Jesus for salvation hinges upon giving up our self-perceived “right” to rule our own lives (otherwise known as sin) in order to gain forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  That hinge is what the Bible calls repentance.  There is no faith in Jesus without repentance, nor is there repentance without faith in Jesus.

Like salvation, the giving of money to the Lord’s work through the local church requires sacrifice on the part of believers.  We see a great illustration of sacrificial giving in the early church in Acts 4:32-37.

Acts 4:32-37— Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

The principle of sacrificial giving is founded on an even more encompassing principle: Christ sacrificed it all (His very life) that we might have a better standing with God.  Hear what the writer to the Hebrews says:

Hebrews 8:6-7—But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

3)  Worship: The New Testament is clear that God is to be valued above earthly possessions because God is the Creator, worthy of all of our attention and adoration.  A realistic view of possessions includes the acknowledgement that earthly things will fade away but God and His gospel are eternal.

Matthew 6:19-20—“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Jesus commands us not to treasure earthly wealth in the place of what is most valuable, namely God.  Once we see possessions as we should, then we will be free to give to the church with the right motives (Matt.6:19-24).  One way that we do this is through the giving of money to a local church as a part of our worship of God.  Let’s state it clearly:  Giving is an act of worship, just as much as singing, praying, and hearing God’s Word.

In the New Testament, there is no law on giving but one: Give!  Give in faith.  Give sacrificially as God leads you by His Holy Spirit.  Give as an act of worship of a God who has sought us and bought us by the blood of His Son.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

The Tithe That Binds, part 1

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship, The Gospel. 5 Comments on The Tithe That Binds, part 1

We assume too much.  Sometimes we assume we know things that we really don’t know.  Sometimes we assume that others understand us when they really don’t.  When it comes to the Bible, we often assume we know what it says and what it means.  This is especially true regarding its teaching on tithing.

Many Christians assume that the New Testament teaches them to give a tithe of all of their income to the local church.  For many of us, this idea has been engrained from our earliest days.  Thankfully, some have assumed less than others and have at least studied the New Testament for themselves and believe they have found evidence that tithing is still binding for Christians today.  But upon closer examination, I am convinced from the New Testament evidence that the tithe is no longer a law to be obeyed by believers.

Four References with No Substantial Proof
If the tithe were still binding for New Testament believers, then one would think that there would be clear and ample evidence.  But there is not.  Granted, the New Testament talks about the use of money, the love of money, and the giving away of money all over the place.  When it comes to the tithe, however, there are but four sections of New Testament Scripture that mention it, and two of those are one verse in length and parallel accounts in the Gospels at that (Matt.23:23/Lk.11:42; Lk.18:12; Heb.7:1-10).  The question before us is whether or not these four references teach that Christians are required to give a certain percentage to the local church.

The references to tithing in the Gospels simply affirm that Law-abiding Jews are certainly expected to be tithing just as they would be expected to keep the kosher food restrictions and stone people caught in adultery.  Ironically, in both Gospel sections Jesus is actually rebuking the Pharisees for their legalistic understanding of tithing.

Regarding Hebrews 7:1-10, many tithe-advocates drive their stake in the ground here.  While I admit that this text has more flesh on the skeleton than the examples in the Gospels, Hebrews 7 still lacks clear evidence that the tithe is binding.  In the context of Hebrews 7, we must understand that the writer is striving to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus over the Levitical priest—Jesus is a better High Priest than the Levitical one, just as Melchizedek was too.

The point is not that tithing is reaffirmed as binding for Christians.  The point is that all of the temple-related regulations, such as tithing, were fulfilled by Christ.  There is no longer any need for the temple, priests, or sacrifices of any kind.  Therefore, there is no longer any need for tithes to “pay” for the upkeep of the temple or the needs of the priests.  The tithe, like circumcision, was an Old Testament Law that was temporal in nature rather than eternal (like “love your neighbor” or “do not murder”).  Even though the tithe in Hebrews 7 is traced back to Abraham before the Law, so is circumcision.  And practically all Christians agree that the pre-Law practice of circumcision is no longer binding.

All or None
Here’s the thing.  If the tithe is still binding, then we must obey the law of tithing to the letter (Gal.3:10-14; Jas.2:10).  True tithing would look more like this:

1)  Old Testament tithes were only on food, drink, and livestock (Lev.27:30-33).  Today, that would mean, in addition to bringing 10% of our income to the church, we must bring 10% of our livestock and fruits and vegetables from our gardens into the church, or else sell 10% of them and bring that money.

2)  Actually, it would be closer to 23.3% because obeying the letter of the Law means that we must give all three Old Testament tithes (Num.18:21-24; Dt.14:22-27; Dt.14:28-29)—20% each year and 10% more every three years.  It is possible, however that tithes two and three (Dt.14:22-27; 14:28-29) are really one—tithe two simply being given to the poor and indigent every third year.

3)  We should stop expecting all Christians to tithe since a few groups were also exempt from tithing—namely the Levite, sojourner, fatherless, and widow (Dt.26:12).  Some would say non-farming occupations were also exempt.

Based on this evidence (and the lack of evidence in the New Testament to the contrary), Christians are free to give less than 10% of their income to the local church, or Christians are free to give more than 10% of their income to the local church.  While tithing is no longer a law to be obeyed, it certainly remains a principle to be applied.  Whatever our view on tithing, the binding principles behind the giving of tithes is strongly reaffirmed in the New Testament: faith, sacrifice, and worship.  While I do not expect nor desire conformity for all Christians on this issue, I do pray and desire that we be unified despite our differences.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

Why We Homeschool?

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship, My Family.

There is nothing like those awkward moments in conversation to remind you of the importance of knowing why you do what you do and believe what you believe.  Why we homeschool our children has to be one of the top items on the list!  Most people mean well, but the awkward questions and comments can sometimes be trying.  Then you have those obnoxious folks that are flatout rude.

Nonetheless, Sarah and I have what we believe to be some very solid reasons for home educating our children.  But before I share them, let me make a qualifying statement: We do not believe that homeschooling is for everyone, and neither do we look down on others because they choose to have other people educate their children.  With that said, here are the primary reasons that we home edcuate:

1)  We believe that God has directed us to homeschool.  It is not for everyone, but it is for us because God has called us to it.

2)  We believe that we can provide a great education for our children through one-on-one instruction and more specialized curriculum that fits the individual child, increasing the likelihood of personal excellence.  We like that our children are able to study at their own skill level rather than that of the average child in a classroom.

3)  We believe that we can provide a more physcially and spiritually safe environment for our children, specifically in these crucial years.

4)  We believe that we are responsible for reducing negative peer pressure and creating healthy opportunities for appropriate socialization through the Church, homeschool co-ops, enrichment classes, etc.  The debate over “socialization” continues to be the most misunderstood aspect of homeschooling.  What many seem to forget is that homeschooling done right is far more socializing than your average school system.  Being confined to one building, a few classrooms, and one group of children year after year is not nearly as sociable as meets the eye.  This is not even to mention what kind of socializing is taking place (early exposure to vulgarity, sexuality, drugs, disrespect for authority, etc.).  Our children, however, have greater freedom to explore the real world through more frequent field trips, grocery shopping, nature walks, hospital visits, and other such experiences.

5)  We believe it is a more efficient use of time and money.

6)  As a family in the ministry, the frequency of moving can be greater.

7)  We love the flexible schedule!

8)  We love being with our children!

While we believe that God expects followers of Jesus Christ to be “salt and light” in a distasteful and dark world, we also believe that God expects Christian parents to “train up a child in the way that he should go” and gradually release them into the frying pan of the world rather than dropping them in before they are ready.

Now that these are in official print, hopefully I will have a better answer for those who wonder, “Why do you homeschool?”

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

Must Baptism Precede Membership?

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship, The Gospel. 2 Comments on Must Baptism Precede Membership?

Due to recent experiences in counseling with baptismal candidates, I found this article by Jonathan Leeman to be helpful and insightful.  Does it really matter whether or not a person is baptized before or after church membership?  Check it out and feel free to discuss.

Must Baptism Precede Membership? Of course!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship, The Gospel.

A few months ago I read Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry, which was written by John Piper and published by Broadman & Holman.  As to be expected, Piper has produced yet another God-glorifying text on a most important issue in the American church.  In the opening chapter, he highlights what the pastor ought to be and then questions how closely evangelicals are adhering to this biblical standard:

“I think God has exhibited us preachers as last of all in the world.  We are fools for Christ’s sake, but professionals are wise.  We are weak, but professionals are strong.  Professionals are held in honor; we are in disrepute.  We do not try to secure a professional lifestyle, but we are ready to hunger and thirst and be ill-clad and homeless.  When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things (1 Cor. 4:9-13).  Or have we?”  (p.2).

The book contains thirty chapters, mostly short, in which Piper exhorts American pastors strengthen areas of pastoral minsitry that he believes have languished in recent years.  Because of the lengthiness of any attempt to addres every chapter, I am going to choose my favorite quotes from various portions of the book and simply quote them.  In doing this, I hope to unobscure Piper’s own words and allow him to speak on his own behalf.

  1. Chapter 1: Brothers, God Loves His Glory–“Why is it important to be stunned by the God-centeredness of God?  Because many people are willing to be God-centered as long as they feel that God is man-centered.  It is a subtle danger.  We may think that we are centering our lives on God, when we are really making Him a means to self-esteem.  Over against this danger I urge you to ponder the implications, brothers, that God loves His glory more than He loves us and that this is the foundation of His love for us. . . .  God’s ultimate commitment is to Himself and not to us.” (pp.6-7)
  2. Chapter 4: Brothers, Live and Preach Justification by Faith–“If you work for your justification, what you are doing is trying to put God in your debt.  And if you succeed in getting God to owe you something, then you can boast before men and God.  If you worked for justifcation and you succeeded, you would not get grace, but a wage.  God would owe it to you.  And when you got it, you would be able to say, ‘I deserve this.’  And that, Paul says, is not what Abraham did.” (p.25)
  3. Chapter 6: Brothers, Tell Them Not to Serve God–“What is God looking for in the world?  Assistants?  No.  The gospel is not a help-wanted ad.  It is a help-available ad.  God is not looking for people to work for Him but people who let Him work mightily in and through them.” (p.40)
  4. Chapter 7: Brothers, Consider Christian Hedonism–“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” (p.45)
  5. Chapter 8: Brothers, Let Us Pray–“Oh, how we need to wake up to how much ‘nothing’ we spend our time doing.  Apart from prayer, all our scurrying about, all our talking, all our study amounts to ‘nothing.’   For most of us the voice of self-reliance is ten times louder than the bell that tolls for the hours of prayer.” (p.55)
  6. Chapter 12: Brothers, Bitzer Was a Banker–“Where pastors can no longer articulate and defend doctrine by a reasonable and careful appeal to the original meaning of Biblical texts, they will tend to become close-minded traditionalists who clutch their inherited ideas, or open-ended pluralists who don’t put much stock in doctrinal formulations.  In both cases the succeeding generations will be theologically impoverished and susceptible to error.” (p.84)
  7. Chapter 16: Brothers, We Must Feel the Truth of Hell–“When the heart no longer feels the truth of hell, the gospel passes from good news to simply news.” (p.116)
  8. Chapter 19: Brothers, Our Affliction Is for Their Comfort–“When Paul says to the Corinthians that his afflictions are for their comfort and salvation, he implies that there is a design and purpose in his sufferings.  But whose design?  Whose purpose?  He does not design and plan his own afflictions.  And Satan surely does not design them to comfort and save the church.  Therefore, Paul must mean that God designs and purposes his pastoral afflictions for the good of the church.” (pp.139-140)
  9. Chapter 21:  Brothers, Don’t Fight Flesh Tanks with Peashooter Regulations–“Legalism is a more dangerous disease than alcoholism because it doesn’t look like one.  Alcoholism makes men fail; legalism helps them succeed in the world.  Alcoholism makes men depend on the bottle; legalism makes them self-sufficient, depending on no one.  Alcoholism destroys moral resolve; legalism gives it strength.  Alcoholics don’t feel welcome in the church; legalists love to hear their morality extolled in the church.” (p.155)
  10. Chapter 23: Brothers, Tell Them Copper Will Do–“The person who thinks the money he makes is meant to mainly to increase his comforts on earth is a fool, Jesus says.  Wise people know that all their money belongs to God and should be used to show that God, and not money, is their treasure, their comfort, their oy, and their security.” (p.168)
  11. Chapter 28: Brothers, Focus on the Essence of Worship, Not the Form–“It will transform your pastoral leadership in worship if you teach your people that the basic attitude of worship on Sunday morning is not to come with your hands full to give to God but with your hands empty to receive from God.  And what you receive in worship is God, not entertainment.” (pp.238-239)
  12. Chapter 29: Brothers, Love Your Wives–“Loving our wives is essential for our ministry.  It is ministry.” (p.246)

For His Glory,
Jeremy Vanatta

The Truth about Tragedy

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship.

(This is a manuscript of a sermon I’ve preached in the face of great tragedies)
We live in a world full of tragedy.  And sometimes it is difficult to know how we should react to the devastating things that go on all around us.  Perhaps we should ask ourselves the question, what’s our disaster response look like?  The list of possible responses could be quite long:  from “Why me?”; to “I don’t understand.”; to “They’re getting what they deserve!”  But are these biblical responses?  Let’s look at what Jesus has to say about devastation and disaster.

1. Tragedy strikes all people regardless of who they are (vv.1-2, 4)
A.  Tragedy can be deliberate as with Pilate’s rampage (vv.1-2). Over the course of human history, countless catastrophes committed by man could be recounted.  One of the more recent in memory is September 11.

B.  Tragedy can be natural as in the case of the Siloam tower (v.4).  Again, history is full of persistent natural disasters.  Today, we might could argue that such disasters pay the bills for the media.  A prime example of a tragic natural disaster is the recent Haitian earthquake.

C.  Tragedy can strike both the rich and the poor (vv.1-2,4).  In verses 1-2, we see devastation affecting both the Galileans who were the working class poor (vv.1-2) and the Judeans who were the upper class rich (v.4).  Hurricane Katrina is a convincing modern day example of a disaster that was no respecter of persons.

D.    Tragedy can always be traced back to the will of God.  God’s very nature proves this, His providence being the prime example.  We as Southern Baptist are in agreement on this as made plain in our unifying statement of faith.  In Article II of the Baptist Faith & Message, it says:

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

Not only does our Baptist statement of faith affirm this, but God’s very word declares that God’s will ultimately will be done, and what He did to Jesus is the prime example, for Isaiah 53:10 tells us:

Isaiah 53:10a—“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;”

The greatest tragedy ever to have occurred on the planet was at the same time the greatest act of God on behalf of sinners, all for His glory and our joy.  Therefore, we can say with confidence that God uses all things, even tragedy, to glorify Himself, and no tragedy is purely accidental or coincidental.  But not only does tragedy strike all people regardless of who they are, but . . .

2.  Tragedy leads believers to abandon all self-righteousness (vv.3, 5)
A.  Tragedy proves that no one is more righteous than another.  This is true for at least two reasons.  Man is incapable of producing his own righteousness.  Man is only capable of producing self-righteousness.  Now he may produce some things that are good from man’s perspective, but the Bible is clear that “none is righteous . . . no one does good” (Rom. 3:10, 12a).

Commenting on Harold Kushner’s book, “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People,” someone asked one pastor what he thought the answer to that question was.  He said, “I haven’t met any good people yet, so I don’t know.”  We see this affirmed in the New Testament in Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees, and we can learn at least two things from their negative example:

1)  Self-righteousness is always hypocritical in some way (Matt.6:21-22).  For example, it is easy for most people to affirm that murder is wrong and say, “I’ve never murdered anyone.”  But what about anger?  Have you never been unrighteously angry at another person?  Jesus says,

Matthew 5:21-22—“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Again, it is easy to affirm that adultery is wrong and for many to say, “I’ve never committed adultery.”  But what about lust?

Matthew 5:27-28—”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

It would be even easier for most Southern Baptists to agree that homosexuality is wrong and that they have never committed such atrocious acts, but what about the disgraceful things that flash across our television or computer screens?

2)  If the Pharisees could not achieve righteousness, how can anyone? (Matt. 6:20).  And the answer, of course, is that we can’t.  We simply have no righteousness of our own that would make us acceptable to God.

B.  Tragedy reminds us of every person’s need of repentance.  Tragedy is not a time for anger, revenge, complaining, or bitterness.  You see, each of these is the opposite of repentance.  All tragedies, whether something that affects us personally or not, are God’s gracious reminder of our need of repentance.

III.  Conclusion
So we come back to our original question.  What is your typical response to tragedy and suffering in life?  Whatever it is, it tells a lot about the state of your soul.  Tragedy is no respecter of persons.  It strikes all people in all circumstances all over the world.  If you find yourself responding to life’s tragedies with anger, vengefulness, bitterness, cynicism, or despair, then you must ask yourself, “Do I really know God?”  For you see, tragedy leads believers to abandon all self-righteousness through the gift of God that is repentance.

So today, what’s your disaster response look like—worldly self-righteousness or humble repentance?  Instead of asking, “Why me?”, shouldn’t you ask “Why not me?”  Instead of saying, “I don’t understand.”, shouldn’t you say, “God knows.”  Rather, than screeching, “They’re getting what they deserve!”, shouldn’t you cry out, “Lord, unless I repent, I too will perish.  Be merciful to me a sinner, O Lord.”

For His Glory,
Jeremy Vanatta

Our Greatest Enemy

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship. 3 Comments on Our Greatest Enemy

Believers in Jesus Christ have a lot of enemies in life.  Some are more serious than others, but there is no doubt, we have many enemies.  For some it’s a co-worker or a classmate.  For others it’s a family member or a former friend.  But I want us to ask, who or what is our greatest enemy?  Now before you answer that too quickly, you might want to think about it on a deeper level.  We are tempted to answer emphatically, “It’s Satan!”, but I’m not convinced he is.  No, I believe our greatest enemy is even more deceptive than Satan.

To identify our greatest enemy, let’s turn to Hebrews 4.  The main topic here is entering God’s Sabbath rest, or heaven.  In the Old Testament, the Promised Land was the rest that the Israelites sought after, and it served as a foreshadowing of the heavenly city to come (Heb.11:13-16).  Hebrews 4:11 emphasizes the seriousness of entering God’s rest, saying,

Hebrews 4:11–“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”

The word strive is the main verb that drives verses 11-13.  It is a word that describes a passionate effort to do something even at the expense of comfort.  In this case, we are to “strive to enter” heaven because it is worth every pain and discomfort, for we have been called to bear the painful cross of Christ.  We see in verse 11, however, that the Israelites failed to enter God’s rest because of disobedience, and their disobedience remains a temptation for all people even today.  In fact, this disobedience is our greatest enemy.  So this leads us to ask a few questions:

What was the Israelites disobedience?  The Israelites disobeyed with their unbelief.  Even so, the core of sin is always prideful and selfish unbelief.  Every sin under heaven is a constant cry “I DON’T BELIEVE YOU GOD! ”  or else, “I WON’T BELIEVE YOU GOD!”  Hebrews 3:19 notes the Israelities disobedience through unbelief:

Hebrews 3:19–“So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”

What did the Israelites fail to believe?  We see the answer to this particularly in Hebrews 4:2:

Hebrews 4:2–“For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”

They failed to believe the good news of God’s word—His promises of protection, provision, and ultimately salvation.  Rather than believe God, what did the Israelites do?  They listened to their own sinful hearts rather than God.  We too have received good news, called the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Listen carefully.  Believing God’s word is necessary for entering God’s eternal rest, “for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Rom.14:23).  That makes unbelief our greatest enemy because it threatens us with hell.  And beware of pride at this point, for pride and unbelief go hand-in-hand.  We often proudly proclaim that we believe God’s word, that we believe the gospel.  But unless a godly lifestyle of repentance and obedience accompanies our belief, there is no real belief.  The Bible testifies to this fact again and again:

2 Corinthians 7:10–“For godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

James 2:26–“You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

James 1:22-24— “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at  himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”

What is our only defense against our greatest enemy of unbelief?  Hebrews 4:12-13 answers this question for us most powerfully:

Hebrews 4:12-13–“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Our only hope of slaying the great dragon of unbelief is the word of God.  Notice the three main characteristics of God’s word here that bring us hope.

1.  God’s word is living:  The verb used for “living” actually begins the sentence, which emphasizes to us that this is one of the most unique characteristics of the Bible.  It is not your average book.  In fact, there is no other book like it.  It is a living book, and as such, it is life-giving.  We see a multitude of examples of this throughout Scripture.  Here’s just a few:

1 Peter 1:23–“since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;”

Deuteronomy 8:3–“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Ezekiel 37:7-10–“So I prophesied as I was commanded.  And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them.  But there  was no breath in them.  Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

2.  God’s word is powerful:  The word for “powerful” is one used to describe God’s word as both effective and active.  As such, God accomplishes His will through it.  Do you remember what God said through Isaiah?

Isaiah 55:10-11—“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do no return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

We must be careful not to get caught up in our own expectations of what we believe the word ought to accomplish.  Too often the preacher is blamed (and sometimes perhaps rightfully so), but friend, if the word of God is preached faithfully and truly, God is doing a mighty work that only He fully understands.

For example, I once had someone approach me after a morning sermon complaining about the length of the sermon (though it was really about the length of the service) and how people “had places to be” and “things to do.”  I politely responded, that if “people have more important things to do, then they were welcome to excuse themselves.”  Interestingly, while this person and a handful of others were murmuring, two people contacted me the next week testifying to the power of God’s word in their lives from that sermon.  God’s word is powerfully effective!

3.  God’s word is piercing:  The Bible is said to be sharper than a double-edged sword.  Such a sword is designed for maximum effectiveness.  The writer piles up the language here.  It’s not just that God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword but that it is beyond-sharper.

Because of its effective sharpness, God’s word cuts very deeply.  It cuts things that would otherwise be inseparable, like soul from spirit, joints from marrow, and thoughts from intentions.  The point is this: the word of God penetrates to the deepest part of who we are and judges what is there.  Ultimately, God’s word pierces to the depths of the heart discerning whether our thoughts and intentions are believing or unbelieving.  And this is exactly what we need because our hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately sick” (Jer.17:9).  Hebrews 3:12-13 says it like this:

Hebrews 3:12-13–“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

As a double-edged sword, God’s word has at least two characteristics:

a.  It can be a painful-pleasure: Much like the surgical scalpel that cuts through tissue and muscle in order to get to the cancerous tumor, God’s word can be both bitter and sweet.  The cut can be painful, but the cut will result in healing and godly pleasure for God’s people.

b.  It can be a controversial-peace:  It embitters unbelievers and believers alike because it exposes sin deep in our hearts.  Unbelievers that refuse to believe will continue in this bitterness because they refuse to submit to God’s surgery.  Believers, however, will be renewed through repentance and belief, or else they do not know Christ (1 Jn.1:8-9).

Though the word can be quite controversial, it always brings peace to God’s people.  Listen to what Jesus has taught us, and notice how He alludes to both the controversy and the peace that results from God’s word:

John 16:33–“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have  peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Verse 13 then gives the reason that the word of God is so alive, powerful, and piercing, namely God has a full view of every created thing.  All things are uncovered to the eyes of God.  Literally, the word means naked, which tells us that God is omniscient, knowing all things.  Psalm 139 is one of my favorite reminders of this:

Psalm 139:7-8—“Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee  from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

And all people will give an account to this all-seeing God.  We will all answer for our sin, and only those who have treasured Jesus more than anything else will find mercy on the Day of Judgment.  For Jesus is our high priest, representing His redeemed people before God the Father (Heb.4:14-16).  By God’s grace, may we hear the word of God, submit to the painful process of cutting out unbelief, and be renewed through repentance of sin and faith in God’s promises.

For His Glory,
Jeremy Vanatta

Double-Standard Discipline

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on . Posted in Discipleship. 1 Comment on Double-Standard Discipline

Without doubt, one of the most popular Bible verses among many professing Christians today is, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1).  While anti-judgment sentiments have always been an issue throughout the church’s history, we live in an age that prides itself on its non-judgmentalism to a degree not previously known.  This becomes a practical issue when it comes to Chirst’s church, and more specifically church discipline.  If we are not supposed to “judge,” then what, if anything, should the church do about obvious sin in the lives of professing believers?  But a more basic question must be answered first.  Are these persons who are crying “Don’t Judge!” correct in their interpretation of Matthew 7:1.  I give a vehement, “NO!”  They are absolutely in error.  More than that, they are in sin, and I hope to demonstrate my conviction in this article.

While not exhaustive, I want to put forth three reasons that the “Don’t Judge” advocate is incorrect, each followed with Scriptural support.  By “Don’t Judge” advocate, I am referring to Christians who believe that it is wrong to confront a fellow Christian about sin and to call him to repentance.

1.   “Don’t judge” is itself a judgment:  So we can see the irony in the argument immediately.  If we are not supposed to judge at all, then telling other people not to judge is the same as making a judgment.  In this case, the judgment being made is against judging.  So in essence, “Don’t Judge” advocates undercut their own conviction from the start, which is the same problem that all postmodern understandings of reality face.  While a bit out of context, Romans 2:1 can be applied to this argument.

Romans 2:1–“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, everyone of you who judge.  For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things

2.   “Don’t judge” is steeped in partiality:  Again, we sense the thickness of irony.  For most of the “Don’t Judge” advocates, their conviction usually only applies to the things or persons they “love” or in which they have a vested interest.  This is especially true in cases of partiality that involve ethnocentrism, family relations, and authority issues–each of which is important and needs to be illustrated with possible scenarios:

  • Ethnocentrism—This can be seen when the hearts of “Don’t Judge” advocates bleed with mercy over a member of their own ethnicity who has committed a grievous sin, but the same mercy is often withheld from a sinner of a different ethnicity.  Therefore, church discipline is for “those other kind of people.”
  • Family Relations–The old adage “blood is thicker than water” proves too often true.  This can be seen, for example, when the “Don’t Judge” advocate may affirm homosexuality as a sin against God that will be met with God’s wrath if Christ is not trusted and this sin forsaken.  Yet, many refuse to believe that their own homosexual son or daughter is bound for hell without Christ, especially if that son or daughter has made a previous “profession of faith.”  Therefore, church discipline is for “other sinners outside of my family.”
  • Authority Issues–People the world over are depraved sinners ever seeking to be “free” from authority.  One way that this form of partiality manifests itself in the local church is in regard to the pastor-sheep relationship.  Not only have I experienced this first hand as a pastor, but practically all of my pastor friends have experienced the same thing.  Time and again, the “Don’t Judge” advocates will defend the members of their own ethnicity, family, or their close friends to the hilt.  If you want to see people’s blood boil, then simply obey the Lord’s instructions on church discipline, and the “Don’t Judge” sword will be thrust in you repeatedly.  Ironically, many of these same “Don’t Judge” advocates will gladly throw you under the bus for your own sin, whether perceived or actual.  In other words, the only people subject to church discipline in most evangelical churches today are pastors.  To add insult to injury, churches that discipline the pastor most often do so unbiblically.  Rather than follow the commands of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-20, they more often than not skip to Step 4 in the process and rashly excommunicate the man of God, affecting multiple consequences in the life of his family and many families within the church.

James had quite a lot to say about the sin of partiality in his epistle, primarily drawn from chapter 2.  The entire book, however, speaks to the issue of true religion, and the sin of partiality is especially pinpointed as evidence of relgion that is false.

James 2:1–“My brothers, hold no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”

James 2:8-9–“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.  But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as trangressors.”

3.    “Don’t judge” is rooted in the eisegesis of God’s word:  Eisegesis is sort of a tongue-in-cheek term that means that a person reads his own meaning into the Bible rather than allowing the Bible to speak for itself (the latter of which we call exegesis).  Now admittedly, all people read into the text due to our naturally biased slant, but this doesn’t mean that we should desire to do so.  Rather, our desire should always be to exegete the text, that is bring out the meaning of the text as intended by God through His inspired author.  Eisegesis is severely detrimental when it comes to the church discipline passages in Scripture and in the use of Matthew 7:1 as a supposed defense against church discipline.  This form of partiality can be seen when the “Don’t Judge” advocates do one of several things with Holy Scripture:

  • They frequently rip verses out of their context, as in the case of Matthew 7:1
  • They frequently ignore or downplay what the Bible says altogether, as in the case of Matthew 18:15-20 and Galatians 6:1
  • They frequently under-contextualize the Bible (in other words, they say that these verses are for first-century Christians only), as in the case of 1 Corinthians 5:1-7 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15

In answer to these common twistings of God’s word, let’s look at a more complete context of these passages.

Matthew 7:1-5 (this passage clearly teaches that the judgment that Jesus has in mind is primarily hypocritical in nature, though He may also be alluding to a final/eternal judgment; but there is no doubt that believers are to help fellow believers remove specks of sin from their lives)
1     “Judge not, that you be not judged.
2     For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
3     Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4     Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
5     You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 18:15-20 (this passage clearly teaches that there is a minimum of a four step process for dealing with sin between Christians for the purpose of reconciliation)
15   “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16   But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
17   If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18   Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19  Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Galatians 6:1 (this passage clearly teaches that believers are to restore/reconcile sinning believers back to a repentant status)
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.  Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

1 Corinthians 5:1-7 (this passage clearly teaches that ignoring and/or enduring sin in the local church leads to arrogance and impurity; therefore, church discipline is actually meant to be a process of humility and purity;  further, excluding an unrepentant believer from church fellowship is for the purpose of reconciliation and for his eternal salvation)
1     “It is acutally reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.
2     And you are arrogant!  Ought you not rather mourn?  Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
3     For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
4     When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5     you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
6     Your boasting is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
7     Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.  For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 (this passage clearly teaches that sinning believers who are unwilling to repent must be excluded from fellowship but that they must continue to be warned of the need of repentance)
6     “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
14   If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
15   Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”

In conclusion, while a complete picture of church discipline has not been presented and all objections have not been answered, the basic question of whether Matthew 7:1 condemns all forms of judgment/discipline has been addressed.  We must conclude with Scripture and with common (sanctified) sense that discipline is necessary in all aspects of life and especially within Christ’s church.  We can no more deny biblical church discipline than the Lord who gave us the command to carry it out (Matt.18:15-20).  May God in His grace reconcile all of us sinners to Himself and to one another through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For His Glory,
Jeremy Vanatta