For nearly thirty years I assumed a person could decide

to become a Christian. However, it became clear that salva-

tion was on the basis of grace through faith – gifts of God.

This is evident from many passages of Scripture, such as

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through

faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not

a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Faith and Grace

I knew grace was a gift of God, but I had assumed faith

rose out of the individual. I did not see that faith was a gift

as well. But grace comes through faith and both are gifts.

Faith cannot be a work, or grace could not be grace. But this

is more of a problem for many than I imagined! The biblical

understanding of grace is ignored or twisted, while at the

same time almost everyone knows the words to the great

hymn “Amazing Grace.”

The Real Reason

The real reason for this I am convinced has to do with

fear: fear that something so vital is beyond our control. Sal-

vation, forgiveness, and eternal life are all ultimate issues,

and all come through grace; they are given and cannot be

acquired or earned. So then, what if God does not give grace?

What if God chooses to predestine to hell rather than heaven?

It is a fearful prospect, or so it appears at first. But it is fear,

perhaps demonically inspired fear, that is behind the hostility

directed towards the good message of grace.

The Fear of God

Scriptural passages teach that the fear of God is the

beginning of wisdom. The kind of fear of God encouraged in

the Bible is a respect, honor, and reverence for the Almighty.

Fear of grace, though, is entirely different. This fear reasons,

“If I cannot choose God, and he does not choose me, I am

lost.” This is a great and terrible fear.

Good News!

It is good news that I cannot choose God. It is good news

that God chooses me. Why? It is simply because I cannot

believe; I have no capacity to do so. Not only am I dead in

my trespasses and sins, but the best I can do, as far as faith

is concerned, is to generate within myself some measure

of positive thinking. Though positive thinking is often presented

as the nature of faith, it is not at all. And most of us

are failures at being positive all the time, or even some of the

time. I may be able to be so for a while, but I soon give way to

doubt and pessimism. I cannot stay focused in my thinking.

So then, if my salvation depends upon my ability to be positive,

I am doomed and will be gripped with a powerful fear.

Love Replaces Fear

Love and fear are opposites. Remember the song: “Jesus

loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”? Not only

does God love me, but he also does not wish me to perish but

to come to him for forgiveness. He is actually seeking sin

ners; he is knocking on the door, calling out our name. He

has come to seek and save those who are lost. “In this is love,

not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his

Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10); and

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still

sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The truth is, God’s

love overcomes our fear.

Come to Jesus

Here is both the heart of the matter and the reason for

strong hope and confidence: “All that the Father gives me

will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast

out” (John 6:37). For the person who senses a fear of God

and hostility towards grace welling up inside, this is not from

God. Come to Jesus who is seeking you, loves you, and longs

to be your Savior.

In this month’s edition (March 2022) of The Atlantic is an article by Arthur C. Brooks entitled, “The Satisfaction Trap.” (He identifies with both Buddhism and Roman Catholicism.) His focus is on the fact that we are very often disappointed in our place in this crazy world. Despite Brooks’ many successes in life, he confesses that the pleasure of these last but a short time, and then he is plunged back into a kind of sadness about himself and his future. I thought to myself that I wished he knew the peace and rest we have in Jesus.

Consider John 16:33b: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” The first part of the sentence above, 16:33a) is, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.”

Note that I have highlighted the word tribulation. This same word transliterated from the Greek is thlipsos, usually translated as tribulation, yet is found in verse 21 of this same chapter 16, and here it means anguish. It is highly likely that the translators of the ESV and other newer translations were reluctant to use the less dramatic but more accurate word, anguish.

Anguish, sorrow, pain, suffering, emotional and mental confusion, even clinical depression and more are what we experience in our living despite success and physical and financial well-being. Jesus knew all about this, and He gave us this wonderful verse, now known as John 16:33, so that we would firmly grasp that we can have peace—His peace—despite the anguish we constantly experience in our living.

We do not have to fake being happy. We do not have to constantly seek our personal well-being and pleasure. We can be sad and unhappy as we see the pain and grief all around us and experience it personally, sometimes deeply. But we do not depend on our feelings, which are just going to be there, or the perversion of the world around us; we have something much more. We have the peace of Jesus, a peace He gives to us by His grace, which is the reality that our personal sin is gone, nailed to the cross of Jesus, and that we have been born anew, never to be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, come what may—personally, physically, politically, financially, socially, you name it.

Right along with the tribulation and anguish we have peace, and this peace is not the absence of conflict or the result of depression, but it is an assurance that all our sin is gone, past, present, future, and that our names are written in the Book of Life, which cannot be erased no matter what. Yes, the trouble, the pain, the grief we experience day in and day out—these go with the territory.

Only Jesus overcomes the world, and by “world” is meant all the presence of sin and evil that cascades down upon us. And Jesus knows this far better than we do as all our sin was placed upon Him at Calvary.

We will not be overcome by the world’s anguish and tribulation. We turn our eyes upon Jesus, our living Lord and Savior. In Him alone we rejoice.

Over the last twenty years, I have preached on hell once.

Of course, I mention the doctrine every so often, but

always in passing. This, I am convinced, is an error on my

part, especially since the doctrine is rapidly falling into dis-

repute among those who once embraced it.

The Doctrine

As a doctrine, hell is solidly biblical. Certainly Jesus is

abundantly clear on the reality of hell. In Matthew 25:41,

Jesus states: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart

from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared

for the devil and his angels.’” Jesus concluded his remarks on

the sheep and goats judgment by saying, “Then they will go

away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life”

(Matthew 25:46). Note that both heaven and hell are eternal.

Those who believe in annihilation at death for non-Chris-

tians cannot have it both ways. If heaven is eternal, hell must

be as well. (For further research on the subject, see Matthew

5:29; 8:11-12; Mark 9:43; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians

1:9; Jude 6; Revelation 14:10-11; 20:10; 21:8.)

What is Happening to Hell?

The biblical doctrine on hell has long been standard in

mainstream Christianity. In his sermon, The Great Assize,

John Wesley said, “It follows that either the punishment lasts

forever, or the reward too will come to an end; no, never,

unless God could come to an end, or his mercy and truth

could fail.” John Calvin wrote: “But the whole Scripture proclaims

that there will be no end of the happiness of the elect,

or the punishment of the reprobate.”1

Cults and Sects

The Christian-based cults – the Jehovah’s Witnesses,

Mormons, Christian Scientists, and so on – deny the existence

of an eternal hell and substitute some other circumstance

that awaits the non-believer. This seemingly reasonable

and charitable approach is one reason for the appeal of

these cults. “Ah, the hated, unfair, and unreasonable doctrine

of the professors of Christendom is shown to be false,” the

cults’ ministers boast to the prospect. Is this a quote that has

a citation reference?

The Adventists, a sect of Christianity (not now so doctrinally

aberrant to earn the designation of cult) have long

stressed the theory of annihilation. Their view is that life

for the unconverted ends forever. (The Jehovah’s Witnesses

were influenced by this Adventist idea and changed it only

slightly – Jehovah God slays all non-Witnesses and unfaithful

Witnesses.) In any case, both the cults and certain so-called

Christian sects, like the Adventists, deny the biblical teaching

of an eternal punishment in hell.

The Church Growth Movement

Hell is not faring well with those churches that are committed

to a contemporary marketing and branding strategy

that downplays or ignores the embarrassing doctrine of hell.

1 The Institutes, Book III, chapter 25, section 5.

The doctrine simply will not help get people into the pews.

Whether the ministers within the movement believe it or not

is unknown and irrelevant. The determinant factor is that

disquieting doctrines must be hidden from view, as they do

not serve the greater purpose – getting people in the door.

The result, though, is a slighting if not a downright rejection

of the biblical truth. And this will ultimately serve neither

the seeker nor the unchurched, because they will not realize

their desperate need to come to Christ.

Summary

The operation methods of the cults and the contemporary

efforts to attract the unchurched are already clear. However,

there is something else afoot that is of greater concern.

Leave it to Ignorance

Philip Yancey, noted and respected among American

evangelical Christians, admits in an article entitled, “The

Encyclopedia of Theological Ignorance,”2 that doctrines like

an eternal hell bother him. He asks: “Will hell really involve

an eternity of torment?” Essentially, he says that hell is a

marginal doctrine, obscure and not plain. He wonders why

the Bible does not give clear answers to the marginal doctrines.

Yancey differentiates between doctrines that are clear

and those that are not. He appears theologically orthodox in

general, but indicates that what the Bible says about hell is

unclear. He includes the doctrine of hell in his “Encyclopedia

of Theological Ignorance” as he does the subject of infant

salvation. Yancey says that the issue of infant salvation is

unclear in the Bible (perhaps so). Therefore, we should trust

a loving and merciful God to do what is right and not attempt

to clear up this marginal doctrine. He advises to take hell in

2 Christianity Today, 6 September 1999, Vol. 43, No. 10, p. 120.

What is Happening to Hell? 59

the same way. The Bible is then, according to Yancey, unclear

on the subject. This is amply demonstrated in the conclusion

of his article.

I must insist that the other important answers about

heaven and hell – who goes where, whether there are second

chances, what form the judgments and rewards take, intermediate

states after death – are inconclusive at best. Increasingly,

I am grateful for that ignorance and grateful that the

God who revealed himself in Jesus is the one who knows the

answers.

Opaque?

By “opaque,” Yancey means unclear. He does believe in

heaven and hell, but in a way that negates or blunts their

reality. A person persuaded by Yancey might well reason,

“Hmm, I don’t have to take the doctrine of hell seriously. I

don’t have to believe in it. I don’t have to teach or preach it.

I don’t have to warn anyone of the danger of going there. I

don’t have to fear it myself – because it is not a clear Bible

doctrine. Yes, I will leave it all up to God and, after all, he is

merciful and loving.”

What has Yancey done? He has muddled an important

doctrine. He has told the watchman to come down from the

tower, because there is no enemy. It is as if to say, “Why all

this scary talk about judgment and hell? It is not clear, and

whatever is not clear we should disregard and assign to The

Encyclopedia of Theological Ignorance.”

Accountability

Can we accept what Yancey advocates?

Personally, I cannot, though it would be nice if I could. If

I could relax about the doctrine of hell and convince myself

that it is a marginal doctrine, I would not need to warn and

plead with the unconverted. It would reduce the risk of scar

ing them away. My reputation among the unconverted and

especially the Christianized might improve. However, I cannot

do it. I do not like the idea of hell any more than any

other Christian. But the Scriptures teach it; the doctrine is

beyond question. To say that the doctrine of hell is opaque is

to both impugn the integrity of Jesus and deny the authority

of Scripture. Worst of all, it gives the unconverted false hope

and comfort. How very dangerous; how very awful.

Emotional and Personal Reasons to Reject the Doctrine

of Hell

Hell is a doctrine that Christians find difficult, not usually

for theological nor biblical reasons but for emotional and

personal reasons. I understand this.

My mother, who gave me life and loved me unconditionally,

died not trusting in Jesus. As best I could, I shared the

gospel with her, but she steadfastly rejected it. Moreover,

my wife’s family, siblings, parents, and grandparents are

strangers to the promise of eternal life in Christ. So, I have

many reasons why I might want to obscure the doctrine of

hell. How comforting it would be to downplay hell, perhaps

develop a theology of second chances, and accept the notion

that beloved family members could yet find safety and salvation

in heaven apart from grace, or even suggest some sort

of universalism. While one of these notions might ease some

pain and anxiety, it would do no one any good.

A dear friend recently confessed to me that he was terribly

upset that his father might die in his sins and be condemned

to hell. I was actually tempted to comfort him by

minimizing the reality of hell. Would it have helped? Would it

have been the honest thing to do? As Christians, we must face

these hard truths. We did not make them up, and whether

we believe them or not does not and cannot alter the truth.

A Clear and Present Duty

Preachers (and we are all preachers) of the whole counsel

of God and the fullness of the gospel have to warn of hell.

However unpleasant it is, however many people designate

us to be hopeless literalists, the truth must be made clear.

Ours is a higher duty than to falsely comfort the unconverted

as Philip Yancey has done.

Preachers of the gospel have been made watchmen who

will give account of their ministry.

When I say to the wicked, “O wicked man, you will

surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade him

from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin,

and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if

you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways

and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you

will be saved yourself” (Ezekiel 33:8-9).

To and From

If I did not believe that the unconverted would end up in

hell, I doubt I would preach much of a gospel. What would be

the point? What would I, the watchman, need to warn about?

If there is nothing to be saved from, why preach a gospel of

salvation? Someone might respond, “Well it is still better to

have faith and be positive, even if it is for this life only.” Is that

really all we have to offer? How can I follow the example of

Jesus and do anything he commanded me in this life, if he has

lied to me about heaven and hell? I would have to assume

other falsehoods as well. No, we are saved to and from something.

We are saved to being in Christ now and enjoy the

abundant life he gives us, and then finally to being with him

in heaven. And we are saved from being separated from him

forever in hell. This is an essential part of the gospel.

What Happens to Hell is not Marginal

What will the minister who does not believe in hell

preach? Perhaps he will deliver sermons about justice,

self-improvement, the poor and disadvantaged, and more

– all important subjects. But since there is a judgment that

follows the resurrection of the just and the unjust, it will be

an incomplete ministry. As Jesus said, “What good will it be

for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

(Matthew 16:26).

I am not suddenly going to become exclusively a “hell-fire

and brimstone” preacher. But I will preach on it as occasion

arises; I will warn of a terrible judgment upon all those outside

of Christ that will surely result in an eternal hell. I will

preach it, because it is the truth, and people need to know

the truth so they would seek him out and be found by him.

An accuser is someone who accuses someone of a crime or offense—says that they are guilty of it.

The person against whom the accusation is made can be described with the adjective accused. Accused is also used as a noun to refer to a person or people who have been charged with a crime, often as the accused. 

Jesus was often accused; here are some examples from the Gospels in the New Testament.

Matthew 12:9–12           A Man with a Withered Hand

[9] He went on from there and entered their synagogue. [10] And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. [11] He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? [12] Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (ESV)

Here we find religious leaders who considered restoring a person to health on a Sabbath day, from Friday evening to Saturday evening, unlawful.

Mark 15:1–5         Jesus Delivered to Pilate

[1] And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. [2] And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” [3] And the chief priests accused him of many things. [4] And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” [5] But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. (ESV)

Luke 23:1–2          Jesus Before Pilate

[1] Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. [2] And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” (ESV)

Jesus was accused of many things, and this incident before Pilate directly led to Jesus’ being crucified.

Luke 11:53–54

[53] As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, [54] lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say. (ESV)

John 7:53-8–11   The Woman Caught in Adultery

[1] but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. [2] Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. [3] The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst [4] they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. [5] Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” [6] This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. [7] And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” [8] And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. [9] But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. [10] Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” [11] She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]] (ESV)

Now then, if Jesus was accused by religious leaders during His ministry, how could it be that His followers should not be accused?

Revelation 12:7–12 Satan Thrown Down to Earth

[7] Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, [8] but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. [9] And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [10] And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. [11] And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. [12] Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

The passage from Revelation 12 describes Satan’s work as the “accuser of our brothers.” And the accusing is relentless, “day and night before our God.” However, such accusations have no real teeth since Satan has been stripped of his power.

The passage is somewhat confusing. Though the strength of Satan is at minimum lessened, it (I do not like giving Satan the respect of using the term “he.”) still continues the accusing agenda, and this aimed at or directed at followers of Jesus. What do we make of this?

One point, we can expect to be accused, and sometimes we earn this by doing that which is against the Word of God. Yes, I am still a sinner despite the fact that all my sin, from day one, till my last day, has been all bundled up and placed upon Jesus when He bore our sins on the cross. This is a fact.

Does it seem strange that even the sins I have yet to commit have already been atoned for by the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross? Certainly, it does. Let me attempt an explanation. And this requires the explanation of a biblical paradox.

There are two words used in the Greek New Testament for time. One is Kairos and the other is Chronos. Kairos is God’s time, which is always now, and Chronos, and from which we get the word chronology, or the passing of time that we live in. In Kairos time, God’s time, all my sin was placed upon Jesus on the cross. How this happens is beyond our understanding for sure but correct biblical doctrine all the while. I experience my sinning as time goes on, chronos time, but God is not bound by my experience of time. God is outside of time.

So, then the paradox is evident: all my sin has been forgiven, yet it is up to me to ask my Savior to forgive me of this ongoing sin. If you are still perplexed, join the crowd.

Satan is stuck in now time, and forever.  And thus, it accuses us of our sinfulness, hoping to harm, even crush us. But that will not do as we know it’s agenda.

Over the years, almost sixty years of being a saved sinner, I have committed some egregious sins. I have to admit these are more awful for me now to recall than when I sinned them. I am not sure how this works, but it is how it works for me, and as a pastor for fifty-two years, I have found the same in so many of these in my congregation(s).

And this is precisely why I am writing this essay. I know precious folks who yet suffer under the weight of grievous sins they have committed in the past, near or far. For over 34 years I did ministry out at San Quentin Prison, just a 10-minute trip from where I am writing this essay. Eighteen of those years I was as the baseball coach, first our team’s name was the Pirates, then the Giants, and finally the A’s. (Two long and boring for an explanation of how the name changes occurred.) The years before that was cell to cell ministry out of the Protestant chapel, and Earl Smith was the chaplain during those years. I spent hours assuring grieving convicts that in the saving work of Jesus, all their was gone, forgiven, and forgotten.

Right now, I am trying to encourage a man who played three years on the baseball team at SQ and is now at another California State prison, who is hoping after nineteen years, to be granted parole. He is a follower of Jesus now, and his sins, which were many and awful, are causing him great dismay. Over the phone I try to tell him sin is gone from the perspective and reality of the Great Judge. He has such a hard time grasping this and will sometimes break down on the phone.

The reason for this essay is to proclaim that in Jesus, all our sin is gone, buried, and no accuser can touch us once we grasp this. But, I have to admit I am not completely there yet, gaining some ground, but it seems that as I grow in Christ, those awful sins I have committed and still fall into, cause me deep inward anguish and pain. Sometimes I wallow in it and get confused about it all, wondering how come I am not farther along. And when these moments come, I think my Lord lets me stay here so that I continue to be aware of my sinful tendencies, which helps keep me humble.

In these, my later years, grasping this reality, helps me to remain calm, both knowing my sin is all gone, and that at the same time, I know I am not above sinning. And with that comes the great promise that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is alone is our righteousness.

Let me close with 1 John 2:1. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”[1]

---

[1] The if, highlighted in the passage, is a third-class condition meaning that we probably, even most assuredly, will sin again.

From Why I Am A Christian

The pro-gay position among some segments of the

Christian community effectively deprives the homo-

sexual of hope. These persons may be thinking they

are reaching out in love to the gay community, but to theo-

rize that a gay person is born that way and therefore cannot

help being homosexual takes away hope. What may pass for

a tolerant and accepting attitude among certain people, in

fact condemns a person to what many gay people will admit

is an unhappy, even desperate life. It also abandons people

who are committed to homosexual behavior to a dreadful

eternity.

A Frightening Passage

The passage I am about to quote from Paul’s first letter to

the first century church in Corinth is one that is feared, even

hated, by those who assert they are both homosexual and

Christian. It is a passage that has been vigorously attacked

by pro-gay Bible commentators because of its uncompro-

mising and powerful message. The meaning of the passage

is simple and clear, yet it offers, in my view, a great deal of

hope for the homosexual. The first part of the passage states:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the

kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually

immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male

prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor

the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers

will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians

6:9-10).

I do not intend to browbeat nor scare anyone with the

Bible. I want to present the hope we have in Christ.

An Examination of the Passage

“Homosexual offenders” is a translation of the Greek

word arsenokoite, a word that Paul made up. (Paul made up

or coined about 170 words that we find in his New Testament

letters.) The word he used is a combination of arsenos,

meaning male, and koite, meaning bed or couch. Paul

found these words in Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13,

in the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint.

The Levitical verses forbid and condemn homosexuality.

Paul put the two words together, because he wanted

to describe men who had sex together. It is not homosexual

prostitution or violent homosexual rape that the Law of

Moses is concerned with, as is so often presented by progay

writers. No, the language is clear and straightforward –

homosexual offenders or those who practice homosexuality,

will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Homosexual behavior is not the only sinful behavior

mentioned in the Corinthian passage. There is quite a long

list, and I find some of my own sins there, too. There are the

heterosexuals who are immoral and adulterers who have sex

outside of marriage. There are those who worship gods who

are not gods at all. There are thieves, greedy people, drunkards,

slanderers, and swindlers listed – I find myself here. I

have broken God’s holy ordinance and therefore, barring a

miracle, I will not inherit the kingdom of God. If God’s Word

is true, I am in desperate trouble.

Am I without Hope?

Since I find my sin(s) plainly listed in the passage, am I

then without hope? In one sense, I have no hope, for I cannot

do anything about changing what has already happened, and

to make matters worse, I cannot be assured that I will not

sin again sometime in the future. Though I do not want to

sin and dishonor my Lord, it is more than likely that I will,

because sin dwells within me (see 1 John 1:8-2:1-2). Yet I

am not without hope; in fact, I am most hopeful. I know for

a fact that Jesus has died in my place on the cross; I know he

has taken all my sin upon himself, and that I can be forgiven,

trusting in him as the Holy Spirit enables me. Certainly I can

do nothing, but Jesus, raised from the dead, has already done

what I cannot do. Indeed, he gives me his righteousness,

even though I do not deserve it at all. This is the good news,

the gospel.

The Proof of Hope

Earlier I quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. But I stopped short

of the real point Paul was making to the believers in Corinth.

We need now to look at verse 11, because it contains proof

of our hope:

And that is what some of you were. But you were

washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the

name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Sprit of our

God.

In that Corinthian church were people like me – guilty of

many sins, addicted to some, helplessly in the control of oathtaking. Yet, something happened to them, and Paul used three

words to describe it – washed, sanctified, and justified.

Washed means being granted forgiveness. This involves

a work of the Holy Spirit in applying the blood Jesus shed on

the cross to the sinner. With the shedding of blood there is

the forgiveness of sin, even sin like my own and also sin like

homosexual behavior. I cannot forgive my own sin; neither

can a church or a priest or a minister or anyone or anything

else forgive sin. Only Jesus’ blood can wash sin away. Did

Jesus die on the cross and shed his blood to then withhold

it from those who seek him? Not at all; remember that Jesus

is the one who came to call not the righteous, but sinners

to repentance. And the washing, the cleansing of the blood

of Jesus actually brings us to a place of repentance. Washed,

clean, forgiven – this is more wonderful than anything can

ever be.

Sanctified, then, means to be set aside as belonging to

Jesus himself. It is the result of the washing or cleansing

power of God to remove all sin, and thus we are indwelt by

the Holy Spirit. The sanctified are embraced by the Father

and adopted into his own family. God’s Holy Spirit actually

lives within us, because that which prevented his doing so

was overcome when our sins were forgiven. It is completely

the work of God. He sets us aside, makes us holy, and begins

to work within us both to will and to work for his good pleasure

– which takes a whole lifetime.

Justified might well have been mentioned first or second,

because it is the experience of conversion or the new birth. It

happens as we are washed and sanctified. Where one begins

and the other ends, we do not know. There is a mystery to it

all, though it is very real at the same time. “Justified” might

be defined as the sinner being restored to a condition of

purity, as though no sin had ever been committed. It is by

faith; it is grace; it is all a gift. Make no mistake, even faith is a

gift; we really have none of it in ourselves. Rather, it is given

to us. This is what we mean by grace: forgiveness and eternal

life freely given, despite the fact that we are unworthy. This is

illustrated for us in the words “new birth.” We did not cause

our own physical birth, and we cannot produce our spiritual

birth. It is all a gift of God, not based on any kind or manner

of work.

Giving back Hope

Those who accept the notion that they were born homosexual

and that it is in their very nature to be homosexual

may find hope in the words of Paul and in the experience of

some of the Christians in the church at Corinth. There were

homosexuals there, and they had turned away from homosexual

behavior, though they might not have become heterosexuals.

(Some today at any rate experience a change in their

sexual orientation, but others do not, so it is not unreasonable

to state that such might have been the case in Corinth).

A Special Appeal

To those who have loved ones who are gay, perhaps a son

or daughter, I appeal to you that you do not take away their

hope by agreeing that they cannot help but engage in homosexual

activity.

There is a powerful tendency to overlook what the Scriptures

teach and adopt a pro-gay stance, thinking we are

standing with and supporting our gay loved ones. Many do

this. It is, in the long run, better to love the person, be supportive

in whatever means possible, but still refuse to validate

the sinful behavior. This “tough love” may well prove to

be both hopeful and redemptive.

Words of Hope

John said,

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and

the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is

faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us

from all unrighteousness. I we say we have not sinned

we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John

1:8-10).

The pro-gay movement unwittingly takes away hope

when it denies the sin of homosexual behavior. It takes away

the possibility of being cleansed from unrighteousness,

because no one confesses his sin who denies he is sinning.

The promise of the Scriptures gives back hope. The following

grand words of Paul provide for us a most fitting close to this

essay.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as

you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

In Preaching and Preachers, Dr. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

referred to Lyman Beecher’s (1775-1863) correspon-

dence with and about Asahel Nettleton, the great preacher

of the first half of the second Great Awakening in America.

Beecher himself was greatly used of God in the early part of

that awakening in his local church, and throughout his long

ministry stood firmly for a Reformed faith over many con-

troversies and trials. Lloyd-Jones recommended Beecher’s

biography for an understanding of the controversy between

Nettleton and C. G. Finney that focused on the “new mea-

sures” employed by the new evangelist, Reverend Finney.

The book was published by Harper & Brothers Publishers in

1865, and the two volumes of more than 1,000 pages reveal

much about the life and ministry of Lyman Beecher. In read-

ing it, I found much more than I was looking for, particularly

in the material that covered the period before Beecher died.

Four incidents especially stand out.

First, in retirement he attended Plymouth Church of Bos-

ton. During one of his last times ever to speak to a group, he

“said feebly, ‘If God should tell me that I might choose’ (and

then hesitating, as if it might seem like unsubmissiveness

to the divine will) – ‘that is, if God said that it was his will

that I should choose whether to die and go to heaven, or to

begin my life over again and work once more’ (straightening

himself up, and his eye kindling, with his finger lifted up), ‘I

would enlist again in a minute!’” (vol. 2, p. 552).

Being a preacher of the gospel, I thrilled to read those

words. Beecher, aware of his diminished capacity, longed to

depart and be with his Lord. Yet his love for his God-commissioned

work was such that he would gladly do it all again.

The great preacher, neither cynical nor discouraged by the

unfaithfulness and error around him, still approached the

pulpit to plead with sinners. Though an oft-wounded warrior,

he was ready to take the field anew. Beecher’s “feeble”

words will long stay with me.

Second, when asked by a friend who was trying to rouse

him from drifting to sleep, “Dr. Beecher, tell us what is the

greatest of all things,” he replied, “The answer, I quickly

admit, I have memorized, since I know I will repeat it often:

It is not theology, it is not controversy, but it is to save souls”

(p. 555). Not that theology was unimportant; in fact, Beecher

was a staunch defender of the faith once delivered to the

saints. Furthermore, Beecher did not shy away from the controversies

of his day. But the one great thing, the one that

thrills me also, is to preach the gospel so that sinners might

be converted.

Third, Beecher wanted to be buried next to his dear friend

and long-time pastoral colleague, Dr. Taylor of Connecticut.

The biography includes several references to Pastor Taylor,

and contains dozens of their letters to each other. Though

Dr. Beecher’s memory was nearly gone, he remembered his

old friend, and one day declared that he wanted to be buried

next to him. He reasoned, “The young men [the students]

will come and see where Brother Taylor and I are buried, and

it will do them good” (p.555).

Beecher’s burying place would be, he supposed, a last

sermon of inspiration and encouragement to his students,

probably referring to the students of Lane Seminary, into

which Beecher had poured so much of his life and ministry.

Even in that last detail of a resting place, Beecher had his eye

on the glory of God. Could I be so concerned for the kingdom

of God?

Fourth, knowing his earthly life was quickly coming to a

close, he examined his own heart to see whether he was truly

converted. His son and chief biographer, Charles Beecher,

wrote, “Such was his sense of his imperfectness before the

divine law, and such his profound humility before God, and

such his sense of the solemnity of that great change that

settles all forever, that he seldom or never spoke of his own

condition with assurance, but only of prevailing hope on the

whole” (p. 557).

Nonetheless, his daughter, Harriet Beecher Stowe,

reported that he twice quoted these words of Paul toward

the end: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my

course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for

me a crown, which God, the righteous Judge, will give me in

that day;” and added, “That is my testimony; write it down;

that is my testimony” (p. 557).

The examination completed, Lyman Beecher found his

hope to be sure. I likewise hope, if possible, to make a similar

examination now and then. For I, like Dr. Beecher, know that

there is one great and important thing, and that is to know

the Savior who is the resurrection and the life.

Meditation is something that is common to most, if not all, the world’s faiths. Some form of meditation is common to Buddhism (especially Zen), Hinduism (including Yoga), Sufism, Islam, Judaism (particularly Kabbalah, an occult-oriented offshoot of Judaism), and even some forms of Christianity. The essential Christian understanding of meditation can be broken down into three parts: a conscious focus on who God is, what God has done, and what God has said. The word “meditate” is found in most English New Testaments in Luke 21:14 and 1 Timothy 4:15. The Greek word in both passages is meletao (in Luke a preposition comes before meletao). The word means to consider or think about. In the Luke passage Jesus is speaking: “Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer…” Clearly Jesus has thinking in mind. In the 1 Timothy 4:15 passage, Paul is giving instruction to his young disciple Timothy: “Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.” Paul urges Timothy to “practice,” with meletao being the word translated as practice. This gives us an idea about the ancient meaning of meditation, which is mindful, conscious, and reality-oriented thinking.

In the Old Testament, meditate or meditation is found in nineteen places, mostly in the Book of Psalms. For example, in Joshua 1:8, God says to Joshua, who is Moses’ second in command, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.” Here Joshua is instructed to focus on or think about the Word of God. In Psalm 119:15 we find, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways;” and verse 23 of that Psalm reads, “your servant will meditate on your statutes.”

In Scripture there is nothing about an emptying or clearing of the mind. The mind, the thoughts, or the reasoning process are a far cry from the kind of meditation found in all other religious practices.

Christianity does not view the mind as an enemy or thinking as an obstacle. Scripture says nothing about putting the mind into neutral so that the divine can therefore communicate with a person.

It is true that Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, among others, including contemporary people in the Christian fraternity, speak of a mystical form of meditation that encourages the blank state of mind, but this is neither biblical nor mainstream Christian practice.

Meditation or its popular designation, contemplative prayer, may seem good and may bring a measure of peacefulness, but it is still not the same as biblical meditation.

Why my concern with this subject? My answer is that in the passive, altered, or trance state of conscious there is a very great danger.

My own findings

In the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, during the days when, due to the Beatles’ influence, Transcendental Meditation was all the rage, I met many people who became adept at this meditation form. When their normal boundaries and critical defenses of mind and spirit cracked under deep meditation, however, demonic spirits invaded them. Yes, these people opened themselves up to demonic possession. This was often confirmed to me years afterward when people thus affected would arrive at the church I pastored and request deliverance from such unclean spirits.

Two illustrative instances come to mind.

On one occasion, a young hippie I met on the street in the Haight stopped me and asked if I could help get voices out of his head that continually yelled at him. We retreated to a little park on Haight Street just east of the main section, and I asked him when the voices started. Having been trained in psychology, I wanted to know if the voices had been around a long time or was it something new – chronic or acute. He told me the voices started, little by little, at his initiation into TM. He said the spirit of the founder of the movement came to him and began advising him on various things, and as time went on, the advice turned into demands and threats. He would try to meditate to block out the voices, but this only served to make matters worse. At that point, sadly, I did not know enough about casting out of demons then to help him. I did pray for him, gave him a New Testament, and urged him to trust in Jesus.

Years later, in the normal course of doing deliverance ministry, which is the casting out of demons, I encountered something similar. A man who had been initiated into TM described the same experience as the young hippie: the voices, the demands, and the confusion. To the best of my understanding the person was in his right mind. This time we were able to cast demons out of him, and one had the name of the founder of TM. When I later contacted this man, he reported that he no longer felt compelled to meditate and that the voices had ceased entirely.

That this occurs may come as a surprise to many; it certainly did to me. Were it not for the possibility of attracting demonic spirits while in a trance state, even if it is thought to be a form of contemplative prayer, I would never have challenged the idea that meditation can lead to an altered state of consciousness. But the fact is, when the walls come down in a deep meditative state, an unwelcome and unwanted invasion is possible, even probable.

from my book of essays titled The Best Sex

Prayer and Fasting: Really?

“Yes, really,” I was told, “Jesus said to pray and fast in order to cast demons out of people. And the proof of this is found in both Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29.”

Okay then, let’s take a look at three different Bible versions. First the Matthew passage in the King James Version, KJV, then the Revised Standard Version, RSV, and finally the English Standard Version, ESV. And the same for the passage in Mark.

Matthew 17:21

KJV, “Howbeit, this kind goeth not out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). Jesus is telling His disciples, according to this version, that demons cannot be cast out of a person without both prayer and fasting. And fasting means fasting from eating food. Now for the Revised Standard Version.

RSV, oops, this verse is missing, the text moves from verse 20 to verse 21.

ESV, oops again, this verse is missing, the text also moves from verse 20 to verse 21.

Why is this? The majority of the Greek manuscripts from which the KJV developed contained verse 21. However, the RSV and ESV versions deleted verse 21 because it did not appear in the oldest and best manuscripts. At some point, and not likely prior to the 5^th century, the verse simply was not there. Codex Alexandrinus, Siniaticus, Vaticanus, and all early papyri manuscripts simply do not have this verse and also thousands of other early copies of Matthew.

So then, it has been argued, well, if it is in the KJV version it must be original because the KJV is the authorized version of the Bible. Indeed, some see it this way but not many anymore. The KJV was authorized by King James of England not by God. Hopefully this is plain enough to end that discussion.

Mark 9:29

Now the passage at Mark 9:29. The KJV has, And he said unto them, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” And the setting is the same for both accounts in Matthew and Mark where Jesus heals a boy with an unclean spirit.

The RSV now: And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Now we have the use of the word “prayer” but not “fasting.”

The ESV then: And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Again prayer, and no fasting.

Prayer, most understand means appealing to our Holy Trinity and not relying on any spiritual power on the part of the Christian doing this ministry.

The RSV and the ESV read the same and are an accurate rendering of the best Greek manuscripts, and not even close.

Imagine if it were necessary to fast one meal, two meals, three meals, over one day, two days, there days, or longer, do we suppose the person needing deliverance is going to wait around for this. This work generally comes up quickly, often with no time to spare. And such was the case when Jesus cast out demonic spirits.

In the six accounts of Jesus casting out demons in the New Testament, in every case it was done right then. No fasting, not even any sort of audible prayer heard by others either. Jesus merely ordered demons to come out, and they did. It is assumed that Jesus was looking to the Father, praying in the moment, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit to do this work. And this is how it has always been down through the centuries, in our own day, and in my own personal experience, and many hundreds of these.

Sin is different from physical or emotional disease. The
concept of sin implies personal responsibility for one’s
actions. Sin has to do with right and wrong. Sin pre-
sumes a holy God who, as Creator, has the authority to estab-
lish his law and punish lawbreakers. In the Bible, this holy
God has revealed both what sin is and the fact that it must
be atoned for and forgiven. Sin is not a disease that can be
treated by medical science. Medication and therapy will not
“cure” sin. Therefore, redefining sin as a disease is a mistake.
The Issue
Medical and psychiatric professionals, social engineers,
representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, and politi-
cians have, however, been increasingly convinced that one
type of disease or another is at the root of many, if not most,
of our personal and social problems. Even Alcoholics’

Anon-
ymous, an organization I greatly respect, considers alcohol-
ism a disease.
Diseases can be medically treated. Usually there are signs
and symptoms, then a diagnosis is made, and finally treat-
ment is offered. Treatment by medication is becoming so
ubiquitous, that we are in danger of becoming like the society
depicted by George Orwell in 1984, in which everyone
was required to swallow his daily dose of soma.
We are becoming too comfortable with the notion that
people with problems are diseased, and we are consequently
amenable to the use of mind-altering drug therapies (often
accompanied with psychotherapy).
At the same time, many recoil at the suggestion that they
are sinners. This was definitely true of me. As a long-time
preacher of the gospel, I can say without hesitation that it
is also true of many people who consider themselves Christians.
A Personal Story
My brother Gary was an army combat engineer in Vietnam
in 1966-67. Prior to the end of his tour there, he encountered
some serious trouble and was sent to a hospital in
Japan, diagnosed with a psychiatric illness. After his return
home, he regularly took medication and visited a Veterans’
Administration psychologist. His medication consisted of
inter-muscular injections of some type of drug. Gary eventually
resisted the medication, because he was unable to
function at the part-time plumbing job he had found. Fearing
he would be fired, he stopped taking the injections. Within
several weeks, however, in extreme desperation he killed
himself.
I value the scientific advances made in the medical field
and in no way disparage modern medicine and psychiatry.
I also concede that there are instances in which drug therapy
must be applied. Many people are greatly helped at some
point in their lives through the use of therapy and drugs,
either singly or in combination. But to attempt to turn sin
into disease is an error, a most dangerous error indeed.
Sin: an Abusive Term?
To many non-Christians, sin is a discomforting, even
irritating word, and I imagine most people would prefer it
would disappear from common usage. Is it possible that the
use of the word in public may one day be considered abusive?
My experience demonstrates that this might be the
case. Of course, there are those people, like some of the more
extroverted television evangelists, who will use the word in
a strident, unloving manner. However it is used, in whatever
context, hackles rise at its mere mention. It is a stretch of the
imagination at this point in history to predict that a lawsuit
might result from the use of the word, but it may well come
to that, if current trends continue.
The “S” Word
At the same time that some people are growing resistant
to the “S” word, they are becoming comfortable with a disease
paradigm. There is no shame or guilt in admitting, “I
have a disease that makes me act this way. I need treatment;
I need help.” And this may be an accurate evaluation. But if a
problem is actually moral in nature, to make a misdiagnosis
is dangerous. To face up to guilt and shame may actually be
the healthiest course to take. But avoiding personal, moral
responsibility often feels like the path of least resistance and
is therefore an attractive coping mechanism. It even comes
close to the old excuse, “The devil made me do it.”
Sin – a Spiritual Disease?
Sin is a disease, but it is spiritual in nature. It is like a cancer
that works, usually unseen, inside a person. The symptoms
of the sinful condition are the breaking of the laws of
God, a rebellion against God and his Word, the Bible. Sin,
when it has wreaked its havoc, yields death, and not merely
physical death. Sin separates a person from God and heaven
Is Sin a Disease?
forever and must result in the unforgiven person being placed
into hell. Obviously, sin is worse than any type of physical
disease. For example, even if a Christian dies of a physical
disease, he will still spend eternity with his Lord in heaven.
On the other hand, a person who is healthy in every way and
yet rejects Jesus and his gospel will die and be excluded from
God’s presence.
Do dysfunctional people commit more sin than “normal”
people? I don’t believe so, except to state that dysfunctional
people’s problems may be more apparent and may get them
into more trouble with society. The Bible does not teach that
only “troubled” people are sinners and fall short of the glory
of God. No, we are all under the power and penalty of sin,
whether we are mentally healthy or not.
Alienation from God yields a life of meaninglessness,
loneliness, and despair. A person in rebellion against God
will often experience depression, anxiety, and other mental/
emotional symptoms as well as psychogenic physical illnesses.
Although those symptoms may appear to be amenable
to medical and psychiatric therapies, they are not.
Recall the medical model of disease-therapy: examination
of signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. A person
suffering from alienation from God may present various
signs and symptoms of mental and psychogenic problems.
But if the true, underlying cause of those symptoms is not
recognized, then the correct diagnosis will be missed, and no
type of medical or psychiatric treatment will prove effective.
A Terrible Misdiagnosis
If we are fooled into thinking that our problems, personal
and social, can be exclusively treated by medical and
psychiatric professionals, then we will be guilty of an awful
misdiagnosis, and the real disease will continue undetected.
Certainly, disease is a major human problem, and people are
helped through the prescription of drugs and the use of therapy.
And yes, we are fortunate to have these tools available.
But it is as the old proverb says, “We cannot see the forest for
the trees.” The forest is sin, and even a good psychiatrist and
Prozac, or whatever the best medicine has to offer, will not
bring a cure for the disease of sin.
The Accurate Diagnosis and Remedy
Disease, despite its awful role in human history, is neither
the fundamental nor the ultimate problem. Sin is. That
is the diagnosis. And God himself has a remedy for sin. The
Bible teaches that God the Father has sent his Son Jesus to
be the means for the forgiveness of sins. On the cross, Jesus
took the full punishment for the believer’s sin upon himself.
Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection is the only remedy
provided by God for sin and its consequences. Jesus himself
is therefore the only treatment for spiritual disease and
alienation. The Christian solution for sin is both humble and
elegant: a simple trusting in Jesus for forgiveness.
The first step towards spiritual health is acknowledging
sin. The first spiritual truth I learned was that I had sinned
against God and stood guilty before him. Admitting my sin
was not pleasant, and I resisted doing so for a considerable
period of time. During that period I had a growing understanding
that Jesus had died for my sin. The darkness of the
reality of my sin was being countered by the light of God’s
grace and mercy. The sharp sense of my sin was the pain that
led me to the healing of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross.
Our God, the Great Physician, delights in forgiveness of
sin and takes no pleasure in punishing the sinner. When we
experience that forgiveness, we know God for the loving and
good God he is. Sin, even the word itself, loses its power over
us, because we know its terrible scourge has been removed
forever.