The following excerpt comes from a letter I received from Grace To You:
As D. L. Moody once put it, "If you are what you were before you were saved, then you've never been saved." Sadly, the majority of my own family fit under that statement. They claim the name of Jesus but deny Him by their mouths, their actions, and their lives. Like a goodly number of professing believers in the church today, especially in North America, they have never read the Bible to see what it has to say, and if they read it at all, they merely read it like a fictional novel and never think about the words or let them settle into their thoughts. The term "scatter-brain" comes to mind. I'm simply going to provide a handful (of the many) of verses from Scripture that speak volumes about the Christian and His life and character. What you do with them is your choice.
What would you think if your pastor used four-letter words from the pulpit? How would you react if he peppered his sermons with crass locker-room humor, blasphemous innuendo, or overt pornographic imagery?I have been told before by one of my own family members that "Jesus died on the cross so that we can sin if we want to." Not only is that a blasphemous statement, but it also shows their ignorance of the fact why Jesus came and had to die. We were already sinning just like we wanted to, so how could Jesus' death possibly give us the ability to sin if we want to? That is sheer nonsense. Jesus Christ came to save His people from their sins. He died to set us free from the bondage of sin in which we were held captive. He took our sins upon Himself so that we might live holy and righteous lives through Him in His power.
I wish those were hypothetical questions. Sadly, for many in the church today, they are not. In fact, in a growing number of churches, that kind of filth is common from the pulpit.
Just five years ago, there wouldn't have been any questions about the inappropriateness of such behavior. That it's catching on so rapidly--to the point where it's even becoming the norm--is a tragic indictment on the church at large.
And don't assume that kind of pastoral profanity and sensuality has taken root only in fringe or liberal churches--some of the most popular and influential evangelical pastors in the world are among the worst offenders. Several are household names in most Christian circles.
In fact, that kind of "R-rated" teaching has become so popular it has caught the attention of the news media. Major newspapers have run stories featuring pastors who are renowned for their filthy mouths, and some of those same pastors have been featured on news and entertainment programs.
As D. L. Moody once put it, "If you are what you were before you were saved, then you've never been saved." Sadly, the majority of my own family fit under that statement. They claim the name of Jesus but deny Him by their mouths, their actions, and their lives. Like a goodly number of professing believers in the church today, especially in North America, they have never read the Bible to see what it has to say, and if they read it at all, they merely read it like a fictional novel and never think about the words or let them settle into their thoughts. The term "scatter-brain" comes to mind. I'm simply going to provide a handful (of the many) of verses from Scripture that speak volumes about the Christian and His life and character. What you do with them is your choice.
- "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10)
- "We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Titus 2:12)
- "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12)
- "Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity [wrong doing]" (2 Timothy 2:19)
- "God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness" (1 Thessalonians 4:7)
- "Every one of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour" (1 Thessalonians 4:4)
- "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him" (Colossians 2:6)
- "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12)
- "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you... Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting [see Proverbs 26:18-19]" (Ephesians 5:3-4)
- "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth" (Ephesians 4:29)
- "We should be holy and without blame before Him" (Ephesians 1:4)
- Paul's sufferings. (2 Corinthians 11:23-30)
- "Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41)
- "If you continue in my word then are you my genuine disciples" (John 8:31)
- "He that does not count the cost of following Christ and forsake everything cannot be His disciple" (Luke 14:28-33)
- "Whoever does not bear his own cross cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27)
- "If a man loves anything more than he loves Me, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26)
- "Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3)
- "Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8)
- "He that shall endure until the end shall be saved" (Mark 13:13)
- Not everyone who names the name of the Lord is a genuine believer. (Matthew 7:21-23)
- "Lay not up treasures on Earth" (Matthew 6:19-21)