Muhammad the Necrophiliac

According to the "scholarly" apologetics of Muslim Zakir Naik, Muhammad was not only a false prophet but also a homosexual and a necrophiliac. A necrophiliac is someone who has an erotic attraction to, and/or likes to have intercourse with, corpses. Zakir Naik informs us that Muhammad was a homosexual who was attracted to dead women when he claims that Muhammad is mentioned by name in Song of Solomon 5:16. Observe:

"His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." (Song of Solomon 5:16)

Song of Solomon is a short book about a loving, physical, sexual relationship between Solomon and his bride. Is Muhammad actually mentioned in this book by name? Let us examine the context:

Bride:	I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to what you will tell him: For I am lovesick.
Bride's Friends:	What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That thus you adjure us?
Bride:	My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, Outstanding among ten thousand. His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven. His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Bathed in milk, And reposed in their setting. His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh. His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of alabaster Set on pedestals of pure gold; His appearance is like Lebanon Choice as the cedars. His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Solomon's bride is asked by her friends why she thinks her beloved, Solomon, is better than all other men. Her response to them is found in verses 10-16. How do Muslims get "Muhammad" out of this passage? The word translated "lovely" (KJV, NIV, NKJV) or "desirable" (NASB, ESV) in verse 16 is treated by certain Muslim "scholars" (term used very loosely), such as Zakir Naik, as a prophecy of the coming of Muhammad. This Hebrew plural noun (מחמדים, consonant letters m-h-m-d-y-m) appears only once in the Bible, and means "desirable, delightful, pleasant." The basic, literal meaning of the name Muhammad (consonant letters -m-h-m-d) in the Arabic is "One who is praised." Having the same consonants does not make it the same word. That is just illogical and fallacious. This is known as the Phonic Fallacy.

According to Muslims, this verse actually reads, "His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly Muhammad. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." Muslims like Zakir Naik claim that "In the Hebrew language im (ים) is added for respect," which is completely false. The im is added to pluralize it. There is no plural of respect in the Hebrew language. This word is plural because it is referring back to וכלו—literally, "and all of him,"which is referring back to his head, his eyes, his cheeks, his lips, his hands, his abdomen, his legs, and his mouth—head to toe, he is "altogether lovely." But once again, ignorant Muslims fail to pay attention to the context of the passage. This verse is not a prophecy of the false prophet Muhammad; it is a description from Solomon's bride to her friends regarding her beloved, Solomon. You need to read the entire book to grasp the full context of what is happening. The entire book is a love story; not a prediction or a prophecy. Yet again, Muslims like Zakir Naik display the full extent of their ignorance and lack of intelligence.

Returning to the Phonic Fallacy, if two words in two different languages that sound the same are supposed to be the exact same word and mean the same thing, then Islam has a problem. The Hebrew word for "mouse" is akbar (עכבר). Thus, every time a Muslim says, "Allahu Akbar" (meaning "Allah is Greater"), what he/she is truly saying is "Allah is a mouse!"

Song of Solomon 5:16 is the bride of Solomon speaking. If she is delivering a prophecy about Muhammad, that makes her a prophet. If she is speaking of Muhammad in this so-called prophecy, she is guilty of lusting after another man through a vision given to her by God Himself. There is something wrong with this picture... If verse 16 is about Muhammad, Solomon's bride called Muhammad her "beloved." In 7:10, she says, "I am my beloved's, And his desire is for me." In other words, the desire of her beloved, Muhammad, is for her. The desire spoken of throughout the Song of Solomon is one of sexual desire. That means that Muhammad's sexual desire was for Solomon's bride. At the time in which Muhammad would have been desiring her, she had already been dead for 15 centuries! According to Zakir Naik, Muhammad was lusting after a dead woman, which makes their false prophet a Necrophiliac.

If the word machmad is supposed to mean Muhammad, then we need to be consistent in applying it to all other verses it appears in.

"And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 'Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire (מחמד) of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.'" Ezek. 24:15-17

According to Zakir Naik, what this verse is really saying is, "[Ezekiel], behold, I am about to take from you the Muhammad of your eyes with a blow." In other words, Muhammad was married to Ezekiel. Who was the woman in this homosexual relationship? Muhammad! Ezekiel was the man, Muhammad was the wife.

"Speak to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am about to [desecrate] My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire (מחמד) of your eyes and the delight of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword."'" Ezek. 24:21

According to Zakir Naik, what this verse is really saying is, "Behold, I am about to desecrate . . . the Muhammad of your eyes and the delight of your soul." In other words, God is telling Israel that He is going to destroy Muhammad. According to Muslims like Zakir Naik, Muhammad was a homosexual necrophiliac. This should not be surprising considering these Islamic texts:

Musnad Ahmad 16245— "Mua'wiya said: "I saw the prophet sucking on the tongue or the lips of al-Hassan son of Ali . . . For no tongue or lips that the prophet sucked on will be tormented (by hell fire).""

Kanz al-Ummal— "Narrated by Ibn Abbas: 'I (Muhammad) put on her my shirt that she may wear the clothes of heaven, and I slept with her in her coffin (grave) that I may lessen the pressure of the grave. She was the best of Allah’s creatures to me after Abu Talib' . . . The prophet was referring to Fatima , the mother of Ali."

The word "slept" can refer to sexual intercourse (as in the English sentence, "He slept with her"). Regardless of whether it is true or not that Muhammad had sex with Ali's mother's corpse, Muslim apologist Zakir Naik, according to his own arguments, is the one who has claimed that Muhammad was a homosexual and a necrophiliac by claiming that Muhammad is mentioned by name in Song of Solomon 5:16 and that the Hebrew word machmad always means "Muhammad." Apparently we do not need to point out how ridiculously nonsensical Islam is because Muslims will do it for us.

Two False Christianities

Christians are to be whole-Bible Christians. That means that the entire Bible is our authority and is for our benefit. The entire Bible was God-breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Those who reduce and limit the Bible are doing a great disservice and spiritual harm to themselves and others. Here are two false forms of Christianity:

RED-LETTER CHRISTIANITY

There are those who believe that the only parts of the Bible we truly need to pay attention to are the red letters, the words of Christ Jesus. This is utter foolishness, primarily because the entirety of Scripture is God-breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the entire Bible is God's Word. A comparison of any Bible with red letters reveals that we do not know with absolutely certainty where all the words of Jesus begin and end. Some  Bibles have certain words in red while others do not. Some Bibles extend the words in red to include other verses that other Bibles do not include, or they end the red letters sooner than other Bibles do. The red letters are rather pointless as no Bible prior to 1899 contained them. The first red-letter New Testament was printed in 1899. The first red-letter Bible was published in 1901.

If you only pay attention to the red letters as your teaching authority, you no longer have anything to judge the creation of the universe. You also have nothing to say that incest, pedophilia, bestiality, etc., are perversions and wrong because Jesus, as far as we can tell according to the red letters, never said anything about them. By relying only upon the red letters as your guide to life, you eliminate all of redemptive history. You eliminate the reason for Jesus' coming and the need for His sacrifice. If you only follow the red letters, you lose the context of why Jesus said certain things and what He meant in saying them.

Claiming that we should be red-letter Christians only makes you a complete and utter fool. Jesus was not a red-letter Christian. Jesus' words were based on the Old Testament. Without the Old Testament, Jesus' words become meaningless. Every time He referred to "the Scriptures" or to "Moses and the prophets," He was referring to the Old Testament. If you only have the red letters, you have no idea what He is quoting or why. You limit yourself in so many ways, including spiritually, when you eliminate all but the red letters. This is not the kind of Christian God intended us to be.

This false Christianity is primarily associated with social issues and used by social justice nitwits. Social justice is an oxymoron because it ignores true justice and fights for societal nonsense that Scripture condemns. This false Christianity was initiated by Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo.

NEW-TESTAMENT-ONLY CHRISTIANITY

There are those who believe that the only part of the Bible we truly need to pay attention to is the New Testament. Some of them will even try to claim that Jesus did away with the Old Testament. I would like to see a chapter and verse for that claim. If the New Testament is your only source of authority, you no longer have anything to judge the creation of the universe. You also have little to nothing to say that incest, pedophilia, bestiality, etc., are perversions and wrong because the majority of those moral issues are found in the Old Testament. By relying solely upon the New Testament, you eliminate all of redemptive history.

Claiming that we should be New-Testament-only Christians makes you a complete and utter fool. Without the Old Testament, there would not exist the New Testament. Jesus and the Apostles frequently referred to "the Scriptures" and to "Moses and the prophets." By doing so, they referred to the entire Old Testament. If you only have the New Testament, you have no idea what is being quoted or why. You limit yourself in a number of ways, including spiritually, when you discard the Old Testament. This is not the kind of Christian God intended us to be.

While many parts of the Bible are not written to us or about us, nevertheless there are lessons for us from Genesis to Revelation. A true Christian embraces the entire Bible and not just the parts they choose to agree with. God and God's Word are the final authority on all matters pertaining to life and faith—not your feelings, emotions, or subjective opinions!

Cain: The First Works Righteousness

"Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance [face or facial expression] fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance [face or facial expression] fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance [face or facial expression] be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.'" Genesis 4:2b-7

Why was Abel's offering accepted and Cain's offering rejected?

Is it possible that Cain's offering was the wrong type of offering? Possibly, but we are not given that information. To claim that this is absolutely the case is inference and conjecture. While Leviticus 4:25-26, 17:11, and Hebrews 9:22 clearly state the connection between the shedding of blood and the atonement of sin, nevertheless there is nothing mentioned in this passage of such a requirement.

Is it possible that Cain's offering was the wrong quality of offering? Possibly, but we are not given that information. To claim that this is absolutely the case is inference and conjecture. While Abel "brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions," which accords to the law of Moses requiring the sacrifice of the firstborn of livestock (Ex. 13:2; 34:19) and the inclusion of the fat (Lev. 3:9-10, 16; 4:19-20, 25-26), nevertheless the passage does not say that Cain did not bring forth the firstfruits of his harvest, which was also a requirement of the law (Lev. 2:14).

Is it possible that Cain's offering was the wrong heart matter  in offering? Possibly. If we look at two other verses of Scripture, some light is shed on the situation.

"By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks." Hebrews 11:4

"That we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous." 1 John 3:11b-12

Keeping both verses in mind, we are told that Abel's offering was more excellent, being offered by faith, whereas we are told that Cain's works were evil. Which works? Obviously the murder of Abel was evil, but Scripture states his works were evil before Cain murdered his brother. Any evil works we might consider prior to and/or including Cain's offering are merely inference and conjecture. We do not know for certain that his offering definitely was evil.

There is nothing in Scripture to support the idea that Cain and Abel were given instructions, either directly from God or through their parents, with regard to sacrifice. There is nothing in this passage to indicate that Cain and Abel were presenting sin offerings to the Lord. If we assume that Abel's offering was for the covering of sin, then a blood sacrifice is consistent with the rest of Scripture. Nevertheless, Scripture does not say that God had required them to make a sacrifice, nor that He had specified the type of sacrifice.

If God had given them specific instructions to make a sacrifice, and the type of sacrifice they were to offer, then Cain's reaction makes absolutely no sense: "So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell." If he knew the type and quality of sacrifice God was looking for, then he had no reason to become angry. In becoming angry, God had provided Cain a way out, but through pride and stubbornness he allowed sin to rule over him. Rather than be repentant, Cain became indignant. He wanted to make the rules and he did not want to change his ways. The same is true of many of us, including professing Christians.

Since Abel's offering pre-dates the law given by Moses, one cannot turn to the law for support against Cain's offering. Even Abraham's sacrifice pre-dates the law given by Moses, but at least we have a command from God given to Abraham for him to make sacrifice. We see no such command given in Scripture for Cain and Abel. The only information that we are given is that they presented an offering and that Abel's was accepted because it was done by faith.

It may be possible that Cain's offering was entirely composed of all three elements: being the wrong type, the wrong quality, and having the wrong heart matter. However, there is nothing in the passage that supports the idea of them making a sacrifice, nor is there anything in the passage to suggest the type of offering was the cause for God's acceptance and rejection. The passage makes it clear that they had brought an offering (a gift) and not a sacrifice. The passage is silent with regard to the type or the quality of Cain's offering. All we can really do is take the passages Scripture has given us and work with them. If we take, "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Gen. 4:7), and, "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous" (Heb. 11:4), it would seem that the problem with Cain's offering lies with his attitude. Furthermore, the passage says "for Cain and for his offering [the LORD] had no regard" (Gen. 4:5a), not just his offering, which hints at there being something wrong with Cain's attitude. Observe what Proverbs has to say:

"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more when he brings it with evil intent?" Proverbs 21:27

Cain's offering was made entirely by the work of his hands. Based on the New Testament verses, Cain's offering appears to be one of works righteousness (being right before God), an attempt to work his way into heaven. It appears that Cain's offering was not done out of faith. Scripture even tells us, "without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb. 11:6).

Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

"Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" 1 Corinthians 15:33

There is a huge difference between reaching the lost, as Jesus did, and hanging out with them so much that you become exactly like they are. The people with whom you associate with will have an adverse influence upon you. It is critical that you be careful with whom you form relationships, especially those outside of the church. Unbelievers can cause even the strongest, most faithful Christians to waver in their faith, adversely affecting their walk with Christ Jesus and their witness to the world. Hence why Paul says, "Do not be deceived." Interestingly enough, this is not the first time in this letter that Paul warns with these words (6:9). We are not to take up the lifestyles of corrupt people—those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. If not checked from the very start, it is extremely easy for people to be influenced by adverse teachings and begin to adopt such perverted ideas and behaviours.

When you associate with people who have worldly morals, you greatly risk imitating their behaviour, their language, and their habits. Before you know it, you are no longer of Christ Jesus, but are of the world. You will be well on your way to denying absolute authority, rejecting the Bible as the Word of God, and accepting the ideology of relative morality. This is especially true of those who are desperate for approval and easily influenced by their peers. There is an old adage that says, "Show me who your friends are and I will show you who you are." The kind of people you choose to hang out with on a regular basis are the kind of people you will become like. If you want to become more Christ-like, you need to hang around Christ-like people.

If you start your Christian walk without using cuss words, and then start hanging around those who cuss often, watch as you start to utilize cussing in your every day conversations. It is easy to start but more difficult to stop. If you are standing on a step stool and you think that you can grab the lost and pull them up to your level, you are sorely mistaken. Every single time, they will pull you down to their level. Scripture warns us against the kind of people and behaviours that we should not associate:  lying (Proverbs 12:22), greed (Proverbs 15:27), gossip and division (Proverbs 16:28), anger and violence (Proverbs 16:29), and lack of compassion (Proverbs 29:7). Paul added to this: "I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one." (1 Cor. 5:11).

There are so-called professing "Christians" who try to justify their sinful actions and behaviours by saying ridiculous and foolish things such as, "Jesus ate, drank, and hung out with sinners." But these people rip the biblical passages entirely out of their context and pervert them to mean whatever they desire them to mean. They do the same thing with Paul's words. But here are the facts, and here is the truth. Jesus said, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). Jesus came to save the lost (Luke 19:10). In order for Him to reach the lost, He had to have some contact with them. He went to where the need was because “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick” (v. 17). He looked beyond culture and societal taboos to the person's heart. He addressed them as they were, spoke the truth to them (Mark 7; Luke 5, 7, 19; John 4; etc.), and loved them.

Jesus did not hang out with sinners, nor did He allow Himself to be influenced by them. Those with whom Jesus hung out and spent vast amounts of time with were the twelve disciples, and His inner circle of three within those twelve. You do not find Jesus hanging out with the woman at the well on a regular basis for five years or ten years. These so-called professing "Christians" go to where the sinners are, meet them on their level, speak nothing to them (because either the sinners do not want to hear anything or the "Christians" do not want to say anything for fear of "offending" someone [Guess what? The Gospel is offensive. Get used to it!]), and get pulled further down to the sinner's level.

As I said earlier, these so-called professing "Christians" also pervert the words of Paul, making them to say something he never intended them to say or to mean: "I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22). They misinterpret and pervert the entire passage from verse 19 to verse 23. Christians have no place being in a bar, a night club, or a strip joint. If you want to reach the sinners who go to such places, you meet them when before they enter or when they come out of such places. You do not go into these places!!! Do they honestly think Jesus would have walked into a strip club, ordered some alcohol, and proceeded to witness to the lost while watching the strippers? That is utter blasphemy! These people clearly do not know the God whom they profess to believe in. They are guilty of idolatry, making a god in their own image to suit their own perverse thinking and desires. It is truly amazing how these so-called professing "Christians" will twist the words of Scripture in order to justify their perverse actions and behaviours.

Choosing To Remember Sin No More

"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25

"They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:34

"For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12

"And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Hebrews 10:17

According to these four verses, are we to assume that once we have been justified and saved by the grace of God through faith in the person and work of Christ Jesus, that God forgets our sins? No. That is not what these verses say. They do not say that God will forget our sins; they say that He will remember them no more. What this means is that God chooses not to remember them and hold them against us. In His mind, it is as if they never happened at all. But He does not forget them. God is omnipotent. He knows everything. He could not forget anything. Forgetting something and choosing not to remember something are two different things. In forgetting, it is a lapse of the memory. In choosing not to remember, while you will never forget, it is an act of the will.

Not only does God choose not to remember our sins, but we can do the same thing. When others sin against us, it is impossible for us to forget. The old cliché "Forgive and forget" is simply sheer nonsense. We are capable of forgiving trespasses done against us, as we are called and commanded to do (Matt. 6:12; Luke 11:4), but we will never be capable of forgetting. However, we can choose to remember those transgressions no more. We all know how our minds like to drag up past trespasses done against us so that we can cast them back in the teeth of others, reminding them of their failures and shortcomings in the past. We also know that doing so is not Christian behaviour and is contrary to how Christ Jesus wants us to show love toward one another (John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; Rom. 12:10; 13:8; et al.).

What do I mean when I say that we, too, can choose to remember someone's sins against us no more? Let us say that your spouse has done something again to hurt you, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Automatically, your mind has already dug up all the previous times your spouse has hurt you. What I mean by saying that we, too, can choose to remember someone's sins against us no more, is that when our mind does this, we can choose to ignore those thoughts and put them out of our minds; we can dismiss them. If we are thinking on loftier things, such as Philippians 4:8 commands us to do, doing so will become easier. When your mind dredges up past trespasses, you can look at it as an opportunity to extend further forgiveness to that past sin and push it out of your mind. While you will never forget it, when it comes up, you can choose not to remember it. You do not have to grant it an audience to your thought process and dwell on it.

I am not saying that this will be easy, but like all Christian spiritual growth, it will take much effort and practice. Remember, we are to be emulating Christ Jesus. As Jesus forgives, we are to forgive. As Jesus chooses not to remember, we are to choose not to remember. If we desire Christ-likeness, we need to strive to be like Jesus.

Purity, Not Virginity

Why should people wait to have sex? Here are three reasons:

1. You could accidentally create another human being. Whether you plan it or not, a child is the natural result of sex.
2. You could contract a horrible, painful, itchy, burning, smelly STD.
3. You could cause yourself or someone else emotional harm by sharing intimate behaviour in an irresponsibly casual way. Whether you want to admit it or not, you give a piece of yourself away to every partner you have and it does take its toll on you. When you stand at the altar, every one of your past partners is standing there with you. You are unable to give yourself completely to the person you are about to marry. Whenever you have sex with your spouse, you will unintentionally be comparing them to every other past partner.

But there is an even more important reason why you should wait to have sex: self-control. In the Bible, the only thing God tells us to be concerned with, pursue after, and subdue, is self-control. Everything else is beyond our control, and we are to trust our sovereign God to control them for us. Self-control is our responsibility. The only thing in this life we are able to control and ought to be in control of is ourselves.

Waiting is an act of maturity and discipline. The practice of self-denial and delayed gratification makes you a healthier, happier, more poised, and better moderated person. While self-control is a character trait, it is also a "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23); it is a virtue. Self-control will enable you to be a better long-term partner in your until-death-us-do-part marriage. A person without self-control is a slave to their sexual desires, and no matter how many times they gratify those desires, it will never make them happy. Yes, they will be happy in that moment, but their overall life will not be happier.

Why do we need to learn to exercise self-control? Self-control aids in sexual purity. Purity is a life-long spiritual practice that does not begin or end with a single act of sex, nor does it begin or end on the wedding night. We have made virginity the goal when it should be purity that we are striving for. Yes, virginity is a wonderful thing, but the goal of purity enables people to choose wisely for a lifetime.

Do not be deceived. Even married people still have sexual thoughts, desires, and impulses that do not include their spouse. Crushes happen. Porn happens. Even Christians take notice of other people they find attractive. Without self-control and the pursuit of purity, how do you expect to not covet after them? This world demands instant gratification and consumes sex like a drug. If we are not careful, a quick brush with porn or a simple crush on a co-worker can quickly spiral into something devastating. However, if we exercise self-control and have mastery over our own sexual appetite, we will be far less likely to fall into the traps of addiction and infidelity that plague marriages today. Without self-control, how do you expect to remain faithful to your spouse "until death us do part"? Self-control is necessary to living a life of purity.

Let us teach our children more noble and honourable reasons for waiting to have sex. While it is not the church's responsibility to do so, even the church needs to teach people more noble and honourable reasons for waiting to have sex. Do not shame people concerning sex, because sex is a wonderful gift given by God for a man and a woman to enjoy all through their marriage. Virginity should not be our goal; purity should be. Purity is not possible without self-control, and self-control is one of the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23).

"Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16)

"If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Romans 8:13)

If We Are Forgiven, Why Ask Forgiveness?

"Pray, then, in this way: . . . And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. . . ." Matthew 6:9-13

"When you pray, say: . . . And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. . . ." Luke 11:2-4

If Christians are already forgiven—past, present, and future—why are we required to daily ask God for forgiveness? Some professing Christians actually have the audacity and nerve to argue that asking God for forgiveness is unnecessary.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:9-10

There is a difference between positional and practical. If more Christians actually demonstrated their professed love for God by reading His Word, they would know the Bible better and understand this. Why are we to confess our sins? Let us find out from "a man after [God's] own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14). God disciplined David, a regenerate man of faith, because of his failure to confess his sin. Observe how tormented David was until he confessed his sin and obtained God's forgiveness.

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away

Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.
 

I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide; I said,

"I will confess my transgressions to the LORD";

And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:3-5

Having to ask for God's forgiveness daily for the sins we commit on a daily basis does not mean that we need to "get saved" all over again every time that we sin. Jesus said that, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean" (John 13:10). While we have been fully justified, we have not been fully sanctified. Even though the sins we commit as regenerate believers do not in any way nullify our salvation, nevertheless they do fracture our relationship with God. We continue to confess our sin and seek God's forgiveness in order to maintain a clear conscience and a right standing before God and to preserve our fellowship with Him.

"For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." Hebrews 10:14

We have been eternally perfected by Jesus' single sacrifice.

Misquoting the Bible: Matthew 7:1

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? 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. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Matthew 7:1-6

Probably the most misrepresented verse in the entire Bible by both Christians and non-Christians alike, their misuse of this verse by ripping it out of its context and misapplying it is rather ironic. Applying pure and simple logic, the person who presumes someone is being judgmental and references this verse is declaring a judgment upon that someone. Hypocrite much? By pronouncing another person as judgmental, they too have made a judgment. Furthermore, if this is truly what Jesus said and meant, it would be impossible to shepherd anyone. Jesus Himself is passing judgment on those who judge incorrectly.

When Christians and non-Christians misquote this verse as "Jesus said not to judge," they swing it like a gavel in order to initiate immediate cessation of discussion pertaining to another person's behaviour. They use it as a cop-out to escape what they do not want to talk about. Misinterpreting this verse in this way completely ignores and nullifies Jesus' teachings:

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." John 7:24 [cf. "You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly [righteously]." Leviticus 19:15]

"You will know them by their fruits. . . . you will know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:16-20

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 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." Matthew 18:15-17

"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him." Luke 17:3

Jesus clearly informs us to judge righteously, recognize and discern people's good actions from their evil actions, and to rebuke our brothers and sisters in Christ when they sin. In order to rebuke a brother or sister in Christ, we must first identify that they have sinned. In order to identify a person's sin, we must obviously first judge their behaviour. Without the authority to judge others' behaviours, there would be no permissible authority with which we could uphold governing laws, select leaders, choose teachers and childcare providers, discipline children, or even discern which Bible teachers are profitable for us to listen to. Our selections of spouses, friends, and business partners are all based on judgments of character and ethics. When Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits," He was telling us to discern between a person who bears fruit and a person who does not. However, we are not to judge those outside of the church (1 Cor. 5:12), only those who profess to be part of it.

Examine the context of Matthew 7:1-6. Matthew 7:1 is not a warning against judging any action or behaviour; it is a warning against self-deception, self-righteousness, and hypocrisy. Matthew 7:2-5 are informing us that if we are going to correct someone, we should expect to be held to the same standard. If you judge with gentleness, you will be judged gently; if you judge with harshness, you will be judged harshly. Do not criticize other people if you are not open to criticism yourself. Matthew 7:6 is a call to discernment, remembering that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent (Ecc. 3:7). Jesus does not command us to say nothing about our brother or sister's sin, nor does He prohibit us from pointing out our brother or sister's sin, or from assisting him or her in removing it.

The speck and the log are of the same essence—wood. This passage is saying the same thing as Paul says in Romans:

"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?" Romans 1:28-2:3

Just as Paul says here, Jesus is referring to the hypocrisy of casting judgment upon another person for a sin of the same essence as a sin that you yourself are guilty of committing. You must first overcome this sin in your own life, then you will be able to help your brother or sister to deal with it in their life. Jesus commands us to address this particular issue in our own life first, and then assist our brother or sister in Christ with love.

"Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." Galatians 6:1

Misquoting the Bible: Romans 8:28

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:26-39

This verse is frequently ripped out of its context and misapplied by Christians in complete ignorance. It has nothing to do with you losing your job, getting cancer or some other disease, or trying to sell your car or house and somehow everything working out for your own good. This is another of those favourite verses to be used falsely by those false teachers, the prosperity preachers. Romans 8:28 has nothing to do with your present predicament. It has to do with your spiritual and eternal good.

At least one individual suggested that a better translation of this verse would be, "In all things, God works for the good of those who love him," suggesting that whatever your circumstances, good or bad, God is still fighting for you. If this were the case, it sure would fit nicely with verse 31: "If God is for us, who is against us?" However, you would have to rearrange all the words in the original Greek to come up with a translation such as that. None of the literal translations render this verse even remotely in that fashion:

"But we know that all things work together for good those who love God. . ."
—Jay P. Green's The Interlinear Bible

"And we know with an absolute knowledge that for those who are loving God, all things are working together resulting in good. . ."
—Kenneth S. Wuest's The New Testament: An Expanded Translation

Here is the order of the words as they appear in the Greek: "we_know And that to_the_(ones) loving God all_things work_together for good." The underscores link words that are translated from a single word in the Greek.

In Romans, Paul sets forth how Jesus came to rescue both Jews and Gentiles from death, creating in Himself one new body—the church. According to Paul, nothing can thwart God's purposes. "Creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption" (v. 21), and so will we. The happy ending promised in Romans 8:28 is not just any good outcome—such as finding a new job, overcoming some disease, or selling your car or house for more than the asking price—it is the ultimate happy ending; the renewal of all things! "For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body" (vv. 22-23). That is what Romans 8:28 is!

Misquoting the Bible: Luke 11:9

"It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples." And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"" Luke 11:1-13

This verse is just one of dozens that are ripped completely from their context and willfully misinterpreted and misapplied by those lying false teachers, the prosperity preachers. They try to claim that if you ask God for a Ferarri, that God is going to give it to you; or that if you ask God for a brand new house, that God is going to give it to you; or that if you ask God to win the Lottery, that God is going to give it to you; or that if you have some disease, such as cancer, that God is going to give you your request. Despite these false interpretations and misapplications, these false teachers fail to pay attention to the various passages in Scripture that contradict their lies and false teachings, as well as failing to pay attention to biblical characters whose lives and predicaments contradict their lies and false teachings.

The worst part is the blind ignorance of those who follow these lying false teachers and hang on their every word. These people know nothing of the Bible, and yet when you speak truth concerning these prosperity preachers, these ignorant individuals will attempt to come to their rescue and defend them. The only person making any money in that congregation is the lying preacher who is duping the congregation. He/she promises the congregation that if they tithe $100, God will return it ten-fold and they will receive $1000. Yet, despite never receiving anything, these blind, ignorant followers continually find themselves becoming poorer and poorer because they refuse to wise up to the scam.

This verse is not, "Ask for anything you want." It is, "Ask for my kingdom, and you will have it." Jesus' disciples ask Him how to pray, and so He sets forth an example of how we ought to pray. He continues by telling them the sort of things they ought to be praying for, such as their daily bread, the advent of His kingdom, forgiveness of sins, etc. Luke 11:9 is in the context of God's kingdom. Read also the parallel in Matthew 7:7-11 (and surrounding context).

What does verse 8 say? "Yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs." Verse 9 is conveying that persistence. It should read, "Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and it will be opened to you." This verse has nothing to do with the covetous desires of your heart, such as promotions, wealth, or the spouse of your dreams. The context of Luke 11:5-13 follows the disciples asking Jesus to teach them how to pray, and then Jesus doing so.

In Matthew, between Jesus teaching them how to pray and telling them to ask, seek, and knock, Jesus makes a bunch of statements that affect the meaning of what He is clearly telling them. "Ask, and it will be given to you" cannot refer to the covetous desires of your heart because Jesus said, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:21); "You cannot serve God and possessions" (v. 24); and "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (v. 33). The last verse comes after a discussion about the everyday necessities of life, which does not include promotions, wealth, a new car or house, the spouse of your dreams, etc. Earlier context in Luke demonstrates the same thing. Jesus defends Mary over her sister, Martha, for choosing what matters most—being a disciple, a citizen of His kingdom.

Misquoting the Bible: Luke 19:27

"While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.' But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.' The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.' And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.' Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 'Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?' Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.' I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence."" Luke 19:11-27

This verse is ripped entirely out of its context by lying Muslims in an attempt to argue that Jesus commanded His followers to murder others. It is truly amazing how ignorant Muslims are and how they have absolutely no clue what “context” is, regardless of whether it is dealing with the Qur’an or the Bible. First of all, at the very outset of this passage, Jesus makes it clear that He is sharing a parable with His audience. This parable is predominantly teaching about the gifts Christ has entrusted unto us and how we ought to use them in His absence, and how He will deal with us at His second coming when He will judge the world. If you examine the parallel passage in Matthew 25:14-30[-46], verse 30 says, “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The third servant was entrusted with a gift to use on the Master’s behalf for the glory of the Master, but he squandered it and did nothing with it. He was not faithful with what had been given to him, and he did not obey “the will of [the] Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Contrary to popular belief, salvation is not merely a matter of simple belief and nothing more. Change must take place in a person’s life. They must “bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). In other words, there needs to be evidence that they have repented of their sins and trusted their life to the Saviour. We were “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Anyone who says they have faith but lacks evidence of that faith is a false convert. They may know of Jesus, but He clearly does not know them. There is a reason Scripture tells us to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5), work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:13), and to make certain about His calling and choosing us (2 Pet. 1:10). Because “The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9).

Observe the commentaries of both Matthew Poole and Matthew Henry:

What he saith ver. 27, concerning his enemies, assures us, that although God spareth men and women a long time, so long as while his Son is in the far country, while the heavens must contain him; yet in the day of judgment a most certain final ruin will be their portion. Hence we may easily gather what instructions are offered in this parable. 1. That the state of Christ, when he shall come to judge the world, will be a far more glorious state than it was while he was here upon the earth. He was here in the appearance of a nobleman, but he shall then appear as a king. 2 That all the good things which we have in this life are our Lord's goods, put in trust with us to be used for his honour and glory. 3. That it must be expected that in the world there should be a great many rebels against Christ and his kingdom, a great many that shall say, We will not have this man to rule over us. 4. That some make greater improvements than others of what God intrusteth them with for his honour and glory, and some make no improvement at all of them. 5. That Christ, when he cometh to judge the world, will have a strict account how men have used his goods, their time of life, or health, their capacities, honours, riches, trusts, parts, &c. 6. That those shall have the highest reward in glory who have made the highest improvements; but those who have made improvements in any proportion shall have their reward. 7. That proud and wretched sinners will think in the day of judgment to wipe their own mouths, and lay all the blame of their miscarriages on God. 8. That this is their folly, God will condemn them from their own vain pleas. 9. That in the day of judgment unprofitable creatures will, besides the loss of those rewards which they might have received from God, have all their little satisfactions taken from them, in the enjoyments of which they dishonoured God. 10. That though proud sinners here oppose the law of God revealed to them, and will not suffer Christ to reign over them; yet his power they shall not be able to resist, they shall at the last day be slain before Christ's face, and become his footstool. He shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel, Psal. ii. 9; cx. 1; and who shall then deliver them out of his hand?

—Matthew Poole's Commentary On the Holy Bible, vol. 3, p. 261.

In the sentence passed upon them at his return: Those mine enemies bring hither, v. 27. When his faithful subjects are preferred and rewarded, then he will take vengeance on his enemies, and particularly on the Jewish nation, the doom of which is here read. When Christ had set up his gospel kingdom, and thereby put reputation upon the gospel ministry, then he comes to reckon with the Jews; then it is remembered against them that they had particularly disclaimed and protested against his kingly office, when they said, We have no king but Caesar, nor would own him for their king. They appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar they shall go; Caesar shall be their ruin. Then the kingdom of God appeared when vengeance was taken on those irreconcileable enemies to Christ and his government; they were brought forth and slain before him. Never was so much slaughter made in any war as in the wars of the Jews. That nation lived to see Christianity victorious in the Gentile world, in spite of their enmity and opposition to it, and then it was taken away as dross. The wrath of Christ came upon them to the uttermost (1 Thess. 2:15, 16), and their destruction redounded very much to the honour of Christ and the peace of the church. But this is applicable to all others who persist in their infidelity, and will undoubtedly perish in it. Note, [1.] Utter ruin will certainly be the portion of all Christ's enemies; in the day of vengeance they shall all be brought forth, and slain before him. Bring them hither, that they may see the glory and happiness of Christ and his followers, whom they hated and persecuted. Bring them hither, to have their frivolous pleas overruled, and to receive sentence according to their merits. Bring them, and slay them before me, as Agag before Samuel. The Saviour whom they have slighted will stand by and see them slain, and not interpose on their behalf. [2.] Those that will not have Christ to reign over them shall be reputed and dealt with as his enemies. We are ready to think that none are Christ's enemies but persecutors of Christianity, or scoffers at least; but you see that those will be accounted so that dislike the terms of salvation, will not submit to Christ's yoke, but will be their own masters. Note, Whoever will not be ruled by the grace of Christ will inevitably be ruined by the wrath of Christ.

—Matthew Henry's Commentary, vol. 5, p. 636.

When he gains the kingship, he executes those who resisted his rule (19:27). This clearly refers to the Jews who have rejected Jesus as their king. Their rejection of Jesus will ultimately lead to judgment. This theme is appropriate in Luke's Gospel because the final rejection of Jesus is on the horizon.

—The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary, p. 1099.

Regarding Matthew 25:30, observe what Poole and Henry have said:

But if a man hath not, that is, hath, but is as if he had not, making no use of what he hath for the glory of God, those gifts and talents which he hath shall be of no profit and advantage, but miserable disadvantage to him at last.

—Matthew Poole's Commentary On the Holy Bible, vol. 3, p. 120.

He is sentenced to be cast out into outer darkness, v. 30. Here,
(1.) His character is that of an unprofitable servant. Note, Slothful servants will be reckoned with as unprofitable servants, who do nothing to the purpose of their coming into the world, nothing to answer the end of their birth or baptism, who are no way serviceable to the glory of God, the good of others, or the salvation of their own souls. A slothful servant is a withered member in the body, a barren tree in the vineyard, an idle drone in the hive, he is good for nothing. In one sense, we are all unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10); we cannot profit God, Job 22:2. But to others, and to ourselves, it is required that we be profitable; if we be not, Christ will not own us as his servants: it is not enough not to do hurt, but we must do good, must bring forth fruit, and though thereby God is not profited, yet he is glorified, John 15:8.
(2.) His doom is, to be cast into outer darkness. Here, as in what was said to the faithful servants, our Saviour slides insensibly out of the parable into the thing intended by it, and it serves as a key to the whole; for, outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, is, in Christ’s discourses, the common periphrasis of the miseries of the damned in hell. Their state is, [1.] Very dismal; it is outer darkness. Darkness is uncomfortable and frightful: it was one of the plagues of Egypt. In hell there are chains of darkness, 2 Pet. 2:4. In the dark no man can work, a fit punishment for a slothful servant. It is outer darkness, out from the light of heaven, out from the joy of their Lord, into which the faithful servants were admitted; out from the feast. Compare ch. 8:12; 22:13. [2.] Very doleful; there is weeping, which bespeaks great sorrow, and gnashing of teeth, which bespeaks great vexation and indignation. This will be the portion of the slothful servant.

—Matthew Henry's Commentary, vol. 5, p. 306.

The citizens who did not want the Nobleman to rule over them can be seen as two different types of people. According to the context, the citizens can clearly be seen as the Jews who rejected Jesus as the coming Messiah. But by application, the citizens can also be seen as every individual who rejects Jesus as Lord and Saviour. When He returns, He will judge them swiftly and condemn them to an eternity in Hell.

Regarding Luke 19, verses 26 and 27 do not feel as if they are part of the parable. The end of verse 25 ends by telling us what the servants had said. If the Nobleman was responding back to them, verse 26 should start with “And he said to them,” which it does not. Verse 26 almost seems to be Jesus’ commentary on the meaning of the parable, as if he slid out of the parable and was now speaking frankly. Verse 27 seems out of place, except for the fact of what the citizens said: “We do not want this man to reign over us.” Verse 27 is the King’s righteous response to their disobedience and rebellion.

Nowhere in Scripture did Jesus command his followers to murder others. In fact, Jesus made quite the opposites statements and teachings. While Muslims are commanded to slaughter all non-Muslims, Christians are commanded to turn the other cheek and to love their enemies, doing good unto them. Quite the contrast between the two, would you not think?

Misquoting the Bible: The Helper

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. . . . But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." John 14:16-17, 26

"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning." John 15:26-27

"But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." John 16:5-15

Here are three passages from which Muslims rip individual verses out of context and lie to their audience in an attempt to indoctrinate them with false information, claiming that these verses are prophetically speaking of their false prophet, Muhammad. It is mind-numbingly ridiculous how Muslims can even claim that John 14:16 is speaking of Muhammad considering the very next verse says, "that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you" (v. 17). Notice that Jesus calls the "Helper" the "Spirit of truth"? Notice that Jesus says you cannot "see Him" because "He abides with you and will be in you"? Clearly not Muhammad. How do we know for sure with 100% certainty that this verse has nothing to do with Muhammad? Jesus tells us precisely Who it is that He is speaking of: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you" (v. 26). Jesus clearly identifies the "Helper" as the "Holy Spirit," the "Spirit of truth." Definitely and absolutely not Muhammad.

How Muslims attempt to claim that John 15:26 is speaking of Muhammad is a great wonder considering in the same verse Jesus clearly identifies the "Helper" as "the Spirit of truth." This clearly is not speaking of Muhammad because Muhammad was nothing more than a pathological liar, making up "revelations" just to fulfill his own perverse desires. There was not an ounce of truth in Muhammad. Furthermore, Jesus states clearly that this "Helper" would testify about Himself (Jesus). Muhammad never testified concerning Jesus. Muhammad had very little to say about Jesus, and most of what he had to say was all lies. Furthermore, this passage continues on, "and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning" (v. 27). Who will also testify about Jesus? His disciples. The Apostles. Those who spent every day with Him during His entire ministry. The same disciples and Apostles who wrote the Gospels and the Epistles that make up the New Testament. The same Gospels that the Qur'an (surah 5:47) commands Christians to judge by when they read them because the words they contain are true.

Muslims attempt to claim that John 16:7-11 is speaking of Muhammad, too, but as we discovered in the previous two passages, the "Helper" is the Holy Spirit. Not Muhammad the false prophet. Furthermore, Jesus said, "He [the Helper] will glorify Me" (v. 14). Muhammad never glorified Jesus... ever! The Helper, whom the Father will send in Jesus' name (John 14:26), will testify about Jesus (John 15:26) and glorify Jesus (John 16:14). This Helper, the Spirit of truth, is none other than the Holy Spirit.

Non-Literal Bible Translations

Few Christians actually know their Bible well enough to know what is or is not in the Bible. These days, most professing Christians cannot identify incorrect information taken from the Bible (such as the fact that there were no wise men at the manger), let alone identify sayings that have no origin in the Bible (such as God helping those who help themselves). Most professing Christians are illiterate of the book from the Saviour they claim to love, but fail to demonstrate.

Years ago, because there was mainly only the KJV, if you quoted the Bible and got it wrong, people were more likely to notice. Today, because of so many non-literal paraphrased "translations" that are used, practically no one can tell for sure whether something presumably from the Bible is being quoted accurately or not. Very few people actually catch on to false statements being attributed to the Bible that have no place in the Bible. These professing Christians' ignorance of the Bible is astounding.

Herein lies the problem with having non-literal paraphrased "translations," which are nothing more than extremely poor commentaries at best. As long as you are quoting from a literal translation (Geneva, KJV, NASB, NKJV, ESV), even with the minor differences in translation (the words chosen to translate a word), someone who knows their Bible well will be able to identify if you are quoting the Bible accurately, because they all largely read the same. However, with these non-literal paraphrased "translations," even if you are quoting it accurately, someone who knows their Bible well will not be able to tell if you are quoting it accurately because it veers off from the way every literal translation reads.

Not only do non-literal paraphrased "translations," which are nothing more than extremely poor commentaries, add things that simply are not found in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, but if someone added their own opinion or quoted one of the several phantom passages out there, no one would be able to tell. That is how Satan can introduce lies to the text and convince ignorant Christians who do not know their Bible of false beliefs. Sadly, many professing Christians prefer knowing "biblical passages" that reinforce their pre-existing beliefs and pre-suppositions rather than knowing and conforming to the truth.

How can you say you love God when you never crack open His Word and read? How can you defend the faith when you do not know what the Bible says or does not say? Throw out your non-literal paraphrased commentary-of-a-"translation," which is no Bible at all, and obtain a literal translation that is true to the original languages the Bible was first written in. Then read it daily, meditate upon it, pray daily, abide in Christ, walk by the Spirit, and grow in your knowledge of God. Do this and watch your life change. Watch yourself start to resemble a biblical Christian as defined and described in the Bible.

That's Not In the Bible

"Elders are not elders because thy are old; they are elders because they know their Bible well. There is a distinction between those who may be good preachers and those who are Pastors/Elders of a church. But even in their humble beginnings, they knew their Bible well," writes C. Matthew McMahon.

Some young Preachers who knew their Bible well:
The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ: 30 years old.
John the Apostle: ? (His age may range from 17-31)
Aurelius Augustine: 37
John Calvin: 22 (He had his first chaplainry at age 12)
Christopher Love: 27
Jonathan Edwards: 15
Richard Baxter: 23

Professor Bouma-Prediger says, "In my college religion classes, I sometimes quote 2 Hesitations 4:3— "There are no internal combustion engines in heaven." I wait to see if anyone realizes that there is no such book in the Bible, and therefore no such verse. Only a few catch on." "Few catch on because they do not want to. People prefer knowing "biblical passages" that reinforce their pre-existing beliefs," another Bible professor says.

Here are a few phantom passages that people enjoy citing and attempting to attribute to the Bible:

"This, too, shall pass." Possibly originating from a story by Attar of Nishapur.

"Don't throw stones at glass houses." Claimed to be in the Bible by traitor-to-America-and-humanity Barack Obama.

"All things in moderation, and moderation in all things." An extrapolation of Aristotle's doctrine of the mean (middle ground between excess and deficiency).

"To thine own self be true." From Shakespeare's Hamlet.

"God works in mysterious ways." From William Cowper's hymn God Moves In A Mysterious Way.

"God helps those who help themselves." An extrapolation from Aesop's fable Hercules and the Wagoneer.

"Cleanliness is next to godliness." Stated by John Wesley.

"God hates the sin but loves the sinner." Completely unbiblical.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This is a paraphase of Matthew 7:12: "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." See the parallel in Luke 6:31, as well as the near-equivalency "love your neighbour as yourself" through Scripture (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8; Luke 10:27).

"The eye is the window to the soul." The approximation of this is Matthew 6:22: "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light." See the parallel in Luke 11:34.

"Spare the rod, spoil the child." The approximation of this is Proverbs 13:24a: "He who withholds [or spares] his rod hates his son." Related verses are Proverbs 22:15, 23:13-14, and 29:15.

"Pride goes before a fall." The approximation of this is Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling [a fall]."

"The lion will lay down with the lamb." The approximation of this is Isaiah 11:6: "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them."

False teachers like Kevin Dunn like to claim that the Genesis account of the fall of humanity is a phantom passage. They claim the typical teaching of this passage is unbiblical. Dunn claims, "Genesis mentions nothing but a serpent." He goes on to claim, "Not only does the text not mention Satan, the very idea of Satan as a devilish tempter postdates the composition of the Garden of Eden story by at least 500 years." These false teachers deny that it was Satan who tempted and deceived Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Apparently Kevin Dunn and these other false teachers fail to pay attention to the entirety of Scripture, as well as using logic and applying common sense.

Serpents cannot speak. When Balaam's donkey spoke, it was because the Lord gave her a voice. If you read the passage in Numbers 22:22-33, it repeatedly states that his donkey was a female, yet in 2 Peter 2:16 it informs us that his donkey spoke with a male's voice. The serpent could not have spoke if God Himself did not speak through it, or He allowed one of His angels (elect or fallen) to speak through it. It certainly would not have been God Himself, and it certainly would not have been one of His elect angels. Ergo, according to Occam's Razor, what is the most logical conclusion as to who tempted and deceived Eve? According to everything we know about Satan from Scripture, it is reasonable to conclude that Satan tempted Eve and deceived her. Kevin Dunn and others like him attempt to take the Genesis account of the fall of humanity way too literalistically.

Atheistic Evolutionary Inconsistency

Atheists and Evolutionists are inconsistent with their beliefs. In the video where Bill Nye visits Ken Ham at the Ark Encounter, Ken Ham repeatedly asks Bill Nye questions akin to "why does it matter" and "what is the purpose," to which Bill Nye ignores and dodges without answering honestly or intelligently. For example; Ken Ham challenges Bill Nye to give a single example of observed matter creating DNA. Bill Nye's ignorant response was, "Here we are." He clearly does not understand what an "observational example" is. No scientist has ever witnessed with their own eyes matter creating DNA.

Atheists and Evolutionists claim that there is no God. Atheists and Evolutionists claim, contrary to scientific evidence, that everything began with the big bang and that over time we evolved into what we are today. Atheists and Evolutionists do not believe in a Heaven or a Hell. Atheists and Evolutionists believe that once we die we no longer exist.

If there is no God, then why are we here? If there is no Heaven or Hell, then what is the purpose of our existence? If you create a timeline of human history and put your lifespan on that timeline, your existence is but a puff of smoke. A blip on the screen. According to atheistic and evolutionary ideology, life is meaningless. In order to be consistent with their beliefs, life has to be meaningless.

If life is meaningless, why pursue any knowledge at all since in the end it will not make a lick of difference to you, me, or the life of anyone else down the line? What does it matter if science was wrong thousands of years ago when is claimed there were only 1100 hundred stars? What does it matter if modern science has learned that the stars are innumerable? How does that information, correct or incorrect, affect anyone's life or change their life? Even if you could know everything there is to know about the universe and know all truth, what would it matter? How does that have any affect upon anyone? All that information is useless and meaningless.

Bill Nye failed to grasp the questions and statements that Ken Ham was presenting him with. If life is meaningless and there is no purpose to life, what you and I learn today is ultimately pointless to ourselves and to future generations. It does not help anyone. It is pointless because apparently our existence is meaningless. We are born, we live, we die. There is no purpose to life. If Atheists and Evolutionists were the least bit consistent with their beliefs, this is precisely how they would think. But they know intrinsically that what they are trying to convince themselves and others of simply is not true.

There is absolutely no point to trying to better anyone's life while they are here since ultimately their existence is meaningless. They are born, they live, they die. Having food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter to keep warm in, and living in peace are useless, meaningless, worthless pursuits since none of it matters in the end. The betterment of your life while you are here is irrelevant if life is meaningless. Why care for and take care of your children? Why care for and take care of the elderly? Why use etiquette when dealing with others if natural selection and survival of the fittest is true? Civilized society is contradictory to the atheistic and evolutionary worldview.

If Atheism and Evolution were true, these should be the questions they ask because they are consistent with their model. But they deliberately ignore these facts out of intellectual stubbornness because they have no answers for them.

Christianity is the only religion that can answer the questions, Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Atheists and Evolutionists constantly borrow from the Christian worldview. The answer to "Why care for and take care of your children" and other questions can only be answered through the Christian worldview. Christianity is the only true religion because it is the only religion that makes sense of the world. Anyone who examines it closely and honestly cannot help but become a Christian because it is logical, accurate, and true.

If the atheistic and evolutionary worldview were true, then you would selfishly look out for only yourself and to hell with everybody else. If the atheistic and evolutionary worldview were true, then you would never have any children because it would only mean more mouths to feed and it would decrease your chance of survival. Try meditating on the concepts of "natural selection" and "survival of the fittest" and applying them logically. Atheists and Evolutionists using the theory of evolution cannot explain where logic, reason, thought, self-awareness, civility, etiquette, etc., etc., etc., come from. The fact is, these things are borrowed from the Christian worldview. They steal from Christians when it suits them most, yet they fail to be able to explain such things from their worldview and vantage point because they simply do not fit. The atheistic and evolutionary worldview is bankrupt.

Have You Been Saved?

The cliché "Once Saved, Always Saved" is true, but the real question is, Have you been saved? How do you know if you have been saved? "I prayed the 'sinner's prayer' when I was six" or "I asked Jesus into my heart when I was twelve" are not satisfactory answers. In fact, there is nothing biblical pertaining to either one. While a person's initial profession may be evidence of genuine conversion, nevertheless it is insufficient evidence. Jesus taught that many people would respond positively to the Gospel, only later to demonstrate their unregenerate state by falling away (Matt. 13).

Evidence of your justification must be looked for beyond the moment of your suspected conversion. Peter wrote, "be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you" (2 Pet. 1:10). In other words, grow in assurance of your salvation by increasing in virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Pet. 1:5-11). James wrote, "faith without works is useless" (Jam. 2:20). In other words, good works always accompany genuine saving faith (Jam. 2:14-26). Paul wrote, "walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). In other words, it is those who are led by the Spirit—those who kill sin and grow in personal holiness by the Spirit's power—who are sons of God (Rom. 8:13-14).

If you are assured of your justification, then you can be assured that God will not allow anything to snatch you from His hand (John 10:28-29) or allow anything in Heaven or on Earth to separate you from His love for you in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:38-39). He will keep you from falling away (Jude 1:24), protect you from the evil one (1 John 5:18), and complete the redemptive work that He first began in you (Phil. 1:6). The cliché "Once Saved, Always Saved" is only true if the individual has truly been saved to begin with. Otherwise, they are false converts and their falling away makes them apostates. Genuine believers cannot become apostates (1 John 2:19).

You Won’t Stop Sinning Until You Start Walking By the Spirit

It truly amazes me how Christians—if they are reading their Bible at all—fail to pay attention to the words of Scripture. Did God inspire these words and speak them through the Holy Spirit just for the sake of saying them? Or does God actually know what He is talking about?

". . . without Me you can do nothing" John 15:5

This verse, as well as various other times throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that unless we abide with Him and He with us, we can do nothing. Our eyes must be fixed upon Jesus at all times, and we ought to be reading His Word daily and speaking to Him daily through prayer. This becomes increasingly difficult to do in our day and age with all the distractions that are vying for our attention. But what do we love more?

"for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live" Romans 8:13

The key in this verse is "by the Spirit." You cannot put to death the deeds of the body by yourself. You can try, but all you will achieve is legalism and behavioural modification—not genuine godly repentance. In Romans 13:14 we are commanded to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." How can we achieve this? By reading our Bibles, paying attention to what we are being told, and obeying its words. We must fix our minds on the things that concern the Holy Spirit, namely the One Whom the Holy Spirit was sent to glorify—Jesus.

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" Galatians 5:16

This verse, as well as the last, make it clear that you will not stop sinning until you start walking by the Spirit. This is tied directly in with the first verse—abiding with Jesus. If you do not possess the Spirit, and if you do not give Him reign in your life, you will continue to find yourself in failure after failure. God's method for dealing with our predicament is very simple, but our foolish arrogance and futile thinking keep getting in the way and making it more complicated than it needs to be. Your habitual sins will only be conquered when you want God more than you want your pet sins, and only the Holy Spirit can effect these changes in your desires.

". . . for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble" 2 Peter 1:10b

Here is where people need to start demonstrating their faith in God's Word. It states matter-of-factly that "you will never stumble" if you are putting into practice the virtues listed in verses 5 through 7. In fact, in verse 3 we are told that "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us." In other words, the way to grow in godliness and holiness is by knowing God. How can you know God but to abide in Jesus and walk in the Spirit? To read God's Word daily and speak with Him through prayer daily.

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling . . ." Jude 1:24a

God is sovereign over all things. There is nothing outside His realm of control. He is in charge of everything. He will keep you from stumbling. However, you need to be doing your part. You need to be abiding in Jesus, walking in the Spirit, and growing in your knowledge of Who God is, which you cannot do if you are not daily in His Word and daily speaking with Him through prayer. How do you expect victory in your life when you are not in God's Word setting your mind on the things of the Holy Spirit? As long as your thoughts remain void of Christ Jesus, your life will remain full of sin.