THE MOMENT WE RECOGNIZE THAT "I HAVE SINNED"

Reading the words of Judas "I have sinned against innocent blood" makes me think about my own life. Judas said these words as he tried to return the 30 pieces of silver and to possibly undo the wrong done. Some people sin and mock; some hide and destroy themselves; and some turn to God.

It says Judas "felt remorse" in the NASB for what he had done . The KJV says "he repented himself". I think about the kind of repentance or remorse this was because we know the deep grief he was growing through, but was it right? Apparently not because he did not return to follow Christ as did Peter and others who scattered in the heat of the night. The Scriptures say that he threw the thirty pieces of silver into the temple and he hanged himself. It doesn't appear that the remorse Judas felt was the godly type. Paul wrote, "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death." (2 Cor. 7:10). Judas' sorrow did not produce a repentance without regret. He did not pick himself and confess to God. He did not come before the cross and look into Jesus' eyes and ask for forgiveness. He did not do anything but give up. He hanged himself and quit the service to God. Whatever it was that Judas felt, it was not true repentance. He knew he had sinned, but he did not change.

This event also makes me think about the reaction of the priests and elders. Their pivotal witness and aid against Jesus had just recanted and it didn't matter to them. They didn't say, "Our case is falling apart." Nope, not much stops the wheels of injustice that were already seeking out their next false witness against Christ. The truth did not matter to them. All that mattered was at all costs hanging on to their positions.

Reading about Judas causes me to stop and reflect again on my own sinfulness and how I respond to Christ. Do I betray Him? Do I love silver and gold enough to turn from Him? Has mine been a "godly sorrow without regret" or only a "sorrow of the world that produces death"? Or do I respond like Peter who denied Jesus but then became a great servant in the Kingdom of Christ? There is something to learn from the Judas's of the world.
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How Many Apostles Did Jesus Choose?
Withholding Forgiveness: Who Must I Forgive?

CONTRARY TO ATHEISTS, THERE IS OBJECTIVE EVIL IN THE WORLD

We recently heard in an adult Bible class a debate between a Christian and an Atheist. The Atheist said there was no objective moral truth in the world. All that mattered was the motive and overall good that was achieved. The Atheist said that even rape of women was acceptable if it acheived a greater good, if doing so saved many people. I wonder what the Atheist would say to the Judges comments in the recent Madoff case, after he stole billions of dollars from investors?

"Mr Madoff’s attorney Ira Sorkin had asked for a 12 year sentence and the probation service had recommended 50 years. But Judge Denny Chin opted for the statutory maximum for the 11 charges to which Mr Madoff pleaded guilty. Noting that he had not received a single letter in support of Mr Madoff, Judge Chin said: “Mr Madoff’s crimes were extraordinarily evil ... Not merely a bloodless financial crime ... [but] one that takes a staggering human toll.” I wonder if he would say that was an objective moreal wrong? ("Madoff sentenced to 150 years in prison". Financial Times of London. Accessed on June 30, 2009. Accessed HERE.

EMBRACE THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

Overheard in Bible class: "Unbelief is not an intellectual problem, but a moral problem. Men love darkness rather than light. A man's (eternal) fate is sealed by how he reacts to the light. Each person either chooses the light or flees from the light." It's so true. The light is the truth of the Gospel. The principle is based on something Jesus said about those who accept or reject Him.

"20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." - John 3:20,21

An honest person can do all of his deeds in the light of day. Since he has nothing to hide he is not afraid of the light. But a dishonest person has to operate in the shadows of darkness so as not to be found out. He runs from the light and even tries to extinguish it.

When Jesus spoke the Truth, it shed light on the the practices of men. The honest people loved to hear it and they responded to Him in faith. But the fates of the Priests and Lawyers and others like them was sealed because the light of truth which Jesus spoke embarrassed and humiliated them. To avoid this, they even went so far as to kill the light. Killing Jesus was their way to hide and protect themselves from being exposed.

The Scriptures teach that "truth will make you free" (John 8:32). But for some people, truth is the enemy that must be suppressed. These people cannot afford to be exposed. Their livelihood depends on their ability to conceal who they truly are and so they deceive. Even their words, just lies, are a manifestation of this darkness. For them, their fate is set because "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:19). Their fate is set because "they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved" (2 Thess. 2:9,10). They don't love light as they don't love the truth.

How do you respond to the Truth of Jesus Christ? Do you claim to love Him while despising the very things He said? This is the same thing as rejecting Christ, the light. There is a message of hope in all of this because liberty and happiness is waiting in the light. If anyone will expose himself to God by repenting and confessing, in the light there is freedom. In Luke 19 Zaccheus, who had been operating in the shadows, when he found Jesus he confessed his sin and vowed to correct the wrongs he had done. Because of his change, Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house." It's that easy. Do you respond to the light as Zaccheus did? Please pray about what is most important in this life. If we can't be genuine by living in the light, what kind of life is that? Jesus warned that His "words are what will judge in the last day" (John 12:48). Nothing is profited by rejecting His truth today. Everything will be exposed then and it will be too late. And so we must choose to stand in the light today or we will stand in the light on judgment day. How we respond to Jesus today will set our fate for eternity. Embrace the light of Jesus Christ; embrace His truth, and you will be set free.

"ORIGINAL SIN" OR MY SIN: WHICH ONE DEPICTS THE SIN THAT SEPARATES ME FROM GOD?

It seems that no matter how sincere someone appears or tries to be, if he begins his journey in the wrong direction, he will most likely end up in the wrong place. This is the case where a Rev., Paul Nelson who when attempting to get back to the basics of the Gospel gets a most basic issue completely wrong. Nelson writes about sin:

"This is significant to us because Adam, the first and perfect man represented our entire race. What happened to Adam happens to all of us with one major difference. Adam was created sinless and became sinful through disobedience; all of us are born sinful and spiritually dead. That we are sinful and spiritually dead is proven by the fact that we all eventually die physically."1

This teaching that sin is passed from the parents to the children, saying that we are "born sinful and spiritually dead" is not the teaching of the Bible. For a number of reasons this is a false doctrine, not the least of which is it is patently unfair and unjust and is not supported by the Scriptures.

You might wonder if Nelson had Scripture to back up his doctrinal position on sin. He did, he quoted Romans 3:23 and Romans 5:12-14, neither of which says we are born sinful and spiritually dead. The question before us is whether sin is something we are born with or is sin something we do? And these passages used by Nelson say that sin is something we do, our personal trespass against God.

Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Paul does not say that all were born sinful; he says we all sinned. Romans 5:12-14 tells the truth about sin, but not that we are born with Adam's sin. Paul says in Romans 5 that "death", spiritual death, "spread to all men BECAUSE all sinned" (emphasis added, DM). Again, the story is the same. Spiritual death, the kind Paul is talking about and the kind of death Nelson is talking about in his discussion on sin, did not spread to all men through birth. Instead, the Scriptures support once again that sin is what we do against God. Spiritual death comes upon us all when we sin. And we sin when we reach an age to know right and wrong, and we choose to do wrong. At that moment, God judges us to be sinners. Not before. Certainly not when we are conceived and born into this world.

It is remarkable to me that a man like Nelson can set out to give a thoughtful presentation of the Gospel and right off the bat, he presents error. Stunning and very sad too.

God loves the world and desires that all men be saved. Will you turn away from the sin you have committed against God, confess it to Him today, and be immersed in the grave of Baptism (Romans 6:3-5)? If you will be buried with Christ in Baptism, God by His grace will cleanse your soul and remove the stain of sin (Acts 22:16; 1 Pt. 3:21). You will be washed and sanctified and justified in His name (1 Cor. 6:11). Please confess your sins to Him today and be baptized into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15,16).

1. A Gospel 'Tune up'
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Inheriting the Father's sins
Infant Sinners: Born in sin

WOMEN AND VEILS: ARE CHRISTIAN WOMEN TO WEAR VEILS?

Why do women in churches not wear veils? I mean, in some churches they do, but mostly not. Is this an instance where the Word of God is being ignored? Well if anyone thinks that, as a matter of conscience she should wear a veil and no one would think anything different. And if a man really believes it is a requirement of God, he would at least ask his wife and daughter if they shouldn't wear the veil.

Most of the time this is an issue of debate for some rather than a sincere desire to observe the practice if the Scriptures say to. I have never personally encountered a single person who was seriously studying the issue. I know some have and concluded that women should wear some kind of covering. When it has come up to me, it's not been for any reason but to score a point that we in the church don't agree on or follow everything in the Scriptures. The person doing the arguing isn't of the mind to introduce veils, only to argue. But regardless of the motive of these people, it is still worthy of being studied.

So why does the church not have the women wearing veils? Why do I not as a preacher call for the women to wear veils? That's really the question, isn't it? Some people say it is not practiced today because that was just a cultural practice of the day. And Paul was having the church observe the culture so as not to offend. There may have been some of that, but I don't think that is the explanation for our women not observing it. Paul says,

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"But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved." - 1 Cor. 11:5
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It does seems that the burden is upon the church today to explain why Christian women are not wearing veils. This verse in the Corinthian letter says they are to, right?

Notice the context. The instruction to "every woman" does not pertain to every woman, but to a particular group of woman who are "praying and prophesying". So if "every woman" was engaged in praying and prophesying, not "praying and prophesying", then every single woman would need to follow the practice of wearing the veil. But those women who are not praying and prophesying, there veil is not required.

But every Christian woman is praying in the assembly, right? Doesn't that fact alone mean that the women today should be wearing veils? Notice that "praying and prophesying" is mentioned in a section of 1 Corinthians that is talking about regulations in the church (11:16,17). This section continues through chapter fourteen. At the end of chapter 14 the women are told they are not to speak/teach in the church. In the assembly, the women would not be praying and prophesying, things which required the veil.

The only setting where the prophetess would be teaching and prophesying was outside of the assembly of the church. The "praying and prophesying" by the women, i.e. leading others in these supernatural gifts, was forbidden in the assembly because women were to be silent. While the the Prophetess pray and prophesy with her head covered, but she must limit her activity to those teaching situations outside of the general assembly of the church just as is described in 1 Corinthians 14. Strictly following what Paul says in our passage above, the women who were not "praying and prophesying" were not enjoined to wear the veil.

Please notice also that "praying and prophesying" are activities of Prophets and Prophetesses. In other words, they are acting in a leading and teaching capacity. In chapter 14, praying, singing, and speaking in tongues were supernaturally inspired. Paul says,

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"13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. ." - 1 Cor. 14:13-17
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The "praying in the spirit" and "praying with the mind" are showing that this is not the same praying that most of us think of when we say "let's pray". There is "praying" generally, and then there "praying" supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians, the context of chapter 11-14 is related to the supernatural gift of "praying" in the spirit and in the mind. Paul's reference to "praying" in the 1 Corinthians 11 passage above is not the general prayer that all Christians engage in. It is the supernaturally inspired gift of the Prophet or Prophetess. This was supernaturally inspired and guided so that the foreigners could also be led in spiritual activities. "Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad" (1 Cor. 14:23)? These regulations concerning tongues, singing, and praying are related to the "praying and prophesying" in 1 Corinthians 11 when the veil was to be worn. A Prophetess who is spreading the truth through "praying and prophesying" had to wear the veil, A woman not acting in a teaching/leading capacity would therefore not be required to.

I understand the veil was not a small veil. It was a full head covering.

Here is where I believe we are. If a case could be made for the veil regulation still being in place, it would most surely be a requirement for women in churches where they lead prayers and preach. Certainly if there were, but there are not, any Prophetesses today, then they would be required according to the teaching in the Corinthian letter to wear the veil when "praying and prophesying", but they would still not be doing this in the "church" setting. Not in the first century and not in the 21st century would this require the women in the church to wear a veil.
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Value of the Woman