I Have a Question

What is True Happiness?

 

Happiness is an emotion arising from a sense of well-being, joy, and/or contentment. Everyone wants to be happy, but happiness, as our ultimate goal, can be elusive. People may make decisions based on what they think will make them happy, then experience despair when happiness never comes. People who assume that God wants them to be happy may justify activities clearly prohibited in the Bible by arguing that such choices are necessary for happiness. But is our personal happiness God’s ultimate goal for us? 

We were created by God in His image, and we know happiness is possible because God is happy. When God created the first man and woman, He placed them in a garden and filled it with everything they needed to be happy (Genesis 1:29–30; 2:8–9). But they fell for the lie that happiness is contingent upon having everything they wanted (Genesis 3:1–6). Their failure to acknowledge God as their Source of happiness led to sin and banishment from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23–24). From that day on, humanity has struggled to regain the sense of happiness that Adam and Eve experienced in the presence of God.

God wants us to be happy but not at any cost. His goals for us are higher, broader, and more lasting than fleeting happiness (Isaiah 55:9). In fact, the pursuit of happiness is not spoken of in the New Testament. Instead, we find repeated commands to deny self (Mark 8:34), take up a cross (Luke 9:23), and consider oneself dead to sin (Romans 6:6–7). These instructions may appear contradictory to the idea that God wants us to be happy. How can we be happy when we must choose the opposite of what we desire?

God’s path to happiness goes a different direction from the path we would naturally choose. Sinful actions can usually be traced to one foundational lie: that we will be happier if we do this thing. But God says, “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!” (Psalm 1:1, CSB). God delights in confounding the wise by using foolish things to accomplish His purposes, weak things to shame the strong, and lowly and despised things to magnify His glory (1 Corinthians 1:27–28). The psalmist says that we are happiest when we are delighting in God’s promises and commandments (Psalm 112:1).

God wants us to be happy, but the temporary thrill sin provides is not true happiness. Sin can produce feelings of happiness as long as we are getting what we want. Augustine of Hippo rightly stated in his fourth-century book Confessions, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” The truth is there is a “God-shaped vacuum” in the heart of every person, and that void can only be filled by God through Christ, not by any created thing. Happiness is a gift from God that can be fully known only in proper relationship with Him.

God does want us to be happy, and He has provided all we need for life and godliness through Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:2). He has designed the human heart to experience its greatest ecstasy in worship, its deepest satisfaction in serving, and its greatest love through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are living in fellowship with Him, we can expect to be happy regardless of our temporary circumstances (Philippians 4:11–13). Our goal is the prize awaiting us in eternity, so we can endure earthly difficulties while remaining full of hope (2 Corinthians 4:17). When our joy and hope are based on that which cannot be taken away, we have found true happiness, and God is pleased. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

I Have a Question

Is Anyone Worthy of Redemption?

 

“Are Jews better off than Gentiles? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews & all Gentiles are under the control of sin & subject to its power. As it forever remains written, “There is none that meets God’s standard, not even one. There are none who understand; none who seek after God. All mankind has turned aside, & become useless; there is none who does good, no, not one. There is no fear of God & His awesome power by man. 

Now we know that whatever the Law of Moses says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that the excuses of every mouth may be silenced from protesting & that all the world may be held accountable to God & subject to His judgment. For no person will be freed of guilt & declared righteous in His sight by trying to do the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin knowing this directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin.”

The above verses from Romans 3 reveal that NO ONE lives by God’s moral & ethical standards laid out in scripture. No one seeks the Almighty One on their own. It also highlights that the Law doesn’t provide a solution for man’s sin problem. An offering of blood, pure from a spotless “lamb” is the only offering that cleanses a man of their sin. That “lamb” mentioned is symbolic of Jesus, who in scripture is referred to as the “Lamb of God” [John 1:29; John 1:36; 1 Peter 1:19 NLT].

Back in Jesus day the religious leaders definitely felt superior to all non-jews; however, God didn’t provide salvation for Jews alone, but for their supposed “inferior” neighbors, the Gentiles. This didn’t sit well with the Jewish religious leaders. They rebelled, but their rebellion wasn’t toward Jesus & His teachings alone. Jesus ministry challenged the 1000’s of restrictive extra oral traditions that they added to the Mosaic Law. Jesus was causing questions to be raised that threatened the hold the leaders had on their people.

When grace is understood it far surpasses anything the Law provides as far as redemption is concerned. The forgiveness Christ provides in the Age of Grace removes one’s sin once for all time, not a yearly sacrifice to cover one’s sins.  No, no one is worthy of redemption by themselves, but if they are willing to surrender themselves to a God whose love surpasses anything known to man then redemption is freely available and attainable. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

I Have a Question

What is the “unforgivable sin”?

According to the Bible, the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This refers to a persistent, willful rejection of the Holy Spirit's testimony about Jesus Christ, ultimately hardening one’s heart against repentance. It is not a single, mistaken word, but a sustained defiance. 

 

Matthew 12:31-32 ^{[Amplified Bible]} “Therefore I say to you, every evil sin & abusive blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

 

Mark 3:28-30 ^{[Amplified Bible]}  “I assure you & most solemnly say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, & all the abusive and blasphemous things they say; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit & His power [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin [a sin which is unforgivable in this present age as well as in the age to come]”— [Jesus said this] because the scribes and Pharisees were [attributing His miracles to Satan by] saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

 

In this day & age the unforgivable sin involves consistently rejecting the Spirit’s conviction of sin & refusing to repent. Why is it unforgivable? It’s not that God refuses to forgive, but that the person constantly rejects the only mechanism (the Spirit) that draws them to repentance & faith, making forgiveness impossible.

            What the unforgivable sin IS NOT is a fleeting thought, a single sinful act, or a moment of doubt, but a state of hardened, unforgiven rebellion. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.thenivbible.com

I Have a Question

What is a Theocracy?

 

In a nutshell, a Theocracy is a government set up and run by religious leaders. America is NOT a Theocracy, but rather a place where any individual has the opportunity to establish a Theocracy WITHIN themselves. That is Christianity. A life that is orchestrated and led by Almighty God. That doesn’t make us robots due to the “free will” that is allowed us. We seek to establish this relationship based on who God is and who we are WITHOUT Him. Without God’s influence in our life we are like a rudderless ship, prone to being tossed about by every wind of change that comes our way. But WITH God we not only HAVE a rudder, but a moral compass that tells us the right and wrong of things. 

It may sound like tyranny, but in fact it is simply an otherworldly approach to life. The spiritual side of things. We believe in a lot of things throughout our lives and as long as we feel we are in control we are alright with what transpires; however, without a loving Heavenly Father to guide and direct us we shall be forever prone to making wrong decisions based on what we think we know. Sadly, it is what we DO NOT know that can trigger success in a manner of speaking. Instead of looking for reasons NOT to seek out God, we should learn to submit to the higher power of the Lord to achieve eternal life thru Christ, by His blood. 

Is it so wrong to exhibit love over hate, or peace and hope over chaos? Does it make us weak? By the worlds standards, yes, but the world has an all-consuming distaste for religion in general. The world is ‘into’ self-empowerment and being a good person. But what is “good”? We have limited resources to draw from, while the Lord has infinite resources. 

It is curious to me that man does as he pleases then blames God, whom he may not even believe in, for letting things go off the rails. “How could God do this to me?” But what did God do other than allow you to exercise your free will. The outcome isn’t God’s fault. There are reasons for everything that transpires in this life. Instead of blaming God, look for the lesson in the results. God is looking to teach us how to live in peace and harmony. Don’t seek the easy path, seek the path God has set aside for you. He loves you and wishes for you to succeed. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

 

I Have a Question

Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ true?

 

Scripture presents conclusive evidence that Jesus Christ was in fact resurrected from the dead. Christ’s resurrection is recorded in Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; and John 20:1–21:25. The resurrected Christ also appeared in the Book of Acts (Acts 1:1-11). From these passages you can gain several “proofs” of Christ’s resurrection. First is the dramatic change in the disciples. They went from a group of men frightened and in hiding to strong, courageous witnesses sharing the gospel throughout the world. What else could explain this dramatic change other than the risen Christ appearing to them?

Second is the life of the apostle Paul. What changed him from being a persecutor of the church into an apostle for the church? It was when the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6). A third convincing proof is the empty tomb. If Christ were not raised, then where is His body? The disciples and others saw the tomb where He was buried. When they returned, His body was not there. Angels declared that He had been raised from the dead as He had promised (Matthew 28:5-7). Fourth, additional evidence of His resurrection is the many people He appeared to (Matthew 28:5, 9, 16-17; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:13-35; John 20:19, 24, 26-29, 21:1-14; Acts 1:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:5-7).

Another proof of the resurrection of Jesus is the great amount of weight the apostles gave to Jesus’ resurrection. A key passage on Christ’s resurrection is 1 Corinthians 15. In this chapter, the apostle Paul explains why it is crucial to understand and believe in Christ’s resurrection. The resurrection is important for the following reasons: 1) If Christ was not raised from the dead, believers will not be either (1 Corinthians 15:12-15). 2) If Christ was not raised from the dead, His sacrifice for sin was not sufficient (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). Jesus’ resurrection proved that His death was accepted by God as the atonement for our sins. If He had simply died and stayed dead, that would indicate His sacrifice was not sufficient. As a result, believers would not be forgiven for their sins, and they would remain dead after they die (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). There would be no such thing as eternal life (John 3:16). “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20 NAS).

Finally, Scripture is clear that all those who believe in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life just as He was (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). First Corinthians 15 goes on to describe how Christ’s resurrection proves His victory over sin and provides us the power to live victoriously over sin (1 Corinthians 15:24-34). It describes the glorious nature of the resurrection body we will receive (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). It proclaims that, as a result of Christ’s resurrection, all who believe in Him have ultimate victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

What a glorious truth the resurrection of Christ is! “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). According to the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is most definitely true. The Bible records Christ’s resurrection, records that over 500 people witnessed the resurrected Christ, and proceeds to build crucial Christian doctrine on the historical fact of Jesus’ resurrection.

                  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

I Have a Question

Do I have to involve God in my decisions?

 

As a follower of Christ, when you make a life changing decision, who do you consult? Do you do research? Do you speak to God about your situation; tap into His database, so to speak, to get a read on what He KNOWS is best for you? Seeking the Lord for guidance regarding lives challenges should be the way it goes for believers, but based on my own failures, I’d say not everyone involves God in their decision-making. So to answer the question directly, NO, you do not HAVE to involve God in ANYTHING. It’s your choice (free will).

                  Let’s review God’s attributes for a moment, okay? The one that I think is most pertinent to our above question is His being omniscient. In other words, Almighty God KNOWS ALL THAT CAN BE KNOWN. If that is the case, and I believe it is, then why wouldn’t a person want to tap into God’s foreknowledge regarding what would be to your greatest benefit. Let’s say you plan to go to college, or take a new job, or date someone. These are potentially life altering decisions. As a believer in Christ you can and should seek council from your parents, your Pastor, another Christian adult family member... and why would you do that? Proverbs 12:15 ^{Amplified Bible}, ^“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

            There are many verses in scripture that speak to receiving wise council. Unless it is unavoidable, I would avoid snap decisions. Unless it’s a life threatening situation, I highly doubt a snap decision would be warranted, unless it is the serendipitous variety, like a spontaneous day trip, or going to the movies at the last moment. Buying a new car or a home is a decision that, I would think, would require prayer and advice. Trust me, if they want to sell their commodity, they will still talk to you tomorrow or next week. Don’t be bullied or cajoled into making a decision you don’t feel comfortable making at that particular time.  Isn’t it amazing how adept some folks are at spending YOUR money. 

            God is in the business of helping you make good, sound decisions. He has a stellar track record and has never let anyone down yet. Because He is perfect in every way He never will. Until next time, walk with the King & be kind to others.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

What Does it Mean?

Justification

 

The catch phrase “Just as if I’d never sinned”, while revealing a level of truth, does NOT tell the entire story. It actually sells what Christ did for us on the cross way too short.

Justification is the instantaneous and irreversible divine declaration of the unrighteous as positionally righteous, based upon the merit of Christ’s obedience, applied by grace and received through faith (Rom. 3.24-28; 4.1-5; 5.1-2). God declares the unjust to be just based upon Christ’s work on their behalf.

Justification by faith alone is the declarative act by God (the sole judge) that we are forever covered by the everlasting righteousness of Christ! His record is now your record. His merit is yours. God treats you as righteous because he treated Christ as unrighteous for our sake (2 Cor. 5:21).

Our justification has absolutely NOTHING to do with us or whatever we may have done to gain favor with God. We are completely absolved of all sin based on the actions of another. That will NEVER change. We cannot become justified on our own, just like we cannot forgive ourselves of our accumulative sins. We are to graciously and gratefully accept God’s gift of justification by virtue of Christ’s actions. What a blessing! We need God, as well as Jesus, to survive this life and be with them for all eternity. Our words and actions outside of our acceptance of God and Christ’s work, are quite inconsequential. Only what we say and do on Christ’s behalf will ever matter. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.thegospelcoalition.org