Intentional godliness is the product of a spirit-filled walk

by Mike Ratliff

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them, 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of that light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them. Ephesians 5:6-11 (LSB) 

Intentional godliness is the product of a spirit-filled walk. No Christian becomes godly by simply wanting it. Neither do they become godly through self-righteousness. Instead, the walk that is truly godly is one that is not self-focused at all. It is one that is totally wrapped up and empowered by a consistent, deliberate attempt to discover or discern what is pleasing to the Lord, then doing it. If we analyze this, and we should, we will see that the intentional walk in the light of God is one that separates the Christian from both non-Christians and professing Christians who bear no eternal fruit.

This separate walk does not include promises from God that all will be easy. There is no fine print that states that the obedient Christian will be excluded from becoming ill or losing their job or finding themselves having to part with the world’s goods or even having a spouse walk out on them. No, we find examples in Sacred Scripture of God taking His saints through very heavy trials even though they were exemplary in their walk in the God’s light. Think of Joseph and Job. It is during these times that we discover who the real Christians are as well as those who either have a long way to go in their sanctification or are not genuine at all. The more mature believers are the ones who will come along side the suffering saint to help bear the burden while the others say insipid things like, “You must have committed some horrible sin and God has struck you down for it.”

The Passion of Patience

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS From his devotional My Utmost for His Highest for May 2nd.

 Patience is not indifference. Patience is an immensely strong rock, withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it gives moral inspiration. Moses was able to be patient, not because he had a sense of duty but because he had the vision of God: “He persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). If God gives you a time of temptation in the wilderness, when there is no word from him at all, be patient. The power to endure is yours because you see God.

A person who has had a vision of God is devoted to God himself, not to any particular cause or issue. You always know if the vision you’re having is of God because of the inspiration it brings. When you see God, everything around you is energized. Everything is larger, more vibrant, more.

“Though it linger, wait for it.” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. We have the tendency to look for satisfaction in our experience. We think that because we’ve experienced salvation and sanctification, we have the power to endure anything. The instant we begin to think this way, we are on the road to ruin. If we have nothing more than our experiences, we have nothing. If we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience.

Never let yourself relax spiritually. Press on toward your goal.12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12 (KJV)

As I said in yesterday’s post, I had eye surgery on my left eye on Tuesday this week. I have worn glasses since the age of 13. I am 72 years old now. The lens the surgeon put in my left eye is amazing. When I look through my left eye alone it is as sharp as if I was looking through my old glasses, but with no fog or blur, which was the problem I was having with my left eye. My surgeon says that my right eye needs a new lens as well. However, the recovery process is very frustrating. I can’t drive now because I wear this eye patch over my left eye and so I can’t see to the left at all. When they do my right eye I will have to depend on my new left eye all the time while the right eye heals. I am sure driving will be still off the table. Writing like this is also quite frustrating. I am so grateful that I took typing in High School back in 1967 so I never have to look at the keyboard to see where the keys are. 🙂 So what has this to do with What Oswald Chambers was talking about?  Look at what he said about being satisfied spiritually as we look for satisfaction in our experience and think that because we have experienced salvation and ratification, we have the power to endure anything. God is showing me that He has taken me beyond this, but I have been negligent in seeking to fulfill the vision He gave me back in 2003-2004 when He drew me back to Himself to walk in repentance to walk by faith and to teach others that this is what He wants all of His sheep to do. So, I am being frustrated by my eye situation to get my attention so I can get back on track. Please pray for me in this.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Walking in the Light

by Mike Ratliff

1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we would be called children of God; and we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:1-3 (LSB) 

God’s truth is knowable. Also, His truth is as His attributes and character. He is immutable. His truth is never changing. He is Holy. His truth is Holy, separate from the corruption of the world. His truth, the Word of God, is precise. It supernaturally divides man’s “truth” and understanding from God’s genuine truth. It is sharper than a two edged sword, however, religion is the bane of genuine Christianity. It dilutes our devotion from where it should be, on God and God alone, while placing it on works and religious activities that suck all the devotion away from God while placing it on things that build up pride and feed the flesh. While genuine expositions of God’s Word by spiritually gifted men is necessary, many Church activities are so far from what Christians should be about that their removal would not in any way hinder the genuine work Christians should be doing.

Pride, proud, arrogant, puffed up

by Mike Ratliff

18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling. (Proverbs 16:18 NASB)

At the root of hypocrisy is, of course, pride. Pride is the antithesis of humility, which is exemplified for us by Paul’s attitude to the Ephesian church in the following passage.

8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. (Ephesians 3:8-13 NASB)

On the other hand, pride is absolutely never portrayed in the Bible in a positive way. Never is pride tolerated. Never is it praised as it is today. However, in the visible church in our time don’t we hear sermons and read teachings about “positive pride” and the building up of self or the searching inside to find that real “you” that God is deeply in love with and only wants you to find it so He can show you what a fantastic you you really are? Well, I have a Greek word for that, σκύβαλον. In any case, let’s look at the Greek words in the New Testament translated as “pride,” “proud,” and “puffed up.” 

The light of the world

by Mike Ratliff

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (LSB) 

While Joel and Victoria Osteen believe that our Lord’s command to let your light shine before others is to prosper and show everyone how God is blessing you, this is not what He was talking about in the passage above at all. We are not to be conformed to this world, we are to be  unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ while not being yoked to professing Christians who are not genuine, and we are to lay up our treasure in heaven not here on earth. Living like this makes one stand out because it is a way of life that is conformed to God and His ways, which are not the ways of the world. It will get the attention of the unregenerate.

Precious and Magnificent Promises

by Mike Ratliff

1 Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received the same kind of faith as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:1-4 (LSB)

When I was relatively young in my faith I discovered 2 Peter Chapter 1. I was going through a period learning about what it meant to be a disciple of my Lord Jesus Christ. I desperately wanted to avoid being simply a religious Christian. When I studied this passage It looked like some very great promises to believers if they would apply what Peter was talking about. I went to one of our Pastors with my Bible open to this passage and asked him to explain it. His answer was not very helpful. He told me that as I matured in my faith that the Lord would see to it that I would be able to do these things. In a sense, I believe he was right, but back then, being a computer geek and software developer and network engineer, I wanted a more direct nuts and bolts answer. Of course, several years later I did indeed find the right path to this, which required me to become immersed in prayer and Bible study that resulted in  a great deal of confession and repentance on my part that enabled me to see what it meant to abide in Christ (John 15) and to become a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) who was being transformed through the renewal of my mind on a daily basis (Romans 12:2). It was from that personal revival that I began writing and commenting on websites and blogs such as Slice of Laodiicia. From that I began my own blogging, which led to being invited to join the discernment team at Christian Research Network. Now, with that up front, let’s look at 2 Peter 1:1-17.

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

by Mike Ratliff

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no authority to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one to come. 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:10-16 (LSB)

I have written much about “Christian Authenticity” and the fallacy of empty religiosity. I have done so because God delivered me from a very dreadful Christian walk several years ago in which I was just going through the motions of my religion, but there was no obedience or walk of repentance going on. I was depressed most of the time suffering from a form of PTSD from being in the blast zone when the Federal Center  in OKC was bombed. I was maintaining my walk through my own will power and was fast running out of gas when I was called by God to take a stand at our old church against a move by our pastor to allow it to be taken over by the Purpose Driven Paradigm. It was through that not so fun experience that my wife and I found ourselves churchless.  At that time we were living in Johnson County Kansas. I was working in Lenexa, Kansas for a very large Hospital management group as their Database Administrator. We were far from home though since we were both from Oklahoma and most of our family and friends were still there. Over the next two or three years we looked for a new church, but it was very difficult. The Purpose Driven disease had taken over a large portion of the churches there. We attended a Sovereign Grace church for.a few years until the pastor left to become a chaplain at Texas A&M Medical school and hospitals. His replacement was selected by Sovereign Grace Ministries. He was very young and even though I liked him, we had issues. First, he knew about this blog and wanted to control it. Second, he demanded that my wife and I join a small group. We had tried two or three of them, but they were not anything like the small groups we have at our church we are part of now. No, we couldn’t do it. When he told me he wanted to control what I posted on this blog I smiled and told him that only God could control that. We left and never went back. From that Sunday until we moved back to Oklahoma in December 2012 we attended Mission Road  Bible Church which was pastored by Rick Holland. The biggest problem for us there was that it was almost a  50 mile trip to and from our house to that church.

However, what I didn’t share above is what God was doing in and through me during that period. I became totally engrossed in the Word of God. I just could not get enough of studying it along with doctrine. I read books by R.C Sproul, Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther, John Owen, Dr. James White, and William Tyndale along with his biography. From this I became  convinced that most Christians have no idea that we are called by God to be living sacrifices who walk daily in repentance, abiding in Christ as a way of life. I began to write about this and post about it. The more I studied this and posted about it the more I ran up against antinomians and liberals who at that time were calling themselves “Emergents.” They totally hated what I was sharing and when I poked holes in their posts using nothing but the Word of God, things turned ugly. It was at that time that Ken Silva invited me to become part of Christian Research Network, which was just getting started. However, I was not after that exposure. I was after being obedient to my Lord. That is what I wrote about and still attempt to do.

1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (LSB) 

Compare this passage to the one I placed at the top of this post. Here it is again.

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no authority to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one to come. 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:10-16 (LSB)

In Romans 12:1-2 we are told to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may approve what the will of God is. However, what are we told to do in Hebrews 13:10-16? We are told offer up the sacrifice of praise to God and to not neglect doing good and sharing. Are these talking about the same thing? I believe so, I believe I am renewed in my mind through Bible Study and prayer along with fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ as we support each other in prayer and encouragement. If you look at these two passages along those lines they are talking about the same things. Isn’t it a joyful thing to do something for someone who can in no way pay you back? You do it out of love for the Lord. I love doing those things. It is even more joyful if no one knows about it. It is only known between me and God and possibly the one I helped. Romans 12:2 seems to be speaking of prayer and the Study of the Word or even participating in a Bible Study as a group. This is where I live. I love it. In Hebrews 13:14-15 what are we doing? We are walking in a way that is in preparation for the appearing of our Lord at His return and we praise the Lord continually throughout our day regardless of our circumstances. Jesus is coming back soon. Are you ready?

Soli Deo Gloria!

Fallacious obedience and discernment

by Mike Ratliff

13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. John 13:13-17 (LSB) 

The heart of Man is deceitful beyond our understanding. I find it incredible that God would desire to save any of us. Even after regeneration there is an element in each of our hearts that falls for the wicked appeal of our enemy to believe those things that have an affinity to our pride and flesh. One of the things that I must do in order to write these posts is to do research into the ministries of certain people who are suspected of some form of apostasy or heresy. I find it amazing how I can listen to one of these fellows preach or teach and find something within my heart having an affinity to what is being said. Of course this shows us the level of deception within these things. It is very interesting to then analyze what is being taught and compare it to Scripture. It is then that part of me which liked what it heard runs for cover because I am seeking to kill it.

I know how to abound

C. H. Spurgeon from his Morning by Morning devotional for February 10.

12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:12-13 (KJV)
THERE are many who know “how to be abased” who have not learned “how to abound.” When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the fining-pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God! Yet this is not a matter of necessity, for the apostle tells us that he knew how to abound. When he had much he knew how to use it. Abundant grace enabled him to bear abundant prosperity. When he had a full sail he was loaded with much ballast, and so floated safely. It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand, yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, “In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry.” It is a divine lesson to know how to be full, for the Israelites were full once, but while the flesh was yet in their mouth, the wrath of God came upon them. Many have asked for mercies that they might satisfy their own hearts’ lust. Fulness of bread has often made fulness of blood, and that has brought on wantonness of spirit. When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry—so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you “how to be full.”

” Let not the gifts Thy love bestows
Estrange our hearts from Thee.”

Being Spirit-filled and submission

by Mike Ratliff

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and being subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Ephesians 5:18-21 (LSB) 

The proper worship of our Lord is done by Spirit-filled Christians and no others. Perhaps the number one attribute that is evidence of being truly Spirit-filled is the submission of our will to the will of God, proper submission, as He has defined it. Our God is all about order, not chaos. There are many who insist that God is all about setting His people free from bondage and we have no business throwing a bunch of “law” at them. We have to be careful here. Yes God has set His people free, but from what? Isn’t it from the bondage of sin? Wouldn’t the attitude stated above lead those who hold it into being “antinomians?” Even more confusing, many who do hold that attitude would agree with us that we are saved by Grace through faith alone apart from works, but where we depart ways is when it comes to all that obedience stuff. I suppose these same people would have a huge problem with the subject of this post for they would see it as an attempt to put people into “religious bondage.” Well, let the Word of God speak…

The relationship between being poor in spirit and attaining personal holiness

by Mike Ratliff

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 (LSB) 

One the most disturbing aspects of the churches who practice Christianity “lite” is the nearly total abandonment of a call for personal holiness. Even more discouraging is the fact that they preach a version of the gospel that has had any mention of repentance severed from it. The reasoning behind this, of course, is that they are building bridges to the unchurched. If they preach the whole gospel they will drive them away not draw them to join their churches. The problem with that sort of reasoning is that it is all pragmatism. It is based on fleshly reasoning and the ways of the world. It is actually unbelief in the form of ministry. The architects of Christianity “lite” do not believe that God is still building His Church, therefore, they will do it themselves using marketing techniques constructed around “relevancy.” They reason that if they build cool churches that it will draw people who hate traditional “church.” They may not go to the old Baptist Church on Main Street, but they might go to a gathering that is more of an entertainment venue than a church.

Have Peace In the Midst of Tribulation and Take Heart

by Mike Ratliff

25 “These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you openly of the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”
29 His disciples *said, “Behold, now You are speaking openly and are not using a figure of speech. 30 Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:25-33 (LSB) 

I love talking with dedicated believers who are relatively new in their faith as we discuss the pressures that they are dealing with in this life that, in many cases, their plastic, “seeker-sensitive” or “emergent” form of religiosity has in no way prepared them for. Yes we are all in process and no, none of us have become so mature that we never struggle with the fires of tribulation that the world can bring to bear upon us at times. I had a recent discussion with a young man who is a growing disciple yet I have noticed that the fervent heat of his faith has really gone into the background lately. I watched him for a few days before we talked and noticed how he was still very much engrained into the entertainment and ways of the world that are so prevalent with those of his age group (college student). We had some private time and I said nothing about any of that. What I did say to him was that for the believer, seeking fulfillment from any fleshly source is deadly to our walk and designed by our enemy to distract us from humble service. I also said that I could not name one thing the world had to offer that gave me more fulfillment than spending time rightly dividing the Word of Truth and teaching others what the Holy Spirit taught me. I could see the working of the Holy Spirit in him as we talked. I pray that the next time we see each other we can talk some more about it.

The Doctrine of Original Sin and the Wrath of God

by Mike Ratliff

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we are writing, so that our joy may be made complete.
5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:1-5 (LSB) 

Those who have a problem with the Doctrine of Original Sin and the Wrath of God against all sin attempt to paint the God of Reformation Theology as some sort of ogre full of anger with very little love manifest except in the case of a chosen few. In their examples of how God operates in saving people, sin is never the issue. They portray God as loving everyone to the maximum even if their sin amounted to open rebellion against Him on their part. In their theology He just looks the other way and attempts to save everyone, but the point of contention is that the God in their example is unable to save anyone. The salvation of people is only made a possibility with those actually being saved being those who hear the Gospel and respond by exercising their sovereign Free Will. On the other hand, the God of the Bible is not anything like this. He is Sovereign. He saves those whom He has elected or chosen unto eternal life. No one limits Him in any way. Man’s will is in no way a barrier to God fulfilling His Will. From these two vastly different understandings of theology comes two very different understandings of sin.  Let’s look at a biblical view of sin and I invite you to compare your own understanding of it to what we unpack here. If your’s is different, I suggest to you that the Bible is not in error. 

Biblical Holiness

by Mike Ratliff

21 Therefore what benefit were you then having from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit, leading to sanctification, and the end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:21-23 (LSB) 

Holiness is one of those subjects that everyone seems to know everything it pertains to, but no one knows how to define. What is it? If you look up “Holiness” in a dictionary, it will tell you that it means to be “Holy.” That is not a lot of help is it? What does the word “Holy” mean? One dictionary definition is, “exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.” Of course, that could only be speaking of God.