Category: Kingdom Concepts

Defining Missions – Where is the Mission Field?

Published on by Chris Craig3 Comments

What is mission work? It seems almost too elementary to ask such a question. But when we really look at it, the answer is not what we would expect to find. I think we would all agree that we want our definition of “mission work” to be a biblical one. So let’s consider the common understanding of this subject in light of its biblical origin and see if it stands the test.

We usually define missions as doing Christian work in a foreign country. This is the common understanding of the word in most Christian circles. According to this definition anyone who buys an international plane ticket and travels to a foreign land to do some sort of Christian outreach is involved in mission work. If we take an outreach team from Dallas to Indonesia, or a team to Mexico from San Diego, that also fits under the category of “missions.” We could also say that if someone from Canada moves to Africa, India or the United States of America to do Gospel work, they are involved in missionary outreach. This common definition is basically correct and all the examples we just mentioned deserve to be called mission work. But according to biblical standards it is too limited.
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Understanding and Overcoming the Flesh – Part 2

Published on by Chris Craig3 Comments

For part 1 of this 2 part series click here.

Some Definitions and the New Man

The Bible uses the term “flesh” in different ways. The term “flesh” can be defined in the following way when referring to the wayward and sinful inclinations of Man:

Flesh (sinful): The deformed desires of the body and mind that have been perverted by living separated from God and His righteousness

At other times the term “flesh” just means:

Flesh (natural): The earthly nature of humanity

In John 1:14 we are told the Word became flesh. We know that Jesus took on humanity and lived and died as a man. But we also know that he walked in fellowship with God from his mother’s womb. In the famous Messianic Psalm that prophesies the crucifixion of Christ, we read, “Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breast” (Psalm 22:9). Since he lived in continual fellowship with God the Father, his human desires never became unbridled or perverted. The desires of his body and mind were always kept in perfect submission to the will of the Father; he walked righteously and remained righteous.
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Understanding and Overcoming the Flesh – Part 1

Published on by Chris Craig8 Comments

In the next two posts we want to clarify what the Bible means when it refers to the Flesh. We will start by looking at the definition the Bible itself provides for us in the book of Ephesians.

In Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 and 2, we are told that all unbelievers are dead in sin, and follow the course of this World and the “Prince” of that system, namely Satan. People who are spiritually dead (i.e. alienated from God) are being led by Satan via the World system. Verse 3 goes on to say that these people live in the passions of their Flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind. Flesh, in its negative sense, is defined in this verse.

Flesh: The desires of the body and the mind

So are the body and its desires evil? Are the various desires of the mind evil? Jesus had a human body and a mind with all the natural desires that accompany them, so was he sinful? These and many other questions must be addressed, and we will seek to address them. But before we describe the Flesh in technical terms let’s first look at the picture painted for us in the book of Exodus.

An Ingrained Culture

After being led through the Red Sea, the Hebrews were a free people. They were no longer subject to the slavery of Pharaoh. They were brought out into the wilderness to become a new people that would be reorganized under the Law of Moses. This was a fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham that he would be made into a great nation (Gen. 12:2). The taskmasters were back in Egypt collecting the straw that the Hebrews would never collect again; and Pharaoh’s top henchmen lay dead at the bottom of the Red Sea. The Hebrews were a free people!
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Understanding and Overcoming the World – Part 2

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For part one of this topic click here.

Conformed or Transformed

Romans 12:2 instructs “Do not be conformed to the World.” Jesus makes clear to us that we are in the world but not of the World (John 17:11-18). That is, we are living in the midst of this wicked World system, but we are not to be conformed into its image. We are not to accept its values as our own, but are to resist the pressure of the godless society around us. Instead of submitting to this World’s mold, we are supposed to be transformed into the image of Christ by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 8:29 & 12:2).
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Understanding and Overcoming the World – Part 1

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When we look at the book of Exodus we see the Hebrews enslaved in Egypt. They are the bondservants of Pharaoh, just as unbelievers are slaves to Satan. In order to understand what role the World plays in temptation and bondage we must again consider the situation of the ancient Hebrew people. Just as Pharaoh ruled Egypt, so Satan rules the World.

Pharaoh was not omnipresent; he wasn’t all over Egypt at the same time. He was limited to being in one place at a time just like any man. Even his henchmen couldn’t see all and be in every Hebrew home. But from his throne he created a system of slavery that continually reinforced his lordship throughout the land.
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Ground Rules of Biblical Interpretation – Part 2

Published on by Chris Craig3 Comments

(This is the second post in a 2 part series,click here to read part 1.)

Scripture Interprets Scripture (in context)

The second principle we want to look at is that “scripture interprets scripture.” This principle is just what it sounds like. When we face a passage or verse that is hard to understand, we can look elsewhere in God’s word to gain clarity. Since the entire Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit, its teachings do not contradict one another but complement one another. Something in the Gospels might be clarified by a passage from the letters of Paul, and vice versa. Whenever Calvinism is discussed this principle is often abused. Not just by Calvinists but also by those on the other side of the issue.

That scripture interprets scripture is a very basic rule of how to find out what the Bible is trying to say. Some passages have a clearer context than others. The more complete the context, the more confident we can be that our understanding of a particular verse or passage is correct. But it is often abused by those seeking to defend Calvinism from scripture. We must make it very clear that scripture interprets scripture, but scripture does not overrule scripture. Often the verses that speak of God’s sovereign rights are used to explain away the genuine responsibility (i.e. “ability to respond”) and choices of men.
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Demonic Temptation & Satan’s Kingdom

Published on by Chris Craig3 Comments

The uncontested ruler of Egypt was Pharaoh. He was not only considered the almighty king, but was even considered a god. He didn’t just rule Egypt, he owned it. Everyone and everything in Egypt belonged to Pharaoh and was under his control. Of course Pharaoh couldn’t rule Egypt by himself. He had to have loyal subjects that became his hands and feet throughout the kingdom. These co-laborers of his could bring his attention to any “rebels” they found and could keep things in “proper” order.
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Ground Rules of Biblical Interpretation – Part 1

Published on by Chris Craig10 Comments

How is it that so many godly men and women can be so convinced that Calvinism is the clear teaching of scripture? Though I believe to fully answer that question it would take an entire book, in this post I will only give the answer that seems the most obvious to me; namely, several passages of the New Testament seem to teach its primary doctrines. Men and women with a sincere desire to submit their hearts and lives to the plain teaching of scripture have read these “Calvinist verses,” sincerely and prayerfully wrestled over them, and ultimately submitted to that interpretation which seemed obvious to them. I am convinced that if there were no such passages in the Bible there would be no Calvinists in the world today. One of the greatest compliments I can give my Calvinist brethren is that their error does not primarily come from a desire to promote a cherished philosophical belief, but from a sincere devotion to the word of God and an equally sincere misunderstanding of it.
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The Divine Proposal: Grace the Bridegroom, Faith the Bride

Published on by Chris Craig6 Comments

Calvinism’s Challenge:

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this (faith) is not your own doing, it (faith) is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast.”

It is true that God commands everyone to believe in the Gospel. And as John 3:16 says, “Whosoever believes will be saved.” But that doesn’t mean just anyone can believe in Jesus. If someone believes they will be saved, but God will only give the ability to believe to those he has predestined for eternal life. Faith is the “gift of God,” just like every part of a person’s salvation.

Man plays no role in his own salvation. God decides who will be saved, and then he causes them to be born again. This new life inside of them leads them to repentance and faith. Salvation is completely from God, from the beginning until the end. Man has no choice in the matter.

If men did have the ability to accept or reject God’s offer of salvation then they could stop God’s will from taking place. If God wanted someone to be saved, they could just say “No,” and then a puny man could defeat the will of the almighty God. This is blasphemous! And if men could decide to believe in Jesus, then salvation would not be by grace, but by the work of men. God would not be the source of salvation, but the almighty will of man would be the source of eternal salvation! They could boast that their salvation was by their own choice. They could claim that they helped God save them. But this is not the case! The Bible clearly declares that salvation is the work of God, not men. Every part of a person’s salvation is from God, including his faith.
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Describing the Last Days

Published on by Chris Craig8 Comments

In my last post, “Defining the Last Days,” I tried to lead us into a biblical definition of the last days. I noted that according to the New Testament the last days began with the coming of Christ and will end sometime after his second coming when he destroys death at the Great White Throne Judgment. Often people have the impression that the last days is one generation long, but the Bible is clear that the last days is an era, not a generation. Simply put, the term “last days” refers to the Messianic age.

In this post we want to get a general picture of what is to be expected in the last days. Usually people want to look for “signs” that we are living in the end times, but the Bible is more interested in telling us what to expect than trying to prove to us that we are living in that age. We don’t need signs to know it is the last days, the Bible has already told us that is (Heb.1:2, 9:26,1 Cor.10:11). But we do need to be prepared for the things we will face.
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