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What Kind of Person Are You?
By M. John Allen
Last week not only did I have
problems with my local ISP, I didnt’find out until
later that our ISP that hosts our webpage was also up and down, so that is
why last week’s message didn’t get posted until after the Sabbath. I pray
that doesnt’happen again for a while. It was a very
important message none the less, so I hope you read it anyway.
Today’s message is just as
important, if not more so, because it will show you some very important
things about your ETERNAL LIFE, whereas last week’s message dealt with your
life in the here and now.
As can be proven, and as Mr.
Armstrong demonstrates in The Incredible Human Potential, what we call
human nature is really a twisting of natural human tendencies by Satan the devil,
so that much of what we call human nature today is actually just another
aspect of SATAN’S NATURE, which has been transplanted into the human mind.
Mr. Armstrong wrote a booklet in
the early ‘80’s called A World Held Captive. As an aside, if someone has
this booklet in text format, please send it to me as I think it would be an
important addition to our Library section here.
If we can’t locate an electronic
or print copy of this important booklet, then I will have no choice but to
write another similar booklet myself. As another aside, by the way, I have
pretty much decided to reissue the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence
Course in print form, so that our people will have this great tool at
their disposal once again. I’m not sure whether it will be reissued as a
course again, or just a series of individual booklets, but this course is a
treasure trove of God’s Truth. I am testing my software to see if it’s up to
the task of converting this into a format that can be printed. If not, I will
purchase another software package that will. God willing, I am going to be
getting price quotes from printers this coming week so I know approximately
how much each booklet or lesson will cost to produce. I will be making an
announcement as soon as we are ready to go to press.
I think I will write a new
co-worker letter about this, so I won’t say anymore here. Just watch for that
letter to appear ont he webpage, perhaps even later
today if I get the chance.
Now, back to our main message.
Human so called nature divides
itself into different categories, and Christ
describes these categories in the Bible for us. We also realize
that we live at the end of this evil world of Satan’s, and that it is thus
the worst time to have ever been alive in history. Thus, the ordinary and
traditional problems of human so called nature, which is actually in many
cases a form of Satan’s nature, are even worse today.
But what kind
of world -- what kind f background, from God’s viewpoint -- do
perspective members of God’s church come from today? As has been said many times
in the past, we don’t know how to get where we are going unless we know where
we are. So, let’s notice first JUST WHAT KIND F A WORLD GOD CALLS US OUT OF
TODAY!
Let’s all turn now to II Tim. 3,
and start reading with verse 1 to see what kind of times
we live in today:
“But know this, that in the last
days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers
of money, boaster, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal,
despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power [yes,
many will even come in and sit in GOD’S OWN CHURCH, and be nothing but dead
bumps on a log. they will LOOK FINE TO MEN ON THE
OUTSIDE, but they will lack the faith and power of GOD to do what He is
calling them to do! and they will criticize those
few who ARE willing to step out on faith and do what God wants. So all of the
people described above are not just “bad people” who never darken the door of
a church -- no, as we shall see today, MANY ARE EVEN IN GOD’S OWN CHURCH
TODAY!]. And from such people turn away!” [II Tim. 3:1-5]
The above passage has a lot of meat,
and it is in fact a whole sermon in itself when you really
analyze it and pick it apart. But that is only part of our purpose today. I
suggest you read the above passage over a few times,
and even pray about it. Think about the implications of what each class of
person is and does, and you will get a good picture
of our present evil world today. This is where we all start from. This is
square 1, if you will, on the game board of life. It’s the starting line on
our journey into God’s Kingdom, and we must understand where we are in
relation to this and understand the truth of it before we begin our walk with
God. I hope most of you did this at the time of your baptism, and if some of
you are considering baptism, I think you need to read this and other passages
so that you can get a true picture of yourself the way you are. It isnt’pretty, but we can’t truly repent of our sins unless
we see them!
Now, let us make our first
division of people. We must do this in order to discover the kind of person
we are, so that we can see what area we need to concentrate on first in
overcoming.
The first big division is
between God’s people and the people of the world. I’m not going to turn
there, but I think all of us remember that Christ
said that we are to all become as little children, for of such is the Kingdom
of heaven. IN other words, those whom God calls must be humble and teachable,
easy to be entreated. We must enter the Kingdom as a little child, always
ready to learn the things of God, and ready to follow Him wherever He leads.
Those who are not in this
attitude are proud and arrogant, and argumentative. They have a reason or an
excuse for everything and in every circumstance. This is one way, brethren,
that you can tell who is being led by God and not. Notice what Paul says of
this type of person: “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing
nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which
come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings
of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that
godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. [Even those who
have come into the church can fall prey to these vile contentions. The truth
of God is plain and simple. It simply agrees that the Bible means what it
says, plainly. Perverse men, both inside and outside the church, will try to
twist the Bible to try and make it say what it does not say. I have heard
this in God’s own church as it was being seduced by wicked men like this, who
considered God and God’s people to be sheep ripe for the shearing. this is another way to divide the people of God from those
who are not, even within His own church. Let’s now read a little further what
Paul says abut the true Christian
attitude.]
“But godliness with contentment
is great gain. [Yes, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is peace. This is a
great gain, when one realizes that people in the world or with the world’s
attitude are totally consumed today with worry doubt, and fear. Peace of mind
is a rich blessing of God all by itself!] For we brought nothing into this
world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. But having food and
clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich
fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts
which drown men in destruction and perdition [God is not saying we should not
improve our lot in life. It’s a matter of focus, as we shall see later on in
a parable of Christ. I will also point out something in our next scripture
that sheds more light on this. But we must seek FIRST the kingdom
of God and then all of these things will be added to us. I will
quote this in its entirety in a moment.] For the love of money is a root [not
THE root, as so many falsely believe, but it is a cause that can lead to all
evil] of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in
their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you,
O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, gentleness.” I Tim. 6:3-11]
Here again there is so much in
this passage that it could contain a whole sermon in itself, but if God is
working with your mind, you will get the point. So many people today are
preoccupied witht heir own lives, and sadly to say
most people’s lives today are consumed with greed and lust for material
things. It is leading our society into all sins, and we are going down the
drain fast. Honor and honesty and all of the old values which come fro the
Bible are being lost today in a headlong rush towards hedonistic materialism.
It’s a fixation and a sin we all have to repent of. And some also have
intellectual vanity and love nothing more than vain disputes after nothing.
Unfortunately, those who are inclined in a scholarly way fall into this trap.
Here again, the man or woman of God is to be different.
Notice what Christ
said our priorities should be: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about
your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor
about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the
body more than clothing?
“Look at the birds of the air,
for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father
feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
“Which of you by worrying can
add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider
the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I
say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of
these.
“Now if God so clothes the grass
f the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He
not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [Here Christ
touches on another human problem, lack of faith or lack of believe that God
will do what He says He will do.] Therefore do not worry saying, ‘What shall
we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear?’ For after all
these things the gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need
all these things.
“But seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” [Mtt. 6:25-34] these are strong, hard, and strange words
for a world that is caught up in material pursuits! This doesn’t mean that God
wants us to be poor, though, but it means that we must FIRST HAVE OUR
PRIORITIES STRAIGHT! After all, one of the verses above says that we are to
seek FIRST the Kingdom of God, and then ALL of these other things we have worried
about so will be given to us, but of course ONLY after God knows for sure we
can handle it and keep our eyes on Him!
At this point, please read all
of Hebrews 11 so that you can understand just what kind f faith Christ
was talking about.
But WHY is our calling so great,
glorious, and unique? WHY are we different than the people in the world
around us? Notice: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to
the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in
heaven, to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to
Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that
speaks better things than that of Abel.
“See that you do not refuse Him who
speaks. for if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much
more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
whose voice then shook the earth.... Therefore, since we are receiving a
kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”
[Heb. 12:22-26a, 28-29]
Yes, our calling into God’s
family and kingdom is a VERY BIG DEAL, and so it pales everything else in our
mundane physical lives into insignificance in comparison. We are a people on
a mission, and we must UNDERSTAND and REMEMBER that mission always, so that
we may keep our minds focused on what is REALLY IMPORTANT! As Christ
said, we must seek His Kingdom FIRST, and then all of the mundane things of
this world will be added to us.
Scripture after scripture talks
about our glorious future and human potential. But the downside to this,
brethren, is that human nature can take over, and can make us LOOSE OUT on
this great calling if we are not careful! If we treat this great calling
lightly, then God may have terrible things in store for us. And human nature
can cause us to fail if we are not careful. Warnings of this are given
throughout the Bible.
The biggest enemy we face is
just downright laziness. It is so human just to sit back and think we have it
made. We take it easy and maybe take a nap. It seems so easy to do, but it is
very dangerous business when we are playing for eternal stakes!
I want you to read the entirety
of Matt. 25. I am not going to discuss it all, but it is all important
instruction on what we are to do with our calling. Then come back.
I want to draw your attention
first of all to the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise, and were
diligent, and got a reserve of oil. In the good times,
they studied and gained more of God’s Spirit, which is symbolized by the oil.
The foolish didnt’act this way, and let down. they thought they had enough. Perhaps they were a little
like some Protestants who think that once you are saved you are always saved.
So they enjoyed what they had, but didnt’add to it.
They didnt’have enough for the long haul, so when
the moment of truth came, they were caught up short. they thought they would
have more time, but they didn’t’, and while they went away to prepare, the
door was shut closed and Christ said the chilling words “I never knew you.” what a
terrible fate, to lose out right at the very end because of neglect.
The next parable reinforces this
point. Those who were given the larger amounts of talents were diligent, and
made God’s investment grow. God’s investment in us is His Holy Spirit, which
is the earnest, or promise of our salvation. Some make it grow through
prayer, study, and fasting, drawing closer to God daily in a daily walk with
Him. These are the good servants who are doing their jobs. But there is one
who is lazy and fearful. He guards what he has been given, but Christ
shows us that is not good enough. If we don’t grow,
even what He has given us as a free gift, eternal life, can be taken from us!
the rest of this chapter shows some of the things we
should be doing in our daily lives to grow in the way that He wants us to.
Read now all of Mtt. 13, and we will examine some of these parables in
depth.
These parables reinforce what we
have already learned, but let’s highlight especially the parable of the sower, because that shows more clearly the different
problems of human nature.
One type of person hears God’s
Word, and cannot understand it. He is too preoccupied with the cares of this
life to listen or even care. Satan immediately comes and takes the seed of
God’s Word out of his heart. he doesn’t care. This
is the broad majority of mankind today. This is the seed that gets scattered
on the wayside, or the road. It goes absolutely nowhere. In fact, brethren,
it takes a special miracle from God for His Word to man anything to us, but
that is beyond the scope of today’s message.
The next type of person is like
the seed that fell on stony ground. He hears God’s words with joy, but he has
no root in himself, so it quickly withers and dies. Now this is the important
point. Christ explains what He means here, we don’t have to guess.
This type of person CARES TOO MUCH WHAT HIS FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS
THINK. He doesn’t have any root in himself, because he wants to please men,
and will do anything to please other men -- even compromise his own deeply
held beliefs.
This type of individual is one
who only PAYS LIP SERVICE to following God and His ways. As soon as
opposition arises, he folds and gives up. There is no strength of character
in this type of person. He is like a modern day politician who will say
whatever the polls tell him to say. He will say anything or do anything. He
is not a man or woman of principle. His position is like the wind. It changes
to suit the popular ideas the moment. It’s sad to say that in our modern
degenerate society, this type of person is all too common.
The seed that fell on thorns is
a little stronger, but he allows worldly pleasures and concerns to distract
him, and that chokes out God’s Word. This is what Paul was warning about when
he warned abut the love of money.
The good ground represents those
who do what God expects them to do. They enter God’s family and Kingdom.
Note that in the next parable, Christ
indicates that the weeds will be allowed to grow with the crop, and they will
be separated at the end. This is a solemn warning that not everyone in God’s
church is a true son or daughter of God! We must always beware!
What we have covered so far
pretty much shows what God expects of us. But unfortunately, doctrines of men
have added some confusion. But the bible in several places makes it clear one
last thing that God expects.
Some men
have said for centuries that God’s Law is done away. We have literature in
our Library section that proves conclusively that this is not so. But it is
still hard for some to understand that we are saved by grace through faith as
a free gift, yet we are still expected to conduct our lives according to
God’s law as much as possible. I suggest you look into this in depth in our library
section if you have any questions on this, but I will quote one passage here.
“If we say that we have
fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness [the ways of this world], we lie
and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin. [Notice that to be cleansed we have to be
walking in His way of life, which is an ACTIVE thing
requiring us to DO something.] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us [yes, we still fall victim to sin even
after conversion]. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [so it is not our good
works that justify us]. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a
liar, and His word is not in us.
“My little children, these
things I write to you, that you may not sin [we must MAKE THE EFFORT NOT TO
SIN, EVEN THOUGH WE CANNOT DO IT PERFECTLY]. And if anyone sins, we have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins,
and not for ours only, but for the whole world. [It is quite clear hear that Christ’s
sacrifice covers our sins. But does this mean that we can go right ahead and
keep on sinning, expecting Christ to forgive us the instant we sin? No! Notice:] Now by
this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says ‘I
know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not
in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in
him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought
himself also to walk just as He walked [and Christ
kept the Law perfectly; we can’t, because we are human, so He forgives us
when we stumble and covers the sin witht he blood
of Christ.]. [I Jn. 1:5- 2:6]
For those being led by God, this
should be enough instruction for one day. Let’s examine ourselves and see if
we measure up. When we discover that we don’t, let’s ask His forgiveness and
redouble our efforts to live life God’s way. It’s the only way to life. We
can only be one kind of person and make it into God’s Kingdom. We must be
God’s kind of person, and not one of the world’s kinds of persons.
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