4 Great tires 4 life

Galatians 1:1-5 "Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen."

Introduction:

Anytime you get fresh tires on your car, the performance and the ability of the vehicle to stay on the road dramatically improves. The road of life needs 4 great tires if we are to navigate the perilous pot holes and obstacles we encounter as believers in Jesus Christ. Paul's letter to the Galatians is all about presenting in the clearest way possible the implications of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Facing a crisis that entailed a near wholesale compromise of the Gospel by the Galatians, Paul sets forth his most aggressive letter in urging the Galatian Christians to stay true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Today's post is aimed at setting out in short order the 4 great tires of life. As we take a quick drive through the Book of Galatians, our main point of application will be: You and I need 4 great tires to stay on the road of life into eternity to the right destination. What are the tires of which I speak? Let's discover. First of all....

God is in control. Galatians 1:1-5

As we saw in the opening text of today's post, Paul was acknowledging that God through Jesus Christ had called Him to be an apostle. In Galatians 1:4 he states that all of this was made possible by "the will of God". Do you believe God is in control? Such a belief affirms what we call "God's Sovereignty". God's Sovereignty refers to His comprehensive control over all people, places and times. God uses other secondary methods in accomplishing His will such as the choices of human beings, events and history. Whenever you and I are facing uncertainty or dealing with incredible difficulties like what Paul was facing here in Galatians, affirming the Sovereignty of God can be a great comfort. Passages such as Romans 11:36 reminds us: "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever and ever, amen." So the first great tire for keeping life on the road for God is understanding that God is Sovereign or in control. Let's consider the second great tire for life, namely....

Jesus. Galatians 2:20; 3:13-14; 6:14

As Paul was urging his readers to stay focused on the Lord, he repeatedly affirmed the Person and work of Jesus Christ. In Galatians 2:20 he writes: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, wholoved me and gave Himself up for me." Without Jesus Christ, life as we know it could not exist. There would be no hope. No salvation. Nothing. Galatians 3:13-14 gives us one of the clearest summaries of what Jesus achieved: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." When Paul closed out his letter, he ended with the focus clearly on Jesus Christ in Galatians 6:14 "But may it never be that I would boast,except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." So far we have two incredible tires for keeping life on the road of life into the right destination to eternity: God is in control and Jesus Christ. Now let's consider the third Great tire for life...

The Bible. Galatians 3:8, 22-23

Paul writes in Galatians 3:8 "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” Think about this: where we would be without the Bible? God is the talking God who reveals His Power and Presence in creation, His Person in Jesus Christ and His Personal will in the scriptures. Without the Bible, we have no light for the path (Psalm 119:105); no understanding of how to follow the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6) and no ability to know God's will for our lives. Without the scriptures, no one could experience salvation. (Romans 10:17). Scripture is so necessary for living a life for the glory of God. We read these words in Galatians 3:22-23 "But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed." 

So far we have seen that we need four great tires to stay on the road of life into eternity: God is in control, Jesus and the Bible. Now lets consider one more of the these "four great tires"...

The Gospel. Galatians 1:9; 2:16-19; 3:6

My question to you dear reader is this: have you by grace through faith received Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord? Paul's central concern about the Gospel touches upon how a person is reconciled to God. Galatians 1:9 states:  "As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" If we don't get the Gospel right, we won't get anything right. The Gospel is clearly presented in the Bible, about Jesus Christ and made possible by the Sovereignty of God. We must not merely assert these truths as intellectual facts, but as articles of faith embraced by faith in our hearts. The Gospel not only reminds us of Jesus' achievement - but Jesus' achievement for you and me. Consider Galatians 2:16 "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified." The central truth of the Gospel is that by means saving faith, Jesus Christ's righteousness is credited to the sinner by God. Galatians 3:6 states: "Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." This truth, called "justification by faith", is in the words of the Great Reformer Martin Luther: "The one article upon which the church stands or falls". If we get the gospel wrong, we get it all wrong, and thus we will be headed down the wrong road.

Closing thoughts:

Today's post was all about presenting four great tires for life. Our main point of application was: You and I need 4 great tires to stay on the road of life into the right eternal destination. The four great tires for life we considered were:

1. God is in control

2. Jesus

3. The Bible

4. The Gospel.

Ways to defend the Christian faith - Evidentialism and Fideism (faith only apologetics)

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Note: The reader is invited to listen to a podcast on this subject, where various methods of defending the Christian faith are presented at: http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/podcast-ways-to-defend-the-christian-faith/

Defining the term "apologetics"
Today's post will conclude our series on ways or methods of defending the Christian faith. In the opening text of today's post we see the mandate given by the Apostle Peter to defend the Christian's hope.  In fact the word translated "defense" is the Greek word "apologia" (a-po-lo-gee-a), from whence we derive the name of the branch of Christian theology called "apologetics".  When a Christian engages in apologetics, they are not saying they are "sorry" for being a Christian, rather they are given reasons to skeptical onlookers as to why they are so full of hope in an otherwise hopeless world.  Dr. R.C Sproul in a sermon entitled "apologetics" gives this definition of apologetics: "A well reasoned defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith." Any well rounded Christian should not only know "what they believe" but also "why they believe". 

Various methods for doing apologetics
With the mandate to defend the faith being clear from scripture and the meaning of apologetics being briefly defined, the next important area has to do with how to go about doing apologetics.  With the upsurge of skepticism and attacks on the Christian faith occuring at a steady pace for the past two and one half centuries, Christian apologists have become more concerned with how one does about articulating and defending Christianity. It is hoped that the read will at least consider each one and look for ways to defend and communicate God's truth in a lost a dying world. We close out this series of posts by consider to other methods of apologetics: evidentialism and fideism (that is - faith only apologetics).

Evidential Apologetics
In the evidentialist approach, evidence from the world of the sciences, history and observation functions to provide the necessary ammunition for the Christian apologist. Doug Powell notes: Evidentialism's value as a substantial tool to defend the faith rose in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as archaeology in particular developed as a science and turned its attention to the Mediterranean world and the Middle East. The findings of ancient manuscripts contributed immensely to our ability to know the original text of the Bible."1
Hindson and Caner give this insight about the evidentialist approach: "the method is the same: arguing the preponderance of the data."2

In the evidentialists mind, if enough evidence is brought forth to the unbeliever, the unbeliever will be backed into a corner, admitting that their evidence cannot compare to the evidence for the God of the Bible. In using events such as the World-wide flood of Genesis 6-9, evidentialists will appeal to virtually every branch of science to support the historical reality of the flood. In showing the flood to had been a real event, it logically follows then that the Bible is realiable enough to be trusted in other areas and ultimately salvation. A fine example of an evidentialist apologetic ministry is: https://answersingenesis.org/

Fideism or arguing that the best defense of the Christian faith is the Christian faith itself
Doug Powell observes the following about this fourth major approach: "In sharp contrast to these three methods, fideism rejects reason, evidence, and transcendental arguments as sufficient ways to justify the Christian faith [fide is Latin for faith, hence fideism]. Faith and faith alone is the only proper way to understand the truth of Christianity."3  For the fideist (fee-day-ist), the task of the apologist is to proclaim the truth of the Gospel in the special revelation of the Bible, since the warped human nature rejects the testimony of God in the general revelation of creation and the conscience. As Hindson and Caner note about this approach: "A fideist, therefore, is one who holds the view that one comes to belief in God on the basis of faith alone, in the absence of or contrary to reason.4 Unlike the other three viewpoints that we have looked at in this series (classical, presuppositional, evidential), the value of evidence and rational arguments is placed in doubt under the method of fideism. Here is a great link describing this method of apologetics: https://bible.org/seriespage/17-fideist-apologetics-faith-alone

Conclusion
Over the past few days we have explored the meaning of apologetics and four main methods for defending the Christian faith: classical, presuppositionalism, evidentialism and fideism. May you and I dear reader know that not only must the Christian hope be defended, but that there are some marvelous ways in which we can go about presenting Christ to a lost a dying world.  

Endnotes:

1. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 359.

2. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 65.

3. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 363.

4. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 224.

Ways to defend the Christian faith - Presuppositional Apologetics

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Note: The reader is invited to listen to a podcast on this subject, where various methods of defending the Christian faith are presented at: http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/podcast-ways-to-defend-the-christian-faith/

Defining the term "apologetics"
In the opening text of today's post we see the mandate given by the Apostle Peter to defend the Christian's hope.  In fact the word translated "defense" is the Greek word "apologia" (a-po-lo-gee-a), from whence we derive the name of the branch of Christian theology called "apologetics".  When a Christian engages in apologetics, they are not saying they are "sorry" for being a Christian, rather they are given reasons to skeptical onlookers as to why they are so full of hope in an otherwise hopeless world.  Dr. R.C Sproul in a sermon entitled "apologetics" gives this definition of apologetics: "A well reasoned defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith." Any well rounded Christian should not only know "what they believe" but also "why they believe". 

Various methods for doing apologetics
With the mandate to defend the faith being clear from scripture and the meaning of apologetics being briefly defined, the next important area has to do with how to go about doing apologetics.  With the upsurge of skepticism and attacks on the Christian faith occuring at a steady pace for the past two and one half centuries, Christian apologists have become more concerned with how one does about articulating and defending Christianity. It is hoped that the reader will at least consider each one and look for ways to defend and communicate God's truth in a lost a dying world. Today we will consider the method for defending the Christian faith: Presuppositional Apologetics.

Presuppositionalist apologetics
Classical apologetics states the the proper starting point for defending the Christian faith is reason to scripture. However other apologists believe that the proper starting point for defending the Christian faith is by pre-supposing God Himself.  Presuppositional apologists advocate that in order to prove anything, one must presuppose the existence of the Biblical God.  Christian scholar Norman Geisler notes: Presuppositional apologetics is the apologetical system that defends Christianity from the departure point of certain basic presuppositions. The apologist presupposes the truth of Christianity and then reasons from that point.1 By presupposing God's existence, the presuppositional apologist aims to prove why Christianity alone is most reasonable and possess the greatest justification for believing.  Douglas Powell notes the following about presuppositionalism: "Thus, presuppositionalists are more concerned with what makes evidence evidential and what makes reason reasonable. Because the God of the Bible is the Creator of all things, we know that He is not just the source of all physical things, but all laws whether they be scientific laws, moral laws or logical laws.2

How this apologetic approach can be effective when dealing with AtheismThe presuppositionalist contends that since all human beings have knowledge about God in their hearts, the purpose of apologetics then is to expose the fallacies of their worldview and get them to admit what they have been supressing. A typical presuppositionalist approach would be that without God, we could not use reason in our discussions, since reason itself requires the existence of God to operate. 

The existence of objective moral values and the underlying laws of such fields as math and even science require the existence of God. Presuppositionalism can be very effective when dealing with such worldviews as Atheism, since Atheism places a high premium on reason and scientific discovery as the pathway to knowing anything. This apologetic method would press the atheist as to why is reason reasonable and why the scientific method is reliable. One of the techniques employed by the presuppositional apologist would be to show that the Atheist cannot, on the basis of their own worldview, explain why they choose to use reason and science. In short, the fact that we can prove anything presupposes God's existence, a point which the Atheist himself knows deep down inside but insists on suppressing according to Romans 1:18-31. A fine example of a presuppositional apologist is Dr. Greg Bahnsen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HLOFnumxYc&list=PLCVQetM4SqsMyJKznG6afp2PVxV83_b-Q

More tomorrow....

Endnotes:
1. Norman Geisler, General Editor. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker. 1999. Page 606

2. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 360.

Ways to defend the Christian faith - Classical Apologetics

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Note: The reader is invited to listen to a podcast on this subject, where various methods of defending the Christian faith are presented at: http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/podcast-ways-to-defend-the-christian-faith/

Defining the term "apologetics"
In the opening text of today's post we see the mandate given by the Apostle Peter to defend the Christian's hope.  In fact the word translated "defense" is the Greek word "apologia" (a-po-lo-gee-a), from whence we derive the name of the branch of Christian theology called "apologetics".  When a Christian engages in apologetics, they are not saying they are "sorry" for being a Christian, rather they are given reasons to skeptical onlookers as to why they are so full of hope in an otherwise hopeless world.  Dr. R.C Sproul in a sermon entitled "apologetics" gives this definition of apologetics: "A well reasoned defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith." Any well rounded Christian should not only know "what they believe" but also "why they believe". 

Various methods for doing apologetics
With the mandate to defend the faith being clear from scripture and the meaning of apologetics being briefly defined, the next important area has to do with how to go about doing apologetics.  With the upsurge of skepticism and attacks on the Christian faith occuring at a steady pace for the past two and one half centuries, Christian apologists have become more concerned with how one does about articulating and defending Christianity. It is hoped that the reader will at least consider each one and look for ways to defend and communicate God's truth in a lost a dying world. Today we will consider the first method for defending the Christian faith: Classical Apologetics.

Classical Apologetics
Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner of Liberty University of the following description of classical apologetics:"the unbeliever is offered evidence of the existence of God, and the supposition is that the unbeliever can reasonably ascertain that this hypothesis is rational and cohesive". 1  Hindson and Caner then explain further the second area general covered by classical apologetics, namely: "The classical apologist further argues for the reliability of the special revelation (The Bible) as a reliable and authoritative word from God."2  Author Doug Powell has this to say about the classical method: "The emphasis of classical apologetics is on reason. Christianity's logical soundness and internal coherence is exploited in this method. As a result, tests are developed and proofs are given that demonstrate the truthfulness of Christianity and the irrationality of competing worldviews."  Powell later adds: "The classical method is so called because it traces its roots back to the second century and the earliest apologists."3

When defending the Christian faith through the method of classical apologetics, at least two and sometimes three steps are followed in the course of the presentation. 

1. First, reasonable arguments are given to show the reasonability of the Christian faith. Such arguments as showing God's existence from observations in the universe and science (i.e the cosmological argument); the existence of objective moral values (i.e the moral argument); how God is necessary for anything to exist (i.e the ontological argument) and then the evidence for design in the universe (also called the telelogical argument). 

2. The next phase will usually entail demonstrating the reliability of the Bible from the transmission of its words through the thousands of existing manuscripts to the archaeological evidence supporting the accounts we read in the Bible.

3. Usually the final phase will then be showing how the God of the Bible exists due to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Some classical apologists will combine this step and the defense of the scriptures, whereas others may only focus on either one. 

A fine example of a classical Christian apologist is Dr. William Lane Craig and his website: www.reasonablefaith.org

More tomorrow....

Endnotes:
1. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 64.

2. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 65.

3. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 356. 

Seasons of the Christian Life

Luke 10:38-40 "Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 

Introduction:
Why do most places on planet earth experience seasons? Seasons occur as a result of the tilt of the axis of the Earth in her orbit around the Sun. As we make our journey around the Sun at a speed of 16,000-17,000 m.p.h, our Earth's axis and its North and South Poles are tilted 23 1/2 degrees toward or away from the sun, resulting in our familar seasons. As the Christian makes it their aim to set their life in orbit about Jesus Christ, there are seasons that take place. In reading through the accounts of Mary and Martha in the Gospels, we discover a sequence of three such seasons of the Christian life outlined for us. At times Mary is the focal point of the narratives and at other times Martha receives the attention of the inspired text. In John's Gospel, both sisters eventually receive equal focus, showing us that in the eyes of inspired Holy writ, both sisters exhibited commendable faith in our Lord through their contrasting expressions of faith. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven." Today's post briefly details three seasons of the Christian life as witnessed in Luke 10:38-42; John 11:21-40; 12:1-6.

Point of Application:  The seasons of the Christian life are designed by Jesus to draw us closer to Him.

Waiting Season. Luke 10:38-42
Luke 10:40-42 records Jesus saying to a bustling Martha regarding her waiting sister Mary - "But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” 

What is the value of waiting on God? Why this season? From this account and other passages, we can note the following observations on the season of waiting. First, waiting teaches us how to focus on God. Luke records how distracted Martha was, however Mary was sitting calmly at Jesus' feet. When we are brought into a season of waiting on God, our options seem to be limited. We may take that to mean God had placed us on the shelf. However all He is doing is getting us to focus more on Him. A second observation to be made about waiting is that we get the chance to grow stronger in God. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the "good part". Isaiah 40:31 reminds us: 
"Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." So let us recall that: The seasons of the Christian life are designed by Jesus to draw us closer to Him. We have looked at the waiting season, now lets see a second, namely...

Trusting Season. John 11:21-40
In both John 11:26 and 11:40 we see Jesus challenging Martha to trust or believe in Him with regards to His identification as the Resurrection and the Life and His power to affect the raising of her brother from the dead. God will at times engineer circumstances to make the possibility of trusting Him seemingly more difficult. Why is that? Because true faith cannot grow unless it is tested. Proverbs 3:5-6 states: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." So let us recall again that: The seasons of the Christian life are designed by Jesus to draw us closer to Him. We have seen the season of waiting, then trusting, and now let us consider the third, namely....

Ministering Season. John 12:1-6
In this final episode featuring both Martha and Mary, we find both of them serving Jesus in their own unique ways. John 12:2-3 records - "So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." Martha served the table in the realm of the practical and Mary served in the realm of prayerful. Both types of ministry are needed. Mystics and practical realists are necessary for any ministry and the Christian life to function. The food Martha had prepared would be necessary to physically strengthen our Lord for what would be His final week prior to the cross and empty tomb. Mary's preparations would leave with the Master the scent of worship that would waft its way through the temple grounds and to the cross. Ministry is the means by which we aim to get ourselves and others more focused upon the Master. 

Final Observations:
Today our main point of application was: The seasons of the Christian life are designed by Jesus to draw us closer to Him. When we consider these seasons, we must not think of them as occuring in order or in a very specific sequence. If anything, much like the seasons of the year, oftentimes we can experience a warm day in the winter, a cloudy day in the Spring, a wet season in the summer and a shortened fall blending into a long winter. Some areas of our globe seem to experience all the seasons at once or perhaps two or three and a shortened version of another. Clearly Jesus was challenging and commending these sisters in various aspects of their discipleship journey with Him. By the time you arrive in the final scene depicting them in John 12, though both are different and though both have experienced differing blends and orderings of the above mentioned seasons, the result is achieved - a closer walk with Jesus Christ.  

The story of the two telephones

James 3:13 "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom."

True Christians demonstrate their profession of faith by fruits of obedience
As you look at the opening verse of today's blog, you may wonder what point is James trying to make when he asks his question?  The short answer is that he is saying: "who among you is a Christian" or "who among you is saved"? With that question, James then exhorts his readers who are Christians to act like Christians. 1  What will follow in James 3:14-4:7 are encouragements and warnings to believers who are operating in one of two ways: those who are spiritual or operating out of their human spirit with the Holy Spirit dwelling therein and those who are carnal or compromising in their Christian walk.2  

Two telephones - an illustration
Years ago I heard an illustration of how the Christian's soul in communication with their spirit and the body is comparable to having two telephones.  With a little bit of upgrading to that illustration I want to help you to see the significance of what James is writing to us here in James 3:13-4:7.  

Your life before Christ - an empty room and one rusty old telephone called "the wisdom from below"
Picture for a moment your soul (mind, emotions, will and conscience) as being a room in which you live.  You are a soul, a living soul, with a spirit clothed in a body.  Your human spirit, prior to salvation, is an empty room upstairs with no lights and no windows.  All you know is the room of your soul that is enhoused in your physical body.  Now in the room of your soul there is a rusty old telephone that is connected to what James describes in James 3:15 as the "wisdom from below".  Whenever that phone rings, you pick up the receiver and have conversations with those that claim to be your friends.  On the other end are voices that comprise this "wisdom from below", influencing your soul before salvation to be influenced by the world, your natural bodily drives and the demonic realm that is working through this world system. (James 3:15) Furthermore, unknown to you, you are continually on the line, and are quite happy with your telephone.  It is in you to keep the rusty old phone.   

How you go from having one telephone as an unbeliever to having two telephones as a Christian
A neighbor of yours invites you to church one Sunday, and so you relunctantly go.  While sitting in the church service, a man gets up front and preaches the Gospel.  In your soul the rusty telephone suddenly rings - distracting you from focusing on the preacher.  The voice on the other end tells you to ignore the man and bide your time until the lunch hour. Suddenly on the inside of your soul you see a second, shiny red telephone appear, and on the receiver you find these words as described by James 3:17 "the wisdom from above".  At first you ignore it, you leave the church service and move on with your life.  About mid-way through the week the shiny red telephone in your soul begins to ring.  Again you ignore it, since you are on the rusty old telephone with your friends from the place called "wisdom from below".  However it begins to ring more and more.  Getting agitated, you say: "excuse me, I need to put you on hold, for I have another line trying to ring." 

The Shiny red telephone of the Gospel rings with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit who is moving into your human spirit
As you do so and proceed to pick up the shiny red telephone, the voice on the other line says: "hello, this is the Holy Spirit." As He begins to speak to your heart, your find your spirit coming alive.  As He continues, you find that what the Spirit of God says to you about your lost condition and Jesus Christ the Savior is pure, brings you peace, washes over you in gentleness, makes sense, is full of mercy and makes you want to live a live for Jesus without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)  The Holy Spirit persuades you to hang up the other phone and cut the cord, and to never pick up the old rusty phone of your old life ever again. As the Holy Spirit moves into the upstairs room of your human spirit, you surrender by faith to Jesus Christ.

The two telephones represent the daily battle you have between the wisdom from above versus the wisdom from below
Now even though the Holy Spirit has moved into the room upstairs (your human spirit), and even though your are on the line with Him, comparing spiritual thoughts with spiritual words in your Bible and prayer (1 Corinthians 2:12-13), at about noon everyday that old rusty telephone begins to ring.  According to James 4:1-4, as a Christian, you still have your dying body and the remnant of sin to contend with, tempting you to lust after what you do not have - meaning that there is a part of you (the self-life) that is tempted to re-connect with that old phone.  At first you declare war and cut the cord, saying to yourself: "I know that the power of sin was taken away when I got saved, but yet at about this time I find my self having to die to this old self-life." (compare Romans 7:14ff)  At anyrate you continue talking to the Spirit, enjoying sweet fellowship with Him, reading your Bible, praying and going to church. 

How the spiritual Christian can become carnally minded - talking on the wrong telephone
Then it happens -  a bad day.  The boss yells at you, the car breaks down and you get a bill that was more than you estimated.  Its about noon and you're hungry, frustrated and you are finding yourself not clearly hearing the Holy Spirit speaking from your human spirit on that shiny red telephone.  Suddenly that old rusty telephone rings and in desperation, you tell the Holy Spirit: "please hold!"  Now He is warning you with a loud voice to cut the cord of that rusty telephone, for as James notes in James 4:5, the Lord with His Spirit is Jealous or desirous for our undivided attention. 

As soon as you pick up that rusty telephone, an old song, a sweet voice of an old friend speaks words that you have not heard in a long time.  The red shiny telephone's light is blinking, but you ignore it.  As a Christian, you can only talk on one telephone at a time.  Soon you are spending more time with your old friends from your former way of life than you are with the Holy Spirit.  You stop reading your Bible and your prayer life goes to the wayside.  For a while all seems well - and yet you get the feeling that all is not right between you and God.  You're growing cold and mean.  Church is losing its draw, the Bible has become to you a wordless book and your prayer life is boring.  What happened? You became carnally minded. 

How God wins you back and rescues you from your carnal, backslidden state - reconnecting with the right telephone
Thankfully the Holy Spirit has not given up.  His silence has been deafening, however He and the Father and the Son have engineered some difficult circumstances to come your way to steer you back to repentance.  God the Father has ordained to permit the difficulties, since you are his child, and He only disciplines those whom He loves. (Hebrews 12:6) In tears you humble yourself and pray a prayer of repentance, knowing full well the promise of James 4:6 "But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 

One night the old rusty telephone rings.  This time you snatch it up. Having repented and submitted yourself unto God, you say to that voice on the other line that you resist the devil and that he must flee in Jesus name.  And as you slam down the receiver, you cut the cord and resume your conversation with the Holy Spirit, in your human spirit, on the shiny red telephone.

End Notes:_________________

1. No doubt James, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was echoing such passages as Psalm 107:43 "Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, And consider the lovingkindnesses of the LORD." Jesus too equated the term "wise", as so used by James, with the idea of somebody who was truly converted by grace through faith. We read in Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock."

2. To truly grasp what James is speaking about in James 3:14-4;6, we can read his words in light of Paul's words about these two types of Christians in 1 Corinthians 2 and 3.  Out of the three men described in that text, two are Christians. Both are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and both are forgiven of their sins by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However the one who is spiritual in 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, 16 is ordering his soulish realm (mind, emotions, will) and body under the subjection of his spirit that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The other type of Christian in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 is called by Paul "fleshly" or "carnal", meaning that at some point he has grieved the Spirit and is ordering his spirit around the drives of his physical body as bound by his sinful self-life operating in his soul.The carnal Christian still has the new nature and like a bag of potatoes that contains one rotten one, the carnal believer has compromised in an area and that area, lest removed by repentance, will begin to affect other areas.