There Is No Faith Pill

When you go to the doctor, what do you want his response to be?

• You must change your diet? No.
• You must eat less and exercise more? No.
• You must slow down and rest? No.

Our society often expects immediate relief, a quick solution. All too often, we expect a pill to heal. And yet, most often the quick remedy is no remedy at all but an aid so the body can heal itself.

This kind of quick-fix thinking has bled over into Christianity. For many churches salvation is by faith alone, but a faith that is little more than mental assent to the deity of Jesus. Just ask Jesus into your heart, embrace him as your Savior, say a prayer and you’re saved.

That characterization will sound critical to some. And yet, Jesus did not call upon people for mental acceptance; He asked for more.

Yes, the gospel proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God. That, you must accept and believe!

Yes, the gospel proclaims that Jesus is the Savior of the world. That, you must accept and believe!

And yet, the gospel proclaims that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. He is King!

It is a startling realization for some that the cross of Christ was not the end, but the beginning. “It is finished” were the words of Jesus as He completed God’s will as a willing sacrifice for the sins of mankind. However, before ascending to heaven Jesus continued to teach His disciples. And what did He teach??

To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 

— Acts 1:3

Jesus kept telling His disciples about the kingdom of God. His death on the cross was indeed for cleansing, but it was also to inaugurate a new covenant. The coming of the new covenant marked the coming of the kingdom of God on the earth.

At the end of Mark’s gospel Jesus…“was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (16:19) Peter, in the first declaration of the gospel after the death of Jesus, declared Him to be both Lord and Christ. All these describe One who was enthroned as King!

There is no faith pill that magically makes you a disciple. The King of Kings demands allegiance!

Faith in Jesus demands a radical change of allegiance from all the things of this life to Jesus. Loyalties no longer lie with possessions, family, career, or country. Allegiance to Christ demands loyalty to the King, and only to the King. Allegiance demands loyalty in good times and bad, when life is easy and when life is difficult.

Allegiance to Jesus is first a call to bow in awe and submission, and then to rise up to action. Action may be the discipline of prayer; action may be that of restraining one’s desires; action may be the display of a godly frame of mind in demanding circumstances; action may come with enjoyable service; and action may come with costly and difficult sacrifice.

The cross marked the beginning of a new covenant. Your embrace of salvation at the cross of Christ marks your new beginning in the kingdom. You die to self promising allegiance to Jesus and it will not be easy. His death and your death mark new beginnings. You have died to yourself. Rise to allegiance to Christ where the promise is life everlasting.


Mark Stinnett

September 29, 2024

Three Post-Election Absolutes

How are you handling the election results???

I am writing this before the 2020 presidential election. There is quite a lot of uncertainty in our nation. People are on edge. One voter, who first voted in the early 1960’s, commented that he has never seen an election in which the nation was so sharply divided. 

By the time you read this it is likely that the results will be in and a decision settled. Do you think God has been pleased with your attitude? Do you think God will continue to be pleased with your attitude? 

Regardless of the outcome of the election, we who are Christians have an obligation to our sovereign God. Let me be clear: I am not thinking about Peter’s statement, “We must obey God rather than men.” That is true and something we must abide by if our government or governing officials turn against God's people. I am thinking more about our attitudes, our speech and our and behavior when political decisions don’t turn out like we want...and even when they do. 

Let me share three absolutes from God’s word that may help you keep things in perspective. 

1. We are citizens of the kingdom of God: 

The Apostle Paul reminded Christians of their forgiveness in Christ Jesus. He then said that God… 

Rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. 

 —Colossians 1:13 

2. The rule of Christ takes first place: 

Paul goes on to tell about Jesus saying that He is “the image of the invisible God,” and that “by Him all things were created” including things in heaven and on earth; including visible and invisible thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities. Then Paul wrote… 

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

—Colossians 1:17-18 

3. Government exists by God’s authority: 

God set government in place for the benefit of mankind. We should not think that God was naïve in doing so. He knew that there would be good rulers and evil rulers. He knew that there would be benevolent governments and oppressive governments. He also knew that a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” would ultimately become evil if a majority of the people turned away from Him and His word. Yet, we still read… 

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 

—Romans 13:1-2 

Sometimes we are sucked into the myth of the separation of church and state. When you read what our nation’s forefathers intended, that was a good thing. But we must understand that it is not found in the Bible. I make that point to punctuate the fact that, as Christians, we are first citizens of the kingdom of God. 

There are Christians who are Americans; Christians who are Chinese; Christians who are Russian; Christians who are Nigerian. You may have your opinion as to which form of government is the best and who would make the best ruler. Just remember that you are first a citizen of an absolute monarchy!

Mark Stinnett

November 8, 2020

The Kingdom of God Is...

How should we go about resolving doctrinal differences (ugh!)???
(Wait! Don't shy away from biblical doctrine; it is nothing more that biblical 'teaching.')

In the last two hundred years, I think Christianity has failed miserably. Just look at the number of denominations and splinter groups within those denominations. Yet, many religious folks are talking about unity these days. Unfortunately, many wish to achieve unity by simply ignoring doctrinal differences or by throwing doctrine out the window altogether. The Apostle Paul offered the answer, but not everyone can hear it!

When Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome he spoke of the kingdom, but not by saying, “the kingdom of God is like” (as in many of Jesus' parables). Rather, he wrote, “the kingdom of God is.” He was saying something about the nature of the kingdom of God.

The Christians in Rome were divided. There were doctrinal issues concerning the eating of meat and also the observance of special days. As Paul dealt with the divisive attitudes of the Christians he reminded them:

The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,
but righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 14:17

That statement followed his clear assertion that there was no restriction in the eating of meat! However, instead of demanding that everyone adopt his apostolic explanation of liberty, he warned those who already understood their liberty (of eating all meat) not to harm their fellow Christian who, for conscience sake, could not enjoy the same liberty. Then came his explanation: “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking.”

Bear in mind that some Christians in Rome believed it to be a sin to eat certain meat. So they abstained in order to avoid sinning. It truly was a doctrinal issue, not a mere subjective opinion as many writers and teachers suggest.

Have you ever known of a church issue in which one group believed  that a certain practice was sinful, yet another group believed they had the liberty to engage in that same practice? In an open discussion of scripture each group considered the scriptures with a good conscience. Yet both, using the scriptures, came to conflicting conclusions. Their conclusions were based on their reasonings.*
Stalemate! What next?

What issues of our day are similar in nature to those in the church in Rome?
Has God actually left some doctrinal questions without clear answers in scripture?
Yes and No.

There ARE, in fact, some questions/issues for which there is no direct instruction or guiding example. Yet, an all encompassing answer IS given for all churches for all time:
The kingdom of God is...righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

I think God wants to see whether people are more interested in brotherly love or personal liberty. Are you seeking “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” or are you zealous for your liberty!? Do peace and joy accompany your definition of righteousness? What is the kingdom of God really about?

Those who pursue ‘righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ will show self-restraint regarding their perceived Christian liberties. They will consider their fellow Christians first.

In contrast to those who show restraint are those who insist on pursuing their Christian liberties. In reality they are merely set on indulging in their personal desires.

On one occasion Paul wrote…
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.

All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
--1 Corinthians 10:23-24

Voluntarily giving up my Christian liberty for the sake of my Christian brother...that is the meaning of ‘love your neighbor.’ Isn’t that what the kingdom of God is about???

* ‘Reasonings’ is the literal meaning in Romans 14:1 where some translations have opinions (NASB, ESV, RSV), disputable matters (NIV), doubtful things/issues (NKJV, CSB).