False Gospel

 False Gospel: Secularists Claim Perfect Morality Will Eventually Be Produced Through Evolution – Ken Ham - https://harbingersdaily.com/false-gospel-secularists-claim-perfect-morality-will-eventually-be-produced-through-evolution/ Where did morality come from? How you answer that question will depend on your worldview and on what foundation you base your thinking. And that was powerfully illustratedin a recent ethics piece titled, “What might 100,000 more years of evolution do for the future of morality?” This article specifically focused on sexual ethics (something that doesn’t really seem to exist in secular culture throughout the West anymore!), arguing that, for hundredsof millions of years, creatures just did whatever they wanted until “a mere several thousand years ago,” when human brains invented moral codes to regulate sexual behavior. But, the article continues, humans originally had a hard time living up to these codes. . . and evolution explains why: But humans found it difficult to live up to those sexual codes. It was as if hundreds of millions of years in the evolution of animal sexual attraction and the biologicalurge to propagate could not be easily blunted by behavioral norms that arrived only ‘yesterday.’ There was an evolutionary mismatch between the human multimillion-year-old amoral self and a newly evolving moral self. Here’s how the mismatch operated vis-� -vis sex: Humansdevised moral sexual dicta that humans could not easily perform. Human sexual moral rules outstripped human evolutionary capabilities. In the evolutionary view, morality is nothing more than societal norms that humans thought of and attempt to keep. In other words, it’s utterly arbitrary, subjective, andinconsistent—and why should anyone bother following arbitrary, inconsistent morality? Before I continue reviewing the article, I do want to highlight something for those who mix evolution and millions of years with the history God has given us in his Word.Evolution is an idea that attempts to explain the origin of everything apart from God, including morality. And yet the Bible is clear that morality comes from God and the conscience that he has stamped on the heart of each person (Romans 2:12–16). So, whowill you believe when it comes to this issue: man’s ideas regarding morality (which undermine virtually everything Scripture teaches about sin and law) or God’s Word? If you say, “God’s Word,” I’d ask, “Why?” Why believe God’s Word when it comes to the origin of morality but then ignore and radically reinterpret God’s clear Word when itcomes to the origin of everything else? It’s inconsistent! Instead of trusting fallible scientists who start with their own wisdom, rather than God’s, we must start with God’s Word in all areas. Now, back to the article. It continues by saying: If this is the case—that human minds intuited a future that was nonexistent and impracticable at the moment of initial moral ideation—can some part of human ideation be viewedas vaticination, as a prophecy of things to come for humanity? The fact that humans can even ponder a thing called ‘the future’ and imagine enhanced moral behavior in that future seems remarkable. And hopeful. I’m hopeful enough to think we are at the beginning of the human story and nowhere near its end. What if our very minds—replete with anticipation of an increasingly moral,far distant future—provide clues for a lengthy human tenure on earth? What if our good thoughts are adumbrations of good deeds to come? Sexual rectitude became easier after a few thousand years of sexual morality. Time, and lots of it, was crucial in the development of our moral sense. Maybe a hundred thousandmore years of evolution (or a million years) will empower humanity to immediately align human bodily capabilities with human moral sensibilities in all areas of moral performance. Basically, this author is arguing that humans thinking of an ideal moral state will eventually produce one through evolutionary processes, given enough time. Really, it’sa false gospel this evolutionist is peddling! It’s a “gospel” that gets the problem wrong (we have wicked hearts in rebellion against God, not bodies that haven’t evolved enough to do what our minds want them to), and the writer gets the solution (lofty moralthoughts and more time) wrong, too! The true gospel is so much more hopeful and beautiful than anything evolutionists can imagine. The true gospel says that our natural state is sinful (Romans 8:7) and thatwe’re dead in our trespasses (Ephesians 2:1) and slaves (John 8:34) to sinful passions (hence why we can’t do the good we want to do and avoid the evil we want to avoid!) apart from Christ. But the beauty is that this is us apart from Christ. Christ, fully God and fully man, came to this earth and did what Adam, and no human since him, has been able to do: perfectly obey God’s commands (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thisperfect God-man then went to the cross, bearing our sin upon himself, and died in our place, taking our penalty of death for us (1 John 2:2). God’s holy wrath against sin was poured out on Jesus when he bore our sin. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave,conquering sin and death. Now Jesus offers the gift of forgiveness to all who will turn from their sin and trust in Christ (Romans 10:9). And someday those who have trusted in Christ will be with Christ in heaven where there is no longer any sin (or deathor suffering). This is such good news! We don’t have to just have some kind of “optimistic and utopic” hope that humans will someday evolve to become more moral. We can turn from our sinand to Christ today, be immediately freed from the power of sin, and someday be fully sanctified and perfectly moral (according to God’s standard of morality). Evolution isn’t just a false view about the past; it’s also a false view of the future. It’s an anti-God religion. The true history of the universe and everything else isfound in God’s Word—and so is the truth about the future and how we can enjoy God forever. Trust Our Good Shepherd - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.comssa Psalm 23 is probably the most beloved Psalm in Scripture. It was written by King David who knew the responsibilities of a shepherd well. David must have been a very tenderheartedperson, but fierce in the protection of his flock. He killed a bear and a lion that had threatened his flock, as God was training him to be king. After that he faced the giant, Goliath with confidence as Saul’s army cowered in the hills. David’s confidencecame from his solid knowledge that God was with him. How different a professing Christian’s walk would be if we had the confidence that David had. Too often we cower in fear like Saul’s army instead of walking in the footsteps of Jesus with confidence. Maybewe cower because we haven’t truly placed our faith in Christ. “ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1. God has always taken care of His children. When the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt, He parted the Red Sea so they could safelypass as if it was dry land, He provided mana when they were hungry, and He gave them water when they were thirsty. Like a shepherd, God always looked out for their well-being. Sadly, those belly-aching people never learned to trust Him, and their poor choicecaused them to wander for 40 years. Still, God watched out for them. He protected them through battles and led them in their wanderings. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and He will lead us in our Christian walk if we trust Him. “I am the good shepherd: the goodshepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11. Jesus did give His life for His sheep. We can trust Him and follow Him with confidence. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:2. David’s early life was spent tending to a flock of sheep. He understood howimportant food and water were for healthy sheep. No shepherd would be foolish enough to find barren fields and stagnant water for the flock. Rebellious sheep just might stray into pastures which only held dead grass and stagnant water, but the shepherd wouldlook for them and bring them back into the fold. Again, we see Jesus as our Shepherd who loves us. “How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seekeththat which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.” Matthew 18:12-13. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and He cares for each member of His flock. Ifsomeone decides to wander into the places where sin reigns, Jesus will seek the lost and bring that sheep back to the green pastures and the still waters. “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3. David knew his Lord very well. He knew that by following God’s word hewould never go astray, but would follow the paths of righteousness. Was David perfect in following the Lord? No, he wasn’t. He strayed big time. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, she became pregnant, so to cover his sin, David made sure her husband, afaithful soldier, was put in a position to be killed. Does that sound as if he was following the path of righteousness? It’s more like he was following the way of the world that leads to destruction. Nathan, the prophet, bravely confronted David about hissin, and David saw his own guilt. His heart was broken and he earnestly went to the Lord in prayer to seek forgiveness. “ Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” Psalm 51:1. David knew of the mercy of God, but also knew that his sin was worthy of death. He was brokenhearted and turned to God in humble and true repentance. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away fromthy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12. As Christians, we are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit, but we should be no less repentant of the sin we commit.As long as we live on this side of Heaven we will struggle against sin. It’s easy to see the sin in other people, but much harder to see our own sin. “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thineown eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thybrother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5. David could have pointed to Bathsheba’s sin, but knew he had to repent of his own sin. David found forgiveness. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4. In the middleof a peaceful bit of poetry and song, we read of a very eerie place. “The valley of the shadow of death”. In fact, it almost seems as if it doesn’t belong in this Psalm, which speaks about green pastures and still waters. In truth, we are all walking in thisvalley. If you’ve truly given your life to Christ and accepted Him for salvation, death holds no evil for you. “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the sayingthat is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Corinthians 15:54-57. Christians have nothing to fear in death. Be sure your profession of faith was real and not just words. Put your words into action, and serve Christ. Death is all around us, and we need to boldly confront those who reject Christ, andhelp them away from the valley of death. They are the walking dead. They may seem to be happy and have all that life has to offer, but unless they have come to a true faith in Christ, they are dead in their sins. You need to put on the whole armor of God andbe fearless in the battle against evil. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12. We can trust Jesusto lead in the battle and to guide us each day “… in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” Psalm 23:3b. “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalm 23:5. Do you have an enemy? If you say no,then you’re not walking the path of righteousness. Satan is a formidable enemy and wants you to stray from you’re your walk with Christ. Jesus didn’t promise that life would continually be filled with green pastures and still waters, but said that becauseof your faith in Him you would have strife, even with your loved ones. “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother,and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:34-37.Jesus doesn’t mean that to follow Him we must fight against family and friends. He meant that He must be first in our hearts. If you’ve chosen to follow Him, you may meet with resistance from people you love who haven’t placed their faith in Him. Even if itbrings division, He will provide for you. Don’t be shy about your faith, but speak and act in boldness as lead by the Holy Spirit. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Psalm 23:6. David was very sure of his Shepherd. Heknew that God’s goodness and mercy are real and for all time. Upon death, David was assured that he would dwell with the LORD forever. We see other people described in the Old Testament who held that same belief. Job was described as a pretty good guy. “Therewas a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Job 1:1. Nevertheless, he faced many challenges. His children died, his wealth was taken away, his health was attacked, and “friends” pointed out that he deserved the troubles. Job came through his disease and loss with a stronger faith. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body,yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” Job 19:25-27. These are strong words from a man who lived many, many centuries before the Redeemer was even bornin Bethlehem. David had confidence in the LORD. He knew that “goodness and mercy” would follow him just as surely as the Shepherd would lead “in the paths of righteousness”. He was ableto pass some of this truth to his son, Solomon. Solomon had a very difficult time following the paths of righteousness, but he had been given the gift of wisdom. He wrote “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place ofrefuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:26-27. There’s no disadvantage to being led by the Lord. We are given all we need. If we learn to thank God for what He provides, we will find that what theLord gives is really all we want. Today we can rejoice in our Lord and Saviour. He is our Good Shepherd who leads us in the paths of righteousness. He leads and we need to follow. If you claim to be a Christian,let that profession of faith change you. Trust in the Good Shepherd and He will never fail. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfectin every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21. He is my Shepherd and I shall not want…even when walking through this valley of the shadow of death. God bless you all, Nathele Graham twotug@embarqmail.comssa ron@straitandnarrowministry.com Recommended prophecy sites: www.raptureready.com www.prophecyupdate.com www.raptureforums.com All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed. If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know.