An Act of Providence and an Act of Mercy

During the Winter War of 1939 a Russian soldier ventured into the Finnish forest, not well clothed but armed and ready to kill Finns.

The troops in the small Finnish army were well trained, and well equipped with white camouflaged  clothing and deeply embedded in the forests waiting for the invaders.

A Finnish sniper emerged from his hideout to shoot the Russian, who taken by surprise, and hearing a sound feared it was his last moment on earth, so he made the sign of the cross.

This act caused Finnish soldier to pause and not shoot the Russian.  They nodded to each other, the Russian walked on, and the Finn completely disappeared into the familiar white winter wilderness.

Double Righteousness etc. (continued)

I wish to continue yesterday's post, which was concerned with the issues of tithing and blasphemy, and then eventually move on to an exposition of the doctrine of double righteousness.  I propose to do this by looking at Ephesians 2:8-10 in order to establish that tithing and other good works in no way contribute anything to salvation.

For by grace are you saved through faith, and this is not by yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works lest anyone should boast. His workmanship are we, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

⁸ τη γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια πιστεως και τουτο ουκ εξ υμων θεου το δωρον
⁹ ουκ εξ εργων ινα μη τις καυχησηται
¹⁰ αυτου γαρ εσμεν ποιημα κτισθεντες εν χριστω ιησου επι εργοις αγαθοις οις προητοιμασεν ο θεος ινα εν αυτοις περιπατησωμεν

I would maintain that salvation is by grace, the unmerited loving kindness of God, through faith, which is God given. No good work or act of kindness, or any offerings (including tithes) can earn salvation. Human righteousness, even at its very best, is simply not good enough. It never has been, never is and never will be sufficient to save us.  We are sinners. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are rebels who have no claim or right to be with God, whatever man may say, do or think.

God brings us to faith through the work of the Holy Spirit. He calls us, convicts us and converts us. By faith we receive eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. We receive His righteousness, for our own is but filthy rags, vile in God's holy sight. Salvation is a work of God's grace, and it has nothing to do with tithing or good works, lest we should boast.

Now we may tithe and give generously to God's work, to the extension of His Kingdom, to the spreading of the Gospel and Gospel values. But, as I hope I have made clear, this does not contribute to our salvation at all. 

Having been saved, we are then in a position of grace that enables us to experience the providence of God in our walk with our Lord and Saviour. God has richly provided us with the opportunity to do good works, which may include tithing.  Our LORD God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, guides, comforts and counsels us so that we can discover the good works which He has prepared for us. 

This is the important point. Through grace alone we are crowned with the gift of salvation. And then God, in His grace, crowns our lives by helping us to perform good works. We are therefore doubly righteous. To God be the glory. Amen.

Tithing and Double Righteousness? Saved by grace through faith unto good works

I like to look at all sorts of videos on YouTube.  Some are very helpful and others clearly are not, but I get to see wonderful images, lovely landscapes and fabulous photography. I hear wise words and see crass comments.

I came across these comments by Robert Skynner on a YouTube video featuring Pastor E.A. Adeboye:

To tithe today is blasphemy, as that would deny the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone and make salvation mostly grace but partly also works (paying the tithe).

This statement should be challenged and refuted.

First of all, to tithe should not be considered blasphemy. And we must define blasphemy before we proceed. According to the Oxford dictionaries,  the definition of blasphemy in English is the action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.

I have found ten passages in the New Testament where the term blasphemy βλασφημια
 or blasphemies βλασφημιαι is used:
Matt. 12:31, 26:65, Mark 3:28, 7:22. 14:64, Luke 5:21, John 10:31-36, Acts 6:11-13, Colossians 3:8, and Revelation 13:5-6.

Mark 3:28 is a good example.
αμην λεγω υμιν οτι παντα αφεθησεται τοις υιοις των ανθρωπων τα αμαρτηματα και αι βλασφημιαι οσα εαν βλασφημησωσιν
I tell you in truth, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men and whatever blasphemies they utter. 

After reading through these passages it seems completely wrong to apply the word blasphemy to the act of tithing. How can an act of generosity, arguably an act of worship, be construed by man or God as blasphemous? What is meant by tithing? And why should it be seen in such a bad light?  The above comment by Robert Skynner (RS) raises such questions.


We ought to have a good understanding of what it means to tithe. In Oxford dictionaries the word tithe in English is: one tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy.

To tithe for many Christians today means to set aside a tenth of their income to support the Church, assembly, evangelistic enterprise, ministry or some such Christian cause. It may be paid directly to one institution or to many churches or para-church organizations. Some give to missionaries, mission funds and ministers. Some churches put pressure on members to tithe, and these churches often expect all the tithe to go directly to the local church,  which means them!  RS, based on various videos, has obviously seen coercion on people to give more and show a greater financial commitment to the church or ministry. In some cases the flock have been fleeced by ravenous wolves, hirelings and greedy shepherds who have fed only themselves and made themselves fat by the hard work of others, living as parasites. They are pseudo pastors, who have neglected or harmed God's flock.  I have not come across them in Baptist churches in my area, but RS has evidently had some bad experiences.

The practice of tithing may have been abused and misused to gain money etc., but that does not mean we should condemn earnest and honest Christians who seek to see the Gospel preached and God's work maintained through tithing and disciplined giving. To accuse such Christians of blasphemy is wrong. There is no justification for it, especially when they are seeking to live obediently and sacrificially for Christ and His Kingdom.

To be continued.

Baptists responding to needs in Syria and Syrian communities

In the Spring 2014 issue of Baptists Together there is an article by Nabil Costa, executive director of the Lebanese Baptist Society (LSLESD).

In this article Nabil Costa describes the Syrian refugee problems facing Syria and Lebanon as a result of the war. There are evident tensions that have arisen. He writes:

         Many towns are not big enough to host the numbers of Syrians who are coming to reside in them.
         In some towns the number of Syrians entering outnumber the Lebanese.
Churches and community organizations are now providing food, medical equipment, "winterisation items" and education in Lebanon. In Syria, food rations with medical assistance plus winterisation items ( i.e. blankets, stoves, bedding etc.) are provided.

Churches have responded positively and dynamically to the desperately grave difficulties. The challenging circumstances have prompted "the Church to wake up, join hands together, and fulfil its mission".

Nabil Costa clearly wishes to bless others and find blessing in that, but his advice to "turn a deaf ear to political agendas" should be questioned.

We need to listen to political agendas, especially when they are concerned with justice, freedom, human rights, eliminating torture, oppression and war crimes etc.  The Lord is not deaf to the cries of the widow, the orphan, the sick, the sorrowful, the poor and the persecuted.

There are those who say that the Church should never be involved in politics. Well, that is a very political statement and has all sorts of political ramifications.  Christians with the support of the Church have through
political means changed society, opposed injustice and made this world a better place to live in. An apolitical position can easily maintain the status quo, and that's bad news for suffering Syrians.

For a full version of the article by Nabil Costa please see
www.baptist.org.uk/syria

Evidence from Syria of deaths in detention

Today I bought a copy of The Guardian when I saw the front page bottom headline, Evidence of killings in Syria could be 'tip of iceberg' by Martin Chulov.  It is no surprise to me that there is compelling evidence of war crimes in Syrian jails. At least 11,000 people have been killed while in detention. And it is estimated that 50,000 detainees are missing.

Yesterday there were images on our television screens of starvation and torture as a result of a brutal regime. These images on the BBC News were reminiscent of the Nazi concentration camps at the end of the Second World War. There is no doubt in my mind that crimes against humanity on a staggering scale have been committed.

Christian communities are suffering severely from both sides in the conflict. They have been driven out of their homes and deprived of their possessions, jobs and access to churches; some religious buildings have been destroyed and desecrated. The Christians presence in Syria goes back to the time of the early church and the Apostle Paul in Strait Street, Damascus. Many Christians have fled to refugees camps and to safe havens.  The Barnabas Fund is trying desperately to help them, believing that the future of the Syrian church is under threat. Syrian Christians are persecuted and are dying for their faith. In the past they were well treated and lived harmoniously with their Muslim neighbours in certain areas. They fear living in a harsh and oppressive Islamic state. Currently the future looks extremely bleak for them and the whole country.

Baptists together in trouble???

Today I looked at the Spring issue of Baptists Together, the magazine for the Baptist Union of Great Britain. On page 26 in a response by Gavin Calver on how local churches can best support their young people, the following words are highlighted in blue:

the greatest thing we can do is provide a committed listening ear


What?  Is this really the greatest thing?  Yes, being good listeners must be very important, but come on, it's not the greatest thing!  If it is, then we Baptists are in serious trouble.

My sons, who are now outside of the fellowship of the church and kingdom of God, did have tremendous support and committed listening ears.  They appreciated their youth leaders, Dave and Glen, and Pete during the 1990s. But in no way were these committed listening ears the greatest thing that Hornchurch Baptist Church provided.

When I was at Regent's Park College, Oxford, there were a number of Korean post-graduate students that I got to know well.  They were lovely Christians studying theology.  We spoke about the difference between Christianity and church life in England and South Korea.  One response was, " In England you talk a lot and like to discuss things, but in Korea we pray a lot and seek to experience the power of God."

This verse came to mind.

  The Kingdom of God is not talk, but power

ου γαρ εν λογω η βασιλεια του θεου αλλ εν δυναμει

1 Corinthians 4:20

There is no power in some Baptist churches because they are sterile and impotent, having lost the means of reproduction. But the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. We need to provide people with the good news of Jesus Christ and help them with listening ears to find faith in Him.

A Remarkable Providential Event

My late mother-in-law, who sadly died in her early sixties, worked as a district nurse and midwife during WW2. Megan came from West Wales and did not speak English until she was six years old. Welsh was her mother tongue.

One day on a train in West Wales, Megan arrived at a station where she needed to alight. The carriages had doors on both sides and could be opened by releasing the lock mechanism.  Sometimes, as I well know, these doors were quite difficult to open. Megan moved quickly to the door and was releasing the lock when something quite remarkable happened.

Megan felt a hand on her shoulder. No doubt about it. Megan looked around and she saw  no one at all in the carriage. But at that very moment an express passed the door on the side she was about to open.  In her haste to leave the train Megan had chosen the door on the track side and not on the platform side.

Had she not turned but continued, when she felt the hand on her shoulder, she would have been hit by the express train and killed.

Megan believed in guardian angels.