2012 01 22 A Long Hair, Coverings, Shaved 2 Dr Steven J Lawson 1221220164110

well we come now to look together into the Word of God and I invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me again to the book of 1st Corinthians 1st Corinthians chapter 11 and I want us to continue in our study on this very challenging point a portion of scripture on women's head coverings in the church and title this message is long hair head coverings and shaved heads part two as always I want to begin by reading the passage that we will look at and my prayer is that we will be able to cover it all but not all my prayers are answered so let me begin by looking in verse 6 for if a woman does not cover her head let her also have her hair cut off but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her head cut off her hair cut off seeing the original language you should also know that in Greek the what the word for wife is gooning which is kind of a funny word also but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved let her cover her head for a man ought not to have his head covered since he is the image and glory of God but the woman is the glory of man for man does not originate from woman but woman from man for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake but woman for the man's sake therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels however in the Lord neither is woman independent of man nor is man independent of woman for as the woman originates from the man so also the man has his birth through the woman and all things originated from God judge for yourselves is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him but if a woman has long hair it is a glory to her for her hair is given to her for a covering but if one is inclined to be contentious we have no other practice nor have the Churches of God it was Winston Churchill the man of the 20th century who wants to describe the Soviet Union as quote a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma I believe that it is fair to say that that is what this text is and that is what many scholars say that it is that it is something of a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma these verses raise many difficult questions what does it mean for a woman to cover her hair why would she do this what is the significance of her hair being shaved how was the man made in the image and glory of God but the woman is not that she is made in the image and glory of her husband why was it not proper for the woman to pray with her head uncovered how was a woman's long hair a glory to her why is a man's long hair a shame to him the challenge is not only in interpreting this text the challenge is also in applying the interpretation of this text in reading the finest biblical scholarship available in the world on this text I have pored through massive 6 to a thousand page tomes that are critical commentary Aries of the book of first Corinthians said let me just read you a few snippets that we might understand something of the challenge that lies before us one of the most respected commentaries on 1st Corinthians David garland writes we just cannot be certain he says we are only left with guesses Gordon fee who is an astounding New Testament exegete says this is a text so difficult that it has defied our best scholarly guesses over the centuries the argument that follows is so involved that for most readers the explanation tends to muddy the waters rather than enlighten and by all counts visas this is one of the truly difficult texts and this is not coming from a sunday-school manual this is coming from the towering exegetical Giants of our day the Holman Christian standard Study Bible which is the new translation put out by Broadman Holman for the Southern Baptist Convention just simply says concerning these verses quote we must admit that we cannot be sure close quote I'm not aware of any other passage in the Bible in which there is a repetition of statements like that the Holman Christian Study Bible says verses 11 through 15 are obscure and have yielded various interpretations it is best that interpreters remain tentative and their conclusions and the expositors bible commentary states that these verses have evoked considerable differences of opinion it goes onto our briefs thielemann excuse me who is a towering exegetical scholar says no interpretation can be held with great confidence regarding verse 10 he says what Paul concludes his far from clear he says more complicated if not more baffling is Paul's explanation we must assume that the Corinthians can fill in the blanks about what the cryptic reference means close quote if human goes on to say and modern readers are left in the dark as a result and none of the many explanations is without problems another commentator says there is no satisfactory interpretation for verse 10 the Reformation Study Bible says many interpretations have been suggested but they're all speculative and David Garland again says Paul is highly in agna in enigmatic no comparable explanation is given for why men should not be covered it is not unusual for scholars to claim that this text lacks logical coherence close quote well so much for the purpose QT of Scripture so much for the clarity and lucid nough scripture that these intellectual exegetical theological scholarly giants are all left with their hands in their pockets stroking their chin saying I don't know so I'm going to solve the mystery of the ages this morning it's good that you're here let me review what we looked at last time just so that you can at least have your notes in order this section begins in verse 2 we began in verse 2 with the praise Express that's very obvious Paul says I praise you because you remember you remember me and everything and hold firmly to their tradition just as I deliver them to you Paul commends the Corinthians carnal church that they are for remembering the doctrinal truths that's traditions means the doctrinal truths that he had presented to them so he begins with the praise expressed now second the problem excuse me the praise expressed second the problem addressed verse three it may not look like the problem address but it is by the first word of verse three but the word bud is a sharp conjunction of contrast so it is breaking away from the praise of verse two but what I'm about to say is not by way of praise this is your problem but I want you to understand clearly they do not understand this that Christ is the head of every man and the man every man means every human being and the man is the head of a woman different word for man that means husband and God is the head of Christ what the corinthians failed to understand is the very basic simple truth and principle of headship and Submission there is headship and Submission within the Godhead there is headship and Submission within the church there is headship and Submission within the family there is headship and Submission in the church and the Corinthians did not understand this and so that is why Paul in verse 3 lays this doctrinal foundation you need to be reminded of the principle of headship and headship brings authority the right to rule God the Father has the right to be directive to God the Son in his incarnation 'el state and Christ has the right to be to rule every man on this planet and the husband has the right and the authority of headship over his wife and when you come into a church service you better be able to detect this nut shirt should be a unisex Church where there is enroll and ministry no distinction between men and women that would be a total violation of the principle of headship and Submission men and women are equal in creation they are equal in Redemption but they are not equal in ministry there are different roles assigned by God to men and to women and when you come into a worship service you need to see a strong male dominance and you need to see women in submission to their husbands as well as to the leadership of the church that is the mark of a spirit-filled godly church or one Martin then third in verses four through six the practice corrected and Paul begins now to correct the problem that is in the church at Corinth every man who has something on his head while praying are prophesizing prophesying disgraces his head in his head refers to the headship of Christ not to his own head but to his sovereign head and it brings shame and dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ for a man to assume an effeminate role and for a man to have something on his head in the worship service and in this culture and in this day that communicated submission that the man was not leading out but that the man had usurped his spiritual leadership and that the man is now in a posture of following not leading it is important for us to know also parenthetically in Genesis chapter three we understand that and for that part of the curse upon the human race is passive men and aggressive women passive men and aggressive women that's a part of the sin nature and God's role is the total opposite that there are to be aggressive men and submissive women but because of the curse in Genesis 3 and because of God's judgment on Adam and Eve there is now the reversal and only by the power of the Holy Spirit and only by the power of the new birth and only by the power of the word of God our men and women put into their right place in the family and in church and in society and and in the world and so in verse 4 Paul is rebuking the practice of a man assuming anything less than a position of leadership in the church and by having something on his head whether it be a hat whether it be a hood whatever it would be that meant something in the Corinthian culture and it meant that you are not being what God has called you to be and verse 5 but every woman who has her head uncovered that also means something and that means she is not in submission to her head in her head refers to her husband and verse 3 makes that very clear for every woman who has her head uncovered meaning without a hood without a head perhaps without a veil over her head while praying or prophesying and Paul will discuss the validity of her publicly prophesying in chapter 14 and we'll we'll get to that and at that time he will say I do not permit a woman to speak I she has to remain silent and she has to go home and to ask her husband but at this point Paul does not correct that he has simply correcting another issue is correcting this this this the the women who are coming to church without their head being covered it says that she disgraces her head she brings shame to her husband for she is one in the same as the woman whose head is shaved we said we really are just totally relying upon historical background information at this point there's no other verse and that we can go to and the woman whose head is shaved refers to some kind of a radical feminist or an adulteress or a pagan worshipper or some kind of woman who is rejecting her God assigned role God gives her hair to grow and and to grow longer than the hair of men and her long hair would be a glory to her an indication that she embraces her femininity and she embraces her God assigned role in the family and in the church but to shave her head is a statement of revolt against God it's just an outright a statement of rebellion against God I will not assume the role that God has assigned for me so verse 6 for if a woman does not cover her head meaning if she doesn't put a head covering on a hood a cap a veil a hat whatever for a woman does not cover her head let her also have her hair cut off meaning she might as well go ahead and just shave her head because to come to church without her head covered is just as rebellious as the woman who shaves her head but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off and let's just say and it is or her head shaved and it is disgraceful so either way either her head her hair cut off head shape let her cover her head in other words she should repent of her shaved head and she should put a head covering on her head and the revolt of her shaved head will be countered by the head covering that she puts on as she comes into the public worship service it's somewhat hard for us in the 21st century to even comprehend how serious in the first century they took the roles of men and women and headship and Submission it's very difficult for us to feel what they felt in the first century as we live in a time of liberation so now we come to new material now we come to verse 7 and I want you to see the pattern established in verses 7 through 12 Paul now supports what he has been saying about headship and Submission the headship of the husband the submission of the wife and Paul now appeals to the pattern of creation he goes all the way back to the beginning of the human race to the very first man and to the very first woman and let me say this Paul was no evolutionist Paul believed in Adam and Eve and that there was the first man and the first woman and he builds his whole argument now on creation and it should be noted that Paul appeals to this timeless analogy to make his point so notice now verse 7 for a man ought not to have his head covered since he is the image in the glory of God you'll note verse 7 begins with the word for you need to know that in fact the next three verses all begin with the for your translation ought to have that if it's faithful to the original language and all these verses now are an explanation of what he has just said he's already stated the doctrine and so now he is establishing it with explanation so he says in verse seven as I said for the man ought not to have his head covered since he is the image in the glory of God the reason that man should not have his head covered is because God has not put him in a place of submission to his spouse he has put the man in a position of headship to be the leader in the home and for a man to put something on his head as he would come into the public worship service is making a statement is making a public statement it is making the public statement that he has abdicated his God assigned role of leadership and headship he has become effeminate he has become passive he has he has assumed the role that a woman ought to have so he says in verse seven the man ought not to have his head covered and he gives the reason why since he is the image in the glory of God now in one sense man and woman are made in the image of God no question about it in all that is implied in the image of God but not here in verse seven the image in the glory of God refers to the unique role in position that God assigned to Adam but did not assign to Eve God established Adam as his co-regent over the earth and it was Adam who was to govern on the earth on behalf of God and it was Adam who was to name the animals and to establish structure and order upon the earth and rule on behalf of God this was not granted to Eve it was granted to Adam Eve may well could have done better job she may have been smarter she may have been more organized she may have been a better manager but that is not the role that God assigned to Eve Eve was to be a helpmate suitable for Adam Eve was to come alongside of Adam and help Adam in what God called Adam to do God has a plan God has a will for Adam and God's will and planned for Eve is to assist Adam in what God called Adam to do that's the way that the entire human race was established and Adam is to have dominion over the whole earth an authority granted to Adam not to Eve but to Adam now the end of verse 7 says but the woman is the glory of man she too is made in the image of God no question she too is is created with capacity of rational thought and and for the purpose to honor God and to glorify God and it will take as much of the blood of Christ to to redeem her as it will to redeem man but for her to be the glory of man means that her assigned role is to is to honor her husband by submitting to his leadership and serving him as he serves God serve Him as he serves God enable him to fulfill the commission of God upon his life and as she does that she is the glory of men she's not to have her own agenda out here she's not to have her own thing going on over on the side she is the glory of man as she fulfills her role as a helper suitable for him verse 8 continues the explanation of the of what Paul is teaching begins with the word for verse 8 for man does not originate from woman but woman from the man Paul appeals to the order of creation that the man who was created first and not the woman and that the woman was created out of the man and so Paul appeals in to the order of creation and the man was created first and therefore given dominion over the earth including dominion over his wife in fact the very word woman means out of man I'm verse 9 for another explanation that's just a series of sentences versus this start with 4/4 indeed in other words to be sure about this for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake but woman for the man's sake what this says is what I've already stated though she is his equal intellectually morally spiritually if not superior to him nevertheless her role is to support help and care for her husband as he carries out God's will for his life and so Paul in verse 9 is just making this abundantly clear who came first the man or the woman the man came first and the reason the man came first is because God entrusted to him headship and the woman now exists for the man's sake and as it was in the beginning so it is in every marriage in every era in every place so verse 10 he pulls this all together therefore meaning as a result of what he has just said in verses 7 through 9 therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head to walk into the church at Corinth with a head covering on her head was a recognition that she is under the authority of her husband that she is that she has not thrown off God's designed for her life but she has embraced this and she gives testimony to this by having a head covering and Paul says at the end of verse 10 why this is rather important he says because of the angels now what that means is is that there are angels looking in on the gathering of the worship of the church and that the angels take extraordinary interest and even when God's people don't come to church the angels come to church and because the angels are very in a sense envious that God has committed to man the preaching of the gospel and the teaching of the word of God and that their ministry is not that of Proclamation on the earth and so we read for example in Ephesians 3 8 through 10 that when the gospel is preached concerning the unsearchable riches of Christ and that is made known through the church it is made known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places referring to angels so I don't know what all to make of this I can't cannot see the invisible world neither can you see the invisible world but as with Elijah's servants and there were thousands of angels surrounding and he was not aware even so from this text we would have to conclude that there are angels in attendance in this service invisible unseen but deeply interested in the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and it causes their hearts to burn with excitement and passion for the one before whom they stand in its very presence in the glories of heaven as they behold his face first Peter 1:12 also says much the same that those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit things into which angels long to look angels long to look into worship services where the Word of God is being preached at times when we are apathetic and when we are lukewarm towards the proclamation of Christ in the word the Angels glory in it they continue as Oh continues his argument in verse 11 however and now he wants to balance this just a bit he realizes what strong statements he has just made and he doesn't retract any of them he doesn't take any of them back he just adds a few more pieces of the puzzle to bring some symmetry to this whole presentation he says in verse 11 however in the Lord neither is woman independent of man nor is man independent of the woman what an extraordinary interdependence that God has created though man is created first and the woman is created for the sake of the man the man is the stronger sex the woman is the weaker sex according to first Peter 3 nevertheless it's the weakness of the stronger sex for the weaker sex that maintains some balance in this and that man desperately needs a woman in order to fulfill what God has called him to do and only in those rare cases where a man is committed to singleness and and given some type of supernatural grace to function without a wife nevertheless God's design in headship and Submission is to make the man totally not totally enormous leakin dependent upon his spouse to help him function here upon the earth and carrying out the will of God that God has given to the man so that is what verse 11 is saying that neither is independent of the other that both need one another children need both father and a mother verse 12 for another explanation pulsus laboring out explanation after explanation for as the woman originates from the man so also the man has his birth through the woman he goes back to Adam and says well the first woman was originated out of man but every man since then has originated out of a woman and then he pauses for a moment he says but all things originate from God and this principle of headship and Submission again and so Paul recognizes that there is a beautiful interdependence that God has built into the man in the woman so that the man does not become overly dominant and and dictatorial that he remains in a posture of dependence as he needs his wife as he fulfils even his position of headship so Paul's entire argument here his pattern is established upon the timeless foundation of the order of creation and the purpose with which God made man and woman and Paul is implying clearly that nothing has changed from the beginning that man's role is still headship and woman's role is still submission and when you walk into someone's house that ought to be clearly evidenced and also when you walk into church that should be clearly evidenced now number five I want you to see the propriety stated in verses 13 through 15 the proof the propriety stated Paul now appeals to the Corinthians to judge this matter on the basis of just general propriety he says in verse 13 judge for yourselves and Paul assumes that he has made the case in such convincing fashion that he can turn to the Corinthians now based upon what I've said and say to them will you decide you make up your mind based upon what I've said do you think it could be any other way judge for yourselves is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered and the answer is a resounding no and this has nothing to do with hairstyle it has everything to do with a head covering it applies this negative answer of course it is not proper for a woman to pray with her head uncovered he says verse 14 does not even nature itself when he says nature itself he is appealing to an innate sense of what is right and wrong he is appealing as it were to conscience he is appealing to a a natural sense within a person of what is appropriate behavior and what is an appropriate way to live does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him now the word dishonor means it's a shame to him because his long hair signifies that he's trying to be like a woman that he is trying to assume a different role other than that which God has assigned to him that he is so passive in his sin nature and in his participation in Adams fall that he does not have the manhood to even step forward and to be what God created him to be that is what his long hair communicates in this Corinthian setting it's a statement of effeminacy it is a statement of rebellion it is a statement of denial of the place that God has assigned for me as a man and not only is it dishonouring to him it's dishonouring to Christ so Paul says long-hair for men in this setting is unnatural it is on is dishonouring it conveys sexual ambiguity it communicates moral rebellion and so by way of analogy this is why men are not to cover their heads in church they're not to wear a hat they are not to wear a cap neither are they to have long hair verse 15 but meaning by way of contrast from the man now to the woman but if a woman has long hair it is a glory to her so he got made her to be God's made her different than the man physically she's different and her hair depending upon her age and depending upon the cultural practice is to be long not short according to the standards of the day this long hair is a glory to her meaning it reflects that she embraces the wisdom of God in assigning her this position of servanthood and submission to her husband and the fact is her influence upon her children many times far exceed exceeds even the influence of her husband because God has placed her in this position of tenderness right next to her children but if a woman has long hair it is a glory to her for her hair is given to her and we would say given to her by whom well there's only one who can give hair to a woman and that is God Himself for her hair is given to her for a covering now this covering is not to be confused with the head covering or the veil or the hood Paul's argument here is when the woman was assigned this role even God himself put a head covering on her even God Himself gave her long hair so she should do the same as God has done for her and to her by giving her this longer hair her long hair makes a statement that God has assigned her this role as I've already said and that she embraces this yeah the truth be known with physiologic physiological changes that occur with age and with women their hair is not as long as when they were younger but nevertheless as their hair is by cultural standards and proportionate with age it is this longer hair that communicates submission to the headship of her husband so finally verse 16 the pride rebuked Paul does not in any way back off what he has just taught in fact he only confronts those who would disagree Paul says those who would disagree with him with what he has just said are very contentious people and are very prideful and assume that they have more wisdom than God or the Apostle by divine revelation so it says in verse 16 but if one is inclined to be contentious the word contentious here means to be argumentative literally it means the love of victory in other words you just have to be right on everything you have to have the final word you have to have the final say you can take either side of an issue and you can debate and argue either side of the issue you just love the debate you just love to argue that's what the word contentious means but if one is inclined to be contentious and we would say contentious against what with the context dictates that it is to be contentious against what Paul has just stated headship and submission of the husband and the wife and the length of hair and the wearing or the not wearing of a of a head covering Paul says if one is inclined to be contentious with this he says at the end of verse 16 we have no other practice I mean there is no other accepted practice from God you said you're left to go your own way and to pursue your own wisdom and to carve out a path in church to go your own way well since we have no other practice this is it yeah part of the issue on this is and as I look around there's no head coverings today part of the issue on this is this word practice and some say that it is translated custom as opposed to practice and there is a difference between custom and practice and custom would refer to something that's regional something that's that's local it's it's it's a custom here practice refers to them sending like Allen Iverson for a moment their practice and practice refers to an ongoing established pattern and so that's part of the difficulty in trying to determine is this relevant for today for us to do or not and that's one of the hinge issues but Paul does say to the point we have no other practice this is the way it's to be and someone would say well norther practice just in Corinth and I would love for it to end that way but notice how he ends verse 16 nor have the Churches of God plural meaning there's no other practice in any of the other Churches of God this is to be held across the board not just Church singular here in Corinth but churches plural around the established realm of Christendom and so Paul rebukes the pride and there is a pride factor regardless of whether this is relevant or not there is a pride factor of someone just saying well I don't want to do that well we would all want to say net male or female I would do whatever God would ask me to do if God told me to come to church and stand on my head then I'm gonna practice Saturday night and get it down so that I can do it on Sunday morning if that's what God requires if God set him to walk into church backwards on Sunday if God said it then I'm going to do it then I'll do whatever God requires it would be nothing but arrogance and I didn't a hottie superior attitude before God to just throw off this whole thing and say well I'm not gonna do that there's a pride factor within each one of us on different issues so in concluding this this is not an easy one to conclude because I'm not entirely certain where this brings us but number one there should be a clear gender distinction of roles in the public worship of the church when one walks into a church one should be struck with a sense of the headship of men and the submission of women and even in the headship of men one should be struck with their submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ so walking into a church there should be humble submission that just oozes out of the pores of of everyone in attendance and in the ordering of the service and the singing of the songs and the preaching of the word that we all are in submission to God established Authority and that's the first thing we would say second it certainly appeared in the church at Corinth that it was more than just a heart issue that the external did matter to Paul and the external of one's hair length and one's attire and and those things did matter to Paul and it was a part of shaming or honoring Christ and it was a matter of shaming or honoring one's spouse and so it would be a false dichotomy to say that God is only concerned with the heart and that God does not care about the external because God certainly did at the church at Corinth and it was not just limited to a heart issue it was extended to the external appearance and presentation of the man and the woman as they come to church that how you present yourself communicates something and is that what you are intending to communicate and in the church at Corinth how one attired themselves and how they groomed themselves was an accurate barometer of their heart as it relates to this issue now obviously someone could have a head covering and still be in rebellion within one's own heart third should women today wear head coverings in the public worship service I want to give you some arguments for and some arguments against arguments for Paul builds this entire argument on creation not something out of the first century he built it on creation going all the way back to the beginning to the first man into the first woman and he is presenting a timeless practice that transcends the first century second Paul appeals to the practice of churches plural extending far beyond merely the church in Corinth singular in what he is teaching here third Paul argues that he has no other practice than what he has just taught about head coverings those are the arguments for and those need to be addressed and those need to be answered now arguments against head covering if the analogy of Scripture itself this practice is not taught anywhere else in the Bible there is nothing else in the Bible to support or to cooperate with what Paul states here ideally in interpreting the Bible we would love to see three things we would love to see it taught by Jesus practiced in the book of Acts and clarified in the epistles those three in a row for example with foot washing we see it taught by Jesus but we do see it practiced in the early church in the book of Acts anywhere and it is not clarified in the Epistle so it is isolated to a unique situation and that is why we as a church do not practice foot washing because it does not appear that the whole Council of God lines up together to teach this that it was something that Jesus did on that one occasion with his disciple so it's not a third ordinance regarding head covering jesus never taught this the book of Acts gives no indication of any church in any place ever practicing this and no other epistle beyond this one place addresses this that is problematic and then as I said in verse 16 the mention of practice we have no other practice can mean custom and I quote the Reformation Study Bible Paul does not use exactly this kind of argument anywhere else in any of his letters such a conclusion to a difficult passage may give some support to the view that the Apostle was not prescribing permanent forms of worship but dealing with questions of cultural appropriateness close quote I would say that each person's conscience should lead them and those who feel that a timeless principle is here should feel free to wear if they want to wear a head covering or a veil to church that would be just as fine as if you wanted to wash one another's feet but I do think that in the whole on the big picture looking at the entirety that this is a unique situation but I must admit I do not know what to do with churches plural in verse 16 and I'm a man who is under Authority so I need more time to sort through this and come to a better understanding and to answer some of my own questions and I'm glad that I have questions because that means I'm understanding the issues because as I began this message with the superior exegetical minds of this passage they to stand somewhat dumbfounded at different points and try to understand what was apparent in the first century but it's very difficult for us to understand today as I bring this message to conclusion there are two obvious points of application headship of men submission of women regardless of whether this is a local or extended practice and this says to men that men must be the spiritual leaders in their homes and men must be the spiritual leaders in the church and that men should lead out and that men should be aggressive in their faith and that men should have a pioneer spirit and and step out by faith and serve the Lord and lead the way for their wives and lead the way for their children and so men I appeal to you as I peel to myself to rise up o men of God have done with lesser things give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of Kings and and anything less would be dishonouring to our head and for all of the wonderful women that God has entrusted to this flock now we love you and bless your name we are those in Proverbs one who rise up and call you blessed God has a role for you and that role is one of submission and support and servanthood and coming alongside your husband and being a counselor to him and being an encourage to him and to be a helpmate who is suitable for him that that word suitable in the Hebrew language means the closest we can come into the English would be like a tailor-made suit you are uniquely designed for this one man who is your husband you are designed for him emotionally you were designed for him in every way to fit him like a tailor-made suit and may you fulfill your ministry by helping him fulfill his ministry and as this occurs the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ will be strong if you find yourself here today and you are not a Christian you're not a follower of Jesus Christ it must begin with a step of submission on your part you must humble yourself and submit yourself to the lordship of Christ and believe upon his name but to believe upon Jesus Christ does not mean merely to have intellectual assent to the historical facts of the Bible it means for you to also be convicted of them in your heart and to be persuaded of their truthfulness in your heart that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world that there is no other way of salvation that heaven and hell are the only two destinies that are before us that Jesus Christ has come into this world on a mission of salvation and through his obedient life and through this sin bearing substitutionary death he secured the eternal salvation of everyone who will turn from their sins and turn to him and believe upon Jesus Christ so I press the question to you I press the issue to your heart have you believed upon Jesus Christ and if not then I call upon you this very moment to come to the end of yourself to come to your senses to end the insanity of trying to run away from God to end living as though there is no gospel as if there is no heaven as if there is no hell there is and you will know that one day I call upon you this moment become like a little child to the Lord Jesus Christ and set your intellectual pride to the side in common simple faith and surrender all that you are to Jesus Christ the Bible says that God has hidden it from the wise and the prudent and he has revealed it unto babes you will have to come to God on his terms and you will have to come to God like a little babe and embrace his son Jesus Christ I would urge you I exhort you to do that this moment if you've never believed upon Christ none of us know but that this may be the last gospel sermon you will ever hear in your life boast not yourself of tomorrow for you know not what a day may bring forth while the arms of God are wide open while the gates of paradise are swung open this is a day of opportunity for you enter in by faith into the kingdom of God

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Published: Sun Jun 16 2013