This was the second time I’ve filled a pulpit since 2004. The Loch Ness monster is seen more often than I show up in a pulpit. But I am getting requests to post this and, more importantly, I keep getting questions that tell me that many Christians really don’t understand the simplicity of the gospel. I hope this helps. it seems to be positively affecting a lot of people in our church and our area, so here it is. Just click HERE to go to watch the sermon. I think it’s around thirty minutes or so. For audio only, click here.
This is the best thing I’ve heard/read on grace. Thank you.
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Excellent and much appreciated!
Now for part 2 please – how to worship in churches where we find that justification by faith has the added tag “justification by our creed.” An increasing problem and one leading to much personal dissatisfaction and increasing frustration..
Dr.Heiser modality of thinking seems to be laser based, so refreshing to many who are awash in the EMOTIONAL APPEALS
of the “clergy” of today. Clarity, Focus and on point delivery make his presentations riveting and a breath of fresh air in a toxic dump of deceit. Correct me if I’m wrong. Yours for the sake of the truth glenn
Have you considered that Naaman might not have to take the king to his temple and bow down again before his life is taken? And maybe Elisha, knowing this, is telling him not to worry, he won’t have to face that decision that he’s asking about?
The point is that you are assuming that YHVH will overlook sin, even the sin of bowing down to another god, yet we know that all over the Bible, this is not an innocent sin. People die from YHVH’s judgement. In fact, Yeshua says not to fear someone who can kill us (for not doing as they command) but instead to fear YHVH. We must obey our Heavenly Father regardless.
Read 2 Kings 6 & 7. “The captain on whose hand the king leaned” is referring to Naaman. He ends up dying, a Syrian trampled by his enemy.
If this is not the true meaning of the story, then you are teaching that people can sin and still be in favor to receive salvation. Yeshua never once said that Naaman sinned (by bowing down or helping his king bow down) and still received salvation. In fact, Yeshua teaches the EXACT OPPOSITE to this mindset. He says to cut your hand off if it causes you to sin or you will burn in Hell. He never once teaches what you are teaching.
You list a great many righteous acts that Naaman didn’t do but you don’t know what Naaman did or did not do. You ASSUME he was disobedient to Torah and that was okay. Why do you not ASSUME instead that he actually did obey Torah? If not, how do you explain others like Nadab, Abihu, Uzzah, Ananias, Sapphira and everything that our Messiah taught? Didn’t this Messiah say “repent or perish”? He didn’t say “believe or perish.” The point of faith, if it’s true biblical saving faith, is that it’s supported or proven by faithfulness. One does not exist without the other.
Sadly, you have left your audience with a gospel message that has no power; certainly no power to require obedience and make that obedience possible. Even Yeshua said that CONTINUING in faith(fullness) is the only way to salvation. The seed that fell, sprouted up and believed a little while but did not continue, is proof.
Bottom line: You are wrong!
Marilyn
Have you read the scriptures in which you refer to in 2 Kings 7. If this is read correctly, the officer that is trampled is the captain to the King of Israel who is sent as a messenger ahead to Elisha to announce the King of Israel is coming to take Elisha’s life…not the captain of the Syrian Army. They flee during the night before and Elisha does the following….
“17 Now the king (of Israel, not Syria ) had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 18 For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” 19 the captain had answered the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.
Do you think that Elisha would have told Naaman to “go in peace”, if God planned to judge him for his faith in Yahweh Elohim, as was stated by Naaman before he left Elisha. God judges on the heart, he sees man’s heart, we don’t. I believe that Mike has spoken correctly, we must be very careful to understand the word of God…leave it to him to judge Naaman…which I believe the word of the prophet Elisha states clearly when he tells Naaman to go in peace. Question: Why do you think Naaman asked for the dirt to take with him back to his home…so He could have the dirt of Yahweh to worship Yahweh on, not the God of Syria. He has renounced the gods of Syria.
God know our hearts, Jesus is clear, it is our faith and what we do with it that counts. When the good Samaritan helped the man injured in the ditch, who was it that Jesus pointed to as the one who had compassion on the man injured…the Good Samaritan. The Pharisee and teachers of the law wanted to stone Jesus for pointing things like this out to them.
I am glad that Mike pushed this along, we should all have a strong “Believing (faithful) loyalty to our God and His Son Jesus”. As I John says,.. “Love God with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength (loyalty) and love our brothers as He has taught us (faith), thereby the World and our Brothers and Sisters in Christ will know we are One of His (paraphrased).
May the peace and love of God reign in our hearts and minds.
Not that Dr. Heiser needs defending, but I think you may be overstating what he’s saying. He actually alluded to it when he cited Rom. 6:1, I think he would affirm that, while salvation itself has only only one precondition, if our loyalty is truly to God, then we will not want to continue disobeying Him, something the Holy Spirit helps with. (Actually, your comment seems to be motivated by some deeper “Hebrew roots” type theological problems, i.e. that obedience to Torah could, or was intended to, bring about salvation. But that’s beyond the scope of this topic)
Sir, dr, brother Michel what on earth are you saying in your sermon illustration? Does saving faith mean that I can believe that Jesus is, for example, an exalted angel or a spirit brother of Helel ben Shahar or avatar of Vishnu and be saved? Doesn’t the believe have to be placed or directed to the right entity? If this is not required then evangelizing groups like JW, Mormons, some Hindus are meaningless. I know that salvation is not a theological test, that you must get 50 plus percent of correct answers, but if I understood you correctly I don’t have to evangelize some of the modern Gnostics because they can affirm all things that you said in your sermon.
Sincerely but in greate confusion
Yours in Christ
Kamil
It means that when I accepted Christ I didn’t know the first thing about Christology — but I trusted Christ’s work on the cross and that alone for my salvation. That’s called saving faith. Our knowledge of Christology can be imperfect while seeing there is no other way of salvation. Otherwise, John 3:16 would say, “whoever has precise Christology shall be saved.” When I came to Christ, I didn’t have a prayer when it came to understanding Christology with accuracy, but I knew I was lost and what the lone solution for that was. I embraced it. There was no quiz after I prayed.
So what in your understanding would be considered a dividing line between Christians and nonchristians (in a theological sense)?
may 27th sermon, reminded me that i can rest easy in the arms of Jesus.
thank you
Dr. Heiser, Geat lesson. If the congregation really listened, I think they will send Dex on another trip and have you back. 🙂 Question: Grace- God’s favor of an unmerited loving kindness! Could we not take all you spoke about and apply it to the People of Israel? Regardless of their sins, exile, dispersion they are still saved and the elect people of God?
For being on the “endangered species list” like Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster, you Rock! Thanks for “taking the plunge”.
Mike, is there a transcript of this sermon?