Clue #1 – “Cause and Effect”
Everything in existence today is the effect of some cause (shirt – designer; chair – chair manufacturer; building – architect; etc..) And so we see how the law of cause and effect works: the effect (whatever it may be: a smile, a question, a cloud in the sky, a rainbow, the Golden Gate Bridge) always points back to an initial cause. If we take this logic out further and consider the billions of supposed galaxies and the innumerable amounts of stars, suns, and planets that fill them, we find ourselves asking a very important question, “What’s their cause?” You see, if you go back far enough, something must be eternal (i.e. an Uncaused Cause). Something never had a beginning. To doubt this is to be on the verge of intellectual suicide, because you would essentially be saying, “nothing X no one = everything.” Something must have always existed; and that something must not only have always existed but must of had the potential power within it to create the universe – we call that Something, “God”. This doesn’t prove the existence of an intelligent, all-powerful God, but it is certainly a clue.

With more to come,

John

John MacArthur once said, “I believe when I hold a Bible in my hands that I am actually holding the living Word of God.  I believe my Bible is an accurate English translation of the original manuscripts written by the authors thousands of years ago.  When I dig into the truths revealed in Scripture, it is abundantly clear I have a book that is obviously divine.  That is why it must be taught verse by verse, phrase by phrase and word by word.”

I have just completed work on my new seminar booklet, Defending Your Faith, which will be taught in conference format.  This Bible conference could be called an Apologetics conference.  So what is apologetics?  Dr. Walter Martin said, “Apologetics doesn’t mean arguing with people, but rather giving everyone who asks of you an answer for the hope that lies within you.  Evangelism is the proclamation of the good news while apologetics is answering questions that grow out of its proclamation.  The trouble with the church today is people know what they believe but they don’t know why.  That is the function of apologetics – to answer the why.”

Apologetics was actually a first century concept.  Peter wrote, “Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you,” (I Peter 3:15).  We have a responsibility to not only preach Jesus Christ, but to become so familiar with Him and His gospel that when someone asks us a question regarding His message, we have an answer.  There is no more important job to be done than to share and defend the faith.

I’ll be sharing with you here the information that’s been compiled in my new booklet, Defending Your Faith, so that you might always have an answer “for the hope that is in you.” 

Fred Overton Seminars is dedicated to teaching the timeless truths of God’s Word.

If you would like to schedule a seminar in your church, call 678-371-2949 or email Fred@FredOverton.com.

Bunyan wrote the book while in prison, suffering (unjustly) for his unwillingness to deny his faith and to stop preaching the gospel.  He had a poor wife and a blind child to care for but his allegiance to Christ would not be wavered.  He was not willing to look back after having placed his hand to the plow (Luke 9:62).  The book is about “Christian’s” journey.  At first, he is weighed down by a heavy burden which lay upon his back (sin/condemnation) and so he ventures out to find a remedy.  Along the way he meets various people who either help and aid him or harm and deceive him.  In the scene I will quote from, Christian has met a man named “Interpreter” who is a friend, an aid and a wise guide.  Follow along with me…

Passion and Patience

“I saw, moreover, in my dream that the Interpreter took him by the hand, and had him into a little room, where sat two little children, each one in his chair.  The name of the eldest was Passion, and the name of the other Patience.  Passion seemed to be much discontented, but Patience was very quiet.  Then Christian asked:

CHRISTIAN:  What is the reason of the discontent of Passion?

INTERPRETER:  The governor of them would have him stay (wait) for his best things till the beginning of next year; but he will have all now; but Patience is willing to wait.

Then I saw that one came to Passion, and brought him a bag of treasure, and poured it down at his feet; the which he took up and rejoiced therein, and withal laughed Patience to scorn.  But I beheld but a while, and he had lavished all away, and had nothing left him but rags.

CHRISTIAN:  Expound this matter more fully to me.

INTERPRETER:  These two lads are figures; Passion of the men of this world, and Patience of the men of that which is to come.  As here you see, Passion will have all now, this year, that is to say, in this world; so are the men of this world, they must have all their good things now; they cannot wait till the next year, that is, until the next world, for their portion of good.  That proverb, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” is of more authority (truth) with them that are all the divine testimonies of the good [men] of the world to come.  But as you saw that he had quickly lavished all away, and had presently left him nothing but rags, so will it be with all such men at the end of this world.

CHRISTIAN:  Now I see that Patience has the best wisdom, and that upon many accounts (for many reasons).  (1) Because he waits for the best things.  (2) And also because he will have the glory of his, when the other has nothing but rags.

INTERPRETER:  [Not only that], you may add another; to wit, the glory of the next world will never wear out; but these are suddenly gone.  Therefore Passion had [no reason] to laugh at Patience, because he had his good things first, as Patience will have to laugh at Passion because he had his best things last; for first must give place to last, because last much have his time to come; but last gives places to nothing; for there is not another to succeed.  He therefore that has his portion first needs a time to spend it; but he that has his portion last has [time] lastingly.  Therefore it is said of him, “In your lifetime [you] received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and you are tormented (Luke 16:25).”

CHRISTIAN:  Then I perceive it is not best to covet things that are now (temporary), but to wait for things to come.

INTERPRETER:  You speak truth:  for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).  But though this be so, yet since things present and our fleshly appetite are such near neighbors one to another; and again, because things to come and carnal sense are such strangers one to another; therefore it is, that the first of these so suddenly fall into amity (peaceful harmony, friendship), and that distance is so continued between the second (Romans 7:15-25).”

So…Is a bird in the hand really worth two in the bush?  Or is a bird (the treasure of this world) in my hands (in my possession in this world) really worth two in the bush (the doubly impressive eternal treasure prepared for those who patiently wait)?

I think not… Wait.  Be patient.  Endure.  “Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58).”  Focus on Jesus.  Do not be ashamed.  “Consider, as Moses did, the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt (or America); for he was looking to the reward (Heb. 11:26).”

“All these (the great cloud of witnesses from Hebrews 11) died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own (heaven).  And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”!!!!!!!!!!  (Heb. 11:13-16)

And lastly, “…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).”

What is the reward?  In one word:  Christ.  He is more glorious than all our perceptions of Him combined.  What worldly thing(s) would you dare exchange for Him?  Get all you can of Him during your brief stay on earth; that is, explore by faith all the mysteries of the gospel, all the indescribales of His glory and all the secret realities of His promises.  May it be your insatiable desire to know Him, love Him, learn Him and wait for Him.  Be Patient, not Passion…

With my hand to the plow and my head forward (Luke 9:62),

John

Yet, many of us, including myself, struggle from time to time with doubt.  That’s logical considering Satan’s primary mission, ever since Eden, has been to arouse suspicion within the minds of God’s people in order to disarm them of their sober-thinking and disfigure their faith through sin.  Why do we sin?  Because of our unbelief.  Obedience is a result of faith and disobedience is a result of the lack of faith (John 3:36).  Faith kills sin or sin kills faith.

Think about it from Satan’s perspective for a moment, he knows what the Scriptures say, “the righteous man shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17), and “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6).  Faith is the key.  God delights in faith.  He is glorified in us as we actively believe in what He has said in His word and live it out boldly in our lives.  Faith is the “narrow road” spoken of in Matt. 7.  It is the “abundant life” of John 10.  If you can’t please God without it, then it makes sense to assume that Satan’s mission in each of our lives centers around the perpetual weakening or dulling of our faith, polluting or corrupting of our faith, and dare I say “shipwrecking” (1 Tim. 1:19) of our faith.  A man with an active faith is an awful weapon in the hands of God.  Satan knows this.  He fears this.  And in light of that, I don’t believe Satan is all that concerned with how you sin (that is with the sundry ways in which your sin manifests itself:  be it through lust, pride, envy, strife, anger, fear, doubt, blasphemy, irreverence, arrogance, malice, etc), but I believe he is insatiably concerned with habituating within you a weak faith.

What am I saying?  If your faith in God today is weak, is waning, is shrouded in doubt, is pessimistic, then as James said, “let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:7).”  There is no such thing as “doubting faith.”  It’s oxymoronic.  Listen to how God defines faith in Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  There’s no wavering in the faith which is defined by God.  It seems so certain, so bold.  At this point I’m sure you are saying to yourself, as I am, “I don’t know if I have this kind of faith.  Mine is so weak, so often wavering.  Does that mean that I don’t have real faith?  How can I know my faith is genuine?  How can I get this fearless faith which God delights in?”  To which I humbly respond:  fear not, for it is a gift…a free gift.

The faith which God delights in cannot be exercised by man.  No man has ever pleased God by his own faith.  No man has ever had fearless, doubtless, unwavering, unbowed faith…except One, the God-Man Jesus Christ.  His faith in the Father was perfect.  He never doubted, He always obeyed (John 5:19, Heb. 5:8-9).  It is the perfect faith of Jesus Christ which we are given at the point of salvation.  It is His unblemished faith which is breathed into us at our spiritual conception.

So then, what is this faith which we are called to exhibit in our lives?  What is this faith which the righteous live by?  What is the faith which the apostles were continually rebuked for having so little of (Matt. 6:30; 8:26)?  Faith, for us each new day, is the progressive realization and expression of Christ’s faith in us. I’ll say it again, so you read it again, “faith, for us each new day, is the progressive realization and expression of Christ’s faith in us.”  There is bound up within you, right now, the perfecting faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The same Spirit which enabled Jesus to perfectly love, serve, obey, and trust God the Father throughout the 33 years of His earthly life, is the same Spirit which resides within you, if you are truly a child of God.  The unveiling of this faith is what sanctification is all about (2 Cor. 3:18).  Faith, then, is the growing expression of Christ in us.  We have already been given, by God’s divine power, “everything [we need] pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).”  We lack nothing.  We already have been given “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3).”  Don’t doubt your Dad.  He delights in you with all His heart, right now – perfectly.  Not because of some superior, inhuman, bold, warrior-like faith which you’ve conjured up to please God, but because of His Son, Jesus, who has perfectly loved the Father for us.  Those men and women who have most fully realized their inability to please God by themselves, the ones who have most hated their pride and despised those fleshly feelings of self-sufficiency, they are the ones whom the author of Hebrews honors in saying, “[they are the ones] whom the world was not worthy (Heb. 11:38).”

This potential is in each of us.  Christ Jesus Himself is in each of us.  How do you unleash Him?  ”Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17).”

In the faith and love of Christ,

John

First let me say that this is a very difficult question.  Why?  Two reasons:  1) Because we are finite creatures with various mental limitations, that is, we don’t have the cognitive ability or brain power to understand certain things.  For instance, when I hear statistics about our universe, I often find myself in a state of awe and wonder, utterly unable to comprehend the magnitude and greatness of whatever cosmic thing is being described.  and 2) God is infinite and has no limitations, and we are dealing with His truth which, at times, stretches beyond our limits – humbling us and serving to remind us that we are just ‘creation’ and He is ‘Creator”…may questions like these not scare us away, but lead us into more fervent prayer to God for more grace and wisdom to understand Him beyond our natural ability.

Let’s go…

“Freedom”:  the power to determine action without restraint; exemption from external control, interference, and regulation.

Our actions are dictated by our desires and our desires are dictated by our natures. Our greatest desire in any given moment dictates what we do.  That is to say, we do exactly what we want to do, what we most desire to do – at all times. No one can act contrary to their desires.  That is to say, no one can do something they don’t desire to do. That may sound strange, I know.  Let me explain by way of illustration:  Why do you get out of bed in the morning?  Because you have a stronger desire to get up and start your day than you do to remain in the bed.  Why do you eat breakfast? Brush your teeth?  Drive to work?  Go to school?  Do your homework?  etc…because you have a stronger desire to do those things than to not.  And if you don’t do them, then you have a stronger desire for that.

So is the will free? Yes and no. “Yes” in the sense that you are free to do what you desire. In fact, at any given moment, you will only choose to do what you desire – you cannot act contrary to your desires. The strongest desire always wins!  (Another brief example – because this point is so important to understand in order to rightly grasp the “free will” concept – Let’s say you are confronted by a mugger on the street.  He points a gun at you and says, “Give me your wallet or I’ll kill you!”  You respond by saying, “Sure thing!” And react by quickly pulling out your wallet, full of all the money from your recently cashed pay-check, your ID, your credit cards, your insurance cards, and your social security card! He takes the money and leaves you alone.  Now why did you give the mugger your wallet?  Because your desire to live in that moment was greater than your desire to keep your wallet and all your personal belongings contained within it! Again, your desires always win!)  So, your will is free to choose whatever it wants, based on what it wants. You are free in the sense that you can do whatever you desire to do – but (and this is important) you cannot do what you don’t desire to do.

So is the will free? Yes and no.  “No” in the sense that it cannot act contrary to its nature. We cannot change our nature.  And remember what I said earlier, “Our actions are dictated by our desires and our desires are dictated by our natures.”  Before Christ, what kind of nature do you have?  Answer:  ”fleshly” natures.  Romans 8:5-8 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit (true, born again Christians), the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Wow!! You see? Before Christ saves someone, they are dead in their sin (Eph. 2:1), they are “fleshly”, not even capable to please God (vs. 8).  They have a “stoney” heart (Ezekiel 36:26 – “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh [spiritually speaking] and give you a heart of flesh.”)  The “heart of stone” is resistant to the things of God, unmoved by the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, naturally prone to hate God and His commandments, and they need a “fleshly” or “living” heart that is respondent and sensitive to the things of God, hypersensitive to the delicious truth of the gospel, desirous of Him and of glory for His Son (and don’t be confused by the terminology, in this particular case in Ezekiel, “fleshly” simply means “living” or “renewed” – it is used differently in our previously quoted text from Romans 8).

And what is the result of this new heart that God promises to give His children? New desires! God-pleasing desires! Ezekiel further explains vs. 27 by saying, “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” See, when God saves someone, He gives them a new heart (spiritually speaking). And that new heart is filled with new desires! So that now, the regenerated (fancy word for saved) man will desire the things God delights in, thusly bringing Him glory and us joy – why? – because we are doing exactly what we want to do; but the things we now want to do are the God-glorifying things He has designed us to do and created us anew to do.

So…God doesn’t control my every action. I am not a puppet on a string or a robot being controlled by a remote. I am simply regenerated.  Whereas, before Christ my desires resulted in action against God in displeasing ways, my new desires result in action for God in very pleasing ways!  The work of God in salvation is not the changing of my desires, it is the exchanging of my nature – old for new.  Therefore, God doesn’t specifically give me desires – that is, God doesn’t make me love Him.  He simply gave me a new nature and so now I, because of my new nature, freely choose to love God because that is what I naturally desire to do.  Again, He gave me a new nature.  And that new nature has in it the ability or potential to desire and love God.  So is my will free?  Yes and no.  It is free to do what it desires but it is not free to choose what it desires. God changed my nature and gave me His Spirit when He saved me and in so doing, gave me the ability to desire Him.

Last thing – How do I cultivate a deeper desire for Him?  Three distinct ways: through His Word, through prayer, and through fellowship with His people.

I hope this has proven to be helpful.  Feel free to ask questions at your leisure by commenting on this post!
Here are a few supplementary passages to take a look at for further study:

Gal. 5:16-25;  Ezekiel 36:26-38;  Duet. 30:19-20;  John 6:29, 37-39, 44, 63-65;  John 8:42-47

Desiring Christ,

John

Why blog?  Technology is a neutral thing.  It has potential for evil or good, for blessing or cursing, for the building up of one’s faith or the destruction of it.  Our beautiful Savior can be glorified through the prayerful use of it or defamed, assaulted, slandered and reproached through the improper use of it.  I see blogging as a tool given to us by God as a means of first and foremost glorifying Christ, and secondly of maximizing our joy in Him and growing more in our likeness to Him.  This is why you exist friend – to show the world the unparalleled richness and blessedness of worshipping God (1 Cor. 8:6).

It is my prayer that through this blog you would be enriched in your worship of your Savior through a growing knowledge of Him, that I pray will result in an intensified love for Him (1 Cor. 8:1) and a more deeply satisfied and contented soul for you.

Do you believe this is possible?  If not, I pray you will soon.

What I hope to do through each new blog post is answer your questions.  At first, I will simply pose my own questions and do my best to answer them as prayerfully and biblically as possible.  But hopefully, as you read and as you live and as you learn, you will find yourself having questions of your own that I have not covered, so feel free to post comments and ask…  I would love for this blog to be a means of correspondence between myself and those of you who have similar affections for Jesus and similar questions about Him.  I do NOT claim to have all the answers…but I will do my best to fearfully and reverently answer what I can from God’s Word for His glory.

Again, thank you for reading.  If you feel so led, please do pray for this project, that it would accomplish “what [God] desires, and succeed in the matter for which [He] sent it (Isaiah 55:11).”

Because of Christ’s love,

John