A Disaster in Haiti

The recent earthquake in Haiti is a disaster of incalculable magnitude. Haiti, a nation only a few hundred miles from the coast of Florida, is in another struggle for survival. Life in Haiti is not easy. It lacks many of the institutional structures that provide for the basic well-being of the population. A devastating earthquake has rocked the island nation which is already the poorest in the western hemisphere.

History is littered with natural disasters. Earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, floods, drought, and hurricanes plague the human condition. We live in a world under the curse of sin and death. When Adam and Eve rebelled against their Creator, the planet on which we live became a hostile environment. Thankfully, nature did not become totally ruined but it is broken badly enough to make us yearn for a better world. Even creation itself is said to be one great symphony of sighs waiting for its redemption (Rom. 8:22). God has not abandoned a fallen sinful human race. There is hope.

How can hope be transferred to the broken and bleeding people of Haiti? It starts with immediate expressions of compassion. The parable of the Good Samaritan tells us that we are to love our neighbor and our neighbor is the person we encounter who is in need (Lk. 10:25-37). We love our neighbor when we show mercy. The Haitians need our mercy. There are multiple ways we can direct our mercy. Find a reputable mission agency which has a history in Haiti of day-in and day-out Christ exalting ministries that is making a difference. Give your money to these missionaries and ministries. We can pray for Haiti. Pray that a good and stable government will rise to lead the island nation. Pray that the Christian community in Haiti will show Christ’s love through its gospel witness and mercy ministries.

One thing Haiti doesn’t need is more U.S. aid without accountability. There are many who, wanting to feel better about themselves, think that American tax dollars thrown at a problem is the solution. True compassion does not ignore truth and real long term solutions. Nation building, which is what is needed in Haiti, requires a foundation of character strength, liberty, a strong work ethic, a government that works for the good of the people, justice, entrepreneurial capitalism, and a high view of God. This is not to say that Haiti lacks these qualities. They must be more widespread. Here is a report received recently from Haiti.

But let me change to something more encouraging. Even though a food delivery had been promised, and about 5000 people waited patiently until 4 pm, no food arrived today. So the people do not get fed. What do they do? They hold an outdoor praise session! They have been singing songs of praise for about two hours now. Hungry, tired, suffering people praising the Lord. I wish you could hear it - songs that say: 'I am not afraid because I have Jesus in my heart.' Or 'Thank you, thank you Lord because I know you.' The songs were upbeat, joyful. Some people were dancing, arms raised in the air to God. I am so humbled.

Cynics may scoff at this and say much more is needed than prayer and singing. The truth is that such resilience in a time of calamity is the stuff from which a better future is made.

Was the earthquake in Haiti an act of God’s judgment? This question in one form or another always seems to enter the public conversation about natural disasters. Some think that we are better off, as one Opinion columnist in the AJC has stated, “When God and Satan are given a holiday from the news cycle.” Attempts at immediate explanations for earthquakes, hurricanes, and other such eruptions in nature are fraught with hazards. Jesus’ disciples tried to get Him to explain why a tower fell over and killed eighteen people. He “dodged” the question and went to the important issue, namely, that disasters are warnings to everyone. We assume that God owes us a good turn of events when the truth is, we all deserve death because we are sinners. The message of God in all calamities is that we all need to repent. If the Haitians are suffering because of generations of Voodoo, then why isn’t America experiencing catastrophes for having slaughtered millions of innocent babies in the wombs of their mothers? It is best to leave those questions with God. In the meantime, we must pray that Haitians and Americans will abandon their idols and turn to God’s salvation in Jesus Christ.

Saving Unborn Children

Abortion is a critical moral issue in our time. Previous generations have had to overcome the evils of slavery and segregation. The culture of death with abortion as its centerpiece is an evil that must be exposed, resisted, and defeated. On January 22, 1973 the United States Supreme Court found the right to abortion on demand in the Constitution. It was an appalling decision which has led to an average of 1.6 million abortions annually.

Abortion is the extraction or expulsion of the immature human fetus from the mother’s womb prior to natural birth. The pro-life movement has called attention to fundamental moral issues that are involved in the protection of innocent human life in the womb. First, every human life is sacred. Its value is absolute. Secondly, the deliberate killing of an innocent human being is wrong. Thirdly, the fetus is a complete person possessing a soul from the moment of conception. Fourthly, the purpose of law is to protect human life. After all is said and done, abortion is about God.

God has made it very clear that the developing fetus is already human life (Jer. 1:4; Psa. 139:13-16; Ex. 21:22-24; Lk. 1:24; 2:1). The embryo is a human life and must be accorded the same rights as life outside the womb. It has been noted that “at eight weeks all the organs are present- brain functioning, heart pumping, liver making blood cells, kidney cleaning the fluids, fingerprints formed, etc. Yet almost all abortions happen later than this date.”

Fetal life is defenseless and will be vindicated by God (Psa. 10:17-18; 146:9; 68:5; Deut. 10:18; Amos 1:13; Prov. 6:16-18; Jas. 1:27). God was committed to the care and protection of the fatherless in Israel. He promised blessings upon those who shared His care for orphans. This responsibility has been committed to the church as well. In ancient Israel children who had no father were to be protected. The motherless were also objects of God’s compassion (Ezek. 16:4-6). A nation that legitimizes, through its legal system, the destruction of innocent human life is in for hard times. God holds that nation responsible for its moral failure. Woe be to a nation that declares war on the defenseless (children in the womb, child abuse, pedophilia). The judgment of God fell upon Ammon for ripping open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their borders (Amos 1:3). It has been said that “societies that have nothing sacred, especially not human life, die.”

The arguments that are used to justify the destruction of fetal life are morally and ethically flawed.

“A woman alone has the right to choose what is done to and in her body.” Other versions of this argument are articulated in terms of “reproductive freedom” or “a free society should not invade the privacy of a woman’s body.” In response, let it be said that that so-called “freedom of choice” can never justify freedom to take innocent lives at will. What about the rights of others? What about the rights of the innocent fetus the mother has chosen to conceive? Who gives the unborn child a choice? Who is his or her advocate? It was Lewis B. Smedes, the Christian ethicist, who said, “a free society does not allow people to follow their consciences if their consciences lead them to kill an innocent human being.”

“What right do the pro-lifers have to impose their particular view of morality on others? It is said that you can’t legislate morality in a pluralistic society.” The issue is really whose morality will be reflected in our law and public policy. John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg (Ethics for a Brave New World) effectively sully this popular argument by pointing out that “the issue…is not whether a morality should be imposed, but whether the one being imposed is the correct one. We are not embarrassed to impose a morality on society that requires us not to kill another human being on whim. Why, if abortion is wrong, should we be afraid to impose on society a ban against it?”

Answering the flimsy and morally vacuous arguments of the pro-abortion movement is not enough, however. There are measurable and meaningful things that we can do to challenge and correct the culture of death in which we live. In the first place, we who are pro-life are to live in such a way as to be a purifying influence on the moral corruption in our society (Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Pet. 2:11-17). We are to take responsibility for our own lives to live God’s way (“abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul”). Our lives are to be placed on display for all to see the presence of God. Love one another. Be kind. Show compassion. Keep ourselves morally pure. Don’t go to bed with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Tell the truth. Secondly, we are to live in submission to divinely ordained cultural institutions (the state, one’s employer, family). This is to be done for the Lord’s sake. The world is suspicious of Christians. Our teaching unsettles the unbeliever. Any charges of treason (being un-American, anarchists, rebels, etc.) are best dispelled by godly living.

Thirdly, we are to identify, resist, and denounce the evils that exist in our fallen world (Eph. 5:11, “And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.”). Pro-life Christians have a right and responsibility to speak out against the evils of our age. The evils of racism, adultery, pornography, illegal drugs, abortion, etc. must have the light of truth cast upon them. The moral evil of abortion on demand ought to be challenged by the persuasion of a greater power, namely changed attitudes and values. Finally, we are to be a merciful community by providing assistance to those who are crying in the darkness. Love for God and others translated into good deeds can speak volumes to a watching world. The unsaved can’t understand the language of truth but they can observe lives that practice the truth. Unwed mothers considering abortion need loving counsel and prayer. Saving unborn children is a cause with God’s stamp of approval.

Dr. Howard E. Dial

Berachah Bible Church

The Weight of Words

Our words are weighty things. We can carry hurtful words spoken to us an entire life-time. Taunts on the playground in the second grade, a harsh criticism from a parent, a discouraging comment from a teacher can come back to us like the sting of a hornet. The problem is that we can be guilty of inflicting verbal wounds ourselves.

Biblical wisdom tells us that our words are weighed by God (Prov. 10:19-21, 31-32). This is a sobering thought. The words that we use are not leaves that float to the ground and return to the soil. They are carriers of messages that either help or hurt. Proverbs is filled with wisdom in the use of our tongue.

In Proverbs 10:19 we are told that “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” With our use of words, fewer is often better than more. This is another aspect of the truth that controlling one’s tongue helps avoid sin (Jas. 3:1-12). The world of the internet has created a torrent of words that pour out through blogs, emails, Facebook, and web sites. Text-messaging and twittering also play their part in non-stop conversations. Never in the history of mankind have so many been able to speak to so many so much of the time. This is not necessarily a bad thing but given the shared experience of fallen human nature the potential for lying, slander, gossip, and wasted time is massive. A word to the wise. Think before you speak. For all Facebookers, when we write on our walls, is it encouraging to others? Is it necessary, too much about too little? When you twitter to a host of hearers, is it true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable?

Are your words worth their weight in precious metals? “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth” (Prov. 10:20). Our words can have great value. A text message thanking a friend for the help they have been to you can turn a cloudy day into a sunny day. Never underestimate the nourishing effect of words (“The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for a lack of sense.” Prov. 10:21). Bruce Waltke has summarized the truth of this very well; “though the fool is surrounded by the life-preserving words of the righteous that nourish many, he starves to death because he lacks the good sense to feed on them. He can neither receive life nor give it.” May God give us the grace to pass along health-giving comments and godly counsel to that distraught parent struggling with their children’s rebellious behavior.

Our words can be worthless, wasted, and deadly. Is your guard down when you speak to those you love the most? The guided missiles of harshness, sarcasm, and the judgment of motives do untold damage to marriages. The better news is that our words can be like delicious fruit, sweet to the taste and nutritious for our spiritual well-being (“The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.” Prov. 10:31). Is my communication healing and healthy? Do I talk too much about myself? Do I talk back to my parents? Is bathroom humor my default mode when I am trying to be funny? “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse” (Prov. 10:32). How we verbally respond to disappointments should receive our full attention. Our words should be fitting or appropriate to the occasion (e.g. not uttering a complaint or profanity but talking to myself in terms of the promises of God instead).

Let us become our own best counselors so that our words are weighted by divine wisdom. (1) We are to set our minds on the things of the Spirit. Our thoughts should not be allowed to take us wherever they want to go. (2) Ask God for the grace to utter kind words. (3) Declare war on self-serving, negative, and critical remarks. (4) Learn how to ask people questions and ask God for the grace to be a good listener.

“Lord, make my tongue an instrument for what is right in your sight. May it be used to praise you, for passing on truth to others, for prayer, for witnessing to others about Christ, and honesty. Keep me from deception, lying, gossip, profanity, slander, boasting, and flattery. Give me the grace of discipline so that I will not say whatever comes to my mind. Teach me how to talk about people and to people without sinning against them. Please grant me the sense to remember that my words are messages that can’t be recalled. ‘Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.’ So that when you weigh my words in the day of judgment they will be as gold, silver, and precious stones and not wood, hay, and straw.”

Dr. Howard E. Dial

Berachah Bible Church

Unconditional Election - Some Questions

The teaching of Scripture is not always easy to grasp. It is true that the Bible is a clear book (the perspicuity of Scripture), but at the same time we are encountering the mind of God and that is a humbling experience. In the context of the pardoning of sin and God’s grace it is said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isa. 55:8). There is no revealed truth that challenges our thoughts more than the truth of unconditional election. Unconditional election is that sovereign act of God (His decision only) in eternity past whereby He chose all believers to salvation with all its accompanying blessings and obligations (Eph. 1:4-7; Jn. 15:16; 17:2; Rom. 9:18).

The wonder of the distinguishing grace of God bestowed on some sinners and not others is not based on any condition man must meet before God chooses to save him. This election occurred before the foundation of the world, is unmerited, and finds its ground, cause, and guarantee in Jesus Christ. A host of objections and questions have been presented in response to the truth of unconditional election.

Is not the election of believers based on foreseen faith as the product of “prevenient grace” (divine grace turning the heart toward God) and is not, therefore, unconditional? This is probably the most common explanation given to why some are saved and others are not. On the surface it seems plausible, namely, that God knows who will believe and elects individuals only because He foresees their faith. But there are serious flaws with this view of election. It misinterprets the word “foreknowledge” to mean just “to know beforehand.” On closer examination when foreknowledge is used with reference to people, it means God’s special favor. Further, if it is true that God elects on the basis of foreseen faith, then God elects on the basis of human belief. Man is placed at the center rather than God’s sovereignty. It should also be emphasized that so-called foreseen faith still makes salvation and damnation certain. The problem is with certainty and free will, not with election and free will (Acts 2:23). It was “foreknown” (if you believe in foreseen faith), foreordained (if you believe in unconditional election), but in either case certain that the soldiers would not break Christ’s legs; that He would be buried with the rich, etc. It was certain from the foundation of the world, yet all involved did as they chose to do. Those who believe in foreseen faith as the basis of election to salvation are still left with the determination that some are not going to be saved. In the words of Augustine, “God does not choose us because we believe, but that we may believe.”

“Is not election based on one’s acceptance of Christ?” This is closely akin to the foreseen faith view but goes on to say that Christ only was elected in eternity past and the believer is elected when he receives Christ as Savior. The theological defect here is that it ignores the plain statements that individual believers were chosen before the foundation of the world. God does not choose on the basis of human choice which is a violation of the grace principle. God’s freedom and sovereignty cannot be placed in the service of a human decision.

“Is not election to service for Christ only?” This view says that the believer is not elected to salvation but rather has been chosen to be “conformed to the image of Christ.” A question remains, however. How can one possibly distinguish between salvation and the obligation for service? This view evades the issue.

“Is God not unfair in electing some and not others?” This question assumes God has to be fair. If it is justice that we want, we are all in trouble. If salvation is based on justice who would be saved? No one.

“Why doesn’t God elect everyone to salvation?” We don’t know. This is locked away in the infinite mind of God. The number of the elect may very well be larger than imagined. Those who die while still in the womb and infants, if covered by the atoning work of Christ as some believe, would take their place among the elect of God. For all others it can be said that whoever desires to be saved can be.

“Doesn’t election discourage evangelism?” The truth of unconditional election is taught in the Scriptures to have just the opposite effect (Rom. 9-11; Jn. 10:27). Our responsibility is to carry the gospel to all men everywhere (2 Tim. 2:10). God has ordained our proclamation of the gospel as the means of bringing the elect to salvation. This is a great encouragement in evangelism. By God’s grace we will always be successful in our witness. God does the preparing of hearts. We are to be obedient and witness.

“Doesn’t election violate human freedom?” It does not. The Bible teaches that divine sovereignty and human responsibility are compatible. It has been pointed out by many theologians that men make choices according to their own desires. We do what we want to do and are held responsible for our decisions. Man’s choices are not coerced but are real ones. Erwin Lutzer has identified a core issue in saying, “Not only are we born with a sin nature, but we are also under condemnation. We are therefore held accountable for sins we did not personally commit.”

“Doesn’t unconditional election make God the author of sin?” No, it does not. The Bible distinguishes between what God does and what God permits. God has designed a plan that includes evil. We will have to face this fact as difficult as it may be. It was essential to gain the desired goal, namely, the glorification of God in all His attributes. We know that God hates sin (Psa. 5:5). The responsibility of committing sin is always placed on man and acknowledged by man. We must praise God that by His grace and in His infinite wisdom He has chosen to save some from the vast sea of sinful and rebellious humanity.

“Does it do any good to pray if God has elected some to be saved?” Yes, we must pray. For, like evangelism, prayer is ordained by God as a means of accomplishing His purposes. It is consistent with the plan and wisdom of God that we pray for the unsaved (Rom. 10:1). God uses the prayers of the righteous to bring the elect to salvation.

“Does unconditional election mean that some of my loved ones may not have been chosen to salvation?” The only way we can know who the elect and non-elect are is who puts their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin. To try to venture into the mind of God about who are the non-elect is not open to us. We must remember that those who desire to be saved can be. We are responsible, as Christians, to pray for and share the gospel with our loved ones.

“How can divine election be reconciled with human responsibility?” The Bible presents both truths and offers no final reconciliation for us now. We do not know how this seeming paradox fits together, but God knows. So we are wise to leave it in God’s hands (“The secret things belong to the Lord, our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” Deut. 29:29).

“How can I be sure that I am one of the elect?” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16; Acts 16:31). If you die without Christ’s righteousness credited to you, there is nothing left but eternal damnation. Today, God is setting the way of eternal life before you. What will you do? If you belong to Jesus Christ, praise God for His grace.

Dr. Howard E. Dial

Berachah Bible Church

Hard Hearts

Running around barefoot in the summer time was one of the perks of childhood. How wonderful it was to kick off those hot shoes and feel the cool green grass under your feet. But barefoot season did not start out that way. Tender feet were met with stones, sticks, briars, and hot streets. After a while the discomfort gave way to calloused feet. By the end of summer we could fly around the yard, streets, and woods with natural “soles” on our feet. This didn’t stop nails and stubbed toes but it did offer some pain relief.

The Bible warns of the danger of developing a hard heart. In Exodus it is said ten times that Pharaoh hardened his heart. Ten other times it is reported that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This presents something of a theological conundrum. Which happened first? We will hold that question for the moment. There is the matter of what it means to harden one’s heart. This is no small matter. To harden one’s heart toward God is to become unreceptive and insensitive to God and His word. When an unsaved person hardens his heart toward God there is a callousness of soul which resists the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. This hardening process, if not reversed, leads to eternal damnation. There is nothing more serious than this (Rom. 9:22; 11:7).

Hardening the heart is a metaphorical expression describing an insensitive, unresponsive, stubborn rejection of God’s Word. It is a will set in cement in response to God’s revelation.

Hardening the heart is possible in response to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unbelievers can harden their heart (e.g. Pharaoh, Ex. 7:13, 14, 22; Acts 19:9). Hard hearts will look for ways to reject, discredit, malign, and even stop the gospel message from being preached.

Hardened hearts can be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit in the new birth (Eph. 4:17-20). The apostle Paul is a classic example of how a hard heart toward the gospel developed by religious zeal can be reversed (Acts 9:1-19; 1 Tim. 1:13). Though a blasphemer and a persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ, Paul was shown mercy. The “foremost” of sinners was transformed into an ambassador of the gospel of reconciliation. No spiritual case is too hard for God. Remember this, dear Christian, as you pray for the unsaved.

Hardening the heart is possible among God’s people. The Hebrew Christians are warned of this danger (Heb. 3:8, 13, 15; 4:7). When the believer refuses to obey God and complains because of trials, watch out! When God’s promises are dismissed and trampled under one’s feet there will be a price to pay. God will lovingly chasten His children to call the disobedient to repentance (Heb. 12).

Hardening the heart operates along a defined pattern. There is an opportunity to respond to the revelation of God (i.e. to obey Him). Resistance to revering Him and disobeying Him results in increasing insensitivity. The hardened heart develops and eventually encounters the judgment of God. For the non-Christian this means a self-produced incapability of belief in Christ. The loving witness of family members, pain and suffering, repeated opportunities to hear the gospel are all like a drop of water on a brick. The awful consequences of rejecting Jesus Christ are mocked. What a terrible thought.

Hardening the heart is possible on a national scale. How dark is the day when great numbers of people in a nation or any people group hear the gospel and reject it and become openly hostile to believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus looked out over the city of Jerusalem with great emotion and lamented the spiritual hardness that characterized the nation of Israel (Matt. 23:37). It was this hardness of heart that brought the apostle Paul to exclaim, “I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh…” (Rom. 9:3). This self-induced blindness that afflicted the nation of Israel was in itself the judgment of God for unbelief (Isa. 6:10; Matt. 13:14, 15; Mk. 4:12; Lk. 8:10; Jn. 12:40; Acts 28:26; Rom. 11:8).

Hardening the heart takes a heavy toll upon the divine institution of marriage (Matt. 19:8). God permitted Moses to write certificates of divorce in Israel because of its spiritual obtuseness. There was no command to divorce. Marriage was designed by God to be lifelong and monogamous. Hard hearts become unreceptive and disobedient to God and His Word. Marriages suffer as a result.

We come back to Pharaoh. It is said that God hardened His heart. How does this fit into the theology of hard hearts? Some are quick to say that Pharaoh hardened his heart before God hardened his heart. However, Paul says God hardens “whom he wants to harden” (Rom. 9:18) and in the Exodus account there are two predictions that God will harden Pharaoh (4:21; 7:3). This prediction preceded Pharaoh’s hardening his own heart. Are we left hanging on the horns of a dilemma? Not really. Two observations are necessary. Pharaoh was fully responsible for his actions. He had been living with the gospel at his doorstep in Egypt since he was a child. Israel’s worshipful presence as a witness nation was an opportunity for idol worshiping Egyptians to put their trust in the salvation of the one true God. Pharaoh sinned because he chose to sin. He resisted God and hardened his heart. God hardened the heart of Pharaoh as an act of judgment against a sinner who was already in rebellion against God.

If you have been patient enough to read to this point, you should be sobered by the gravity of hardening one’s heart against God. Sinful human beings are responsible for their ultimate condemnation. We can never excuse ourselves from God’s righteous judgment with the plea that God has not been fair. Have you heard the gospel and yet have not put your trust in Christ for eternal life? That kind of push-back comes with grave consequences. With what hearing you may have left, hear this, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5). Hard hearts get hard treatment.

Dr. Howard E. Dial

Berachah Bible Church

Enduring for the Sake of the Gospel

Enduring is possible and impossible. Non-Christians can endure through difficult situations in the pursuit of personal happiness. This does not bring God glory and honor. This does not take away from admirable behavior. God’s image in fallen man is not completely eclipsed. However, those who are God’s people through faith in Jesus Christ have a call to endure life’s hardships for the sake of the gospel. William Carey, “the father of modern missions,” is one of those who exemplifies what it means to spend and be spent for the exaltation of Jesus Christ.

William Carey was born in a small village in England in 1761. His father was a poor weaver and school master. William became a cobbler and shoemaker at the age of fourteen. It has been said that this “impoverished English shoemaker was an unlikely candidate for greatness.” In his teen years he taught himself Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, and Danish. He could read the Bible in six languages. Carey married at the age of twenty to Dorothy Plackett. While pastoring two relatively small congregations, he developed a philosophy of missions that would change the Christian world. It was not easy. The Christian culture of England in the 1700s was antagonistic to missionary effort in reaching the unsaved. By God’s grace Carey endured opposition from fellow Christians, the British government, and his wife to sail for India with the precious gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” These words from a memorable sermon delivered by Carey in 1792, capture the passion for God’s fame that kept him enduring through a hazardous five month voyage at sea, fevers, cobras, crocodile infested rivers, a hostile Hindu population, and hundreds of other hardships and hazards to impact India for Jesus Christ. Within four decades of Carey’s arrival in India, thirteen new missionary societies were formed in Britain. Missionaries, inspired by his example, sailed from Europe and America to distant lands. The Bible was translated into over forty-four languages and dialects. Christian schools were established, and hundreds of Hindus were won to Jesus Christ.

William Carey endured because of a strong biblical theology. He was a Calvinist, holding to the belief of the sufficiency of God’s Word, that man is a sinner unable to save himself, God’s predestinating love, and the irresistible work of the Holy Spirit to bring lost sinners to salvation in Jesus Christ. It was Carey’s driving impulse that the greatest need of men and women was God’s forgiveness in Christ. His own words testify to this; “It must undoubtedly strike every considerate mind what a vast proportion of the sons of Adam there are who yet remain in the most deplorable state of heathen darkness . . . utterly destitute of the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ, or of any means of attaining it.”

Life in India was hard. The tropical climate, malaria, the East India Trading Company, and the collapse of major banking institutions in Calcutta all conspired to stop William Carey’s zeal for the gospel. But he did not give up. He endured for the sake of Christ. Then there was the fire of March 11, 1812. For years Carey had labored in the arduous task of translation. He had mastered the Bengali language and Sanskrit, the queen of India’s languages and dialects. Printing presses and fonts of Hebrew, Greek, Persian, Arabic, Nagari, Telegu and other vernaculars worked together to disseminate the gospel through the printed page. The cause was not known, but a fire broke out in the print shop and burned for three days. The loss was incalculable. Valuable manuscripts, years of hard work, and Carey’s magnum opus of his linguistic life, the dictionary of Sanskrit and its Indian cognates, all went up in flames. Carey’s thoughts the day after the awful blaze are a testimony to how endurance thrives. In a letter to his nephew he wrote, “This is a heavy blow, as it will stop our printing the Scriptures for a long time. Twelve months’ hard labour will not reinstate us; not to mention loss of property, MSS., etc, which we shall scarcely ever surmount. I wish to ‘be still, and know that the Lord is God,’ and to bow to His will in everything. He will no doubt bring good out of this evil, and make it promote His interests; but, at present, the providence is exceeding dark.”

Those who endure for the sake of the gospel drink deeply from the cup of “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Oh, how our world does need those who persevere through hard times with joyful zeal for the glory of God. “God, grant us the tenacity to live in such a way that when we have finished our course and fought the fight of the faith that it will be said of us that we loved Jesus Christ more than life itself.”

William Carey died on June 9, 1834 at the age of 72. The inscription on his tombstone read, “William Carey, born August 17, 1761: Died – ‘A wretched, poor and helpless worm, on Thy kind arms I fall.’”

Dr. Howard E. Dial

Berachah Bible Church

Endurance

A cross country race reveals the importance of endurance. On a recent beautiful fall afternoon I witnessed a gathering of scores of high school cross country teams competing for team championships. The horn sounded and they charged over a grassy field to complete a challenging 5K (3.1 miles) course. The leader of the pack ran an amazing race. He averaged about five minutes per mile and finished over four hundred yards ahead of his nearest competitor.

There is a word in the Greek that describes the Christian life as one of “enduring” a race. The word for endurance in the Greek language is hupomone (literally, remain under). “It is facing pressures and trials that call for a steadfast commitment to doing right and maintaining a godly life” (Lawrence O. Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words). In its noun form it is used over thirty two times in the New Testament. Endurance is the Spirit-enabled power to wait and work through afflictions in a biblical way. We need staying power through hardships. Why? Good things happen as we keep on living joyfully and resiliently in the midst of difficulties. Even a well-trained runner deals with discomfort and pain as she keeps her eye on the finish line. The Christian puts his eye on the fulfillment of the promises of God. Jesus Christ is coming. He will bring rewards with Him for those who have been faithful in running the race.

Some confuse the idea of endurance with the possibility of losing their salvation. The Christian’s security in Christ is not determined by winning the battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil. There are those who think that the believer must “persevere” in Christ to ensure their final salvation. This is partly due to a misunderstanding of Matthew 24:13 (“But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.”). This passage teaches the welcomed deliverance of persecuted Christians who survive the tribulation period. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the Christian must keep on believing in order to keep their salvation. The evidence is overwhelming that those who belong to Christ are secure in Him (Rom. 8:35-39).

Disciplining oneself for godliness produces spiritual endurance (1 Tim. 4:8). However, we need suffering in order to produce endurance (Rom. 5:3; Jas. 1:3). Our endurance commends us to others as servants of God (2 Cor. 6:4). Runners are inspired by champion runners. The Christian has a champion “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Therefore, as we run with endurance the race that is set before us, we fix our eyes on Jesus. The example of Jesus should motivate us to finish well in the Christian life.

How is your spiritual endurance? Has illness, financial pressures, a disappointment reduced your pace in the Christian life? Have you dropped back and ceased to run effectively? The Hebrew Christians had a history of having “endured a great conflict of sufferings” (Heb. 10:32). They were encouraged to persist in running hard after God through a new set of sufferings. Dear Christian friend, don’t give in to the temptation to become angry and withdraw from the fellowship of believers. There are mysteries associated with affliction. Running well is made possible when we entrust our souls “to a faithful Creator in doing what is right” (1 Pet. 4:19). Our God is trustworthy. Let us run with endurance.

Dr. Howard E. Dial

Berachah Bible Church