Bethany Bible Church

Author: Pastor Greg Allen

  • CLOSING COMMENTS

    AM Bible Study Group; February 10, 2010

    Revelation 22:17-21

    Theme: This passage gives us John’s own witness of the authority of this book.

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  • LEADING FROM HOME

    Preached on Sunday, February 7, 2010
    from
    Titus 1:6

    Theme: Those who oversee God’s household must be exemplary in their home-life.

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  • WORDS FROM THE ALPHA & OMEGA

    AM Bible Study Group; February 3, 2010

    Revelation 22:12-16

    Theme: This passage describes the angel’s testimony of the things spoken in the Book of Revelation.

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  • A BISHOP MUST BE BLAMELESS

    Preached on Sunday, January 31, 2010
    from
    Titus 1:5-9; with various passages

    Theme: This passage highlights the high standard God places on the character of those who care for His church.

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  • THE VANITY OF 'GETTING AHEAD'

    PM Home Bible Study Group; January 27, 2010
    Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

    Theme: Solomon presents the vanity of all the ways people try to ‘get ahead’ of one another in material things ‘under the sun’.

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  • FAITHFUL AND TRUE WORDS

    AM Bible Study Group; January 27, 2010

    Revelation 22:6-11

    Theme: This passage describes the angel’s testimony of the things spoken in the Book of Revelation.

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  • THE HONOR OF MANKIND

    Preached on Sunday, January 24, 2010
    from
    Psalm 8

    Theme: Human life is sacred because of the high honor God has placed on mankind above all else that He created.

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  • 1 John 1:9

    A visitor to our website writes:

    Would you give a short explanation of I John 1:9?

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    If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, NKJV)
    Dear friend,
    I believe that the best way to understand verse 9 is by seeing it in the light of the verses that surround it.  Verse eight says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  That tells us that we are sinners in need of forgiveness from God; and that we would be kidding ourselves if we denied that fact.  Verse 10 says something similar; but in it’s case, the focus is on the person of God Himself: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”  God Himself has testified that we are sinners (Romans 3:9-20; also Romans 3:23); and really, the fact that He sent His Son to die on the cross on our behalf is loud and clear proof of that fact!  And so, the first step toward entering into genuine fellowship with God through His Son Jesus is to admit the truth—that we are sinners and are in need of a Savior.  As John says in verse 9, “But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (v. 9).
    You can look at it this way.  One of the things that would most hinder our entering into a deep friendship with someone would be by our offending them or hurting them in some way, and then refusing to admit the truth about it.  We’ve all experienced that to some degree.  Similarly, one of the things that most stands in the way of someone entering into fellowship with God is a refusal to admit the truth about their condition before Him; and to acknowledge the truth about the harmful nature of the sin in their lives.  When they read the Bible, or they hear the scriptures preached in a sermon—and as the Holy Spirit uses such means to show them the truth about the sin in their lives—they dismiss it.  They let themselves off the hook.  They say that they’re not so bad; or that other people are way worse off than they are; or that those things aren’t really a problem—just “mistakes”.  But the word “confession” means, literally, to ‘say the same thing’ as God says about our sin.  And that’s what we need to do about our sin—say the same things that God says about it; and treat it as seriously as He treats it.
    And that’s how we begin to walk in the light as He is in the light (verse 5-7).  Once we admit the truth, we stop hiding from His moral spotlight and we step into its beam and allow the sin in our lives to be exposed for what it really is (see John 3:18-21).  And the wonderful promise God makes for us in the verse you have asked about is that, when we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive those sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  God doesn’t simply ignore the punishment that is due to us because of our sin.  All of the guilt for our sin was placed on His Son Jesus as He hung on the cross; and Jesus received the total punishment for our sins on our behalf.  So God the Father is utterly just in forgiving us; because the debt was paid in the full.  And He is utterly faithful to do so; because He was the One who sent His Son to pay the debt for us.
    I believe that the way we apply this verse in our lives is through prayer.  When we stumble into sin, or if the Holy Spirit brings to our recollection some sin that is keeping us from a full relationship with the Father, we must “confess” it to Him.  We must admit to God in prayer what it was that we did—and name it as “sin”.  We must admit the truth—that it was a sin so grievous to His holy character that it made the death of His own Son necessary.  And we must then place all our trust in what Jesus did on the cross for us, thank the Father that Jesus died in our place, trust in His full forgiveness, and—in His strength—turn from that sin.  Once we do so, we can move on and grow in fellowship with Him.
    Blessings,
    Pastor Greg
    Bethany Bible Church
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Accountability

    A visitor to our website writes:

    “In the case of a person who was born prematurely, and that has mental disorders that cause them to not fully understand what is going on; are they competent enough to be held accountable before God on the Day of Judgment?  Most of their emotions are due to their disability.”

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    Dear friend,
    When I think of a question like this, one of the first things that comforts me with respect to the Day of Judgment is that our great God will always prove to be a righteous and just Judge.  The Bible teaches us that He is a “God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deut. 32:4).  “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).  In the end, when all of the facts are known and all of the judgment of God completed, He will prove to have judged everyone in a completely faithful and righteous manner.  He will have accurately taken all things into account, will have rightly measured the motives and intentions and limitations of people, and will always render a judgment that is fair and just.
    Because that’s true, I also take comfort in the fact that He is a God of great mercy.  Psalm 103:13-14 says, “As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him.  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”  He knows and understands when someone truly loves Him and is genuinely seeking to live for him; and yet who also suffers under physical, mental, and emotional limitations.  He will always take those things into account in a compassionate and gracious way.
    As a just Judge, He holds us accountable to the degree we are genuinely “competent”.  Some people can only know a little about Him, for example, because they were born in a part of the world in which the Bible had not been given.  They may only be able to see the creation and know that He is the Creator.  They may not have heard the full exposition of His commandments, or heard the message of the gospel.  But they will not stand accountable for what they did not know.  They will be held accountable for walking in the light of the truth that they had.  As Paul writes in Romans 2:12-16; “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
    I would also add that even if a person was suffering from the disabilities you mentioned, they would still need to place their trust in Jesus Christ and believe on Him with the best understanding they have.  All of us, no matter who we are and what limitations we may have, were born of Adam and Eve and are sinners.  We all need to be saved from our sins; and there is no other Savior than Jesus Christ.  And when it comes to the matters of everyday life; if such a person were intellegently aware of ways that they may have sinned or caused harm to someone else, they are obligated to the best of their ability to confess their sin and trust in Jesus for forgiveness.  Certain mental or physical limitations may cause us to be more prone to fall into certain sins, or to more easily say things that are hurtful to others; but if we are aware that we have done so, we still need to ask forgiveness from God and from others, and trust God for help.
    Praise Him!  He is not only the righteous Judge of all; He is also the great Helper of the helpless!
    Blessings in Christ’s love,
    Pastor Greg
    Bethany Bible Church
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Children's Salvation

    A visitor to our website writes:

    “I am 19 years old.  I am also a wife and mother.  Before my husband and I got married we had twin girls.  My husband and I are both Christians and we are concerned about the children being saved.  We were concerned particularly about Deuteronomy 23:2.  Can you please give us some insight on this?”

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    Dear friend,
    Thank you for writing your question to me.  I have no doubt that your daughters are very precious to you (and I assure you that they are precious to God also); and so I can only imagine how concerned this question must have made you.  I’ll do my best to answer it.
    First, let me assure you of something that you didn’t ask about–but I suspect still needs to be said.  It seems clear that you recognize that the circumstance you and your husband were in before you got married was not in accordance with God’s will.  But if you have both confessed your sins and have trusted in the cross of Jesus fully as God’s payment for those sins, He has fully forgiven you both.  God’s word says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  Once we’ve done that, we can do as Paul said; “. . . [F]orgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
    In Christ, God does not lay your sin upon you, your husband, or your daughters.  I have several married Christian friends who have come from situations like the one you described; but having embraced the forgiveness of God through faith in Jesus’ cross, they went on by God’s grace to live fruitful lives of service to Him.  Not only are their marriages a testimony to God’s grace today; but their children are too!
    I just wanted to start off by assuring you of that.

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    Now for the Bible verse you asked about.
    In the New King James Version, Deuteronomy 23:2 says; “One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD.”  These are words that the Lord gave to Moses to speak to the children of Israel just before they entered into the promised land.  It’s important to remember that they were spoken to a particular people in a particular situation.
    God’s purpose in giving these words was to stress to the Israelites the absolute necessity for holiness in all of life.  This was essential to God’s plan for them; because they were to be an outstanding people above all other peoples on the earth.  It would be them (as it says in Romans 9:4-5), “to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God.  Amen.”  Many of the laws and regulations that we read that God gave to them at this time in history were laws and regulations that were meant to keep them a very holy and distinct people on the earth.  Those laws and regulations don’t necessarily pertain to all peoples; but specifically to the Jewish people entering the promised land, who then constitute “the assembly of the LORD”.
    What’s more, the law that God spoke to the people at that time concerning those of “illegitimate birth” had to do with an earthly situation–that is, the “earthly” assembly of the Jewish people in its decisions and leadership of the nation.  It was concerned with the holiness of that assembly, and probably also with their national purity as a distinct people born of Abraham and from whom the Messiah would come.  But it has nothing to do with someone’s ultimate spiritual condition, or whether or not they may enter into heaven.  After all, “illegitimacy” is a condition that someone is born into apart from anything they themselves actually did.
    There is a great hero in the Bible named Jephthah.  He was a mighty man of valor; but he was also born as the son of a harlot.  Because of his illegitimate birth, he was excluded from the assembly of his people (Judges 11:2).  And yet, later on–when his people were in danger and needed a leader–they called on him (vv. 6-11).  Chapter 11 of Judges goes on to tell us that the Spirit of God came upon him, and he was used greatly by God to deliver his people from their enemies.
    Being born in illegitimate circumstances does not prohibit God from pouring His grace on someone and using them for His glory.  My advice is to simply raise your two daughters to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to give themselves to Him by faith.  Pray for them.  Take them to church.  Teach them about His love.  Let them come to Jesus; because the Bible assures us that He gladly welcomes them (Matthew 19:13-15).  Your little girls are as free to come to Jesus and be saved by Him as anyone else is.
    Thanks; and God bless you and your family.
    Pastor Greg
    Bethany Bible Church
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)