The temptations we face

In 1st Corinthians 10 v 12 we read "If anyone thinks he stands let him take heed lest he fall". There is a real danger for us, as believers, to think that we are above temptation and will never fall and damage our reputation. However, if we have entertained such thoughts then we are already half-way towards letting the Lord down and irreparably ruining our testimony. What, then, are the main temptations we face? No, doubt there are many but I have chosen four:

1. Immorality.
The history of the Christian church is littered with people (including former pastors and evangelists) who were once so zealous, and who, at one time, enjoyed great blessing in their ministries, but fell into grievous sin by not being watchful over this temptation. This is one area where we can't be too careful. When Billy Graham was conducting large evangelistic meetings he oftened stayed at hotels and he would send assistants into his hotel room to check that no woman had been "planted" in order to cause a scandal. He also made it a rule never to travel alone with his secretary. One may not agree with every aspect of Dr Graham's theology but in this area he was an example to us all.

2. Greed.
How easy it is, in the affluent western nations, to have our heads turned by a desire for material things. No wonder the Bible states that "the love of money is the root of all evil" (1st Timothy 6 v 10). This, too, is an insidious temptation that can creep up on us when we least expect it. Moreover, great offence has been caused to the unsaved by the sight of wealthy Christians living in ease when there is so much suffering in the world. How much more could be done for the cause of the Gospel if Christians were to live for Christ instead of themselves.

3. Arrogance.
As Christians we know that the Bible is true and that the Gospel is the only message of salvation. However, do we have an arrogant attitude to the unsaved, as if we are better than them? Let us remember that we are believers because God opened our eyes and worked in us so that we would desire to repent and accept Christ. As Paul put it "I am what I am by the grace of God". 1st Corinthians 15 v 10. Also let us meditate upon the words of 1st Cor. 4 v 7 "who makes you to be different from others?". It was God who saved us, and not we ourselves.

4. Complacency.
When a person first starts out on the Christian pilgrimage he/she is full of a desire to please God and is watchful over conduct and looking for opportunities to serve. However, as time goes on there can be a tendancy to think that we have "arrived" and that we know all the main things there is to know about the Christian life, doctrine etc. Such an attitude can breed complacency. Moreover, an unhealthy emphasis on eternal security can be deadly. How often have we thought that if we are eternally secure and can never be lost we can afford to let things go and not be so careful about our conduct?

Let us ever remember that the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon - and keep our eyes constantly upon our final destination.

The persecution of Ben and Sharon V.

In 1990 while taking a service in an Evangelical church I stated that the day would come when Christians would be prosecuted for stating Christian truth as it is offensive to Muslims. Afterwards a member of the congregation questioned this. One can understand the incredulity of this brother as it is seemed that such a thing could never happen in England, "the cradle of freedom". However, this statement came true recently when a Christian couple were arrested and charged after an animated debate with a Muslim lady.

Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang, hotel owners in Merseyside, were charged under public order offences. As a result of the adverse publicity they have lost 80% of their business takings and face ruin. Moreover, had they been convicted they could have faced a fine of £5,000. In the providence of God the district judge dismissed the case against them and they walked free from court. However, the question remains, how could such a thing happen in a country with a proud tradition of tolerance and respect for free speech rights? The answer is simple - the authorities (be they the Police, government, local councils or social services) have to show that they are committed to "equality and diversity". Because Evangelical Christians do not fit into this we are an easy target for harassment. We hold to the belief that Jesus is the only way to God which is deeply offensive to other religions; we also hold to the Biblical teaching on sexual ethics which means we fall foul of edicts promoting the equality of sodomites. This has led directly to a number of cases, highlighted in the national press, of Christians getting into serious trouble for expressing Biblical truth.

Of course, it is wrong to have a hateful attitude to Muslims, and our prayer is that they will find salvation through faith in Christ. However, we must remain vigilant, and stand up - not only for the Gospel per se - but also our rights as citizens to express our beliefs without the fear of plod knocking on the door. As far as I'm concerned PC facsists can get lost, they are ruining this country.

Finally, I would like to place on record my enormous respect and admiration for the Christian Institute. They not only put up a lawyer in the case of Ben and Sharon but they have featured in a number of situations where religious liberty has been under attack. In the meantime let us give thanks to God for the latest free speech victory.

Proof the Bible is infallible

Often when I am speaking with people about the truths of the Gospel, and their need of Christ, they will say to me - "how do you know the Bible is true?". That is a fair question; after all, if we are saying to people that they need to radically alter the direction of their lives and stake their eternal destiny upon the claims of a book, we need to produce evidence to back up what is being taught. I have outlined below five such evidences that the Bible is the infallible word of God.

1. The power of the Bible to change people's lives for the better. History records that there are multiplied thousands of people who have been delivered from the power of things like drug and drink addiction through the message of the Bible. Many have been saved from lives of crime through knowing Jesus as their personal Saviour. Others have been released from overwhelming feelings of guilt, again, through opening up to Jesus and letting Him into their hearts and lives.

2. Archaeological discoveries back up the Bible. Expeditions, particularly in what is now Iraq, have dug up numerous artifacts that back up the Bible's history. No archaeological discovery has ever disproved any Biblical fact. One can google such titles as "The Bible supported by archeology" and a list of helpful web sites will then be readily available for perusal. It is good to boost one's faith in the inerrant Word by undertaking such an exercise.

3. Prophecies made in the Old Testament being fulfilled in the New Testament. When one considers that the OT was completed hundreds of years before the NT was written this is a remarkable testimony to the Bible's claims to be God's word. The One who knows the end from the beginning ensured that prophecies made in the OT would be fulfilled at the right moment - "in the fullness of time".

4. The Bible has stood the test of time. No other book has been subjected to as many attempts to stamp it out as the Bible. Down through the centuries evil men have tried to eradicate it and governments have passed decrees banning it. Despite that, the Bible is today being translated in more languages than ever, it is still going out into "all the world" and still changing people's lives.

5. The Bible's unity is another proof of infallibility. Despite being written over many hundreds of years by over 40 different authors it has a remarkable unity. I have read it through many times and it has NO contradictions - despite the claims of godless atheists to the contrary.

Yes, we can stand firm against those who ridicule the Bible, and we can be absolutely sure that it is the infallible, inerrant word of God - we have the facts on our side.