My Testimony

After being born into a Catholic family and baptized as an infant, I grew up in my young years in a Methodist church.  We were in Church most every Sunday, did VBS, etc. As God started to work on Mom's heart, she left the Methodist tradition and we visited just about every baptist and non-denominational church in San Antonio.  My mom was saved during this time period and I witnessed the change in her.  I saw how seriously she took her faith, how she loved Jesus, and how she loved and served other people around her.  It was obvious that she was a new creation.  She started to teach us about Jesus and read the Bible to us.  Because of her testimony, I had no good reason not to want to be a Christian, and at 18 years old, I was baptized and I thought I was saved.  I believed the facts about Jesus, believed that he was who he said he was, and believed that He died for sinners.  However, I did not fully understood why he needed to die for me.  I wasn't as bad as lots of other people I knew, and I knew lots of "Christians" who did things that I didn't agree with.  I was okay with who I was and didn't see any reason to make any changes in how I did things, or to deal with the sin in my life and heart, that I loved.

Because I didn't have a right view of the holiness of the father, my reaction to the sacrifice of his son was lukewarm.  I continued to live in a way that satisfied my fleshly desires, pride, and need for man's approval.  I ignored verses like Romans 6:12

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

(Romans 6:12-13 NASB)

Once I was out of the house and didn't have the fear of disappointing my Mom as a deterrent, I was in full satisfaction of flesh mode.  None of the decisions I made reflected those of a true follower of Christ.  As I got out of college, met my wife, and had to be an adult, the blatant, obvious sins started to decrease as responsibilities of life increased.  My desire to be a good husband and father motivated me to straighten up, and although there seemed to be some fruit in my life, but there was no true repentance in my heart.  Even though we faithfully attended Church, participated in Bible Studies, and would occasionally read my Bible, I continued to be deceived about my standing with God. 

During this time, I read books like "Mere Christianity" and "The Case for Christ" and would find myself even more convinced that God was the creator and that the historical account of the Bible was truth, but it still didn't affect my day to day actions or thought life.  I remember hearing people preach/teach the parable of the sower and the soils in Mark 4, and not knowing what kind of soil I was.  Wondering if I was rocky soil and destined to continue to live in slavery to my sin.  When I was honest with myself, I knew something wasn't right. I had no assurance of faith and I couldn't figure out why.  I kept praying for assurance, not realizing that because I was ignoring God's call to purity and holy living, he was giving me the answer I deserved, as Proverbs 28:9 tells us.

He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. 

(Proverbs 28:9 NASB)

I was just hoping that I would get it figured out somehow.  Like our pastor tells us, the decision between Heaven and Hell was easy, but deciding between Heaven and this world was much more difficult.  As a result, I continued to straddle the fence between heaven and this world.  Until November 23, 2014. 

I was really excited when our pastor announced in October of 2013 that he would be teaching through revelation.  I was looking forward to hearing what he would teach us about Jesus’ return.  I was not expecting or prepared to have my world overthrown.  However, as he explained the letter to the Church in Laodecia in Chapter 3, I knew that Jesus was describing me to the apostle John. 

'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Revelation 3:15-17 NASB)

I realized that what I thought was an adequate, but "lukewarm" faith was in fact, no faith at all. 

Because of the great teaching that we had received in our time at Believers Fellowship, I fully understood what that meant for me.  I knew that I was exposed to the wrath of the all powerful, holy, and perfect creator of the universe. I knew that Jesus offered me protection from that wrath if I truly repented and followed him, and like the Apostle Paul, I knew I was the foremost among all sinners, but I knew that unlike him my life had never taken a 180 degree turn away from the sin that I loved, and that needed to change.

I did not want to end up like those described in Matthew 7.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:21-23 NASB)

So that day I prayed that God would take over and call the shots in my life, and that he would send the Holy Spirit to ensure that I would not have a faith that would make Jesus reject me.

Why the Unrighteousness Need the Gospel - Romans 1:18-32

Sermon Audio Here

Romans 1:18-32

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭18-32 NASB)

The unrighteous need the righteousness explained in verse 17.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ NASB)

1. The Suppression of the Truth (v.18-20)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭18-20‬ NASB)

• God says that he has made himself known to everyone, so all those who don't believe are suppressing truth that they know exists

At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us." And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." (‭Acts‬ ‭14‬:‭8-17‬ NASB)

• The unrighteous suppress the truth because they love their sin.

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19-20‬ NASB)

2. The Rejection of the Truth (v.21-23)

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

(‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭21-23‬ NASB)

Foolish speculation - Psychology, Idolatry, Mythology, Evolution

the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

(‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭8, 14‬ NASB)

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." (‭Exodus‬ ‭32‬:‭1-4‬ NASB)

Idolatry - Buda, Humanism, Worship of Animals, Nature, Technology.

Any worship that does not begin and end with the God of creation.

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

(‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭17-24‬ NASB)

3. The Perversion of the Truth (v.24-32)

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭24-32‬ NASB)

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭44‬ NASB)

but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭3-5‬ NASB)

• Depraved mind -

"For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know." (‭Jeremiah‬ ‭4‬:‭22‬ NASB)

• Doing evil fills people's hearts when they pervert the truth.

"being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful"

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭1-5‬ NASB)

• The Good News

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭9-11‬ NASB)

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Without the Gospel, none of this will change.

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭9-13‬ NASB)