Red Ragtop

The reason that I am posting this blog today is to expose the futility of following singers like Tim McGraw. Jesus Christ alone is Lord, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. (Mt 28:18)

As a Registered Nurse it is my job to teach patients, families and the public about their bodies and how to take care of them. As a Christian it is my duty to make disciples and teach them all that Jesus commanded, (Mt 28:18-20) building on no other foundation except that of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. (Ep 2:19) 

The apostle Paul said that the Christian is not without law, as some claim, (Rm 3:8) but under the law of Christ. (1 Cor 9:21) Paul also said that we fulfill the law of Christ when we bear one another’s burdens. (Gal 6:2)

In a book that I read during the summer, The Law of Christ: A Theological Proposal, the author, A. Blake White proposed five points regarding the law of Christ:

1. The law of Christ is the law of love.
2. The law of Christ is Christ’s example.
3. The law of Christ is the teaching of Christ.
4. The law of Christ is the teaching of Christ’s apostles.
5. The law of Christ is the whole canon interpreted in light of Christ.1

A few months ago I saw a Music Video by the country singer Tim McGraw. The song that he sings in this Music Video is called Red Ragtop. The song is about a young couple's decision to have an elective abortion and afterwords having no regrets.

If you would rather not watch the music video, click this link for the lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/red-rag-top-lyrics-tim-mcgraw.html#ixzz4HRVLbNek (Links to an external site.)

Here is the truth regarding the beginning of human life:

At the very moment of conception within the mother’s womb there is a single cell that contains a DNA helix that is not the DNA of the mother. The genome of the mother and the father combine to form a completely new DNA helix that has never existed before. DNA is the programing to build an organism. In this case, the DNA in the mother’s womb (that is not hers) is the DNA to build a human being. “Such arguments, of course, are based in natural theology; it employs the data of general revelation only.” The question is, what is the biblical position on the personhood of the unborn. In his book, Christian Theology, Erickson gave five passages that have been employed throughout church history to give a biblical position on the personhood of the unborn; two Psalms passages, two New Testament passages and one Law passage:
1. Psalm 51:5, in this passage David acknowledges his sinfulness from conception, thereby indicating that he was a human being from conception.
2. Psalm 139:13-16, in this passage David speaks of God knitting him together in his mother’s womb and of God knowing him before he was fully formed, again indicating that a fetus is a human being.
3. Luke 1:41-44, tells of how John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb by the greeting of Mary who was carrying Jesus. This could be seen as a sign of prenatal faith, the faith given to human beings by the Holy Spirit.
4. Hebrews 7:9-10, the writer of Hebrews speaks of how Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek and said that Levi paid tithe because he was still in Abraham at the time. This could be understood as God seeing every person that would exist as a human being even before conception.
5. Exodus 21:22-25, Jack Cottrell demonstrated through exegetical work on the Hebrew word יָצָא (yatsa) that Exodus 21:22-25 means, “if there is destruction of the fetus.”
Erickson concludes by saying, “Indeed, none of the passages we have examined demonstrates conclusively that the fetus is a human being in God’s sight.” However, he goes on to say that there is enough evidence to say that it is likely. The reason that scripture never explicitly says, the fetus in the mother’s womb is a human being is because it was not necessary. Everyone knows that what is being carried in a mother’s womb is a human being; those who deny it are simply “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.”2

The arguments that this Tim McGraw declares in the song for deciding to have an elective abortion are four fold, none of which considers the life of the baby in the womb: 1) They were both immature. 2) He could not support a family. 3) She was in school; therefore, having a baby would disrupt her life plans. 4) Having a baby would bring embarrassment because the world is cruel. 

At no time in the song is there a consideration that the green-eyed girls womb contained a human being created in the image of God. All four of these arguments are invalid when one considers that abortion is the intentional taking of a human life by malice of for thought.

It seems that hidden in the song is a knowledge that what they did was wrong, and not just wrong but a horrendously evil act of selfishness. I shudder to think of forgetting something like that. I have done a great deal of evil in my life, though my sins are paid in full by Christ on the cross I have not forgotten them. The Lord does forget them for His sake, (cf. Is. 43:25) but it is by the grace of God that I do not (cf. Ez. 36:31) or I may repeat them in my unregenerate flesh. Therefore, I think that it is the curse of God to do something like that and forget it.

There is forgiveness of sin for all who repent and believe in the gospel. (Mk 1:15) God is abounding in grace and truth but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. (Ex 34:6-7) We have all sinned, (Rom 3:23) yet while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8) The penalty for sin is the eternal death, (Rom 6:23a) the lake of fire, (Rv 21:8) it is what we all deserve, but the free gift of God which no one deserves is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23b) Jesus commanded sinners to follow him, (Mt 16:24) and said that his burden is light. (Mt 11:30) Keep this thought in mind, your actions will always follow your beliefs. (Jas 2:18) Therefore,  confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. (Rom 10:9) “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21 & Rom 10:13)

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1 A. Blake White, The Law of Christ: A theological Proposal, (Frederick, MD: New Covenant Media, 2010), 83.

2 Mike Peek, “Personhood of the Unborn,” The Nurse Theologian, accessed, August 26, 2018, http://www.thenursetheologian.com/2017/11/the-personhood-of-unborn_26.html.

Go Teach Them

I read this passage this morning and it occurred to me that it is Paul’s account of his commission by the Lord to take the good news of the kingdom of God to all the nations. Paul’s ministry was a teaching ministry. Dr. David Sill said, "The tragedy of the world isn’t that it’s unreached but that it’s undiscipled...The mission of the church is to make disciples and the way we do that is teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded."

The way that people have been reached throughout the history of the church is when someone goes and teaches. However, our teaching must be set on a sure foundation. "The foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone." (Ep 2:20, NASB95) Brethren, be a disciple of the word and go make disciples and teach them to observe all the Jesus commanded the first disciples. (Cf. Mt 28:19-20)

In Christ alone,

Mike Peek

The Tree of Life

In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth. God created all of the vegetation on the earth, the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky and every living thing that moves on the earth. Lastly, God created man in his own image, male and female he created them to multiply and rule the earth. Man was to rule the creatures on the earth but man was to be ruled by God.

God gave man and the creatures on the earth all the vegetation as food, but command man not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent deceived the woman by using the desire of her heart. She ate and gave to her husband and he ate. They became ashamed and hid themselves from God.

When God came walking in the garden and found the man and woman hiding from him, he asked the man, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I told you not to eat?” The man blamed the woman for his sin, the woman blamed the serpent, God cursed the serpent and made a promise; the serpent would be defeated through the seed of the woman. The woman was told that her labor would be difficult, but she would continue to bring forth children because her desire would be for her husband and he would rule over her. To the man who had been given all the vegetation as food to eat was told by God that he would now eat by the sweat of his brow, labor would be the days of his life until he returned to the ground from whence he came.

The man and woman were naked and ashamed; therefore, God had compassion on them and clothed them with skins before banishing them from the garden. God set up two cherubim and a flaming sword at the entrance to block the way to the tree of life.[1]

Truly, truly, I say to you, the promise that God made concerning the defeat of the serpent has been fulfilled in the person of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God; all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth.[2]

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”[3] The way to the tree life is now open to men, Jesus said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”[4] Jesus is the only way, he said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”[5]

Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.[6] Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead.[7] All have sinned[8] and the wages for sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.[9] Therefore, confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved.[10]

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.[11]

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[1]Gn 1-3.

[2]Cf. Mt. 28:18.

[3]Mk 1:15, NASB95.

[4]Jn 10:9, NASB95.

[5]Jn 14:6-7, NASB95.

[6]1 Cor 15:3-4.

[7]2 Tm 4:1.

[8]Rm 3:23

[9]Rm 6:23.

[10]Rm 10:9.

[11]Rv 22:12-15, NASB95.

Live Already

Jesus told his disciples that they would not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come in power. (Mk 9:1, also cf. Mt 16:28, Luke 9:27)

This passage follows Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ (Mk 8:29) and Jesus' admonishing his disciples to take up their cross and follow him. (Mk 8:34) Then just a few days later Peter, James and John follow Jesus up the mount where he is transfigured before them. They also see Elijah and Moses appear and talk with Jesus. When Peter wanted to set up a tabernacle for each man a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son, listen to Him!" After which no one was left with them on the mountain but Jesus alone. (Mk 9:2-8, also cf. Mt 17:1-8, Lk 9:28-36) Given that this passage appears in all three of the synoptic gospels we can deduce that it is a very important message indeed.

A Christian is a person who has repentance towards God for their sins; who believes in the Son of God Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins; who has been baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; who follows in obedience the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and his chosen apostles written in the New Testament under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." (Mt 6:11) Yet, when they saw him on the mountain in Galilee, after he had been raised from the dead, he said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth." Then he commissioned them go make disciples of all the nations. (Mt 28:16-20) If Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth why must his disciples pray for the coming of the kingdom of God and for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?

The kingdom of God is already in inauguration but not yet in consummation. There are two kingdoms: the kingdom of God which is eternal and the kingdom of man which is temporal. What remains is the judgment, at which the kingdom of man will come to an end.  Christian, stop living as though you are a citizen in the kingdom of man when you are a citizen in the kingdom of God. Live already! The kingdom of man is coming to an end, at the judgment, on the last day when the Son of Man sits down on his glorious thrown to judge the earth. The Christian has been redeemed from the kingdom of man by the blood of Jesus Christ and his bodily resurrection from the dead. ( Mt 25:31-46)

Christian live as a citizen of the kingdom of God today and stop living as though you were a citizen in the kingdom of man. Observe all that Jesus commanded his disciples. Live Already and stop living as though the kingdom of God is not yet! Our hope is in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, amen.1 (Cf. 1 Cor 15:42-49)


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1 Cf. The Apostle’s Creed.