EvangelismRSA: CHRISTIANITY: FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

Saturday, 12 November 2022

CHRISTIANITY: FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

PUBLISHING DETAILS

TITLE: Christianity: Fighting the Good Fight

FORMAT: Paperback

CHAPTERS: 62

PAGES: 249

WORD COUNT: 58 311

PUBLISHER: Amazon: PJ Stassen Author Page

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Christianity

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

An Easy Reader for Busy People on the Run

P.J. Stassen

Centurion

SOUTH AFRICA

CONTENTS

PART ONE: SALVATION

1. TANSTAAFL: There Ain't No Such a Thing as A Free Lunch

2. Six Who Were Saved

3. The Blood of the Cross

4. The Gift of God is Eternal Life

5. The Grand Invitation

6. The Greatest Story Ever Told

7. The King's Message is Urgent!

8. When I See the Blood

PART TWO: COUNSELLING

9. Are You Losing Your Soul?

10. How Christians Deal with Imposter Syndrome

11. Just Like a Tree Standing by the Water

12. Labouring for a Full Reward

13. Love vs. Hate

14. My Grace is Sufficient for Thee

15. Nature's Gorgeous Palette

16. Not Good Enough? Join the Club!

17. Significant Work is Heaven

18. So You Thought You Were Only a Zero Going Nowhere?

19. So You Want to Be a Star?

20. The Anatomy of Hypocrisy

21. The Art and Science of Gratitude

22. The Art of Common Sense

23. The Broken Heart

24. The Divine Gift of Vulnerability

25. The Four Seasons of Life

26. The Touch of the Master's Hand

27. There is Life After Depression

28. Waters of Life

29. What Every Boy and Girl Should Know

30. What-Ifs That Often Plague Young Christians

31. What Jesus Christ Promised the Overcomer

32. When Hatred Turns Toxic

33. Where Joy and Peace Will Flourish

34. Wolf vs. Sheep

35. The Awesome Calling of Stewardship

36. Man in the Mirror

37. Man's Search for the True Elixir of Life

38. Drop the ‘Depresso’ (Beer)

39. Everybody Needs Somebody Sometime

40. The Furnace, the Forge and the Hammer

41. The Miracle of Spiritual Regeneration

42. The Picture of Dorian Gray

43. Who Are the Children of God?

44. Why I Will Never Consult a Fortune-teller

45. Don’t Trust the Psychics

46. What That Psychic Never Told You

47. Why Christians Don’t Waste Their Time with Spiritualism

48. Why I Won’t Waste My Time with New Age Spirituality

49. Why I Won’t Waste My Time with Scientology

50. Why I Trust Jesus Christ with My Future

PART THREE: CONSECRATION

51. The Perfection Demanded by God

52. The Power of Surrender

53. The Science of Humility

54. To Be Like Jesus (Really?)

PART FOUR: INTERCESSION

55. Prayer of Job: Hero of Faith

56. Spiritual Warfare: The Prayer Journal

57. The Christian's Duty to Pray

58. The Christian's Duty Toward Israel

59. What It Means to Pray

60. Christians and The Apocalypse: Brace Yourselves

61. The Armour of God.

PART FIVE: CHARITY

62. Never Knock Good Works

Acknowledgements

Grateful for/to:

1. Bible translations interchangeably consulted:

King James Version (KJV/KJV+) & Modern King James Version (MKJV) unless otherwise indicated e.g., Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) & Hebraic Roots Bible (HRB). The reader may find that, occasionally, I have inserted capitals (in brackets) into Scripture references for the purpose of clarity.

2. E-Sword.net: The Sword of the Lord with an Electronic Edge (Free Bible Study for the PC). Online 2021.

3. All the sources, scholars, historical figures and authors I have been allowed to mention, quote or use as examples in the course of writing.

4. Cecilia Stassen, for her ongoing assistance, encouragement and invaluable help.

Foreword

An informative book, I believe, should be like a sumptuous dinner … lavish, interesting, easily digestible and to be remembered for years afterwards, and with this book I have aimed to accomplish exactly that, for what could be more interesting and memorable than the persona, life and ministry of a man who has changed the history of the world to the matchless extent that Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ) had done?

Unlike many postmodernists, who have so superficially dismissed the historical Jesus (for all intents and purposes) as nothing more than a deluded first-century religious fanatic and rabble rouser of a charlatan who was arrested by the authorities, not as political zealot or aspiring messiah, but as a common, albeit charismatic public nuisance who disingenuously passed off cheap street magicians’ illusions as Biblical quality miracles, i.e., postmodernists who today, like pagan sorcerers and derelict, toothless oriental mystics, dare to determine the measure of a man and his words by (of all things!) the application of coloured beads.

I, instead, insist that only a carpenter-rabbi of His divine origin, moral stature and matchless wisdom could have transformed this 1970s runaway freight-train and weirds-mobile of a cynical, suburban hedonist and amoral agnostic into a person so enamoured with this Messiah that I, in the sunset season of my life, have aspired to write not only one book about His sacred cause and merciful gospel, but several.

Today, when I read the popular atheists of our times, or debate a seasoned agnostic about the existence of God, I can only heartily agree with the wise theologians who, upon hearing people say that the character of the first-century Jesus of history was so remarkable that He must have been ‘forged’ (and should be considered a ‘fake’) instead have so aptly retorted (among others) as follows (my paraphrasing):

“The man Jesus of Nazareth was so unique, gifted, remarkable and special that only a real Jesus Christ could have forged a Jesus Christ; furthermore, if the Bible really were only a collection of fairy tales, then why is it either banned or severely persecuted in at least 52 countries?”

PJ Stassen

Centurion, South Africa.

December 2021.

Introduction

I wrote this book, not as a theologian (which I am not), but as a sinner saved by grace and a social commentator concerned with the cause and future of Christianity in the world. This book comprises the following themes:

Part 1: Salvation: Discussing the miracle of Jesus Christ’s Gospel of ‘Good News’, i.e., salvation by faith in the risen Christ, Saviour of the world and Messiah of the Jews, offered to all but forced on none and made possible by the mercy, grace and favour of God predicated on the life, ministry, sacrifice, resurrection and righteousness of Jesus Christ: Son of God, Son of David and Son of Man.

Part 2: Counselling: Discussing the desperate plight of the anxious Christian to be embraced and supported by fellow pilgrims not to faint but to be encouraged to be able to walk the life of faith, hope and love as inspired by the Holy Spirit, the ‘Paraclete’ and Comforter (i.e., Gk. ‘Paracletos’, the ‘One called alongside to help’).

Part 3. Consecration: From the Latin ‘consecrat’, discussing the calling of the Christian to dedicate and devote his/her life to the sacred cause of Jesus Christ’s Gospel of salvation by faith founded on the Word of God comprising the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament: Christ concealed) and the New Testament (Christ revealed).

Part 4. Intercession: Discussing the duty, obligation and privilege of the Christian to pray and intercede not only for self but also for others.

Part 5. Charity: Discussing the Christian’s calling as God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

The story of the Bible and God’s designs for man; the Commandments of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can, for all intents and purposes, miraculously integrated to be summarised by a single Scripture reference:

“For as by one man's disobedience [THE FIRST ADAM] many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One [THE LAST ADAM, JESUS CHRIST] shall many be made righteous.”

[Romans5:19MKJV].

I am reminded of what C.S. Lewis has said (my paraphrasing):

“There are only two kinds of people, i.e., those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done!’ and those to whom God must say, “Okay then … have it your way!”

The lot and final destiny of every (fully informed & evangelised) person that ever lived will, in other words, be decided on this, i.e., a choice between Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, Jesus and Barabbas, Christ and Satan.

With those who object that anyone could exercise such a critical choice still wrongly from pure ignorance, or from cultural and/or religious biases, I can only in sympathy say that I fully concur, and although I insist that there is no other name but the Name of Jesus Christ by which we are saved, we probably should leave such metaphysical judgments (i.e., in respect of the ‘inadequately informed and poorly evangelised’) for God to decide and deal with.

There is a huge difference between being a ‘sinner’ and being ‘ungodly’/’wicked’. All the ‘ungodly’ and ‘wicked’ are sinners, but not all ‘sinners’ are necessarily ‘ungodly or ‘wicked’ … they are simply lost and must be found. God has said:

“And He [GOD] said, I will make all My goodness pass before you [MOSES], and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.”

[Exodus33:10MKJV].

Bon voyage!

Chapter 1

There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch [TANSTAAFL]

1. TANSTAAFL. Acronym meaning ‘There Ain’t No Such Thing as A Free Lunch’.

“The ‘free lunch’ refers to the once-common tradition of saloons in the United States providing a ‘free’ lunch to patrons who had purchased at least one drink … TANSTAAFL, on the other hand, indicates an acknowledgement that in reality a person or a society cannot get ‘something for nothing’.”

[Wikipedia].

2 Christianity. In Christianity the principle of TANSTAAFL can be illustrated vividly as follows:

2.1 Proposition #1: The Bread of Life intended for Christians (and as commemorated during the sacrament of ‘The Lord's Supper’) did not come for free but was ‘financed’ (paid for) by the broken body of Jesus Christ.

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ... For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."

[1Corinthians10:16; 11:23-27MKJV].

2.2 Proposition #2: The Blood of Redemption intended for Christians (and as commemorated during the sacrament of ‘The Lord's Supper’) did not come for free but was ‘financed’ (paid for) by the tortured and bleeding body of Jesus Christ.

“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”

[1Corinthians10:16MKJV].

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

[Colossians1:13-14MKJV].

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ... And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission ...

“Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others ... And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others ...

“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified ... Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus ... Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

[Hebrews9:14,22,25: 10:14,19,29KJV].

2.3 Proposition #3: The Living Water intended for Christians did not come for free but was ‘financed’ by the terrible thirst Jesus Christ Himself first has had to endure on the cross.

“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water ... Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

“The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw ...

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

[John7:38; 4:9-15; 19:28-29KJV].

2.4 Proposition #4: The Healing intended for Christians did not come for free but was ‘financed’ (paid for) by Jesus Christ in the thirty-nine stripes administered to Him by the Roman soldiers with the Roman whip.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

[Isaiah53:5KJV].

“And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

[Matthew20:19KJV].

2.5 Proposition #5: The (unmerited) Righteousness inten-ded for Christians did not come for free but was ‘financed’ by Jesus Christ in His being Righteous as the sinless (‘Paschal’) sacrificial Lamb of God and who eventually died a vicarious death on the cross for the sins of the world.

“For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.).

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord ... And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

[Romans5:17-21; Philippians3:9KJV].

2.6 Proposition #6: The Resurrection intended for Christians did not come for free but was ‘financed’ (paid for) by Jesus Christ with His own death at the cross of Calvary (Golgotha).

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

[Hebrews9:27-28KJV].

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

[John11:25-27KJV].

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time ....”

[1Corinthians15:3-8KJV].

2.7 Proposition #7: The priceless gift of SALVATION that only Jesus Christ can give did not come for free but was ‘financed’ (paid for) by Jesus Christ, although He was rich, becoming poor so that we could become 'rich'.

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

[2Corinthians8:9KJV].

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

[Romans6:23KJV].

References

1. Wikipedia. There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch. Online 2021.

Chapter 2

Six Who Were Saved

1. Introduction. ‘The Magnificent SIX' who were saved include:

1.1 The Pharisee Saul who became Paul. When Saul of Tarsus was still persecuting the fledgling Christian movement of ‘The Way’ in the early Church, he once had stood holding the cloaks of those who were engaged in stoning to death Stephen, the first martyr for Christ. After his historic ‘Damascus Road’ experience and conversion to Christianity, he, however, became the Apostle Paul (first ‘Saul’) to write the bulk of the Bible’s New Testament Epistles:

“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he [PAUL], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

“Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

“And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

[Acts7:54-60].

“And as he journeyed, he [PAUL] came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?

“And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

“And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he [PAUL] was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.”"

[Acts9:3-9KJV].

1.2 The Apostle Peter. The same headstrong, cowardly Apostle Peter who had denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed during the events that had led up to the crucifixion, later came back with a vengeance to preach a fiery Gospel so much so that about 3000 people were converted and baptised on one single day.

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

“"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

[Acts2:36-41JV].

1.3 The Roman Centurion. The same Roman centurion who had grown up with the idols of Rome and pagan superstitions of his boyhood, had, at the crucifixion and, with the Stygian darkness of what appeared to have been a solar eclipse mercifully covering the bruised helplessness of Christ, finally had to confess:

“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

[Matthew27:54KJV].

1.4 The woman at Jacob's Well. The same adulterous woman who had had five husbands and later after her conversation with Jesus about the ‘living water of life’ ran to exclaim to her friends:

“Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

[John4:6-29KJV]

1.5 The rich publican Zacchaeus. The same rich and dishonest publican later had to confess:

“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”

[Luke19:8KJV].

1.6 The Evildoer on the Cross. The same evildoer who had grown up as a delinquent and hardened criminal, enough to deserve the ultimate penalty (crucifixion), was saved by Jesus Christ in the dying moments of his life when Jesus said:

“Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

[Luke23:43KJV].

P.S. In one single sentence the evildoer's death-sentence was commuted to a life-sentence ... Eternal Life!

2. The invitation still stands. The Bible says:

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

[Isaiah1:18-20KJV].

“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

[Revelation22:16-17KJV].

AUTHOR PROFILE

P. J. Stassen, born in 1947 in Randgate, South Africa, holds a B.A. degree in Industrial Psychology & Sociology (Industrial) from the University of South Africa. A former businessman who, after mandatory military conscription, spent the first 12 years of his life in 1966 in the field of retail (Textiles & General Dealer) in a family business begun by his father in 1964, thereafter worked at various other jobs eventually arriving in the fulfilling position of a corporate trainer with Kumba Resources (formerly Iscor Iron Ore Mine) in the Bushveldt region of South Africa during the years 1986 and 1997. At the time of his retirement in 2013 he was engaged in Occupational Health & Safety Training in the corporate environment on a contract basis for a Johannesburg company.

P.J. Stassen and his wife are both retired and live in Centurion, South Africa after having also served in their capacities as gospel musicians (pianist & organist respectively) in churches in some of South Africa’s nine provinces, e.g., in places like Vanderbijlpark, Bloemfontein, Thabazimbi, Sinoville and Centurion.