United Church of God

Lewis VanAusdle Comments

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Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

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  • lewis
    Princeton, you are right that it is good to focus on what unites us. However, it is the truth that should unite us. A person may be very sincere in their worship of God and the use of symbols to do so, but that's not what we are taught in the scriptures. Joshua addressed the nation of Israel and said, “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!" (Joshua 24:14). We must do the same. We must worship God in "sincerity and in truth" not one or the other. Our heart has to be in the right place, but also our actions according to the word and will of God. There will be those who, when they stand before God, will claim they did many might deeds in His name. And they will be very sincere, thinking they were honoring and serving God. But He will say to them, "‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:23).
  • lewis

    As it says in Hebrews 9:27, "it is appointed for men to die once" but that doesn't mean they can't live again. Our merciful God truly desires everyone ever born to be given the chance to truly know Him and have the chance to receive eternal life. We are told in 1 Timothy 2:3 that we should pray "for all men" because God wants us to because He "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (vs 4). For those God has called today in this age, judgment has already begun (1 Peter 4:17) because we know the truth. For those whose minds haven't yet been opened, that judgment will come later once they have been give the truth "in due time" (2 Timothy 2:6).

  • lewis

    Hi Ursula. We are, in fact, weak when God calls us (1 Corinthians 1:27) but we are not to stay that way. God will not give us more than we can handle and leave us helpless (1 Corinthians 10:13). When we are in those moments of weakness, of doubt, of fear, we have to remember to turn to God and ask Him to give us the strength we need. "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength" (Isaiah 40:29).