"Because He Lives" - The Story Behind The Song

THE BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SONG "BECAUSE HE LIVES" HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITES.   But, I will bet that most folks mistakenly assume this second stanza of the song is referring to the birth of Christ.  When, in fact, it is referring to the birth of Bill & Gloria Gaither's only son, Benjamin. 

As you will see in both the article excerpt below and in the video - they wrote this song as the decadent 1960s turned into the turbulent 1970s.  They had financial and health worries, the country was in a turmoil, and here they were, about to bring another child into such a world. 

But, once Benjamin came and they were able to hold him - God put the words of this stanza on their hearts.  This was the first part of the song "Because He Lives" which they wrote.  And, then the rest followed later.

"How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!"

This video is the Gaithers being interviewed by Mark Lowry about the writing of this song:

"Because He Lives" By The Gaither Trio 1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJgzd__SSBY

And this article excerpt will fill in some of the blanks:
 

The story behind “Because He Lives” .  .  .  In the words of Bill & Gloria Gaither the story behind the song:

We wrote “Because He Lives” after a period of time when we had had a kind of dry spell and hadn’t written any songs for a while.  .  .  Also at the end of the 1960’s when our country was going through some great turmoil with the height of the drug culture and the whole “God Is Dead”  theory which was running wild in our country, and also at the peak of the Vietnam War, our little son was born - Benjy (Benjamin).   At least Gloria was expecting him. 

And I can remember at the time we thought, “Brother, this is really a poor time to bring a child into the world.”  At times we were even quite discouraged by the whole thing.  And then Benjy did come.  We had two little girls whom we love very much, but this was our first son, and so that lyric came to us, “How sweet to hold our new-born baby and feel the pride and joy he gives, but better still the calm assurance that this child can face uncertain days because Christ lives.”

And it gave us the courage to say “Because Christ lives we can face tomorrow” and keep our heads high -  and hopefully that could be of meaning to other people.

It’s rather interesting now that, although we don’t consider ourselves as “old” writers, we’ve had many people tell us they have used that song at a funeral of a loved one; and it has been very encouraging to them, at a time when they were very discouraged.  So evidently a lot of people have shared the same kind of experience of being discouraged.    (https://austinbhebe.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/because-he-lives/)

I pray that this gives you a better understanding of the personal love which went into the writing of this beautiful Christian Gospel song, "Because He Lives."  And that, if it is not already one of your favorites, it will become a favorite as you listen to it being sung in a 1972 concert by the Gaither Trio, featuring Danny Gaither's beautiful tenor voice.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Study Of Gospel Of John - Dallas Theological Seminary

IF I WERE LEADING A BIBLE STUDY FOR NEW BELIEVERS, the first book I would suggest we would study is the book of John.  Why?  When we look at the four Gospels, their teachings can best be described this way:

Matthew:  Behold your King!
 
Mark:  Behold the Servant Son!

Luke:  Behold the Perfect Man!

John:  Behold deity, the Son of God!

The first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels for they address the public life and ministry of Jesus Christ, mostly sharing the same events:  Matthew addressing a Jewish audience - Mark who was with Peter in Babylon and was an early disciple of Peter, seems to be addressing the Gentiles, i.e., those in the Romans provinces of northern Asia Minor - while Luke, being a Gentile physician, addresses a broader Gentile audience.

The fourth Gospel, the book of John has a singular focus: the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God - offering us eternal life in Him:

John 20:30-31, "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

 
While the book of Genesis is the foundation upon which our Bible, and the Creation record, are built - the Gospel of John, and the deity of Christ, are the foundation upon which our Christian faith stands.  So, you can see why I would begin any new believer Bible Study with the Gospel of John.

My reason for this introduction is to make you aware of a great opportunity.  While many of us may not be able to attend seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary is offering us a course on the Gospel of John - and the price is fantastic: FREE!

It is an 8-part study and I just finished watching the video for "Week One: The Word was with God, and the Word was God" taught by Dr. Mark Bailey, President and Senior Professor of Bible Exposition.  Whether we are Christian believers mature in the knowledge of the Word or God, or new believers, i.e., "babes in Christ" - this course will help us grow in Christ.  That is why I want to share this with you.

If you will open the web site below, you can register, log-in, and begin your study of the Gospel of John at your own pace.

On the first page, you will find the Video - Lesson Points - Worship Moment: The Word was with God, and the Word was God - and Discussion Questions.

Below the video, you will find: "Download this week’s course slides HERE."  By clicking on HERE, you will be able to download in PDF format all the slides presented by Dr. Mark Bailey in the video for further study, or to use in your own Bible Study.

So, click on this link and begin your "Study the Gospel of John with Dallas Theological Seminary – For Free." 
 

https://courses.dts.edu/register/gospel-of-john-registration/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=newsfeed&utm_content=dts&utm_campaign=gospelofjohn

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Wisdom In Sharing - Tenacity In Defending!

Each evening, in my prayer time, I asked God to give me wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to enable me to share His Word - and tenacity in defending His Word.   Does tenacity in defending His Word sound too militant?   Are we called to only share the Gospel in love, but never to refute misunderstood, erroneous, or false teachings? 

Isn't that the meaning of Christian apologetics - to be bold in defending the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for those who are still "babes in Christ," who are still immature in their knowledge of the Word of God - and in defending it against those who would twist, denigrate, or deny what the Bible teaches us?  A strong Biblical admonishment for defending our Christian faith is found in 1 Peter 3:15,  "But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Should we only share when asked?  I have had sincere Christian Friends tell me, "Bill, if they want to hear about Jesus and salvation, they will ask me.  If they do not ask, I will not beat them over the head with my Bible."   Such a Friend I will politely, and with a smile, call a "couch potato" Christian, i.e., "If they want to know, they will come to me!"    But, what does Jesus tell us to do?  "GO!, Make Disciples, Baptize Them, TEACH Them.  .  . Be My witnesses in ALL the world!"  (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15).  He does not tell us to sit on our couch waiting for someone to come and ask us about Him.  No, He tells us to, "GO!"

True, we should never "beat" anyone with our Bible.  But we should be open at all times to sharing the Word of God with those who do not yet know Him.  If you have never been around or lived around water - will you know how to swim?  Or will you need someone to guide and teach you?  The same is true of God's Word; if a person has never been truly exposed to God's Word, how will they know they need it?  One cannot share the love of God, without sharing the Word of God.

You might ask, "But, Bill, if God is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), and everywhere present (omnipresent) - cannot He defend His own Word?  Can't He just smite those who would defame His name, His Gospel?"  

Of course He can.  That is how we know the Bible, all 66 books, is the true Word of God - for He has protected His Word through thousands of years of copying, translations, and canonization.  That is how we know that the message of Jesus Christ and eternal life found in the Bible is the true Gospel, for He has defended and protected His Word.

But, like any good father, rather than doing everything for us - He most often allows us to do the task.  Why?  Well, could your child learn to do his math homework if you insisted upon doing it for him?   What would your child learn if you did all his math homework for him?  By guiding him, offering suggestions now and then, and then allowing him to do the work himself - he learns.

And, the same is true of us.  God has given each believer the absolute best Teacher that has ever existed, the Holy Spirit.  The moment we become new believers the Holy Spirit indwells us, i.e., comes to live within us, seals us in Christ (Ephesians 1:13) - never to leave us (Ephesians 4:30, John 14:16). 

Why does He dwell within us?   To help us better understand the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-13) - To teach us what God would have each mature believer know about Him and His Word (John 14:26) - To convict us when we inevitably fail (John 16:7–11) - To guide us in our Christian walk (John 16:13) - To witness to us of the glory, deity, and works of Jesus Christ (John 15:26,  John 16:14, 1 Corinthians 12:3).

So, should we Christian believers be "defending the Word of God, our Christian faith"?  You betcha!  And, we do that by being prepared and ready to share the love of Christ, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with all people.  That is how we show that we are truly their Friends.

Last Sunday, in our sermon message Pastor Omer Mascarina shared with us about being Friends - with other believers and with those who are not yet believers.    He reminded us that Jesus was the Friend of sinners (Matthew 11:16-19).  Why did Jesus hang with the sinners? 

Mark 2:16-17, "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, 'How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?'  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'"

 
Then, Pastor Omer shared how we believers are to be Friends with others, with Christian brethren and with those who do not yet know Him:
 

1.  A Real Friend Sacrifices (John 15:12-15) - Just as Jesus Christ came in human form to give Himself as the one true Sacrificial Lamb for us.

2.  A Real Friend Loves (Proverbs 17:17) - Just as Jesus loves us and died for every person in the world, believer and those yet to believe.

3.  A Real Friend Is Steadfast (Proverbs 18:24) - Jesus is always there for us - and, in like fashion, we should always be available and ready to lift up a brother or sister in need, spiritually or materially.

4.  A Real Friend Accepts (Matthew 11:18, Luke 19:7) - Even while we were still sinners, Jesus accepted us and made salvation available to each of us by taking our sins and our punishment upon Himself, dying in our stead.

5.  A Real Friend Offers Correction (Proverbs 27:6) -  Can we really say we are a Friend, that we love another, if we see that person walking in such a way that can only bring eternal destruction - and we do not offer corrective guidance?  If a brother or sister is living a lifestyle which we know, from the Bible, will keep that person from having eternal life in Christ - should we just be quiet, accept his/her lifestyle as normal and acceptable to God, when we know it is not? 

No, a real Friend will love that person enough to tell him/her that the lifestyle he is living is wrong - and that he truly needs to turn from that lifestyle, i.e., the world - and turn to follow Jesus Christ.

6.  A Real Friend Forgives (Matthew 26:50) - Jesus Christ forgives us when we seek Him.  Can we do less with others?

7.  A Real Friend Is Open (John 15:15) - Jesus Christ receives each believer as a brother, a friend.  Should we not receive others in the same love?  And, should we not receive even non-believers in love, not a sin accepting love - but in a love which is uplifting, not enabling of a sin lifestyle?

Hebrews 3:13, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

 
So, should we be Friends of sinners?  Yes.  Should we enable an aberrant lifestyle just to avoid upsetting that Friend?  No.

Should we be serious about defending our Christian faith?   That depends upon how much you love Jesus Christ.  Did Jesus tell the money changers in the temple, "Oh, don't worry.  I will just look the other way while you cheat people and defame God's House.  After all, that is your way of life."

Or did He admonish them to change their ways? 

We all know the answer to that question.  And, if we are to be faithful Christ Followers, i.e., Christians - shouldn't we be doing all in our power to emulate Him?  Shouldn't we love our fellow man with a love strong enough to tell him/her when the path he is walking is leading him to destruction?   

Jesus Christ tells us that we should love our fellow man - love him - not enable and encourage his downfall through accepting a Godless lifestyle as normal - just to make him comfortable.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Calvinism, Arminianism, and Salvation!

Long before you and I were alive, folks have been debating Calvinism vs Arminianism, most often in friendly debates; but, at times, in rather heated confrontations.  Over the years that I have been writing, I have had many of the more pleasant discussions - and I have had some of the other, from folks who would otherwise call me brother.

And, along the way I have had the terms "Calvinist" and "Fundamentalist" - and a few other names I will not mention in polite society, thrown at me from the Liberal and Legalistic theology teams. 

Also, not to forget my non-believing Friends who often hold the belief that calling me a Fundamentalist is worse than calling me Satan.  Although I have been called Satan a few times also.  We will discuss Fundamentalism in another writing; for now we will take another look at Calvinism vs Arminianism.

I have many Christian Friends who know nothing about either of these opposing theologies, preferring to just concentrate on loving and following Christ in their own fellowship and leaving all other discussions alone.  That is not a bad thing.  But, It is much like folks who grow up in a protected environment, not realizing or noticing many of the things happening in our secular society.  Many of those folks will also accept the secular version of "separation of church and state" - declaring, "Let the politicians do their thing and I will do my Christian thing."  Oh, if it were only that simple.

"So, Bill, why is it so important to recognize and understand the difference between Calvinism, Arminianism, and those other theologies which teach neither?"

A person would have to be blind to not recognize that we live in a fallen world, a world where evil abounds and where a person must be constantly aware, lest someone steal his property, defame him, cheat him, harm him and his family, even to the point of killing them.  Where does one find peace and security in such a world?  Some find it in accumulating wealth, often paying armed guards to protect them and their families.  Often they find security in knowing that with their accumulated wealth, they can buy themselves out of problems and harm.  But, is that really security?

Jesus Christ offers us "eternal security" - promising that once we have, by grace through faith, chosen to follow Him as Lord and Savior - NO ONE can snatch us out of His hands nor out of the Father's hands (John 10:28-29).  That is real security, not protection from tribulations of this world -  but, His promise to keep us secure eternally, not just for the few years we have in this mortal body.  That "eternal security" we claim the moment we believe and receive Him, for at that moment we are indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), never to have that seal broken nor have the Holy Spirit evicted (Ephesians 4:30).   That is real Eternal Security, which no amount of accumulated wealth can buy; but which God freely gives to us the moment we are adopted into His family (Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 4:5-6, Ephesians 1:5).

"But, Bill, doesn't Calvinism and Arminianism offer that same Eternal Security?"

Glad you asked.  And, the only answer can be a resounding, "Yes and No!"   Confused?  No need to be, for ALL Christian believers have His "eternal security" even if the theology they follow teaches otherwise.

Calvinism tells us that before God created the heavens and the earth; before God created any living humans - but, knowing that He was going to create billions upon billions of humans, all created in His own image (Genesis 1:26) - God decided that He was only going to allow a small minority of those divinely created humans into His heaven (the Elect). 

And, according to the Calvinist theology, He decided, before the Creation, that the vast majority of those divinely created human souls He would condemn to eternal hell, misery, and suffering (the Reprobate) - without them having any opportunity to choose to enter His heaven.  Wow, what a God!

And, I have read Calvinist writings which tell us that God also applies that Elect or Reprobate classification to all babies - aborted, pre-born who die, infants who die, young children who die before reaching the age of understanding, all young children.  According to those writings, if that child: aborted, pre-born, infant, or young child - is conceived by an Elect couple - that child automatically has Eternal Security assured, that child will be in heaven.

On the other hand, if that child: aborted, pre-born, infant, or young child - is conceived by a Reprobate couple - that child automatically is condemned to eternal hell, misery, and suffering.   Is that the God you worship and serve?

Arminians believe that God offers salvation and eternal life to all who will believe and receive His Son as Lord and Savior.  That is good.  However, then Arminians tell us that, even though we have believed and received Christ - we can still lose that salvation.   They obviously ignore what Jesus taught in John 10:28-29, that no one (and that "no one" includes the believer) can snatch the believer out of His hands nor out of the Father's hands.

Yes, according to the Arminians, all Christian believers must go through life looking over their shoulders - lest they commit that one small sin, often a sin unknown to them, which will rob them of their salvation, rob them of the Eternal Security which Christ has promised to all believers.  Where is Eternal Security to be found in a life where we must constantly be looking over our shoulders lest we be robbed of our salvation?

In a sense, I relate to Dr. Norman Geisler's position of being a "moderate Calvinist."   But, in reality, I have a problem with any theology that is based upon the teachings of any man and given the name of that man, i.e., Calvinism, Arminianism, etc.  I prefer to follow a Christian Theology, based upon His name only.  So, I will often define myself as standing somewhere in the middle between the theologies created by John Calvin (1509-1564) and Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609), denying some doctrines in both camps.

Norman Geisler
http://www.theopedia.com/norman-geisler

Theology:  Geisler maintains that he is a "moderate Calvinist," as outlined in his book Chosen But Free (1999).

He is widely considered a conservative evangelical, in spite of the misgivings that both Arminian and Calvinist polemicists have with his "moderate Calvinism."  He rejects the classical Calvinist tenets of unconditional election, limited atonement, and irresistible grace - yet retains modified versions of total depravity and perseverance of the saints.  In response to this James R. White, a Calvinist pastor and apologist, wrote The Potter's Freedom (2000).  One of White's contentions is that Geisler's "moderate Calvinism" appears to be an "inconsistent" Arminianism, in opposition to the more robust views espoused by John Calvin.

Dr. Geisler has also been an outspoken critic of "open theism," especially it's doctrine of "limited foreknowledge" - which he maintains is a deeply flawed subversion of "classical theism." .  .  .

Bill Gray Note:  Open Theism denies the full foreknowledge of God, thus denying His omniscience.

Norman L. Geisler is an evangelical scholar, Christian apologist, and the author/coauthor of over fifty Christian books defending the Christian faith by means of logic, evidence, and philosophy.  He has also authored many scholarly articles on a wide range of theological and philosophical topics.  Dr. Geisler has taught at the university and graduate level for over forty years.  Geisler's work Baker Encyclopedia of Christan Apologetics has been well received and is considered a systematic and comprehensive work of Christian apologetics.

Another view is found in the Calvinist leaning web site GotQuestions:   http://www.gotquestions.org/Calvinism-vs-Arminianism.html

Question: "Calvinism vs. Arminianism - which view is correct?"

Answer:  Calvinism and Arminianism are two systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in the matter of salvation.  Calvinism is named for John Calvin, a French theologian who lived from 1509-1564.  Arminianism is named for Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609.

Both systems can be summarized with five points. 

T -  Calvinism holds to the total depravity of man while Arminianism holds to partial depravity.  Calvinism’s doctrine of total depravity states that every aspect of humanity is corrupted by sin; therefore, human beings are unable to come to God on their own accord.  Partial depravity states that every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin, but not to the extent that human beings are unable to place faith in God of their own accord. .  .

U -  Calvinism includes the belief that election is unconditional, while Arminianism believes in conditional election.  Unconditional election is the view that God elects individuals to salvation based entirely on His will, not on anything inherently worthy in the individual.  Conditional election states that God elects individuals to salvation based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ unto salvation, thereby on the condition that the individual chooses God.

L -  Calvinism sees the atonement as limited, while Arminianism sees it as unlimited.  This is the most controversial of the five points. Limited atonement is the belief that Jesus only died for the elect.  Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died for all, but that His death is not effectual until a person receives Him by faith.

I -  Calvinism includes the belief that God’s grace is irresistible, while Arminianism says that an individual can resist the grace of God.  Irresistible grace argues that when God calls a person to salvation, that person will inevitably come to salvation.  Resistible grace states that God calls all to salvation, but that many people resist and reject this call.

P -  Calvinism holds to perseverance of the saints while Arminianism holds to conditional salvation.  Perseverance of the saints refers to the concept that a person who is elected by God will persevere in faith and will not permanently deny Christ or turn away from Him.  Conditional salvation is the view that a believer in Christ can, of his/her own free will, turn away from Christ and thereby lose salvation. .  .

So, in the Calvinism vs Arminianism debate, who is correct?  It is interesting to note that in the diversity of the body of Christ, there are all sorts of mixtures of Calvinism and Arminianism.  There are five-point Calvinists and five-point Arminians, and at the same time three-point Calvinists and two-point Arminians. Many believers arrive at some sort of mixture of the two views.  Ultimately, it is our view that both systems fail in that they attempt to explain the unexplainable.

Human beings are incapable of fully grasping a concept such as this.  Yes, God is absolutely sovereign and knows all.  Yes, human beings are called to make a genuine decision to place faith in Christ unto salvation.  These two facts seem contradictory to us, but in the mind of God they make perfect sense.

Recommended Resources:

Debating Calvinism: Five Points, Two Views, by Hunt & White
Chosen But Free, revised edition: A Balanced View of God's Sovereignty and Free Will, by Norm Geisler
The Potter's Freedom, by James White
Why I Am Not a Calvinist, by Walls & Dongell
Why I Am Not an Arminian, by Peterson & Williams

Bill Gray Note:  The underline, bold, and cap TULIP letters were added by me.

Keep in mind that if you accept the Calvinist doctrine of Predestination, you are also accepting that God has chosen before the Creation - to condemn billions of people, including babies, to eternal hell, misery, and suffering with no possibility of salvation.

And, if you chose to follow the teaching of Arminianism, that believers can lose their salvation - then you are refusing to accept the promise of Christ in John 10:28-29, "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."

So, where do you stand - in the "Predestination For All" corner - or - in the "Lose Your Salvation" corner.  OR, do you stand in the Biblical Christian center which tells us, in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world (you, me, all people) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever (you, me, all people) believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

If you choose the Calvinist corner, you must ask yourself, "Am I really sure that God chose me before the Creation to be among the Elect?  How am I to know, for sure?"

And, if you choose to stand in the Arminian corner, you must ask yourself, "Why does Jesus, over and over in the Bible, promise the believer eternal life - if He is not going to keep the believer secure in that promise?"

Praise God, I KNOW, with no doubt, that I have eternal life in Christ, i.e., eternal security.  And, I KNOW, with no doubt, that all believers, regardless of the fact that some follow an erroneous theology - are saved and will have eternal fellowship with Jesus Christ and all other believers.  For ALL my brothers and sisters in Christ, even those I do not know in this life - I will see in heaven!

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill