Category: Blog

In April 1956. I prayed a doubtful prayer. What I mean is, it is doubtful whether I should have prayed it. But I did.

I had just heard a very moving sermon by Dr. Hugh C. Benner, general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene (of which I was a member). He preached a sermon on “The Mind of Christ” from Philippians 2:5-12 (the basis for my book Imitating Christ – called  Meekness and Majesty in England, using Graham Kendrick’s wonderful hymn as the book title and theme for each phrase in Philippians 2:5ff – Graham also wrote the Foreword). Dr. Benner’s sermon drove me (literally) to my knees. He made the point that Jesus, though being in the form of God, not only became man but even became the “lowest possible shame”. I got on my knees, being so overcome by his message that I prayed – with all my heart: “Lord, make me the lowest possible shame for your glory”.

When I prayed that prayer I was sitting on the top of the world. I had been given a brand new Chevrolet by my grandmother. I was pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Palmer, Tennessee – traveling there on weekends and studying at Trevecca Nazarene College (now University) Monday through Friday. I was assistant to Dr. William Greathouse, the Dean of Religion at Trevecca. I had a bright future in that denomination; indeed, seemingly heading for prominence – possibly in the footsteps of the man my Dad named me after, Dr. R. T. Williams.

Here’s the thing: I prayed that prayer and meant it with all my heart; there was no way on earth that I knew of that such a prayer could be answered although I knew (somehow) that it would be answered.

Why did I pray that prayer? I cannot be sure why I prayed that prayer. Was it pseudo guilt that I was too happy? Was it the Holy Spirit who applied Dr. Benner’s sermon so deeply – or did I apply it beyond what the Lord was leading me to? I only know that within days of praying that prayer a number of decisions were presented to me that led to (1) my resigning my little church in Palmer; (2) deeply disappointing my Dad by certain decisions I felt compelled to make; (3) my grandmother asking for me to give her the keys to that new Chevrolet (she gave it to my Dad); and (4) relatives in the family saying to me “You are a disgrace, a shame.”

When I heard the word “shame” I suddenly remembered my prayer. Oh dear. I had asked for it. If that moment was not an answer to my prayer I don’t know what was. My father demanded that I pay rent to stay in his home. I started working for a dry cleaner’s establishment. I found a different denomination which upset my Dad all the more. Within four months of praying that prayer I was working as a salesman door to door selling baby equipment.

Should I have prayed that prayer? You tell me. I only know that it changed my life and set it on a different course. But I can add this: be careful what you pray for! God may answer you!

RT

You can read much more about this in my book: Imitating Christ available at a discount for this month.

Not all Christians believe as I do – in “once saved, always saved”. I have written a book on it – not to convince people but to assure those who want to believe it but are afraid it’s not true. I can tell you: it’s true.

I have not always believed in once saved, always saved. I was brought up in a church that not only believed the opposite. They even taught that the doctrine of eternal security was “born in hell”. (Never mind that they sang “Amazing Grace” all the time, overlooking the fact that John Newton the Calvinist believed in once saved, always saved!). What changed me: a supernatural encounter with Jesus Christ driving in my car on October 31, 1955. I was a student at Trevecca Nazarene College (now University) and pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Palmer, Tennessee. The person of Jesus appeared before me as if before my very eyes although I know now it was a vision. But he was more real to me than anything around me. An hour or so later I entered into a rest of soul that I did not know was possible in this present life. Such peace. Joy. Assurance. Assurance? YES. I was given what I would absolutely call an infallible assurance of my salvation. I knew then (57 years ago) I could never be lost. People around me said, “You will change your mind about that”. I knew then I wouldn’t and I never did.

Why am I telling this to you? Two reasons: (1) Hebrews 11 – which I have been focusing on for a while – describes people who were not only saved but came into their inheritance. (2) All the Scriptures people use to refute eternal security refer not to losing one’s salvation but losing one’s inheritance. Every single one of them. Do not be discouraged when you read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:4 or Hebrews 6:4-6 and think you can be lost and go to Hell after being truly saved. Not one of these refer to salvation but inheritance.

You will not be totally free to pursue God’s best for you as long as you think you could lose your salvation. “Christ has set us free” (Gal.5:1).

RT

You can read much more about this in my book: Believing God available at a discount for this month.

Hebrews 11 is a description of people who persisted in faith. With one or two exceptions (as Abel, verse 4) Hebrews does not describe saving faith but persistent faith. Saving faith does not guarantee our inheritance; persisting in faith does. Saving faith guarantees Heaven; persistent faith results in seeing God do in your life what he did in the lives of those described in Hebrews 11.

God chose our inheritance for us (Psa.47:4). It is out of our hands. Not a single person in Hebrews 11 chose to do what they did. Abraham did not choose to leave home without knowing where he was going. He did not choose to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac did not choose to bless Jacob (he preferred Esau). Joseph never dreamed he would be prime minister of Egypt. “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance”, said David (Psa.16:6). You may say: “David would say that, wouldn’t he? After all, he was a king”. I reply: God will make your inheritance as beautiful to you as David’s was to his. You will have no regrets, no complaints – in the end. The process along the way can be painful – even tortuous. Oh yes. Some of those in Hebrews died, were tortured, some escaped death – barely; but all persisted in faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8). Those in Hebrews 11 are in Heaven. They are among the “cloud of witnesses” (Heb.12:1) that are – perhaps – watching us and cheering us on “Don’t give up”. They are in Heaven, we are on earth. Our work isn’t finished. God loves us as much as he did them. He has a plan for us as definite as he had for them. I don’t want to miss God’s will. Neither do you. Persist in faith and you will be as fulfilled as David and finish as well as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

RT

You can read much more about this in my book: Believing God available at a discount for this month.

Hebrews 11 is about men and women coming into their inheritance. Inheritance is what we receive when we persist in faith. Once saved, always saved; that is a given. But, sadly, not all who are saved automatically come into their inheritance. Inheritance is what we get by not giving up.

There are two kinds of faith: saving faith and persistent faith. Saving faith is described in Romans 4:5: “To the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness”. Persistent faith is described in Colossians 2:6: “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him”. We received Christ by faith – which is what saves, or justifies, us. That fits us for Heaven. Forever. It’s done. But we are to continue – persist – in the same faith. Doing so is not done with the view of making sure we get to Heaven. No. Heaven is ours. So why do we persist? For basically two reasons: (1) to show gratitude to God for saving us – which is a life of holiness. Sanctification is essentially the doctrine of gratitude. It is not what saves us or gets us to Heaven but shows we are grateful that we are eternally saved. But also (2) God invites us to come into our inheritance. He has an inheritance for each of us. What may be yours may not be mine; what may be mine may not be yours. For example, I could not have known on April 5^th 1942 (when I was saved) that one day I would be a Bible teacher. This was God’s inheritance for me. He has an inheritance for you. It may not be full-time Christian ministry. You can be a nurse or lawyer or banker or secretary in God’s will as perfectly as I am as a Bible teacher.

But sadly there are Christians who forfeit their inheritance. By ingratitude. Disobedience. Foolishness. They don’t lose their salvation. But they risk – if they are not brought back to repentance – forfeiting their inheritance. Those in Hebrews 11 had in common that they believed God, persisted in faith and came into their inheritance. They did not receive what they thought they would get. But what they got was better than what they aimed for! And it was said of them: “of whom the world was not worthy” (Heb.11:38).

The most dazzling thing is this: you and I can do what they did. By persistent faith. Believing God.

RT

You can read much more about this in my book: Believing God available at a discount for this month.

After I had been at Westminster Chapel for a year or so I felt drawn to Hebrews 11. One evening, driving Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones to Chipping Norton in the English Cotswolds (where he would be preaching that night), I asked him to give me a good definition of faith – one that would safely carry me through Hebrews 11. We discussed it on the way to Chipping Norton and on the way back to London. We seemed no closer to a definition after some four hours of driving. The next day the phone rang. Almost before I could say “hello” a voice on the other end said, “Believing God. There is your definition”. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then began quoting one verse after another: Abraham “believed God”, Paul said “I believe God” and on and on he went. “I am so excited I think I will use it myself”, he chuckled. But I never looked back. It worked. Beautifully. It became the title of my book on Hebrews 11 a few years later – Believing God.

All those in Hebrews 11 did what they did “by faith”. Not only that; each one of them did what they did because they believed God. They believed what he promised; they believed his Word so much that they acted upon the promise – they obeyed. Faith is what saved them; faith is also what led them to do what they did – they came into their inheritance – turning their world upside down in the process.

God wants you and me to turn our world upside down. But we won’t do it by working things up or imagining what God says; we can only believe and obey what God says. We don’t have to come up with anything new. No. His Word will open the way forward. That is where we begin. With the Bible. Believing the Bible. To believe the Bible is to believe God. To believe God is to follow in the steps of those in Hebrews 11. We are called to do in our day what they did in theirs. We have the same God.

RT

You can read much more about this in my book: Believing God available at a discount for this month.

When Jesus said for us to love our enemies and “pray for those who persecute you” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.5:44), it was an extension of his treatment of the Law – namely the Sixth Command: do not murder. Murdering is done not merely by the physical act but by the attitude of the heart, namely, hate.

Hate is something some of us are not willing to admit to. Like Jealousy, the sin no one talks about; or pride, the sin that no one admits to, so too hate. It is demeaning to hate; we all like to feel it is what “others” do – never us!

How do you know you have not given into hate? How can you be sure you are not a hater? You say: “I’m not a racist”. “I am not homophobic”.  Good. But how can you sure? I reply: when you pray for that  person to be blessed. Not when you say, “Lord, I commit them to you” – which lets you off the hook. When you say, “I commit them to you”, you have left the door open that, just maybe, God will visit them in vengeance; that God will punish them for you. So never think you are praying for your enemy when you say, “Lord, I commit them to you”.

Here is how you are to pray for your enemy: “Lord, I sincerely ask you to bless them”. Or, “I ask that they don’t get punished – or found out”. You may say to me: “R T you are  crazy”. No, I’m not crazy; I am obeying Jesus’ teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. You may ask, “But why? What’s in it for you if you pray that your enemy will be blessed and let off the hook?” I reply: a lot. In a word: I inherit the kingdom of heaven – the highest spiritual achievement this side of the  Judgment Seat of Christ. Not only that; I know I have God’s approval. His approval means more to me than seeing my enemy punished.  I choose to have the approval of God than vengeance on my enemy.

And there is one more fringe benefit (if I may put it that way): more anointing. Yes. More anointing meaning insight and an ability to understand the Bible. People ask me, “How can you write all those books?” They seem to think it is my brain or education. No. It is one thing: the anointing. It can be traced directly to taking Jesus’ words seriously – to pray that my enemy will be blessed. When Jesus said “blessed” are we who are persecuted, he was guaranteeing a great reward indeed – that is, if we respond to persecution by blessing our enemy not cursing them.

Therefore it eventually comes down to this (strange as this may seem): praying for  your enemy becomes a selfish thing. The more persecution, the greater anointing – on the condition I bless them. Highly recommended: an enemies’ prayer list!

RT

Look for a special offer in the coming few days for special Christmas gift pricing on this and other of RT’s books.

Read more on in depth analysis in RT’s book.

Jesus deals largely with three of the Ten Commandments in the Sermon on the Mount: (1) the Sixth Command (“You shall not murder”), (2) the Seventh Command (“You shall not commit adultery”) and, implicitly, (3) the Third Command (“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God”). Inheriting the kingdom comes by being justified by faith in Jesus’ blood and upholding the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus taught that we murder not merely by physically taking another person’s life by anger, hatred and accusing another. This teaching internalized the Sixth Command (Matt.5:21ff). When Jesus later said we must love our enemy and pray for them (Matt.5:43f) it was extending his teaching of the Sixth Command. It came to this: total forgiveness toward those who have hurt us, letting them off the hook and pray for them to be blessed. It was astonishing teaching. And yet it is the say we come into our inheritance in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus internalized the Seventh Command when he said that to look at a woman “lustfully” – or causing her to lust – is to commit adultery. Therefore we commit adultery not  merely by the physical act but by lusting and causing a woman to lust by physical touch or flattery. No one had ever taught this! It is the way you and I are to live, that there be not even a “hint” of sexual impurity (Eph.5:3). It was to be a purity not only of outward behavior but in the heart, which referred back to purity of heart in the Beatitudes (Matt.5:8).

Some have not understood that Jesus’ telling us not to “swear” was his exposition of the Third Command. There are those who misuse God’s Name and don’t realize it. I refer not merely to cursing with God’s name but to seemingly innocent practices as saying, “The Lord told me this”. Why bring in the Lord’s Name? Jesus said not to swear at all – whether by God’s throne or his footstool (Matt.5:33-37) but to say what you mean and man what you say without bringing in God’s Name. What would be the purpose of bringing in God’s Name: partly to make sure people believe we are telling the truth (an oath is weightier) and partly to make ourselves look good. If, for example, I want you truly to believe I am telling the truth I say “I swear to you by the living God”, I may succeed in getting you to believe me; but I have misused God’s Name at the same time. Jesus said not to swear at all – appealing to any authority but your simple statement of truth. As for my saying “God told me”, I have no right to do this! You will say, “But what if he did tell you?” I reply: I don’t have to bring in his Name. It is only to make me look good – not Him. Many people misuse God’s Name this way.

RT

Read more on in depth analysis in RT’s book.

The Beatitudes (Matt.5:1-12) not only introduce the Sermon on the Mount but provide the “text” of Jesus’ famous sermon. In other words, what he would say in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.5-7) is a filling out of the Beatitudes. They also point to the true meaning of the “kingdom” – not something that is visible, physical or political but that which is in our hearts (Luke 17:21).

Salvation does not come however by living by the Sermon on the Mount. It is interesting but sad that so many non-believers are fascinated by the Sermon on the Mount and hail Jesus as a wonderful teacher because of its content. What they don’t grasp is that the language of the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Not only that; we cannot begin to keep the Sermon on the Mount until we have been saved – that is, converted by the Holy Spirit. We are saved not by keeping the Sermon on the Mount but by transferring the faith that we have in our good works to what Jesus has done for us on the cross. When Jesus said that he had not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it (Matt.5:17) – the most “stupendous” claim Jesus ever made (according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones), he was pointing to the way we are saved. Not by our keeping the Law or affirming Jesus’ interpretation of it but by recognizing that Jesus kept the Law for us.

When Jesus said he had come to fulfill the Law it was a daring announcement early on in his ministry that he himself – and by himself – would literally keep the Mosaic Law. Not merely the Ten Commandments (which nobody had ever done) but also the finer points of the Law (over 2,000 pieces of legislation). Why did he say he would do this? It is because the Law needed to be fulfilled. No body had fulfilled it. Ever. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Even those Jews who were the most candid but loathe to let Gentiles in on the Covenant admitted that no one had kept the Law (Acts 15:10). So when Jesus said he would keep the Law it was an amazing commitment

But the mission was accomplished when he died on the cross and “finished” the work he was sent to do (John 19:30). We are therefore saved by trusting what Jesus did for us: he fulfilled the Law by his sinless life and sacrificial death.

That said, what is the point of his teaching? The answer: once we are saved by faith in Jesus’ blood we are called to persist in faith (Col.2:6-7). Persisting in faith leads us to apply Jesus’ teaching – starting with the Beatitudes. When for example we are broken, meek, pure in heart and hunger for righteousness we inherit the kingdom. Kingdom living is what believers are required to do in order to show they have been saved and that they take Jesus’ teaching seriously.

RT

Read more on in depth analysis in RT’s book.