PREFACE
In the book of I Kings, we are introduced to the prophet Elijah for the first time. This legendary figure arrives on the scene at a bleak time in Israel’s history. Drought and famine have struck the land, forcing even the wealthy to scavenge for food, much like dogs. The king and queen blatantly defy God’s commandments and openly sanction the worship of false deities. Those deities include the alleged gods of rain and agriculture during a time of no rain and starvation. God is trying to tell the people something, but they choose not to listen. As a result, God calls Elijah to serve as His human instrument to turn the people away from apostasy and back toward Him.
It is for this reason that we find Elijah atop Mt. Carmel in I Kings, chapter 18. The people of Israel are gathered there to see a showdown among the gods. On one side stands Elijah—he alone stands for the one true God. On the other side are 850 prophets of false gods. At stake is the heart of the nation of Israel. The wager centers on who can call out and receive an answer from heaven. If the false prophets receive an answer, then their gods win. If Elijah does so, then god really is God—Jehovah or Yahweh; the God of the Bible; the God of Israel; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
On top of the mountain, in the midst of the confrontation, Elijah then asks one of the most powerful questions in the entire Bible to all those looking on: “How long will you waver between two opinions?” (I Kings 18:21a, NIV).
Although Elijah was outnumbered; although he was mocked and ridiculed; although he lived on the fringes of society; and although he was regarded as “out of touch,” “antiquated,” and “backward,” he stood for truth and had a single-minded dedication to THE LORD. Elijah couldn’t help himself because his name literally means, “My God is Yahweh.” He acted based on his God-given identity, so no matter how “unpopular” the truth was, he stood firm in the truth. Elijah fully understood that when you live in a world that doesn’t honor God, you will be misunderstood and labeled in derogatory ways. Turning toward God and resistance actually go hand in hand, and although the messenger is human, the message is omnipotent.
Elijah represents all those in modern times unafraid to stand for the truth in a world full of opinions. Just as the prophet did, we find ourselves fighting an uphill battle in which many so-called religious leaders have adopted a more “digestible” version of the gospel to attract followers and secure secondary gain. Moreover, just as King Ahab and Queen Jezebel did in the time of Elijah, many in positions of power and authority now openly sanction syncretism and half-truths to formalize their power and solidify loyalty. These clever individuals need not preach heresy—they simply substitute for the whole truth a vacuous, Christ-less form of subjective “spirituality” in which faith has become what I want to believe. What is said from the pulpit therefore is indistinguishable from what is said in a corporate boardroom, at a self-help seminar, or at the paid conference of a motivational speaker. Subsequently, in contemporary America, spirituality is on the rise, while Christianity is in steep decline.[*] This situation comes as no surprise; at our core, we are not physical beings trying to adapt to our spiritual selves. We are image bearers of God, spiritual beings attempting to adjust to the physical world. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has placed eternity in our hearts, so it is no wonder that humanity endlessly searches for something bigger, deeper, and more meaningful.
American spirituality is built upon the foundation of me, but a house of faith built upon the foundation of self will not stand. In this house, God must compete for my attention and provide personalized incentives. If His performance falls short, I simply move on to the next idol. Rules become nothing more than burdensome inconveniences and a threat to my rugged individualism.
Accordingly, before Elijah goes down in history as a great prophet who turns the people’s hearts back to God, those in power label him a “troubler,” an instigator, and a bothersome menace. Similarly, in the twenty-first century, if you’re not willing to be “controversial,” then you’re not willing to stand for God and His Word. The Bible shows clearly that obedience to THE LORD has always been a countercultural choice in direct opposition to the status quo. Moses fought against the obsession with inhumane and endless production in the Egyptian economic system, Micah warned that exploitation of others in climbing the ladder of success would bring judgment and ruin, and Jesus informed the religious “authorities” of His time that the accepted interpretation of the Scriptures was a perversion of the truth. Subsequently, in 2015, Christians squabble over many extraneous things, failing to realize that sound doctrine is the fight always worth fighting.
Herein lies the problem with subjective religion and multiple opinions: when you spend so much time hopping from branch to branch, you begin to lose focus on your real opinion. Accordingly, you become numb both to sin and to God. This numbness leads to apathy and the inability to take a firm stand on anything, which is exactly why evil can casually say, “Whatever…” to the question, “How long will you waver?” The response in the text says, “But the people said nothing” (I Kings 18:21b, NIV).
Furthermore, Elijah didn’t ask his famous question to atheists. He didn’t ask agnostics. He didn’t ask any group you might consider “sinners.” He asked Israelites. He asked a people who knew God, who were aware of God’s law, who had a national identity exclusively because of God, and who were living in a land promised to them by God. The story of Elijah isn’t an indictment of all those “heathens” who do not know Jesus. It is an indictment of those who label themselves Christians or who are members of Christ’s church. Throughout the Bible, God always judges those who know Him first, and then He deals with those on the “outside.” Before we accuse others of anything, we ought to look at the person in the mirror first and foremost. Otherwise, we have promoted ourselves to the position of deity.
A person who refuses to waver between opinions has an unchangeable Christian identity firmly rooted in Jesus Christ. This Christian refuses to compromise, is unafraid of the trouble and challenges that come with transformation, and boldly proclaims that Jehovah is God in a world that is apathetic to sin, responsibility, and accountability. This identity is a fixed point of reference in a world full of confusion; it is the persistent, pervasive, all-encompassing force that steers a person’s mind, thoughts, words, and actions. Identity always precedes behavior; all action stems and proceeds from this core sense of self, and that self is formed in the image of God.
For those who have been wondering what happened with Elijah, well, God allowed him to win the showdown. THE LORD sent down fire from heaven and revealed the true God, bringing everyone to their knees in recognition of the Almighty. As for the false prophets, they were all destroyed.
At the end of the day, neither God nor the Bible needs to be defended by any human being, but susceptible humans need protection against the malicious vipers that purposely pervert, exploit, distort, and capitalize on the Word of God. Jesus never intended for spiritual tyranny to burden the souls of His sheep, nor did He ever intend for His “shepherds” to enslave all those He set free on the cross.
What Christians Should Know (WCSK) is meant to guide you into and along the path of Christ and humbly attempts to mimic what He did for people: to liberate them. It is designed to empower you to read, study, understand, and become familiar with the incarnate Word of God for yourself. By knowing and understanding the truth, you will never succumb to false doctrine or the notion that “sort-of-the-truth” is the truth. As it says in the beginning of the Didache, “There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways.” Anything other than Jesus Christ leads to death. He is the path of Life.
WCSK aims to begin the process of transforming believers in Christ into disciples of Christ as they walk that path. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples [emphasis added] of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB). Matheteuo, the Greek word for disciple, is very interesting because it simultaneously implies an inner role as a pupil and an outward role as a teacher. By implication, to teach well, you must first have an ironclad grasp on the subject matter.
What if people came up to you in the street and asked, “What do you believe, and why do you believe it?” Could you answer the questions? What if they wanted you to explain to them the basic, core doctrines of the Christian faith? Could you do so? Could you direct them on where to go? What if someone said, “The Bible is too complicated. I need something to guide me”? What if someone wanted to take a step toward Christ but felt unworthy, intimidated, or overwhelmed by “doing church”? What if you desire to do all the “right” things but often feel like the things you hear don’t relate to you or you can’t understand how what’s preached on Sunday actually matters in your life? What if you go through the religious motions because your parents tell you to but have never taken an honest look at it all for yourself?
WCSK is a vehicle for institutional change. It is the nutrition for starving Christians who suffer from doctrinal apathy and the proper sustenance of enduring Biblical truth for believers. This electronic book offers a completely free set of written lessons composed from the original online series published on DLCFC.org and CHESadaphal.com. WCSK was developed to provide the basic, fundamental doctrines of Christianity for the congregants of Deeper Life Christian Fellowship. It is intended to be accessible, practical, and applicable to everyone. WCSK challenges Christians to rethink what they think they know and invites all curious minds to discover (or rediscover) the Word of God, challenging our fascination with cultural fads and moralism. The work forces us to reorient our spiritual walk and aims to expand and enlarge the pool of faithful, eager, and willing followers of Christ who have become so empowered, invigorated, and set ablaze that they can’t help but spread the good news to others.
Of all my father’s sermons, my favorite posed one simple question: “Is your salvation secure?” On the Day of Judgment, the only person to be held accountable before God for all your wrongdoing is you. There will be no excuses, no scapegoats, and no loopholes. It is for this reason that we must never, ever take our walk of faith lightly but rather with the full recognition of the depravity of sin and the irrevocable consequences of leading a life without Jesus at the center. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13, NASB).
I sincerely hope you enjoy and are enriched by the lessons.
May God richly bless you and guide you in your studies.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Dr. Charles Haddon Elijah Sadaphal
April 2015