Happiness is the Lord

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Opening Banter and Songbook Setup

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, Mike Abendroth. It happens to be, I think it�s Tuesday. Tuesday guy is in the house. Actually it is Tuesday in real time, and it�s mid-June.

And the parking lot is looking beautiful. The telecom people have been in to trim the tower. Mm-hmm. Trimming the wicks. Yeah, it looks very nice.

It looks like a holiday. It�s beautiful. Steve, our listeners, if they want to learn about the trip to go to Geneva and to Wittenberg, Wurttemberg, Zurich. They can just send me a check. They can send you a check May 20th through 30th, 2017.

I�m looking forward to it. So that�s really almost 11 days.

It�s 10 plus days anyway.

Yeah, two travel days, so I think it�s nine days there.

But the opportunity to just spend all that time with Mike and get the wit and wisdom. Mike Gendron, that�s true. Oh, well, that�s what I meant.

Why would you think anything else? I don�t know. The last two shows that we�ve done, Steve and I have done, Preferred Songs, we found this here at the church, this little brochure with 20-some songs from this anti-alcohol insurance company.

We thought they would send some hymns, little hymn books, booklets to churches and then.

They could promote their temperance movement.

Seriously, I�ve got an old Bible and on the front, it�s got a temperance pledge and weddings, funerals, this, that, and the other, then a temperance pledge and you and your family were to sign that temperance pledge.

Well, I�d probably sign it. The only difficulty I would have is, first of all, I don�t believe it and secondly, I do imbibe in NyQuil, true confessions. I don�t know how much alcohol is left in it. It used to be like, dude, first time I ever had it.

24 or so. Yeah, it was like, seriously, it was 25 alcohol. I remember drinking it, my dad gave it to me and I drank it and I was like, it bans us and I had no idea. I looked at the label, I was like, wow.

As a good Mormon lad, that was really kind of, that was a shocker.

I usually gargle every morning and every night, so I brush my teeth and gargle. And what if a few of the molecules of the gargle antiseptic Listerine mouthwash has alcohol in it?

I think you�ve broken your temperance pledge. I think I have.

It�s an unbiblical vow. If I vowed never to drink again, that�s not a biblical vow, so I�m free from the vow. Break it. Yeah. Terminate it. What if there�s a little bit of alcohol in the non-alcoholic beer, would that mean I�m breaking it?

I don�t know. Only the Lord knows, you know, secret things.

Steve, what about the Everclear that I put in the Boda bag and add some stuff to it, would that break it? I don�t even know what Everclear is. Everclear was the worst. It was 180 proof. It was basically green alcohol.

Oh, okay. That you would add to punch at parties. So, it�s that fortified junk. Yeah, it was awful. Oh, that�s nasty. All right, so here�s what we�re going to do today. We�re looking at another song because the song gives us a platform to talk about something theological using a song as a foil.

Oh. Okay? Yeah. So, we have done Jacob�s Ladder, I�ve decided to follow Jesus. I thought those were two pretty good shows.

Not very good songs. I thought you�re going to say, I thought they were two very good songs.

Now, sometimes while I don�t like the particular songs, I thought Mike liked them. Yeah. Mike was partial to them. Okay, this is song number 15, and I just want you to know ahead of time, Steve. It�s in E flat.

While I have decided to follow Jesus was in C, this is in E flat. Okay. What�s the difference?

I don�t know. I mean, I really don�t know enough musical theory, you know, to.

Now, I know the fingering for guitar for C. I know that. I think that�s C, that�s D. I don�t know what E flat is.

I thought you were doing like, you know, what is that? The language for deaf people. This is actually E, Mike. Oh.

That�s why we need a video camera here so we can be like Todd Freeland. You can watch us do radio. That�s big in sports talk now and stuff like that, right? Watching people do radio.

How does that work? Then we�d actually have to, you know, like get dressed up and� I know. Here I am.

I�ve got my master�s college. It�s out of style now because it�s Master�s University. Master�s University. Checking my phone, right, for messages and stuff. Sometimes when you talk, I just check.

Yeah, you can�t really do that while you�re on the air. It doesn�t work. You know, it�s like you�re in the big time now.

Next time Friel asks me to host a show, I�m going to just check email while I talk.

The people will be like� They�ll be emailing going,. �What are you checking your email for I know.

Happiness, Contentment, and the Limits of Moralism

So the song for the day is �Happiness is the Lord. Okay. Now just knowing the title, talk to me about the title. So far, so good.

�Happiness is the Lord. Well, it�s way better than �Happiness is a warm gun you know, from the White Album by the Beatles. So that�s a step up.

Remember that little thing about� that John Lennon did the word association and so it said Paul and he said, you know, brilliant. He said Ringo, fun. And then it said George and he said something like strange or something like that.

See, I think George is probably my favorite, which just kind of goes to show. I�m really odd, you know. But �Happiness is the Lord. I mean, I don�t know. Is there happiness in the Lord if you mean contentment?

Yes. I think having not read the lyrics, having never looked at the lyrics before, you know, and I�ll just say Mike would agree with me. I think the problem I have is just with the idea of happiness, you know, this idea that we are to be happy.

Happiness is not a biblical concept. Contentment is. And we can be content in whatever our circumstances are. We may not be happy with our circumstances, though. Okay.

Let�s go ahead and. Okay. Before we do that, though, Steve, I was thinking what if we had a bad translation of the Beatitudes and they would say instead of blessed. They might say happy because I think some do say happy.

But as you were talking, it made me think happiness is usually based on happenstance, circumstance. If you got bad circumstances, it�s hard to be happy. But joy, obviously it�s the fruit of the spirit.

I love joy, peace. You can have joy even if you�re in a trial and does not even James command that, count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various trials. So I�m not really the happy guy. Happy go lucky.

I guess you could name a dog happy. You could name a basketball player happy, Happy Harrison. Happy Harrison.

Yeah, if you�re old enough to remember happy, then you�re pretty old.

Did not he also play with Jim McMillan? Yes. Gail Goodrich, Jerry West. Who were the key subs? The key subs were Lucius Allen. I don�t know who. Pat Riley.

And I think Keith Erickson. Oh, that�s nice. Yes, I remember Keith Erickson. And then they used to bring in for a sub for center. You remember who the sub was? Elmore Smith. No, Melvin Counts. Mel Counts.

Mel Counts. Well, Chamberlain retired 72, 73, something like that, 74. I can�t remember exactly when. It must have been pre -73. And it was Jim Elmore I think was the backup center who then was the new center.

For like for a whole season until they got Kareem. And then, you know.

I think actually Lucius Allen, he went to Milwaukee. Did he go in that trade? And then Kareem comes to Los Angeles from the Milwaukee Bucks.

No, Lucius Allen, I think if you�ll check the record books to see if I�m right. But I remember Lucius being with Lew Alcindor before he changed to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Milwaukee. With Brian Winters maybe.

Well, I think Brian Winters was part of that trade. And I was bugged when the Lakers, because I really liked Brian Winters. And I think I was wrong. I think so too.

Justification by Faith in Christ, Not Behavior

So, back to wrong. The song now starts. Happiness is to know the Savior. Okay, I understand kind of what they�re meaning a little bit. Joy or, you know, a thrill or adulation or something like that. But the next line is what bugs me.

Living a life within his favor. Having a change in my behavior. Happiness is the Lord. Now, what kind of song is this? Forget the happiness problem. Here�s what we�re going to do. You want to have happiness and joy?

You just live the right moral life. Steve, let�s leave it to Beaver stuff, isn�t it?

Does moralism make one happy? No. Let�s even go a step further. Does moralism save? Can you come up with enough rules to get you to heaven?

I can just hear Paul start whacking people in Romans 2 after they�ve given hearty approval to those statements that Paul makes about those wicked people who give hearty approval about other wicked people and saying, you know what?

You think you�re better than they are. You have a self-righteousness. You need righteousness. Your self-righteousness can�t cover you.

Mike, not to disagree with Mike, but you recall the opening words of the book The Letter to Galatians where he just lauded the Church of Galatia for their excellent rule-making. He loved what they were doing there.

Yes, there are a variety of different rules and on a sliding scale, he loved the Galatians. You know, that city, Galatia, I was there once in my travels. It used to be a port city and it just seems like it�s gotten a lot smaller or maybe, you know, it�s more spread out between like the north and south areas.

Let�s not even go there. Of course, it�s not a city. All right. Happiness is to know the Savior, living a life within his favor. Happiness, a change in my behavior. I think evangelicals have lost to some degree what Paul would say in Galatians 2 .20.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And here�s the part they have forgotten and obviously, the preferred temperance movement, auto insurance group, non-alcoholic, Methodist, grape juice people.

And the life I now live in the flesh. Okay, here�s the drum roll. Is a change in my behavior. No, and the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God. Steve, talk to me a little bit and talk to our listeners a little bit about, of course, there�s the initial faith where you used to believe, I don�t know, in your own works righteousness and then God regenerates you.

We talked about it last show and now you exercise saving faith for the first moment. But isn�t there for the Christian a life of walking by faith and not by sight and even Paul as a Christian, don�t we walk by faith?

Absolutely, we walk by faith and I think the problem of measuring your salvation by your changed behavior. I mean just think what that means. That means every time you sin, it�s like, man, I just lost my salvation.

You know, I chomped it. I�m hell bound unless I change my ways, you know.

As Christians, we still struggle. And what if my hope was based on, all right, now I�m a Christian. I�ve got to live the life or else I have no assurance.

My hope is built on nothing less than my good works and righteousness. Steve.

I don�t want that hope. I obviously, when I read 1 John, know there are certain subjective things that you could say about, you know, is this something that I want in my life? Do I see any flicker of this in my life?

Do I have any love for the Lord and his word in my life? I get all that. But how about I�m just still trusting in the one who makes propitiation for my sins, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. When I�m not righteous in my walk, Jesus is the righteous one still, 1 John 2.

Well, doesn�t 1 John also say that if we say we have sin, we�re lying. Doesn�t it say that?

Maybe that�s in Psalm 26 of the temperance movement. The rest of the lyrics, I don�t really remember these lyrics. Happiness is a new creation, Jesus and me in close relation. Having a part in his salvation, happiness is the Lord.

Now, if having a part is, I�m the recipient of, okay.

Lisa doesn�t say having a part in my salvation. That�s right.

And then, okay, earlier we discussed, well, what about happiness versus joy? Actually, joy is in the song. So, I think the writer knew ahead of time, which makes it even more problematic. Real joy is mine, no matter if teardrops start.

I found the secret, it�s Jesus in my heart. Steve, remember back, you were the Mormon, you didn�t remember. But I remember in the early 70s, the I found it campaign. And I believe my mother on our car had an I found it sticker.

Oh, I remember because we used to like chuckle because, you know, there would be people who, like the Star of David, I never lost it, you know, and kind of, you know, different sort of things. You found what, you know, and there was all kinds of funny stuff going on.

And as we said last week, there is a real human response to salvation and you really have to believe. But the cause of your salvation is God. He makes you born again and you respond and exercise the gift that God has given you.

Because even faith is a gift.

Union with Christ and the Gift of Faith

Jesus and me in close relation. Well, you know what I like about that? I mean, if you, you know, even dopey songs like Andy walks with me and he talks with me. If you are living in close relation with Jesus, in other words, if you're focused on him, then, you know, what ought to be true about your life?

Well, it's prayer, it's reading, it's, you know, having that constant attitude of just being in, well, I don't even want to say it, but just that overall sense that your life is dependent fully on Christ and you just have that sense of closeness.

But here's the thing, that can all be true, but real life goes on too and sin comes in and interrupts that, you know, and then what? You know, it's not just a matter of this whole thing is just so works filled, I can't even stand it.

You know, it really is, my salvation is not dependent upon me, my standing with Christ is not dependent upon me. Now, my relationship with Christ, my sense of it might be subjectively, you know, bound up in how I'm performing according to me, but that's not the reality of it.

If I don't, well, the truth is, if I don't feel close to Jesus, it's because I'm chomping it, not because anything's changed.

Can you repeat all that? I was texting and looking at my phone and stuff.

Well, let me just summarize it by saying this.

What I did not finish is Galatians 2 .20. It says, and the life I now live, this is Paul the Christian talking, this is sanctification in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Paul reflects, even as a Christian man, and he says, I'm living by faith now in the Son of God, this is the Son who loved me and gave himself for me.

And while right now, if I'm falling short and I'm sinning, I raise my voice to my wife, I'm selfish, I'm prideful, I'm envious, I'm jealous, I'm not worshiping God with my heart, soul, mind, and strength, there's a God who loves me.

And he showed that at Calvary, and he even loves me now, and I'm just still trusting that my acceptance with God today is not based on my own works. I'd like to do good things today and honor God, but God still accepts me freely in the Beloved.

Yeah, I'm, his love is steadfast, right? I mean, and we're thankful for his steadfast love. If our love and our obedience are not steadfast, and love and obedience are really the same thing, if you love me, keep my commandments.

If our love for the Lord is not steadfast, does his love change? And the answer is no. You know, it is there, it is fixed, it's not going anywhere, it's been fixed since eternity past. And the whole idea that somehow we are gaining favor by, you know, making up rules and becoming more righteous in our own eyes, that's just false.

Semi-Pelagian Themes in Gospel Songs

Steve, on this particular page of this quadfold brochure, we've got Jacob's ladder, we are climbing, climbing. We've got, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. We've got, happiness is the Lord that we're talking about now.

And then underneath it, the Savior is waiting to enter your heart. Why don't you let him come in? So, I think it's fair to say that the semi-Pelagian themes go through this songbook probably faster than alcohol is processed by a liver.

Pete. Well, yeah. I mean, it is evident. You know, I mean, you read this and you just think God is only, you know, I mean, here would be another song they could have. God is mostly sovereign. You know, he's as sovereign as you'll let him be.

You know, that kind of thing.

Forgiveness, Joy, and the Final Stanza

Paul Well, my Bible says, final stanza in happiness is the Lord,. E-flat, number 15 preferred songs.

Steve. You say that like it's part of the title. Happiness is the Lord, E-flat. Paul. A mascal of David.

Happiness is to be forgiven. That is a happy moment when you're forgiven. Hey, if we're going to try to be kind to them, that seems pretty passive to me that you're the recipient of forgiveness.

Steve. Well, and think about it. When you realize, that moment you realize that your sins have been forgiven, I mean, it is as if you can fly, right?

Paul. That is joyful, but I am happy when I think about that. Paul. Living a life that's worth the living. There's no G there. Living a life that's worth the living.

Steve. Which would be without alcohol. So they can live longer and get lower insurance rates. Paul. No hangovers. You know, the hair of the dog was bad.

Those screwdrivers in the morning. Steve. Yeah, I never did. Paul. Awful. Tabasco sauce, tomato sauce, celery, and a bunch of alcohol.

Steve. Yeah, I never had to worry about, you know, hangover cures. So I was I did get drunk once, but it was that moment where I decided I did decide that I was never going to do it again. Even as an unbeliever, I was like, this is the most horrible thing I've ever done to myself.

So I'm never again. Paul. Obviously, on No Kill Radio, we're not making statements about alcohol because it's neutral like a gun or sex or anything else. But Steve, it's been a long time. I want to say 30 years since I've had a hangover, over 30.

I'm happy because some days I wake up thinking it's hard to get out of bed now.

What if I was drinking all night? Paul. See, I'm even more righteous than you because it's been like 35 years for me since I've had a at least 35 years, maybe 36.

Steve I'm trying to think of something good to say.

Paul. Well, I mean this is kind of the this is the sort of thing that it leads to, right? Because you just go, well, I haven't had a drink in X number of years. And the guy says, oh, dude, you're better than me or I'm better than you.

What do you say at the AA meetings?

You have to say how long it's been since you've had a drink.

I'm an alcoholic and I've been sober for X number of months or weeks or days.

Paul. What? I thought you were going to say I've been I'm an alcoholic and I've been sober for X nihilo. For X number of nihilo days. And then it says taking a trip that leads to heaven, happiness is the Lord.

Happiness is the Lord. Happiness is the Lord. Singspiration Inc. used by

Now, taking a trip that leads to heaven. Now, doesn't that again sound like because what are they talking about? They're talking about this life, right? So, now again, it sounds like I'm living a life that leads to heaven.

I'm living the gospel. Paul. See, I think there needs to be a new book written about some white lies that talk in the first chapter about it's a lie to say you're living the gospel. Pete. It's a big old lie.

With no D. Big old.

Paul Seriously, what's the hope in that? If it's my life today and how much do I do and I'm on the treadmill, the gerbil treadmill of more works, I want to please the Lord in light of what he's done for me.

But that's completely different than this and Paul talking about in Galatians 2 .20 about living a life in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

I just think, you know, the simple analogy is as a parent, you know, are there times where you're more, you know, enthralled with your children than others? Well, probably. But you never stop loving your children and you just think how much more the infinite God who sets his affection upon wretches, you know, and we just think, well, if we're less wretchedly, God must love me more, right?

What folly, what absolute folly.

Paul That sounds like an Abendrothism, less wretchedly. I like that. We make things up and it's perfect as we go. Steve, what if I were to say to you or says taking a trip that leads to heaven and the first thing that comes into my mind when I say taking a trip.

Steve Oh, no. Paul It's Jim Stafford. Wild wood weed grew wild on the farm. We never knew what it was called. Steve You know, I was just thinking about that song the other day. Paul Taking a trip never leave the farm.

Steve. Yeah, because he says, you know, one day the fellows from Washington came and they spied one and they turned white as a sheet and they burned and they dug and they dug and they burned and they killed all our cute little weeds.

Steve. We just smiled and waved, sitting there on that sack of seeds.

Steve. Y 'all come back now, you hear? Paul. Steve, this is why the giving on the No Compromise radio donate site is at an all-time high. Josh got us to switch to some Pathion or something, Patreon. And I think we have two folks who are early givers now.

And so we're thankful for those.

Wow. So that's like from zero to two. What percentage is that? I can't even. Paul. It's tremendous.

Anyway, Mike and Steve here. You can write us. Info at NoCompromiseRadio .com. Tuesday guy at No Compromise Radio. Mike at No Compromise Radio. We're glad you listen. Why don't you tell your friends if you like us or you hate us.

Or both, you know, if you like and hate us. Both is together.

Both together, yeah. No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God's Word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on Route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.