SermonTrue Salvation Includes Veganism
An all-creatures Bible Message

True Salvation Includes Veganism
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
15 July 2018
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Psalm 24:1-10
Mark 6:14-29

True salvation includes veganism, because veganism is a way of life that follows the creation intent and heavenly will of God, which should become our way of life when we are saved.
 
The Christian vegans that we know and have heard about, seem to love and care about the wellbeing of every other human being, and all the other animals; they have empathy for the whole of God’s creation, and try to do no harm to any aspect of it.
 
This is why we say that true salvation includes veganism, or at least it should, because eating animals includes causing them pain, suffering, and death, and pollutes our environment.
 
When we return to eating the plant foods that God created for us all to eat, then we are helping to free creation from its present corruption.
 
Unfortunately, many of the people who claim to be saved continue to live a life that reflects many of the corrupt and evil ways of this world; they limit their “love” to only some people, and often even continue to hate other people, and most of them are also indifferent to the pain and suffering of the animals and the environment in which we all live.
 
People who love the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved by Him, should become peacemaking children of God, and receive the blessings that come with it, as we are told in Matthew 5:9, and they should also be bringing God’s heavenly will to earth as it is in heaven, as we are told in Matthew 6:10.
 
True salvation includes veganism.
 
In Psalm 24:1-10, David tells about whom he understands God to be…however, it doesn’t exactly address what we are talking about, because it was written about a thousand years before Jesus was born into this world.

1. The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.

Think carefully about what we are told here; there are no aspects of this earth that are excluded, and specifically includes ALL who dwell in it, which includes all the animals.

2. For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the rivers.
 
3. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy place?

If we think about this, unless humans prevent them, some animals will be upon the hill of the Lord and be in His holy place.

4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
And has not sworn deceitfully.
 
5. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Unlike humans, we believe that the animals have a free pass into heaven, because they do not have the corrupt nature of this world; only humans need to repent.

6. This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Thy face — even Jacob.
Selah.

Every time we see Jacob referred to in this manner, we think about the fact that Jacob wrestled with the Lord over his sinful nature until he finally repented and the Lord changed his name to Israel.

7. Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!

We could also say that corrupt and worldly humans cannot block the Lord from entering in.

8. Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.

The real battle is against the evil in this world that God has charged us to counter with His peace and love through the power of the Holy Spirit who strengthens us.

9. Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
 
10. Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
NASB

We need to live in the heavenly will of God and be His peacemaking children, who work to help free creation from its present corruption, and since there is no pain or mourning or death in heaven, that means that we have to do everything in our power to peacefully end all human caused pain, suffering, and death here on earth.
 
This is also why we believe that only true salvation includes veganism.
 
In Mark 6:14-29, we are told about the corrupt ways of this world, and even though it is included in the Bible, we are to realize that the things we are told about are the ways of this corrupt and evil world, which we are not to follow.

14. And King Herod heard of it [the things that Jesus was doing], for His name had become well known; and people were saying, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him."

This is a worldly way of thinking, because miracles only come from God and not from a reincarnated human who has risen from the dead, and Herod wants to believe this worldly way of thinking, because he is being haunted by the Holy Spirit, and doesn’t want to admit his own evil acts, and repent.

15. But others were saying, "He is Elijah." And others were saying, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."

The prophets of old spoke for the Lord, and Herod should have realized that Jesus was also speaking for the Lord, and perhaps Herod did know the truth, but was afraid to admit it.
 
We believe that this is also the case with most of the people who claim to be born again, but still follow the ungodly ways of this corrupt and evil world, which is why we say that only true salvation includes veganism, for most people who claim to be born again are still eating and wearing animals, and their by-products.

16. But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, "John, whom I beheaded, has risen!"

Herod is feeling guilty, but he still will not admit the truth.

17. For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her.

Herod, like many of our leaders today, is living in the corrupt ways of this world.

18. For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Worldly people do not want to have their worldly ways pointed out to them, and they rebel against those who tell the truth.
 
This is the same kind of situation that we encounter when we point out why we all should be vegan animal rights people.

19. And Herodias [the wife of Herod] had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so;

Like her husband, she didn’t want the truth about her evil and worldly acts pointed out to her and others, and she also had a much harder heart than Herod.

20. for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.
 
21. And a strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee;
 
22. and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you."

People who live in the corrupt and evil ways of this earth say and do many foolish things, which are not in the heavenly will of God, and it is still the same to this very day, and explains some of the reasons that there is so much violence, suffering and death in the world around us.

23. And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom."
 
24. And she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."

It should be obvious to us that the daughter is just as evil as the mother.

25. And immediately she came in haste before the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me right away the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
 
26. And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.

This is exactly the way that most of the people in the world are acting today; they seek to please the world and not God.

27. And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison,
 
28. and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

With this kind of hardness of heart in the world, it is no wonder that we have so much warring madness and indifference to the suffering of animals.
 
And many of these acts come from people who claim to be born again believers, for true born again people are children of God who always desire to live in the heavenly will of God.

29. And when his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.
NASB

We need to really think about these kinds of passages in the Bible, and the message they contain for true believers.
 
True salvation includes veganism.
 
Amen.

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