|
Post by Admin on Feb 23, 2024 16:02:02 GMT -5
Calvinism Is Not Hyper-Calvinism CalvinismCalvinismHyper-CalvinismLead ArticleReformed TheologySalvation
JOSH BUICE
Last week, I was interviewed by Chris Arnzen on his radio show, Iron Sharpens Iron, on the subject of hyper-Calvinism. It caused me to think about this subject and the importance of using vocabulary properly. As the father of a type 1 diabetic, I spend much of my time explaining to people in random conversations that type 1 diabetes (T1D) is not the same thing as type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore, let me begin by clearly stating this point—Calvinism is not hyper-Calvinism. When I engage in conversation with people who want to discuss Calvinism, I’m happy to do so, but I want to be sure that we’re using the same dictionary.
What is Calvinism? Calvinism is a system of theology that seeks to systemize the teachings of Scripture on the subject of salvation. What is the relationship between the absolute sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man? This is the central issue of Calvinism. It takes the name of the Reformer John Calvin, who was a passionate preacher of Scripture in the Sixteenth Century in Geneva, Switzerland. During the Protestant Reformation, the Reformers were seeking to unleash the true gospel from the intense strangle hold of the Roman Catholic Church. It was through this period of time that the Bible was being printed in the common language of the people and was simultaneously being proclaimed expositionally.
A group of followers of Jacobus Arminius who studied under Theodore Beza (a disciple of John Calvin) drafted a document known as the Remonstrance. It was a detailed refutation of the sovereignty of God in salvation. It elevated the free will of man above the sovereign initiative and power of God. These people were known as Arminians. Their doctrine would eventually become known as Arminianism.
An official meeting, known as the Synod of Dordt, was held in 1619 in order to respond to the submission of the Arminians in their Remonstrance. The overall conclusion was that the Remonstrance was incorrect and that the biblical view of salvation teaches that God is the author and finisher of saving grace. The “five points” of Calvinism came as an answer to the unscriptural five points authored by the Arminians in 1610. The list was eventually organized with an acronym T.U.L.I.P. in order to explain the key teachings.
Historical Timeline Surrounding the Doctrines Known as “Calvinism”
440 Bishop Leo of Rome becomes “Bishop of Bishops.” Asserts Primacy of Rome over the Church; Dark Ages Begin. 1382 John Wycliffe translates Bible. 1384 John Wycliffe martyred by Rome. 1439 (Approximate) Printing press invented. 1517 Luther Nails 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Church Door; The Reformation begins (Post Tenebras Lux). 1522 Luther’s New Testament. 1526 Tyndale’s New Testament. 1536 William Tyndale Martyred by Rome; Institutes of the Christian Religion (John Calvin). 1553 Bloody Mary becomes queen of England and restores power to the RCC. During Mary’s reign, more than 300 Protestants are burned. John Rogers (publisher of the Matthew’s Bible) is the first to be burned at the stake. Many Protestants flee from England to Geneva. 1559 Calvin opens his college in Geneva. Within five years the college would have over 1500 students. 1560 The Geneva Bible is printed. It was the first Bible with verse references and sold over one million copies between 1560 and 1640. John Foxe publishes Foxe’s book of Martyrs. 1561 Belgic Confession (Guido de Bres). 1563 Heidelberg Catechism (Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus). 1564 John Calvin Dies. 1571 The Synod of Emden (birth of the Dutch Reformed Church). 1609 Jacobus Arminius dies. 1610 Remonstrance (Arminians or Remonstrants led by Johannes Uytenbogaert). 1611 Counter-Remonstrance (led by Pieter Platevoet). 1618 Opening of the Synod of Dort & Opinions of the Remonstrants. 1619 Synod Dismisses the Arminians & Adopts the Canons (AKA – 5-Points of Calvinism).
The system known as Calvinism is really five counter points to Arminianism. Years later, Wesley adopted the Arminian position and thus the Methodist movement was born. Although there are certain exceptions, historically, Baptists and Presbyterians have been more Calvinistic and opposed to the doctrines of Arminianism while the Methodists and groups such as the Assemblies of God have embraced the doctrines known as Arminianism. Today, Calvinism is sometimes known by titles such as Reformed theology and the doctrines of grace.
What is Hyper-Calvinism? Hyper-Calvinism is not a term used for those who are overly passionate about Calvinism. That’s actually what we refer to as “cage stage Calvinism.” When understood properly, hyper-Calvinism is a technical term for an extreme and unbiblical view that rejects any need for Christians to engage in missions and evangelism. Simply put, hyper-Calvinists forbid the preaching of the gospel and the offer of salvation to the non-elect. Such people believe that God has chosen people in Christ in eternity past and will bring about His results without the help of His people. Hyper-Calvinism is heresy and must be rejected.
To illustrate the views of hyper-Calvinism, consider what happened during a pastors’ meeting years ago. A man named William Carey wanted to organize an effort to get the gospel to what he called heathen nations. Carey stood up and addressed the crowd by requesting that they discuss “the duty of Christians to attempt to spread the gospel among the heathen nations.” Mr. Ryland, and older minister, exclaimed loudly, “Sit down, young man! When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine.” Carey did not stop. His allegiance was to Christ – not Mr. Ryland. Carey went to India and proclaimed the good news of Christ.
Carey would write a book titled – An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of Heathens. He would argue his case that we should use means to reach heathens – contrary to what Mr. Ryland – the elder minister said in his meeting as he scolded the young Carey for bringing up the subject.
William Carey, in his Enquiry, wrote: “It seems as if many thought the commission was sufficiently put in execution by what the apostles and others have done; that we have enough to do to attend to the salvation of our own countrymen; and that, if God intends the salvation of the heathen, he will some way or other bring them to the gospel, or the gospel to them. It is thus that multitudes sit at ease, and give themselves no concern about the far greater part of their fellow sinners, who to this day, are lost in ignorance and idolatry.”
It must be pointed out that William Carey was a Calvinist. Although William Carey had only a grammar school education – he would shake the world with the gospel. Carey once preached a sermon where he stated – “Expect Great Things – Attempt Great Things.” It was later added – “Expect Great Things From God – Attempt Great Things For God.” That’s exactly what he did as he proclaimed the true gospel of King Jesus. India would never be the same. The world would never be the same. The way the church viewed missions would never be the same – because of this Christ-exalting Calvinist that has become known to us as the “father of modern missions.”
What’s the Difference? The difference between Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism is the distance between heaven and hell. Calvinism is full of life and passion for God and desires to make God’s glory shine among the nations. Hyper-Calvinism is lifeless heresy that damns people to hell, kills evangelism, and ruins churches. Take a good look at the missionary movement of church history and you will see Calvinists leading the charge. Men like William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Charles Spurgeon were all Calvinists. Many people overlook the missionary heart of John Calvin himself. He trained and sent out many missionaries who passionately preached the truth. Many of these men were martyred for their faith.
The next time you’re talking to someone with Type-1 diabetes, just remember—it’s not the same thing as Type-2 diabetes. Also, the next time you’re talking to a Calvinist, remember, Calvinism is not hyper-Calvinism. To call faithful Calvinistic Christians hyper-Calvinists is to consign a massive number of people from church history to the flames of hell (including people like Charles Spurgeon, William Carey, Martin Luther, Andrew Fuller, Adoniram Judson, and George Whitefield). What’s the difference between Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism? Calvinism proclaims the true gospel while hyper-Calvinism proclaims no gospel at all.
Iron Sharpens Iron Radio show – Tuesday (11-15-16)
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2024 8:58:23 GMT -5
The False Jesus of Mormonism
JOSH BUICE
In the days of controversy surrounding the false teacher Arius and his heretical anti-Trinitarian doctrine, his followers would go through the streets singing a little song with these words, “There Was – When He Was Not.” The meaning of the song was clear. They believed the Father was when the Son was not. It was a song that attacked and denied the deity of Christ. It taught that Jesus was a created being separate from the Father.
Athanasius was raised up by God for such a time. He would become a champion of truth! He refused to compromise, even when everyone else around him seemed to capitulate on matters of sound doctrine. The climate surrounding Athanasius became known as Athanasius contra mundum – “Athanasius against the world.”
His leadership in this area was key. Eventually, there was a council held at Nicaea (325) to deal with the controversy and emerging from this time period was the Nicene Creed. To this day, we can ask the question, “Christian, what do you believe?” The response of the Nicene Creed can be uttered as a summary of sound Christology and Trinitarian truth.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
Although Arius and his errors have been condemned throughout the history of the Church—his heresy continues to take shape in various forms to this day. One such group that continues to walk in Arius’ footsteps is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the LDS Church, or Mormons.
The LDS religion is one of the largest cults in the world comprised of millions of people worldwide with estimates at the end of 2022 totaling 17,002,461.1 The LDS religion differs on many levels from Christianity such as their belief of ongoing modern revelation, preexistent humanity, the ability of humans to achieve godhood status, and post-mortem atonement. Such distinctions would classify the LDS religion as a cult—but if that wasn’t enough, they firmly deny the doctrine of the Trinity and present a very different “Jesus” than the Jesus presented in the pages of the Bible.
Brief History The founder of the LDS religion is Joseph Smith, Jr., who was born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont. After a series of visions, Smith claims that he was directed outside of the village where he was living to a specific location where he discovered golden plates in a wooden box along with the Urim and Thummim. On September 22, 1827, he claims he was given the plates by the heavenly messenger, with instructions to keep them carefully until the angel should call for them again.2 According to Joseph Smith, this was the event that kicked off what is known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Common Teaching Christianity is strictly Trinitarian and monotheistic, a doctrine grounded in the Old Testament Scriptures and reaffirmed in the New Testament. Passages like Deuteronomy 6:4 declare, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This singular God exists eternally in three distinct persons: Father, Son (Jesus, who is the Christ), and the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). Each person within the Godhead is fully God, sharing the same divine essence and attributes (Malachi 3:6). Each member of the Godhead is co-equal and co-eternal.
In contrast, the LDS religion embraces a plurality of deities within the Godhead. Their theology, heavily influenced by the writings of Joseph Smith, presents a Heavenly council consisting of multiple gods, including Heavenly Father, his wife Heavenly Mother, and spirit children who are divine beings. Each of these gods are separate and unique to one another rather than unified as one. This theological distinction with emphasis on the a plurality of gods presents a key distinction between Christian theology and the LDS doctrine of God.
The False Jesus of Mormonism The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (LDS) claims to revere Jesus Christ, but their understanding of his nature, work, and relationship to the Father deviates from the core tenets of Christianity.
According to LDS doctrine, the Son of God was the product of divine procreation. Jesus, according to LDS teachings, is the firstborn of many spirit children made by heavenly parents. They teach that Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother conceived and gave birth to spirit children—one of whom is Jesus and his brother is Lucifer.
In the teachings of the LDS religion, Jesus won over Heavenly Father’s blessing as he presented a more satisfactory plan of redemption than his spirit brother Lucifer. It was Jesus who offered to take upon himself human flesh, to dwell among humanity as a true example and teacher, and he would uphold the sanctity of free agency. This decision was not received well by Lucifer which resulted in his rebellion and eventual doom as he was cast down from heaven with 1/3 of the spirits with him. Jesus was named Redeemer and Lucifer became the enemy and deceiver.
Millions of Mormons around the world are being deceived into embracing a false Jesus rather than the Jesus of Scripture.
According to the LDS beliefs, Jesus is historic, real, and eternal (meaning that he always will be, but differentiating from the fact that he always has been). If you’ve ever engaged an LDS missionary, it’s clear that they seek to live out 2 Nephi 25:26 from the Book of Mormon which reads, “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ.” They are firmly committed to their Jesus, but sadly, he is not the true Savior of sinners as presented in Scripture—the Godman who is both truly God and truly man.
When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak of Jesus, we must always remember, they are talking about a “Jesus” who was created by their own religion rather than the Jesus who is revealed to us in the pages of Scripture.
Millions of Mormons around the world are being deceived into embracing a false Jesus rather than the Jesus of Scripture. As Hebrews declares about the Son of God that he is the heir of all things and the Creator of the world (Heb 1:2). Jesus is superior to the angels (Heb 1:4), and one day upon Jesus’ glorious second coming, every knee will bow to him and every tongue will confess to him that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:5-11). When the text says, “every knee will bow” and “every tongue shall confess” it points to the fact that every being from both the earthly sphere and the spiritual sphere (of things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth) will bow to Jesus. In other words, even the demonic spirits and Satan himself will bow before Christ Jesus and confess that he is Lord.
Jesus said that he was “one with the Father” (John 10:30). This means that he is eternal (John 1:1). He has no beginning and he will have no end. He was begotten, not made, to borrow words from the Nicene Creed. When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak of Jesus, we must always remember, they are talking about a “Jesus” who was created by their own religion rather than the Jesus who is revealed to us in the pages of Scripture. The Mormons serve a false Jesus—a Jesus who has no power to save sinners. We must point people to the true Jesus, the Savior of the world.
1 John 4:14 – And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. (ESV)
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 18, 2024 18:08:40 GMT -5
Do Not Believe the Lies About Masculinity
JOSH BUICE
We live in a world of lies. We are constantly under a barrage of deception. It’s often difficult to discern between truth and error. Men are not immune from this attack. Godly men should beware of two common lies that are often dangled before their eyes and are sadly often embraced by men who call upon the name of the Lord.
Masculinity Is Not Toxic, But Feminism Is One of the prevailing lies of our culture is that masculinity is toxic. Wave after wave of the feminist movement has led many people in our culture to believe that masculinity is toxic and therefore harmful to our society as a whole.
In the beginning, God created man and woman in the Garden. In God’s good paradise, Adam was masculine. He worked in the garden. He was to provide and protect his wife Eve. Those are masculine qualities and characteristics that pre-date sin. Just as work pre-dates the fall, so does masculinity.
Just as work pre-dates the fall, so does masculinity.
We live in a day of weak men and confused women who seek to feminize everything—including manhood. We can see this agenda in cartoons like Scooby-Doo where an agenda to press the LGBTQA+ and feminist movement is presented to children. If you thought the cartoon brand was about the lives of four teens and a talking dog solving mysteries—think again! In one episode of the Mystery Incorporated cartoon, Velma describes the actions of a man in a particular scene as being that of “toxic masculinity.” In another episode, Fred is depicted as a man who is coming to his senses regarding his own toxic masculinity and is only comforted when Scooby sings him a song. Cartoons talking about toxic masculinity to children is a common thing in our day and another means of brainwashing and cultural discipleship.
Men leading and women submitting to robust masculine leadership should never be seen as oppressive and harmful for women. The strongest and most capable Christian women feel most secure and free to use their gifts in the life of the church when they are led by strong robust men who take the life of the church seriously. The feminist movement perpetuates a lie that it liberates women, when in all reality it leads to more and more bondage. If you look at the world, the places where women are the most liberated and free is where the gospel has taken root and the fruit of Christianity results in masculine (dare I say patriarchal) leadership is prevalent in the sphere of the home, the church, and the culture.
Men leading and women submitting to robust masculine leadership should never be seen as oppressive and harmful for women.
Owen Strachan writes the following in his book, The War on Men:
Here is the truth: we are in fact at war. The great campaign we seek is right in front of us, even if it is often invisible. As he did long ago, the evil adversary still battles to take men—called by God to leadership in home, church, and society—down. The antichrist spirit speaks through many outlets and individuals today, demanding that men lean back, that they accept the truth of their inherent “toxicity,” that they embrace low expectations and abandon their innate aggressiveness. Tragically, many men comply. Once, they had a role to play; once, they were daring and bold; once, they sought to embody authority in love. But no longer. Now, men must predominately become soft men. 1
We are in a war indeed. This war is not against flesh and blood. It’s a war that is very much spiritual. However, this spiritual war results in real and tangible realities in the physical world around us. This is true with regard to politics and the health of the family. The aim for Christian men is not weakness, but meekness. The goal is not merely rugged masculinity alone. You may hold a coral belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, be able to bench press 300lbs., climb a mountain, skin a deer, and shoot class 3 weapons like a champ, but if you don’t know how to lead your wife and protect her physically and spiritually—you’re not a biblically mature man. That’s the aim in the Christian life.
Masculine Men Weep Another lie that men often believe that flows out of a secular God-denying culture is the idea that real strong men who embody sincere masculinity do not weep. This is not true of Godly men. We must look at manhood through the lens of Scripture in order to see the true definition of biblical manhood. While there is a need for men to resist the cultural influence that insists on weakness and femininity, men must likewise be led by the Spirit of God which will at times result in tearfulness.
Weeping as a Result of Joy
When was the last time you were brought to tears because of the truth of the gospel? In his book, A Picture of a Godly Man, Thomas Watson observes:
I once knew a holy man, who was walking in his garden and shedding plenty of tears, when a friend came on him accidentally and asked him why he wept. He broke forth into this pathetic expression: “Oh, the love of Christ! Oh. The love of Christ!”2
It is true that all men are not the same and that we should not press the point to extremes. A true Godly man will be moved with sincere waves of joy that can result in tears when the height, depth, and width of the love of God is taken into consideration.
A true Godly man will be moved with sincere waves of joy that can result in tears when the height, depth, and width of the love of God is taken into consideration. Weeping as a Result of Sadness
When I was a young boy, the children of the church were being awarded with a summer trip if they memorized a verse of Scripture and recited it. Seems pretty simple, but I was a young unconverted boy who was going to church with my grandparents on Sunday at the time. When all of the other children were reciting Genesis 1:1, they made an announcement that we had to pick another verse. I scrambled to find the shortest verse I could to quickly memorize. I chose John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”
However short that verse may be, it’s filled with truth about the human nature of Jesus. In Jesus’ human nature, he was moved with sadness and grief at the death of his beloved Lazarus. We should see in Jesus the truth that weeping is not weakness nor sinful. When we are going through seasons of grief such as the death of a loved one, weeping is an acceptable response and proper display of sadness—even for strong men.
Weeping as a Result of Conviction of Sin
As we read and survey Scripture, we find that men weep when they are confronted with their own sinfulness. While we should resist the idea of being overly sensitive and weeping at the drop of a hat, we should likewise resist the idea of becoming calloused and unmoved by our sinful flesh. Paul wrestled through this in Romans 6-8 as he looked at his own struggles in the body of sin (Rom 6:6).
When Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed, Peter denied it. However, upon the arrest of Jesus, Peter was presented with opportunities to stand with Jesus, but he refused time after time. When he heard the rooster crow, he remembered the words of Jesus, but more importantly, he was face-to-face with his rebellion. He could see the darkness of his own flesh. He could see clearly through the fog that what Jesus said was indeed true. He had sinned against his Lord and Savior. He had denied Christ. At that very moment, the text says that Peter “went out and wept bitterly.”3
We must resist the spirit of the age that seeks to pull men into two different ditches of error. One seeks to make men weak by denying masculinity while the other seeks to make men strong by avoiding tears. Both are errors to avoid. Both lies are dangerous.
We are to aim for Godliness in Christ and never apologize for masculinity or tears.
References 1 Owen Strachan, The War on Men: Why Society Hates Them and Why We Need Them, (Salem Books, Washington, D.C., 2023), 182-183. 2 Thomas Watson, The Godly Man’s Picture, (Section 8: A Godly Man Weeps). 3 Luke 22:62
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 20, 2024 12:06:08 GMT -5
Why Modern Prophecy Is False and God’s Word Is Inerrant and Sufficient: A Response to Sam Storms Cessationism
JOSH BUICE
The-Word-of-God-BibleAt the 2023 G3 National Conference, the Cessationist documentary was publicly released. G3 Ministries directly partnered with the producers of the film to provide a resource for the church that explains the doctrine of cessationism along with the history of the continuationist movement.
After the release of the film, Dr. Sam Storms, Pastor Emeritus of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma released a series of articles as a challenge to the producers and men who appeared in the film. In this article, I would like to respond to Sam Storms on the subject of modern day contemporary prophecy. According to Dr. Storms, anyone who does not earnestly desire the gift of prophecy is sinning.
The faulty foundation of modern day prophecy should be viewed as a danger to God’s people. While I have personally benefited from Dr. Storms’ ministry through the years, his recent statements about prophecy and defense of false teachers has given me great concern. What I say in this article is not intended as a character attack on Dr. Storms, but instead an unashamed response to his bold assertions regarding the continuation of prophecy in our day.
Prophecy Defined The Bible contains several different types of genre. One of the most prominent genres in the Scriptures is prophecy. In the Old Testament, a number of books chronicle the message that was delivered by God through his spokesmen to God’s people. Those books are organized into two main groups known as the major and minor prophets. The designation of major and minor is based on the length of the text rather than the significance of the prophetic figure.
The prophet was raised up by God as his spokesman who would declare “Thus says the LORD.” In fact, that phrase, more accurately translated in the Legacy Standard Bible as “Thus says Yahweh” appears a grand total of 464 times in the Old Testament. 1
The prophet is called a man of God (1 Samuel 2:27), a servant and messenger of the Lord (Isaiah 42:19), a seer (Isaiah 30:10), a man of the Spirit (Hosea 9:7), and a watchman for the people of God according to Ezekiel 3:17. In short, God would speak directly to the prophet who would in turn speak directly to the people of God. The prophet represented God to the people.
The purpose of prophecy was to deliver God’s message to his people. This pattern began after the fall (Genesis 3) and continued through the New Testament. The gift of prophecy was never viewed in Scripture as a casual gift. In an article titled, “No. The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy is not the same as Preaching” Sam Storms defined prophecy as, “speaking forth in merely human words something the Holy Spirit has sovereignly and often spontaneously revealed to a believer.” The problem with that definition is that it makes the gift of prophecy far too casual and allows for a distinction to be made between the prophecy of the Old Testament and the prophecy of the New Testament.
As the light dawned in God’s redemptive plan and Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, a great prophet was also conceived by Elizabeth and Zachariah. John the Baptist served as a powerful prophet and Forerunner who announced the coming of the Messiah (Matt 3:1-3; John 1:29). Jesus referenced John the Baptist as the greatest man born of a woman (Matt 11:11). He stood between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant and pointed people to Jesus.
Jesus came as God in human flesh—the God man. To use the language from the historic Nicene Creed, Jesus is “the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made.” As predicted by Moses, he is the great prophet who came and must be obeyed (Deut 18:15). Jesus is the Prophet greater than Moses (Heb 3:1-6). All of the prophets of the Old Testament were pointing to Christ who came as the great Prophet, Priest, and eternal King—the Savior of the world. Like the prophets of old, Jesus delivered the message of God to the people. Hebrews begins with these words:
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.2
After Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension—God continued to communicate through chosen vessels to his people. During the era of the early Church the canon was still open. Although Jesus was the pinnacle of the prophetic age, the baton was now passed to the apostles who came in the power of the Holy Spirit during the early Church and were used to preach and teach God’s truth to God’s people as they were accompanied by miracles, signs, and wonders.
As a cessationist, I’m quite aware of the fact that no Bible verse can be supplied that states “all of the apostolic gifts will cease.” Just as the doctrine of the Trinity is supplied through progressive revelation, so is the doctrine of cessationism. As we read the Scriptures, progressive revelation makes it known that some gifts do cease because they were given for a specific time period and purpose in redemptive history. The office of the prophet has ceased and the gift of the apostle is no longer given to the church in our day, as Paul clearly stated that he was the last of the apostles (1 Cor 15:8).
From progressive revelation, the cessation of these gifts associated with the prophet and the apostles is clear by the close of the biblical canon and further validated throughout church history. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul stated that the church “is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets” (Eph 2:20) and we have everything that is necessary for life and godliness until the return of King Jesus.
The Canon Is Closed Over the course of a 1,500 year period, the Holy Spirit caused forty different men to write sixty six unique books that make up what is known as the biblical canon of Scripture. This canon of Scripture consists of a corpus of books that are divine in nature, authoritative, and completely sufficient.3
During the earthly ministry of Christ, he chose specific men who were identified as his apostles. These men were given specific responsibilities that were distinct from the common disciple of Jesus. An apostle (ἀπόστολος) was a messenger or official delegate who was personally chosen and sent out by Jesus Christ. In ancient days, they would reference cargo ships as apostolic ships. These apostolic boats were dispatched from one port with cargo to be delivered to a different port across a body of water where the cargo would be offloaded.
The word apostle was employed by Jesus for those men chosen and sent out with the gospel message to be preached (Mark 3:14). In a technical sense, an apostle was one who was clearly chosen and commissioned by Christ and a witness of his bodily resurrection. God used these men to testify of his Son and to point out that he is the Christ of God, to confront the legalistic religion of the Jewish people, and to proclaim the good news to the Gentiles.4 In the work of preaching and church planting, God gifted these men and some of their close associates with gifts known as miraculous gifts or better described as apostolic gifts due to their association with the apostles.
These gifts included tongues, healing, and prophecy. As it pertained to the gifts of tongues and prophecy, those gifts were revelatory in nature as they were used to deliver the message of God to the people. Any serious study of 1 Corinthians 14 will reveal that those gifts were to be used for the building up and edification of the church. In fact, four times in 1 Corinthians 14, we find the language of “building up” the church mentioned by Paul.
Once the gift of the apostle ceased, the revelatory and miraculous gifts associated with them likewise ceased.
Such revelatory gifts were necessary because the biblical canon was not yet complete, but today we are not living in an age of an open canon and we are not anticipating any new or fresh words from God. Once the gift of the apostle ceased, the revelatory and miraculous gifts associated with them likewise ceased. There was no passing of the baton as we see from the ministry of the prophets to the ministry of the apostles. Since we now have a completed canon of Scripture we should not be looking for any new books to be added or divine words to be spoken directly to men apart from the pages of Scripture.
According to the 1689 London Baptist Confession, in chapter one, “Of the Holy Scriptures” and paragraph one, the following statement is set forth at the beginning of the Confession: “The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.” Although there was a time given when men heard direct revelation from God, that age has now ceased. We are now directed to the complete and final Word of God in holy Scripture.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, in chapter one “Of the Holy Scripture” and in paragraph six says, “The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.” Why did the framers of these historic Confessions like the 1689 and the WCF believe that the first chapter should make a definitive statement about the authority and sufficiency of Scripture? The answer is clear. The biblical canon is now closed and we look to God’s Word as complete and sufficient.
Modern Prophecy Is a Denial of the Sufficiency of Scripture and Dangerous for the Church In Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he writes these words that serve as the opening to chapter 14, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”5 According to the continuationist movement, modern day prophecy should be pursued today. In Sam Storms’ response to the Cessationist documentary, he writes the following:
So, I remain committed to striving in the power of the Spirit to obeying what the Spirit inspired Paul to say. My definition of sin, as I suspect yours is as well, is willful disobedience to an explicit command of Scripture. And I don’t know how Paul could have been more explicit than he is in 1 Cor. 14:1,39, etc. So, I stand by my statement, “If you are not earnestly desiring spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy,” you are sinning.
Modern charismatics function as mystics—always searching for a mystical revelation, dreams, visions, signs, nudges, inner promptings, or some extrabiblical communication and prophecy from God. This must be viewed as a clear denial of the sufficiency of Scripture. Is God’s Word enough? Is the biblical canon sufficient or should we be listening for the “still small voice” of God to be whispered to us in some other way? Pointing people away from the Bible is the practice of cults—not historic Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church has for centuries pointed people away from the Bible. Other cults do the same thing, but we must remain committed to the clear and authoritative revelation found in the pages of sacred Scripture.
Modern charismatics function as mystics—always searching for a mystical revelation, dreams, visions, signs, nudges, inner promptings, or some extrabiblical communication and prophecy from God.
In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul writes, “All Scripture is God breathed.” William Hendriksen observes, “The word God-breathed, occurring only here indicates that ‘all scripture’ owes its origin and contents to the divine breath, the Spirit of God.”6 The Scriptures provide for us everything that is necessary for life and godliness. Nothing more is needed.
However, the modern charismatic movement presses the need for tongues (which is simply not the tongues of Scripture) and prophecy which were clearly revelatory gifts for the purpose of delivering the message of God. Not only does this deny the absolute sufficiency of Scripture, it encourages people to be looking away from the Bible for God to speak to them personally and individually. Henry Blackaby’s book, Experiencing God was used broadly throughout evangelicalism across denominational lines for many years. In his original study guide, Blackaby writes “When God speaks to you in your quiet time, immediately write down what He said.”
The “God told me” language is a cancer within the body of Christ that must be rooted out.
Today, it’s a common thing to hear people claiming to hear messages from God. The “God told me” language is a cancer within the body of Christ that must be rooted out. This language is published in books, repeated in powerful stories by conference speakers, and is embraced as normative practices in many local churches and evangelical circles. Jackie Hill Perry published the following statement on what was at the time her Twitter account (now X.com) dated March 31 2022, but has since been removed:
I really be wanting to share how the Lord deals with me prophetically but the Saints get weird about stuff like that.
This same pattern has been practiced by Beth Moore and popular author, Priscilla Shirer. In her book, Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God Speaks, Priscilla Shirer encourages her readers to take time to listen for God to speak in the normal rhythms of life:
Creating time, space, and opportunity to hear God is paramount for those of us who desire to sense His Spirit’s conviction, to receive His detailed guidance, and to discern His intimate leading.7
Shirer goes on to write, “It all starts here: if we want to be able to sense His direction, we must slow down, quiet our hearts, and listen for the way His Spirit communicates.”8 Rather than encouraging a proper method of Bible study and learning from what the Holy Spirit has provided in the Scriptures, Shirer points her readers to a mystical method of hearing the Spirit communicate. She goes on to write:
When reading His Word, it means approaching it with an open mind and heart that’s not already bogged down with my own opinions and ideas of what the text is saying. It means coming with time to meditate and to mull over its personal application.9
The casual manner by which people claim to have heard a message from God is quite shocking. That was never the pattern of the Old Testament prophets nor was it the practice of the New Testament apostles. Sinclair Ferguson in an article titled, “The Authority, Sufficiency, Finality of Scripture” observes:
Whenever someone prefaces a statement by “the Lord told me” or “the Spirit revealed to me” and is referring to anything other than Scripture they have in effect established a second canon for themselves, an additional stream of revelation. But, as William Bridge wisely noted, “who doth not know that the Devil will speak an hundred Truths, that he may crowd in one lye amongst them”.10
Contemporary scholar Wayne Grudem argues for the continuation of prophecy today. He embraces what is known as fallible and non-authoritative prophecy. In his Systematic Theology Grudem writes, “There are many indications in the New Testament that this ordinary gift of prophecy had authority less than that of the Bible, and even less than that of recognized Bible teaching in the early church” in which he goes on to cite the story of Agabus in Acts 21 as an example.11
The problem with that distinction is that it doesn’t square with the story of Agabus nor does it take into consideration the fact that false prophets were to receive the death penalty according to Deuteronomy 13:5. In the case of Agabus, he didn’t provide a fallible prophecy. In Acts 21:11, Agabus predicts that the Jews would bind Paul with his belt and hand him over to the Gentiles. Later in the chapter, Luke reveals that Paul was seized by a mob and after his arrest, the commander ordered Paul to be bond with two chains (Acts 21:33). How is that an incorrect or false prophecy? Everything predicted by Agabus transpired. Just because Luke leaves out some of the details in his narrative doesn’t mean that Agabus provided a false prophecy or that he got it wrong. No, he actually got it right. Agabus wasn’t a false prophet, but a true prophet of God.
By promoting a false category of fallible and non-authoritative prophecy you open the front door of the local church to an array of charlatans and wolves. Christians must reject this modern practice of prophecy as unnecessary and dangerous.
By promoting a false category of fallible and non-authoritative prophecy you open the front door of the local church to an array of charlatans and wolves. Christians must reject this modern practice of prophecy as unnecessary and dangerous. In an article published on his website, Sam Storms writes:
The gift of prophecy may result in fallible prophecy just as the gift of teaching may result in fallible teaching. Therefore, if teaching (a gift prone to fallibility) can edify and build up the church, why can’t prophecy be good for edifying as well (see 1 Cor. 14:3, 12, 26), even though both gifts suffer from human imperfection and stand in need of testing?12
It is true that Paul was bringing needed correction to the church at Corinth for their abuse of the spiritual gifts, but Paul was not normalizing the practice of false tongues or false revelations, nor should we make room for fallible prophecy in our day. Such an unbiblical category should never be welcomed into the church.
This belief that prophecy continues today has given rise to what has become known as the heavenly tourism genre in contemporary evangelicalism where people claim to go to heaven (or in some strange cases, to hell) and return with a fascinating story that’s published in books. In 2010, a little boy named Alex Malarkey suffered a horrific car accident and after a lengthy coma, he survived. Alex was six years of age at the time of the accident. Soon thereafter, he and his father Kevin Malarkey published a book titled, The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven. It was a story about Alex’s fascinating journey to heaven where he spent time with Jesus and numerous angels. The book was a big success and sold more than 1 million copies and spent months on the New York Times’ bestseller list. It was sold and distributed by Lifeway Christian Resources.
However, Alex shocked the world when he wrote a letter to Christian retailers with a sobering and honest confession:
I did not die. I did not go to Heaven. I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. Anything written by man cannot be infallible…. I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough.13
Needless to say, this is not only heartbreaking for Alex, but for the millions of people who purchased and read his book and were led astray. These books assault the sufficiency of Scripture and serve as a cancer within God’s Church. Do we need little boys like Alex to take a trip to heaven and return to tell us about it? Jesus made it clear from his parable in Luke 16 about the rich man and Lazarus that even if someone was raised from the dead and sent to warn unconverted people about the horrors of hell—they still would not believe. If they will not believe the testimony given to them by Moses and the Prophets (a way of speaking of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture), they will not believe anyone who comes back from the dead.14
We must be crystal clear about the fact that there is no such thing as fallible and non-authoritative prophecy. We have a category for that and it’s called “false prophecy” which is taught by a false prophet.
Any contemporary practice of divine revelation must be rejected as false. God has given us his sufficient and authoritative Word and we must give ourselves to the pursuit of God through the pages of Scripture. New revelations, visions, dreams, inner promptings, and prophetic utterances are simply unnecessary distractions that lead people away from the Bible are point God’s sheep in the direction of wolves. We must be crystal clear about the fact that there is no such thing as fallible and non-authoritative prophecy. We have a category for that and it’s called “false prophecy” which is taught by a false prophet.
Charles Spurgeon was known for bold preaching. Perhaps he could not have been any more bold than in his sermon titled “The Paraclete” on October 6, 1872 when he said the following:
Dear Brothers and Sisters, honor the Spirit of God as you would honor Jesus Christ if He were present! If Jesus Christ were dwelling in your house, you would not ignore Him; you would not go about your business as if He were not there! Do not ignore the Presence of the Holy Spirit in your soul! I beseech you, do not live as if you had not heard whether there were a Holy Spirit. To Him pay your constant adorations. Reverence the august Guest who has been pleased to make your body His sacred abode. Love Him, obey Him, worship Him!
Take care never to impute the vain imaginings of your fancy to Him. I have seen the Spirit of God shamefully dishonored by persons—I hope they were insane—who have said that they have had this and that revealed to them. There has not, for some years, passed over my head a single week in which I have not been pestered with the revelations of hypocrites or maniacs. Semi-lunatics are very fond of coming with messages from the Lord to me and it may save them some trouble if I tell them once and for all that I will have none of their stupid messages. When my Lord and Master has any message to me He knows where I am and He will send it to me direct, and not by mad-caps!
Never dream that events are revealed to you by Heaven, or you may come to be like those idiots who dare impute their blatant follies to the Holy Spirit. If you feel your tongue itch to talk nonsense, trace it to the devil, not to the Spirit of God! Whatever is to be revealed by the Spirit to any of us is in the Word of God already—He adds nothing to the Bible, and never will. Let persons who have revelations of this, that, and the other, go to bed and wake up in their senses.
In closing, I do not share that excerpt from Spurgeon’s sermon as a means of claiming that Sam Storms is insane. I do share it to point out the fact that Spurgeon and others throughout history have stood firm against the error of continuationism. However, I am concerned by the ongoing practice of using the Lord’s name in vain and attributing to the Holy Spirit utterances of the flesh and words that originated in the mind and heart of a man rather than God himself.
That is the purpose for the Cessationist documentary and our Cessationist conference that will be held in Oklahoma in October of 2025.
References 1 19 times in the Pentateuch, 78 times in the Historical Books, 322 times in the Major Prophets, and 45 times in the Minor Prophets 2 Hebrews 1:1–2 – ESV 3 In the year 367, Athanasius specifies our 27 New Testament books alone as the canon as opposed to all the other writings which some people insisted on including in the New Testament—such as Apocryphal literature which is embraced by the Roman Catholic Church 4 This was specifically the focus of the ministry of the Apostle Paul. 5 1 Corinthians 14:1 – ESV 6 William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 302. For further study on the term θεόπνευστος – it does not mean “God-breathing,” “breathing the divine spirit,” but is passive: “God-breathed.” Cf. 2 Peter 1:21. See the detailed argument in B. B. Warfield, The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible, Philadelphia, Pa., 1948, pp. 245–296. 7 Priscilla Shirer, Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When He Speaks (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2012), 18. 8 Ibid., 18. 9 Ibid., 19. 10 Sinclair Ferguson, “The Authority, Sufficiency, Finality of Scripture” [accessed 3-19-24] For William Bridge, see William Bridge, Scripture Light the Most Sure Light, in Twenty One Several Books of Mr William Bridge collected into two volumes (London, 1656), vol. 2, p. 15. 11 Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 1051. 12 Sam Storms, “How can NT Prophecy be “Fallible” (and of benefit to the church) if it is based on an &quo” [accessed 3-19-24] 13 Teen admits he lied about dying, going to heaven [accessed 3-18-24] 14 Luke 16:31
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2024 21:42:14 GMT -5
What Trump Could Do to Make America Great Again Abortion
JOSH BUICE
Ultrasound-Preborn-Baby Every single year across our nation, hundreds of thousands of little babies are legally murdered after the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Abortion is a legally acceptable pay-to-murder industry. Today, sadly, it is still very possible to murder babies in the United States of America.
In recent days, Donald Trump has been signaling that he will seek to accommodate certain groups by assuring that abortion will be accessible under certain circumstances. Abortion is one of the hottest topics of this political season, and as November approaches, each party and political candidate will attempt to speak to the issue of abortion in order to satisfy their base and pick up votes along the way.
Every single year across our nation, hundreds of thousands of little babies are legally murdered after the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
The Republican Party understands that the abortion issue is a hot topic and the Democrats are working overtime to position themselves as the abortion party in order to capture as many sympathizers on the topic. This makes the abortion issue a major voting bloc concern for both parties.
Joe Biden’s Political Statement on Abortion If you visit the website for President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, you will find the following language regarding abortion, or as he refers to it—reproductive health care:
Donald Trump brags about overturning Roe v. Wade and has even said that women should face “punishment” for obtaining reproductive health care. If he returns to the White House, he is planning to ban abortion nationwide, with or without the help of Congress. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris believe women should make their own health care decisions and are fighting for federal legislation to protect reproductive health care access in every state.
As president, Donald Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing MAGA Republicans in states across the country to ban reproductive health care. Because of Donald Trump, more than 1 in 3 women of reproductive age now live under an abortion ban in effect, many of which have no exceptions for rape or incest. Across the nation, MAGA Republicans are inserting themselves into the most personal decisions a family can make, from trying to restrict access to contraception to blocking IVF fertility treatments and preventing loving couples from growing their families. And Trump and MAGA Republicans want to go even further in 2024 and ban abortion nationwide – ripping away reproductive freedom in all 50 states.
This language is a political scare tactic in order to instill fear into the hearts of those who may be looking to vote for the former President in this year’s presidential race on the basis of the economy or on the basis of President Biden’s extremely poor performance and ongoing mental health concerns. It’s also a way of attracting new votes from those who may support Trump on other areas, but disagree with a total ban on abortion.
What is crystal clear is that the abortion topic is front and center for the 2024 presidential race.
Trump’s Abortion Plan Donald Trump has evolved and shifted many times on the issue of abortion. Through the years, he has changed his position openly and publicly—from pro-choice to pro-life. In 1999, Trump stated in an interview with “Meet the Press” that he was “very much pro-choice.” He said, “I hate the concept of abortion.” He went on to say, “But still, I just believe in choice.”
In a 2015 debate, when asked about his position on abortion, he claimed that his position had changed. To use his words, he said he had evolved on the issue and now embraced a pro-life position. This was used against him as his opponents contrasted his 1999 pro-choice position.
On March 30, 2016, in a MSNBC exclusive interview, Chris Matthews asked Donald Trump to be clear on his position on abortion. Matthews asked if Trump would support punishment for abortions once abortion was overturned and specifically for mothers who abort their children. Trump affirmed that he would support some form of punishment for mothers. Due to the backlash, he would alter his position again with a published statement that called mothers who abort their children, victims:
If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman…The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb.
Once Donald Trump was elected as the President of the United States of America, he signed a memorandum blocking the United States from funding organizations that provide abortion services. He went on to sign a bill to withhold federal money from organizations that provide abortions. President Trump became the first sitting president to attend the March for Life rally and he nominated three candidates to the Supreme Court which led to a reversal of Roe v. Wade in the landslide 6-3 decision handed down on June 24, 2022 in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health case.
At that point, former President Donald Trump wasted no time taking credit for the decision by stating it was “the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation.” He went on to say the outcome was “only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court.”
Now, as he is the front runner for the office of President of the United States as the candidate for the Republican Party in 2024, he is once again being pressed to be clear on the hot issue of abortion. Some are asking for him to call for a federal ban. He signaled that he would consider a national ban at about 15-weeks. However, in recent days, he has made the following statement on April 7, 2024 on his platform on Truth Social:
I will be putting out my statement on Abortion and Abortion Rights tomorrow morning. Republicans, and all others, must follow their hearts and minds, but remember that, like Ronald Reagan before me, I, and most other Republicans, believe in EXCEPTIONS for Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother. Great love and compassion must be shown when even thinking about the subject of LIFE, but at the same time we must use common sense in realizing that we have an obligation to the salvation of our Nation, which is currently in serious DECLINE, TO WIN ELECTIONS, without which we will have nothing other than failure, death, and destruction. We will not let that happen. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
In a video announcement on April 8, 2024, Trump stated that his position would be to leave the issue of abortion up to each individual state. In other words, he is signaling loud and clear to those who are fearful of a federal ban that he will not support such a ban but will instead leave the issue to each individual state to decide locally. He led in the video announcement with his vow to support IVF treatment options in all 50 states which has become a controversial matter among conservatives who are concerned with the process that results in the death of multitudes of babies every single year.
What Trump Should Do to Make America Great Again One of the things that attracted many voters, especially conservative voters, to Donald Trump as a presidential candidate in the beginning was his willingness to go nose-to-nose with the political establishment without concern for political correctness. As he runs for the highest office in the land in 2024, it appears that his campaign is much more concerned with political correctness—especially on the issue of the politically charged topic of abortion.
Abortion is nothing short of legal child sacrifice.
If Donald Trump truly wants to make America great again, he should do the following:
Make abortion illegal again. Make life great again. Make murder vile again. Make equal protection for all people accessible again. Make equal justice for all under the law the standard again. Abortion is nothing short of legal child sacrifice. We have the Bible that teaches us the truth about the sanctity of life (Gen 1:26–28, Ex 20:13, Ps 139) and the technology that places vivid imagery of little preborn babies before our eyes on a daily basis. To support abortion is to support murder and to deny equal protection and justice for all human beings. As the leader of the entire world, America can take the lead on the issue of life and put a full stop on the legal murder industry that’s being propped up by political activists, lobbyists, and the Pro-Life industry.
We need less weathervane politicians. They’re a dime a dozen. We need firm men who stand upon truth and refuse to capitulate. If Donald Trump would commit to ending abortion across our nation, he could take a giant step forward in making America great again.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 22, 2024 17:48:09 GMT -5
Real Christianity Results In Proper Listening, Speaking, and Anger Quick to Hear Slow to Speak
JOSH BUICE
James was an extraordinary leader who was not only humble but a man who truly walked in the footsteps of Christ. He was known as James the Just or James the Righteous. He was the half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ and served as the leader of the church at Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus.
According to the historical accounts of James, he was known for having knees like a camel due to his faithful prayer life. He was bold and willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. James was thrown down from the top of the Temple (about a 100 ft.) which did not kill him, so according to church tradition, the angry mob dragged him outside the city gate where they beat him to death with clubs.
This is a man who understood what it was like to be a true Christian. I want to learn from men like James. In his short epistle that is packed with pithy statements, he writes the following:
James 1:19 – Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
It’s one thing to claim to be a follower of Jesus, but it’s quite a different thing to act like a Christian.
Consider the language of this powerful little verse. Arranged with parallelism, James delivers a punch with his proverbial statement. He’s obviously writing to Christians as noted by his use of the word “brother” and followed by the next phrase, “let every person” indicates that he’s not merely referencing leaders among the church. What follows is for every Christian within the church of Jesus Christ and should be examined carefully. It’s one thing to claim to be a follower of Jesus, but it’s quite a different thing to act like a Christian.
Quick to Hear: The Art of Listening There is an art to listening. Many people appear to be listening when in reality they’re simply thinking of what they will say when the talking ceases. That’s really poor listening. Proper listening involves processing the information that’s being spoken with a desire to carefully consideration and respect of the individual who is speaking.
There is a need to recover the art of proper listening within the church today. This goes for normal conversation and the worship service as a whole. Listening to a sermon and listening to the singing (the actual words) is essential to a healthy church. However, as it pertains to conversations among friends, meetings, and confrontations—listening is essential to the pursuit of the truth and maintaining peace and unity among the body of Christ.
Due to the speed of information that comes our way through social media, we have become really poor listeners. Dopamine (a hormone in our brain) impacts us with specific reward and motivation functionality. Social media is designed to provide us with instant happiness in a short period of time through shallow information, likes, retweets, and follows. Cell phone companies create notification sounds and buzzes that create bursts of euphoria which communicates to the brain and encourages more usage for the pursuit of happiness and pleasure. In short, it’s like a drug, and like all other drugs—if not used properly it can adversely impact a person’s brain function. In this case, it hinders a person’s ability to focus on things that will not produce that instant high.
The command is for the Christian to be quick to hear, to listen, to engage the other party with a listening ear. The church must recover the art of listening.
We want information quickly and we don’t like waiting on people to speak. We have been conditioned to listen poorly. Our attention spans have become woefully short and that hinders our ability to listen with patience and respect. Notice how James phrases this command, “be quick to hear.” We all know what it’s like to be around someone who is quick to speak, quick to tweet, quick to respond with words, but what James commands here is the opposite. The command is for the Christian to be quick to hear, to listen, to engage the other party with a listening ear. The church must recover the art of listening.
Slow to Speak: The Discipline of Silence The great temptation is to be quick to speak. James understood this reality because later in his letter he provides a sobering warning regarding the power of the unbridled tongue (James 3:5-6). In the opening section of his letter as he unpacks pure religion, he directs the brothers and sisters in Christ to be slow to speak.
I recall my father teaching me to drive. He as a fireman and paramedic for 36 years in our community. His advice was for me to drive slower rather than faster. He once said, “Son, always remember this simple lesson. A slow wreck is always better than a fast wreck.” As a fireman and paramedic, he had pulled plenty of people out of wrecked automobiles. He understood the devastating results of wrecking at a high rate of speed. A person is more likely to walk away from a slow wreck than a fast wreck.
When it comes to speaking, the same principle is true. A tongue that is moving at a high rate of speed will eventually wreck and the results will not be good. A sharp tongue and unbridled speech is characteristic of a fool. This is why James points the Christians in the opposite direction. James certainly understood what Jesus said about the tongue:
Matthew 12:36–37 – I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
With this in mind, we need to approach conversations, meetings, social media, and cases of church discipline with careful thought before we open our mouths. We will give an account of how we use our tongues—for good or evil. James likewise built his teaching off of the wise words of Solomon who provided the following exhortation:
Proverbs 17:28 – Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Beware of the person who is always setting blazes with the tongue—this person’s faith must be seriously questioned.
When a fool opens his mouth, he reveals his folly to everyone. However, it’s much more respectable to remain silent than to open your mouth and reveal your ignorance with unrestrained speech that harms others and creates division. Beware of the person who is always setting blazes with the tongue—this person’s faith must be seriously questioned.
Slow to Anger: The Restraint Necessary for the Christian Anger is not sinful if used properly. A passionate displeasure for the things that God hates is not wrong, but to not restrain your anger is sinful (Eph 4:26-27). When we consider the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ was angry, but he did not sin—this proves that anger is not sinful (Matt 21:12-13). However, we must likewise remember that not one of us within our local church is Jesus. We must be very cautious in our displays of anger because of the power, passion, and destruction that anger can bring about if left unrestrained.
Beware of the person who refuses to control his or her temper. This person is a dangerous individual who should be avoided. The Scriptures place this person in the category of a fool.
James commands restraint. He says, “be slow to anger.” Once again, the guardrails must be set accordingly. A hot temper and outbursts of unrestrained passion can be destructive. Beware of the person who refuses to control his or her temper. This person is a dangerous individual who should be avoided. Jesus provided us with a sobering warning in his sermon in Matthew:
Matthew 5:22 – But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Certainly James was building upon the teachings of the Proverbs that teach this same principle. We find these words in Proverbs 14:29 “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” We all know what it’s like to be around a person who is quick tempered. Sometimes people excuse themselves by stating that they inherited a quick temper from a family member. The fact is, all of us inherited sin from Adam, but that’s no license to live in sin. We are to put off the old unsanctified person and put on the new person in Christ (Col 3:9; Eph 4:22-24).
In the Christian life, imagine how fruitful and healthy our local churches would be if we were all pursuing holiness and a life of self-discipline that resulted in being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Communication is key to all relationships in life. It involves listening, speaking, and emotion. In the Christian life, imagine how fruitful and healthy our local churches would be if we were all pursuing holiness and a life of self-discipline that resulted in being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Semper reformanda involves more than holding to reformed positions. It means we are to be always reforming in doctrine and life for the glory of God. The personalities of Hollywood and influences of social media glorify an unrestrained tongue and a hot temper, but the church needs to listen to the wisdom of James—a man who truly followed in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 23, 2024 10:32:43 GMT -5
What Made Charles Spurgeon Successful in Ministry?
JOSH BUICE Spurgeon-Gospel Charles Haddon Spurgeon is one of the men from church history who has shaped me through his writings and his printed sermons. When you consider his life and ministry, it’s truly astounding. Anytime you read biographies of men and women who have gone before us, one thing that captivates us is the search for what made them tick. What was the thing that made them memorable? Why are they remembered?
Why is Charles Haddon Spurgeon remembered today? What should we remember about the man who is known as The Prince of Preachers?
The Accomplishments of Spurgeon’s Ministry When it comes to the accomplishments of Spurgeon, it almost seems as if the list is an exaggeration. I recall watching a documentary of Bo Jackson, the two-sport professional athlete who played baseball and football professionally. In the documentary, commentators and coaches described some of the things that Jackson was able to do on the field in games and non-documented scenes like on the practice field. They described things that don’t seem possible for a human being. When it comes to Spurgeon, his ministry doesn’t seem possible—especially when you consider the fact that he died at the young age of only 57.
He preached 600+ times before he was 20 years old. His sermons sold approximately 25,000 copies per week and were translated into 20 languages. One man ordered a million copies of one sermon and had it distributed throughout England. The collected sermons fill 63 volumes which is equal to the 27 volume ninth edition of Encyclopedia Britannica. This collection of sequential work is the largest set of books produced by any author in the history of the world. He read 6 books each week to prepare for his sermons and to sharpen his mind. He read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress more than 100 times. He saw over 14,400 people added to his church during his ministry. He founded a pastors’ college. He trained approximately 900 men for the ministry. He founded an orphanage. He produced more than 140 books. He edited a magazine. He responded to 500+ letters each week. He often preached 10+ times each week (combined through guest appearances and through his own local church ministry). He labored to spare the Baptist name from the liberals of his day (see the Downgrade Controversy for more information). He was hated by many liberals for his fierce opposition to their agenda. They loved to mock him in the local newspapers like Vanity Fair. When he turned 50, they listed 66 institutions that he had founded. He was known to work approximately 18 hours per day. What an amazing ministry career in a day without modern technology, email, and smart phones assisting with daily tasks and routine duties. However, there is one thing that stands as the foundation that everything in Spurgeon’s career stands upon and this is the real reason why we remember him today.
That One Thing About Spurgeon When everyone else in the Christian world seemed to be going to the left through higher criticism, Charles Haddon Spurgeon kept his anchor deeply rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He may be remembered for many things, but the real reason why Spurgeon is remembered today is because he refused to be swept downstream in the rising tide of liberalism of his day. He remained fixed on the gospel.
Sure, we can celebrate the preaching gift of Spurgeon and talk about his command of the English language and his ability to turn a phrase. But, if we are completely honest, the reason why the Metropolitan Tabernacle grew under his ministry is because he was feeding the sheep in London (and beyond) with the true gospel of Jesus. He refused to employ gimmicks and trickery to grow the church. His anchor was deeply rooted in the gospel. He was like a lighthouse faithfully shining the light of the gospel in his preaching.
In March of 1861, the Metropolitan Tabernacle was opened in London, England. After leading his congregation at its original location at New Park Street Chapel and renting out large concert halls because the church had grown significantly, the church finally came together in their new home—the Metropolitan Tabernacle where it remain to this day at Elephant and Castle in London.
The winds of culture will always blow new schemes and methods through your city, but it’s essential to keep your anchor deeply rooted in the gospel of King Jesus.
These are Spurgeon’s first words during the first sermon on March 25, 1861 at the dedication of the Metropolitan Tabernacle:
I would propose that the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshippers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ. I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist, although I claim to be rather a Calvinist according to Calvin, than after the modern debased fashion. I do not hesitate to take the name of Baptist. You have there (pointing to the baptistery) substantial evidence that I am not ashamed of that ordinance of our Lord Jesus Christ; but if I am asked to say what is my creed, I think I must reply: “It is Jesus Christ.”
Spurgeon made it abundantly clear to those gathered for that occasion that Jesus Christ must always be the focus of the ministry of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. As Spurgeon would continue to preach the gospel week after week, the church would be strengthened by the grace of God and the power of the gospel. Tens of thousands of people would be converted during the 38-year ministry of Charles Spurgeon. Such enormous growth was not based on gimmickry or trickery or pragmatic schemes. It was a testimony of the power of the gospel to awaken sinners to life and to sanctify the church for the glory of God.
As Charles Spurgeon stood faithfully upon the foundation of the gospel, he refused to compromise during the Downgrade Controversy. His faithfulness to the gospel would cause him to separate from the Baptist Union. In the August 1887 issue of the Sword & Trowel, Spurgeon made his position crystal clear in his six-page editorial entitled, “Another Word on the Downgrade.” He wrote the following:
No lover of the gospel can conceal from himself the fact that the days are evil. We are willing to make a large discount from our apprehensions on the score of natural timidity, the caution of age, and the weakness produced by pain; but yet our solemn conviction is that things are much worse in many churches than they seem to be, and are rapidly tending downward. Read those newspapers which represent the Broad School of Dissent, and ask yourself, How much farther could they go? What doctrine remains to be abandoned? What other truth to be the object of contempt? A new religion has been initiated, which is no more Christianity than chalk is cheese; and this religion, being destitute of moral honesty, palms itself off as the old faith with slight improvements, and on this plea usurps pulpits which were erected for gospel preaching. The Atonement is scouted, the inspiration of Scripture is derided, the Holy Spirit is degraded into an influence, the punishment of sin is turned into fiction, and the resurrection into a myth, and yet these enemies of our faith expect us to call them brethren, and maintain a confederacy with them!
When Spurgeon came to the end of his ministry, he was still a young man, but he was battling with severe physical illness. When he came to the pulpit on June 7, 1891, he didn’t know it would be his final sermon. He would go through another battle of illness and sickness that would eventually claim his life at the young age of 57.
In his final sermon, he preached 1 Samuel 30:21-26. But, when he came to the close, he pointed people to Jesus Christ. His concluding words in his final sermon:
What I have to say lastly is this: how greatly I desire that you who are not yet enlisted in my Lord’s band would come to him because you see what a kind and gracious Lord he is! Young men, if you could see our Captain, you would down on your knees and beg him to let you enter the ranks of those who follow him. It is heaven to serve Jesus. I am a recruiting sergeant, and I would fain find a few recruits at this moment. Every man must serve somebody: we have no choice as to that fact. Those who have no master are slaves to themselves. Depend upon it, you will either serve Satan or Christ, either self or the Saviour…. Oh, that you would enter on it at once! God help you to enlist under the banner of Jesus even this day!
Just like that, the faithful soldier of the Lord finished his preaching ministry at the Metropolitan Tabernacle by pointing people to the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Charles Spurgeon is remembered for many things, but one thing stands out above them all. Spurgeon is remembered for his faithfulness in preaching the gospel.
May that be true of your church. The winds of culture will always blow new schemes and methods through your city, but it’s essential to keep your anchor deeply rooted in the gospel of King Jesus.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2024 10:10:33 GMT -5
“No Creed but Christ” Creeds and Confessions
JOSH BUICE One great way of teaching the Bible is to summarize the doctrines in such a way that the complex becomes clearly visible to the common man. This was one of the main approaches of the learned theologians of the Reformation era. They were capable of teaching learned doctors of theology and at the same time proclaiming the doctrine of the atonement to farmers.
While it may seem like a helpful summary statement, “No creed, but Christ” is actually a superficial creed that provides shade to false teachers who lurk in the shadows with their false doctrine and perverted theology. We need far more than, “No creed, but Christ.”
While it may seem like a helpful summary statement, “No creed, but Christ” is actually a superficial creed that provides shade to false teachers who lurk in the shadows with their false doctrine and perverted theology. We need far more than, “No creed, but Christ.” Many groups in modern church history have embraced the “No creed, but Christ” slogan or a longer version that reads, “No creed, but Christ. No book, but the Bible.” This idea surfaces within groups such as the Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, Calvary Chapel, some Pentecostal groups, as well as some independent Fundamental Baptist circles. These groups claim that they don’t need anything other than the Bible and no creed is necessary other than an affirmation of faith in Christ.
Historically, creeds and confessions find their source in Scripture. No only do the historic creeds and confessions of church history emerge from the source of Scripture, they find their model of usage in the early church as recorded in the pages of the Bible. God’s people were known to recite Deuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema every morning and evening. The practice of reciting creeds and confessions would continue in the life of the church of Jesus in the New Testament.
One of the standard confessions of the early church was Peter’s confession of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” as recorded in Matthew 16:16. It is the widely accepted belief that what we find in Ephesians 4:4-6 is a creed that would be recited when new converts were baptized as followers of Jesus. When Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:16, he recorded what is believed to be an early Christian creed that was recited and sung as a hymn that summarized the faith one for all delivered to the saints. In other words, the use of creeds and confessions is not contra Bible.
In the fourth century, a false teacher named Arius plagued the church with his false doctrine that denied the Trinity and specifically denied the deity of Jesus. The Arian heresy centered on language found in Colossians 1:15 and John 1:14 about Jesus being the “firstborn of all creation” and “the only begotten of the Father.”
The followers of Arius would go through the streets singing a little song that said, “There was – when he was not.” The song carried the following meaning, “The Father was – when the Son was not.” God raised up a faithful soldier named Athanasius who would become a champion for truth. He refused to compromise, even when everyone else around him seemed to capitulate on matters of sound doctrine. The climate surrounding Athanasius became known as Athanasius contra mundum – Athanasius against the world.
This controversy came to a climax at the Council of Nicaea which produced an answer to the false teaching of Arianism. The language of the Nicene Creed points to Jesus as “begotten, not made.” This historical creed of church history answers the false teaching of Arius and stands upon the bedrock truth of Jesus’ divine nature as taught in the pages of Scripture. To this very day, Christians confess the words of this historic creed as a summary of their belief declaring that Jesus is “the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.”
One of the great benefits of the Protestant Reformation was the fact that it brought reform to the church that had been deformed. It was a protest against the perversion that had led God’s people into darkness and bondage without the true light of Scripture. The fruit of the Reformation consisted of creeds and confessions that declared openly and publicly the pure teachings of Scripture thus removing the shadows from false teachers—including the Roman Catholic Church.
Out of this era in church history emerged what is known as the Three Forms of Unity. This is a collection of the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), and the Canons of Dort (1618-19). These documents helped standardize the true Christian beliefs that had been concealed from the eyes of God’s people during the dark ages.
Soon thereafter the Westminster Confession of Faith was penned in 1646 as a group of capable pastor-theologians met together in Westminster Abbey to write the historic confessional statement. Leaning heavily upon the truths declared in the Westminster Confession, the Reformed Baptists would take the WCF and make some necessary alterations and publish their version in 1644 and their second edition in 1689, known as The Second London Baptist Confession (1689) which remains today the standard Baptist confession.
In modern church history, you can trace the Philadelphia Confession (1742), New Hampshire Confession (1833), the Abstract of Principles (first governing document of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), and the Baptist Faith & Message (1925, 1963, 2000) back to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. The use of doctrinal statements, creeds, and confessions has a rich and profitable history among God’s people. Such statements serve as a flag in the soil that waves high above so that people can know who we are and what we believe the Bible teaches. Creeds and confessions are systematic doctrinal statements that provide clarity rather than ambiguity.
Creeds and confessions are systematic doctrinal statements that provide clarity rather than ambiguity.
While the Bible reigns as King in the library of human history and is all sufficient and authoritative, we must reject the shallow and deceitful little creed, “No creed, but Christ” that denies the importance of historic creeds and confessions and opens the door for false teachers to pervert the truths of God’s holy Word. Take your place in the long line of church history and confess the historic faith of the saints of old. Make your doctrinal positions clear and unapologetically declare the truths of Jesus Christ.
The use of solid historic creeds and confessions that have stood the test of time and scrutiny. They connect the church today with the historic Christian community throughout the ages.
Anytime in church history when truth is veiled the result is that God’s people are enslaved and held captive by the opinions and traditions of men. This is why Paul wrote to Titus and left him on the island of Crete so that he could put into order what was disorganized. Paul instructed Titus to install elders in the churches who would protect the people from myths and “commands of people who turn away from the truth” (Titus 1:14). We must walk in this same way today. To be a Reformed church is not to be aligned with the teaching of Calvin or Luther or Knox. It’s far more than that. It’s to be brought back to the pure teachings of God’s Word.
The use of solid historic creeds and confessions that have stood the test of time and scrutiny. They connect the church today with the historic Christian community throughout the ages. The creeds and confessions serve as guardrails that point us back to the Bible when we are tempted to walk astray according to the winds of culture.
False teachers claim to believe the Bible. Heretics claim to embrace Christ. If the council in Nicaea had produced a creed that read, “No creed but Christ” Arius would have likely signed his name to it. However, that superficial creed would have provided a great shadow for Arius to continue to plague God’s church. What was necessary was light to expose the heresy and guide the people of God.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 2, 2024 12:53:33 GMT -5
25 Quotes on Calvinism
JOSH BUICE
When it comes to the study of salvation, there are two main ways of viewing the doctrine of soteriology. It would be safe to say that the prominent view elevates the free will of man within evangelical circles. The less popular view elevates the sovereignty of God and rejects the idea that man is free. The Arminian position, which is the most common position, rejects the divine decree of God in electing some people to salvation through Jesus Christ. In the Arminian position, man is ultimately free to choose or reject God.
The Calvinistic position emphasizes the sovereignty of God in saving sinners (see Ephesians 1-2; John 1:12-13). In this system of thought, God’s sovereign grace is necessary due to the total depravity of man who is completely incapable of choosing God nor does he have any desire for God apart from sovereign grace.
Years ago I found myself very discouraged over the debate between Arminianism and Calvinism. I talked to my pastor and he provided some good resources for me to read. One of those books was A Journey in Grace, by Richard Belcher. To this day, I am grateful for the recommendation and gentleness in which my pastor displayed in pointing me in the direction of the doctrines of grace.
As time would progress, I would spend many hours studying these issues as I attempted to establish my position in this historic debate. Through the years, I read many passionate voices that would seek to demonize the opposing side of the theological fence in blog articles, seminary lectures, and conference sermons. Ultimately, I would come to embrace the Calvinistic position. At first, I considered myself to be a 4-point Calvinist. That would later change as I continued to read and study the Scriptures.
The final piece of the puzzle for me was Limited Atonement. Several voices, including my pastor who was a 5-point Calvinist, William Carey a missionary from church history, and Charles Spurgeon (arguably “the Prince of Preachers”) would all be used to persuade me to embrace the doctrines of grace. However, it was in my study of John 3:16 that I became completely convinced of limited atonement.
My journey may be different than yours, but needless to say this debate is one that is often fueled by more heat than light which is unfortunate. When I’m asked about this doctrine, I encourage believers to read extensively and pray earnestly through this study. I’ve compiled some helpful quotes on the doctrine of salvation. I trust that these quotes will be a means of encouraging you and challenging you as you engage in this historic study on the doctrines of grace—otherwise known as Calvinism.
1. John Calvin “We call predestination God’s eternal decree, by which He compacted with Himself what He willed to become of each man. For all are not created in equal condition; rather, eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for others.” 1
2. John Knox “God has predestinated some to life, and others to destruction.” 2
3. Charles Spurgeon “There is a prevalent opinion that says that Calvinism should be, if it is discussed at all, reserved for more mature Christians, not taught to new converts, and certainly never ever preached to the unbelievers in an evangelistic message. This is one result of the idea that Calvinism is somehow incompatible with evangelism. From the several sermons quoted, it is obvious that Spurgeon did not believe that Calvinism should be hidden from the unconverted nor the new believer. Why? Because Calvinism is the Gospel:
There is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called . . . , after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor.” 3
4. William Carey “The doctrines of God’s sovereign grace do not interfere with the responsibility of man nor destroy the freedom of his will.” 4
5. John Knox “Predestination we call the eternal decree of God, by which He has determined in Himself what He would have to become of every individual of mankind.” 5
6. Paul Washer “The proof or validation of genuine conversion is that the one who professes faith in Christ perseveres in that faith and grows in sanctification throughout the full course of his life. If a person professes faith in Christ and yet falls away or makes no progress in godliness, it does not mean that he has lost his salvation. It reveals that he was never truly converted..” 6
7. John MacArthur “Scripture speaks with absolute, unmistakable clarity on these vital issues: (1) Sinners are utterly helpless to redeem themselves or to contribute anything meritorious toward their own salvation (Rom 8:7-8). (2) God is sovereign in the exercise of His saving Will (Eph 1:4-5). (3) Christ died as a substitute who bore the full weight of God’s wrath on behalf of His people, and his atoning work is efficacious for their salvation (Isa. 53:5). (4) God’s saving purpose cannot be thwarted (John 6:37), meaning none of Christ’s true sheep will ever be lost (John 10:27-29). That is because (5) God assures the perseverance of His elect (Jude 24; Phil 1:6; 1 Peter 1:5).” 7
8. Voddie Baucham “Being born again is not a work of man. Being born again is not a work of the flesh. And being born again, by the way, precedes our faith.” 8
9. Steven Lawson “Calvinism is the biblical understanding of the plan of salvation.” 9
10. Joel Beeke “Calvinism is a system of theology that honors God and His Word by giving Him all the credit for man’s salvation from beginning to end.”10
11. Sinclair Ferguson “Calvinism is not a dry theological system, but a powerful and practical way of understanding the Christian life.”11
12. A.W. Pink “When the solemn and blessed subject of Divine foreordination is expounded, when God’s eternal choice of certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son is set forth, the Enemy sends along some man to argue that election is based upon the foreknowledge of God, and this “foreknowledge” is interpreted to mean that God foresaw certain ones would be more pliable than others, that they would respond more readily to the strivings of the Spirit, and that because God knew they would believe, He, accordingly, predestinated them unto salvation. But such a statement is radically wrong. It repudiates the truth of total depravity, for it argues that there is something good in some men It takes away the independency of God, for it makes His decrees rest upon what He discovers in the creature It completely turns things upside down, for in saying God foresaw certain sinners would believe in Christ, and that because of this, He predestinated them unto salvation, is the very reverse of the truth. Scripture affirms that God, in His high sovereignty, singled out certain ones to be recipients of His distinguishing favors (Acts 13:48), and therefore He determined to bestow upon them the gift of faith. False theology makes God’s foreknowledge of our believing the cause of His election to salvation; whereas, God’s election is the cause, and our believing in Christ is the effect.”12
13. Thomas Watson “God’s decrees are the very foundation of free-will; for He decreed what man’s will should be.”13
14. Isaac Watts “Salvation is all of grace, and that grace is sovereign, discriminating, and distinguishing.” 14
15. John Bunyan “The doctrine of predestination and the doctrine of free will are not contrary to one another, but are perfectly consistent.”15
16. John Newton “The doctrine of election is a very humbling truth, but it is a very sweet one to those who have been made to taste that the Lord is gracious.”16
17. Martin Luther “God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.”17
18. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones “Calvinism is the only system of theology that is truly biblical.” 18
19. George Whitefield It was Charles Spurgeon who once quoted the great evangelist George Whitefield. He said, “George Whitfield said, ‘We are all born Arminians.’ It is grace that turns us into Calvinists.”19
20. William Perkins “Predestination is God’s eternal decree, by which he did foreordain two things: First, to glorify himself in some men, as in the vessels of mercy; secondly, to show his justice in others, as in the vessels of wrath.” 20
21. John Flavel “God hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.”21
22. Jonathan Edwards “God decrees all things that come to pass, so that there is a necessary connection between the decree and the event decreed; God decrees things in such a manner, that He is the sovereign Disposer and Orderer of all events; but yet so that the contingency of events remains; and that there is a real liberty of second causes. God decrees the manner of events, the time, place, and circumstances; but yet so that the events themselves are contingent, and free actions are not necessitated by anything going before, either in God or the creature.”22
23. John Owen “The Arminians hold that Christ died equally and indifferently for all men. We affirm that Christ died for all and only the elect. If He died for all, and yet all are not saved, then His death is not efficacious. But if He died for the elect, then His death is effectual for their salvation.”23
24. Richard Belcher “There would never be a situation where one of the elect would not want to be saved, for the regenerating power of God will grant sight, desire, power and enablement to the elect in the work of salvation.”24
25. R.C. Sproul “If God’s sovereignty is restricted by man’s freedom, then God is not sovereign; man is sovereign.”25
Print Friendly, PDF & Email References
References 1 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 21, Section 5 2 John Knox, The Works of John Knox, Volume 4, p. 138 3 Charles Spurgeon, C.H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years, (1834-1859), p. 168 4 William Carey, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, p. 68 5 John Knox, The Works of John Knox, Volume 4, p. 138 6 Paul Washer, The Gospel’s Power and Message 7 John MacArthur, Afterword: The Five Points of Calvinism Defined, Defended and Documented 8 Voddie Baucham, Sermon: “Election and Predestination” October, 2009 9 Steven Lawson, Foundations of Grace, p. 17 10 Joel Beke, Living for God’s Glory, p. 8 11 Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ, p. 10 12 A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God, p. 23 13 Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p. 81 14 Isaac Watts, Sermon: “The Doctrine of Election” 15 John Bunyan, Saved by Grace, p. 41 16 John Newton, “Letter to Rev. Haweis,” June 30, 1761 17 Martin Luther, “Letter to Philip Melanchthon,” August 1, 1521 18 D. Martyn LLoyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, p. 97 19 Charles Spurgeon, Sermons: Vol. 2, p. 124 20 William Perkins, A Golden Chain, p. 150 21 John Flavel, The Mystery of Providence, p. 168 22 Jonathan Edwards, Freedom of the Will 23 John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ 24 Richard Belcher, A Journey in Grace, p. 128 25 R.C. Sproul, Chosen By God, p. 30 AUTHOR
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 6, 2024 13:21:16 GMT -5
Unsound Teaching Produces Unsound Churches Lead ArticleLeadership
JOSH BUICE
The calling of the pastor is to lead the church through a faithful teaching ministry. His doctrine must be healthy or it will have a negative impact upon the entire church. This is why Paul instructs Titus to be certain that his teaching was sound, which is another way of saying it must be healthy.
Titus 2:1 – But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.
The Contrast of the Faithful Pastor and the Unfaithful Heretics Notice how Paul begins this verse. He writes, “But as for you.” This was a means of providing a vivid contrast to the evil enemies of the cross who were plaguing God’s people. The teaching of Titus must have a completely different aroma than the teaching of the heretics. People should be able to notice the difference without being confused.
This is critically important as we consider the preaching and teaching of faithful pastors. They must be so closely aligned with God’s Word and so consumed with the gospel that there is no mistaking their teaching with the false teaching of those who seek to lead people astray with false doctrine. Sound doctrine and false doctrine must be clearly distinguished from one another.
The Calling of the Pastor The calling of the pastor is to the task of preaching and teaching holy Scripture. Notice that Paul didn’t call Titus to entertain the people. It should be further noted that Paul didn’t instruct Titus to engage in the work of psychology or sociology. The calling of Titus was to teach the Word of God and to appoint elders to that same task in the context of local churches across the island of Crete.
Paul says, “teach” which is the Greek term, “λαλέω” meaning to express oneself by speaking. It literally means to talk. When connected with sound doctrine, this places the contextual emphasis upon imparting knowledge in a formal sense of teaching. It was Martyn Lloyd-Jones who once said the following:
Preaching the Word is the primary task of the Church, the primary task of the leaders of the Church, the people who are set in this position of authority; and we must not allow anything to deflect us from this, however good the cause, however great the need.
Certainly the pastor wears many hats as it pertains to the work of shepherding. The most important task and the central calling of the pastor is to the preparation for and faithful teaching of God’s Word. The pastor can do a hundred things well, but if he fails in this one area, he is an unfit pastor who fails in his calling to the office of an elder.
The Message of the Pastor The message of the pastor must be healthy. That’s the meaning of Paul’s word to Titus when he instructs him to deliver sound doctrine. Literally he’s saying, “teach with healthy teaching.” The word used by Paul for doctrine is “διδασκαλία” which came to be used in the New Testament, especially in the pastoral epistles, to mean the sum of the body of teaching by the apostles.
For that reason, we often say, “doctrine matters.” By way of contrast, Paul had warned Titus that the Cretans were known as liars. The heretics who were peddling a false gospel were not to be trusted because they had come into the community of the Christians insisting on salvation by grace plus law. In short, these two groups that were impacting the church on the island of Crete were teaching unsound doctrines.
The unadulterated Word of God is what the local church needs. Anything else will not fulfill the people and will lead to unrest, lawless behavior, and ultimately will be so dull that it will not penetrate the hearts of people and will be incapable of saving the soul (James 1:21; 1 Tim. 1:10; 2 Tim. 3:16). Unsound preaching leads to unsound living. Paul understood that Titus’ responsibility was to disciple elders who would disciple local churches.
As we consider the landscape of our evangelical culture today, we must avoid the popular trappings that entangle so many local church leaders and subsequently—entire churches. It was once a very popular trend to replace preaching with psychology. Today, the popular trend seems to be centered on replacing theology with sociology. What this does is place an emphasis on anthropology rather than theology. Such an unhealthy focus leads churches to become fixated upon man rather than God. This approach to the church today will result in division rather than unity and frustration rather than doxology.
Unsound teaching will produce unsound churches. It would do us well to remember that the world around us is constantly seeking to deform the church. We must be striving for ongoing reformation as we seek to honor God through biblically informed worship and a lifestyle that is consistent with a pursuit of holiness.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 6, 2024 16:08:52 GMT -5
Lights, Stage and Altar: Assessing Trends in Modern Worship
JOSH BUICE
It’s quite possible that you’ve walked into a church building in recent days and asked yourself why the church service felt more like a production than a worship service. Was it the lights or the musicians? Was it the pastor’s method of communication or his attire? What caused this question to be raised in your mind as you were seeking to worship God? The reality is, much change has occurred within evangelicalism within modern church history that necessitates explanation. Let’s talk about lights, stage, and altars in our approach to the worship a sovereign and holy God.
Why Darkness Rather Than Light? For many years, the church gathered together under the dim light of candles or scheduled their primary gatherings for worship on the seasonal schedule of the sunlight. During the years prior to modern technological advancements, the primitive church figured out how to meet without the use of electricity and modern light systems in a way that was both edifying and efficient.
Today, modern churches with all of the technological advancements of a modern era within modern church campuses are choosing to dim the lights, or in some cases, to turn them off altogether. Why would churches want to gather in dark rooms? What’s the point? The fact is, many churches are driven by pragmatism and a commitment to production effects rather than the prescriptions of worship in Scripture.
Consider the contrast between light and darkness in Scripture (Gen 1:3; Job 33:28; Ps 56:13; Ps 27:1; Matt 4:16; Luke 2:32; 2 Cor 4:4-6; Eph 6:12; 1 Pet 2:9). God’s people are called out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ. Even the period of darkness during the 400 years between the close of the Old Testament and the dawning of the New Testament, we see that God was silent and that the people of God were encompassed by darkness. Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12), and his people are to be a city set on a hillside that cannot be hidden (Matt 5:14). Christians are people of light rather than darkness. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “Oh that thy words, like the beams of the sun, may enter through the window of my understanding, and dispel the darkness of my mind!”1
Church leaders today choose to intentionally dim lights in order to control the mood of the room by color packages with stage lights and backlight designs. These lights are not intended for seeing. They’re intended for feeling. It’s about the emotions of the people. This is a production decision that flows out of the world of entertainment which has been used for many years in the theater and concert scene. The fact is, lights can manipulate how we feel and that’s why nice restaurants will often dim the house lights in the evening to create a specific mood for those who enter the room.
While we are creatures designed by God with specific emotions, we should be careful to avoid manipulation by how we use lights in our approach to worship. I recall a conversation with a friend a couple of years ago who could not explain why she was constantly weeping during the worship service at her church. After additional conversation and explanation, it was clear that the music choices and the lights were creating a mood and leading her to be emotionally stirred. It wasn’t based on the Scripture or the theology being communicated.
Consider the fact that beyond the avoidance of manipulation, we must take note of the calling of Christians to address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as we make melody in our hearts to the Lord (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). How is this possible if we can’t see one another? It’s far less personal and edifying and in fact hinders Christian fellowship. A concert or theater purposefully directs everyone’s attention to the front, but the gathered assembly of the church should see one another sing. Since Christian worship involves this horizontal element, it must not be overlooked or minimized.
Corporate worship is just that—corporate. It involves an assembly. It’s not about creating an atmosphere of singularity and autonomy which is the goal of a dark room. Turn on the lights for Christian worship.
In short, children need to see their parents, grandparents, and other faithful church members singing, praying, worshipping through preaching, and partaking in the Lord’s Supper. Pastors need to see the congregation as opposed to a dark room with a bright light shining upon them. This is part of discipleship. Corporate worship is just that—corporate. It involves an assembly. It’s not about creating an atmosphere of singularity and autonomy which is the goal of a dark room. Is this goal of autonomy and singularity of purpose and feeling in worship why people often close their eyes while singing? Turn on the lights for Christian worship. We need to see one another, sing to God and to one another, and edify one another during corporate worship. This is not possible in a dark room.
From a more practical position, consider the fact that we need light to use our Bibles and hymnals. Many churches simply display the biblical text on the screens as well as the words to the songs, but it would be far more encouraging to have church members using their physical Bibles (not phones that can easily distract us away from God during worship) and hymnals (to see the musical notes and arrangement). Rather than being dependent upon screens (that frequently change) to display everything for us, we could be actively engaged with an open Bible and hymnal.
The worship of God is corporate and is happening throughout the worship auditorium. What happens on the back row of the church’s auditorium is very important during a worship service.
Consider the fact that by the use of lights that direct the attention of the room to the front, it’s quite possible that you lead people to embrace the false idea that whatever is happening up at the front on the platform is most important and central to worship which in actuality what is happening in the entire room is central to the church’s worship. The worship of God is corporate and is happening throughout the worship auditorium. What happens on the back row of the church’s auditorium is very important during a worship service. Turn on the lights so that everyone can worship without hinderance.
Brothers, We Are Not Performers It’s a common thing to hear people referring to the platform in the front of the church’s auditorium as a stage. Often, people with pure hearts and motives and with sound theology will use the “stage” language in the context of their church building. I would like to push back on that vocabulary with the knowledge that words matter. We should be intentional about how we speak about the elements and circumstances of worship.
Recently I was speaking at a conference and right in the middle of my sermon, the audience began to applaud. It shocked me. It’s not the first time that has happened, but when I’m preaching I’m not thinking about applause. The second time they applauded, I remember having to intentionally wait on them to finish so that I could continue speaking. It was a massive distraction to the preaching in my opinion. Pastors are not performers on a stage.
When pastors are turned into performers the church will be filled with consumers rather than worshippers.
The evangelical church is filled with performers. This performance mindset has influenced church leaders far and wide. At the heart of the issue is an insatiable desire for success. When pastors are turned into performers the church will be filled with consumers rather than worshippers. The same thing can be said with regard to those who lead musically. Anyone who holds a microphone must be committed to leading for the glory of God rather than for the applause of man.
Churches do not have stages. It’s that simple. The area in the front of the worship auditorium where the pulpit stands is not a stage. Everyone who gathers in the room should be there to praise, worship, and submit to our Lord. Our aim should be to please an audience of One rather than consumers. Dear brother pastor, we are not performers.
We Are Called to a Table, Not an Altar The people of God approached God in worship at altars. The altar was common among the directives set forth in Leviticus. In fact, when the Tabernacle was completed, if you entered the fence through the central gate, you immediately came into contact with the bronze altar. Exodus 20:24 reads, “An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.”
Under the old covenant, the people of God were to constantly offer up blood sacrifices to God to cover their sin. The Hebrew root for altar means “to slay” or “slaughter.” The burnt offering was common for Israel’s worship of God and it was at the altar where God met with his people. Gideon offered burnt offerings according to Judges 6. When the Ark of the Covenant was returned from the Philistines, burnt offerings were offered to God (1 Samuel 6). David offered burnt offerings as a result of his sin (2 Samuel 24). King Solomon offered 1,000 burnt offerings at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 3).
Each year at Passover, the city of Jerusalem would fill up with people and animals for sacrifice. Josephus, the ancient historian, claims that several hundred thousand lambs were herded through the streets of Jerusalem every Passover. Jews who lived outside of Jerusalem would travel home for the Passover celebration, but they would need to purchase a sacrificial animal. According to 2 Chronicles 35, when King Josiah celebrated Passover, he slaughtered more than 37,000 sheep.
Charles Finney introduced his “New Measures” during his ministry where he would invite people to immediately respond to the preaching and come to what he called the “anxious bench” at the front. According to Finney, if he could get you or your children to come to the anxious bench and pray, he could almost guarantee their salvation. This practice would be used by figures such as Billy Sunday and Billy Graham. By the 20th century, pastors began using the “altar” language to refer to the front of the church’s auditorium as they invited people to respond during what became known as the “altar call.”
As we gather to worship God, it’s clear that words matter. We try to distinguish between the church’s building and the gathered church. It’s essential to be clear that “praise and worship” is not merely the “singing part” of the worship service. We praise and worship God in various ways through prayer, song, and preaching. Therefore, when it comes to the “altar” language, I would like to push back against using it within the realm of Christian worship.
When Christ gathered his disciples on the evening before his crucifixion, he celebrated Passover with them around the table. That evening, Jesus brought Passover (the oldest Jewish feast) to a final culmination and inaugurated a new memorial meal (Lord’s Supper) which would continue under the New Covenant until Christ returns.
This memorial would not look back to the salvation of Israel from Egypt, but instead—the salvation of God’s people from their sin. This memorial would not look back at a lamb that was slain to spare people from the Angel of Death, but instead it would focus on the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world(John 1:29). This memorial would not look back to a time when God saved the Jews, but instead, would be focused on the salvation of God’s people from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation. John MacArthur observes, “In that one meal Jesus both terminated the old and inaugurated the new.”2
Christian worship is identified by a table rather than an altar.
Today, rather than an altar at the front of the worship auditorium, we have a table. This table is where the church gathers at the culmination of the worship service to celebrate the finished work of Christ on our behalf. Rather than approaching an altar to give another sacrifice, we come to the table to celebrate the once for all sacrifice of Jesus who as the Lamb of God fulfilled sacrificial system under the Old Covenant. We do not come to bring a sacrifice, we come to celebrate the grand sacrifice of all where Jesus saved his people from their sin. Christian worship is identified by a table rather than an altar.
Pragmatism is a cancer that sucks the life out of Christian worship. Words matter because theology matters. But rising from that theological foundation is our worship philosophy which matters too.
By way of conclusion, we need to be able to recognize trends that impact Christian worship. Rather than becoming slaves to new measures that promise instant results and success, we must remain committed to approaching God in the way he has prescribed in his Word. Pragmatism is a cancer that sucks the life out of Christian worship. Words matter because theology matters. But rising from that theological foundation is our worship philosophy which matters too. That’s the beautiful thing about worship, God has not left us to guess at how he desires to be worshipped by his people. He has given us his Word.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 8, 2024 19:53:17 GMT -5
Applying a Big God Theology to Your Life During Trials CalvinismDoctrines of GraceLead ArticleSovereigntySovereignty of God
JOSH BUICE When you first come across the theology of God’s absolute sovereignty over all things—it’s like you see the world through new eyes. Every page of Scripture, as you turn it, it’s as if the truth of the bigness of God leaps off the pages. Soon enough, you find yourself digging deeper and deeper into God’s Word, talking with friends, listening intently to the preaching, reading books, and enjoying God in a way that you haven’t in years past.
It’s one thing to think about the sovereignty of God in salvation and the absolute sovereignty of God in creation from an academic perspective or from a Bible study perspective—but what happens when the doctor walks into the room and diagnoses you with cancer? What happens when you receive the unexpected phone call informing you that your loved one has just passed away? Suddenly, it’s time to employ that theology into action in your life. It’s there in the pain of tragedy that you realize the value of such a big God theology in ways that mere academics cannot compare.
The Labor of Application Applying the Bible is not the job of the pastor only. The labor of application is something that every believer must engage in on a regular basis. When the congregation is listening to the sermon, there must be active participation taking place by everyone in the room as each individual seeks to take the truth and apply it to their own life.
Imagine the pastor preaching through a passage and is driving home the sovereignty of God—and he describes the omnipotence of God by looking at snapshots of Scriptures throughout the Bible. One young man is seated near the front who attends a local college. It’s his first semester as a college student and he has many fears and insecurities he’s working through. He feels unbelievably small as he walks onto the large and expansive campus, smells the books as he walks into the library, and sits in the large lecture hall to hear one of his professors teach a couple of hundred students.
On the other side of the church, a seventy-nine year old man is contemplating the recent diagnosis of cancer and his treatment options. Both individuals are at different stages of life, yet both of these men are facing challenges. It’s the same Word of God being presented to both, yet they labor and engage in the sermon to apply the grand truth to their own personal situation in order to find refuge in their big God.
While the pastor may provide a couple of general application statements, it’s the responsibility of the individuals in the congregation to hear the Word, work to understand the text, and then connect the dots from the ancient context to their present situation in order to apply the truth to their own personal life. Far too often people sit back and ask the pastor to spoon feed them while missing the point of a sermon altogether. There must be engagement and involvement and personal labor in the proper hearing of a sermon.
The Comfort of God’s Sovereignty David declared in Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” All through the Bible, we find bold statements about our big God.
It was Martin Luther, who in the midst of a dangerous season of persecution was kidnapped by his friends after his famous stand at Worms and was taken to the Wartburg Castle. While in hiding, in the safety of the structure, he translated the Bible into the German language. He worked at the relentless speed of 1,500 words per day.
During 1527, a dark time swept over Luther’s life—both spiritually and physically. He was physically sick due to the pressures of ministry and the battle of the Reformation. He battled spells of dizziness and fainted often. He felt as if he was going to die. But then, God brought him through it.
Soon the Black Plague swept through Germany killing many people. It was so bad – many people would flee for their own safety. Luther stayed and turned his home into a place of refuge—a makeshift hospital. During this crisis, his son almost died.
It was with this backdrop that Luther penned the words to “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” which is one of the most famous hymns in the history of the church. As he faced the plague, looked at the black death surrounding him, and contemplated the frailty of his own life (and the lives of his family)—he thought about the walls of the castle and how he once found refuge. Then he considered the words of Psalm 46 and applied the grand truths of God’s sovereignty to his dark situation.
A mighty Fortress is our God, A Bulwark never failing; Our Helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing:
No matter what you face today as you journey through this world with devils filled who threaten to undo you—you can walk with confidence that your God is big. “Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). No matter what trial you face or what challenge is presented before you, remember to lean on the theology of the Bible and find comfort and peace that passes all understanding in the God who is big, strong, and serves as our Rock and our Refuge! If God is for us, who can be against us (Rom. 8:31)?
Psalm 46:1–3; 6-7 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah…The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. [7] The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 9, 2024 12:42:31 GMT -5
Why You Should Fear God FearFearFear of GodLead Article
JOSH BUICE
According to statistics, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older. That equates to 18.1% of the total population. When we consider the vast number of people who are plagued with fear, it’s amazing to consider that there are many different types of causes or sources to the anxiety. There is a phobia based anxiety and then a more general anxiety disorder as well. At the end of the day, millions of people in America are afraid of many different things, but we would be shocked to know how small the percentage of people is in America who actually fear God.
Why You Should Fear the Wrath of God There are many people today who are living life in complete rejection of God’s presence and complete denial of his authority. Some claim to be agnostic while others embrace atheism. Still others live such lives as Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Catholics while rejecting the authority of God. Religion is not what shields people from God’s wrath. Countless numbers of people have gone to hell while being very much committed to religion.
Years ago, a wicked Pharaoh ruled Egypt and placed the Jews under brutal slave practices. God raised up a prophet named Moses to lead the people out of the land of Egypt. However, when Moses went before the wicked king to announce the plan and demands of God, the arrogant king responded by saying, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2). It would not be long before the God of all creation made himself known to the arrogant and confused ruler. It would be a lesson he would never forget. We must not forget that Pharaoh was very much a religious man—but he refused to bow to the one true and living God.
In this life, we have many things that can cause us to fear. Such examples may include the fear of spiders, snakes, or violent storms. Still others fear disease and death itself. While there are things in this life that instill fear into the hearts of people, we must be reminded that we must fear God. Storms and snakes may damage your physical body, but it’s God who can damn your soul in hell for eternity. Listen to the words of Jesus:
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28).
If you have never turned to God by faith in Jesus Christ and repented of your rebellion and the violation of God’s law—you have a reason to fear God. Consider the fact that the very Creator of the entire universe—the sovereign ruler of the entire world has given us specific demands, yet as a rebel of his law you will be judged by him. Holy justice will be executed on your soul and there will be no plea bargain. In short, you should fear God. Jesus said, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
Consider the terms used in Scripture to describe the place of damnation:
Matthew 5:22 – “hell fire” Matthew 8:12 – “outer darkness” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:13 – “outer darkness” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Luke 13:28 – “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mark 9:44-48 – Three times the Bible mentions “worm dies not” and “fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:47 – “hell fire” Revelation 20:14 – “lake of fire” Beyond specific references to hell, the Bible likewise uses other references in a more indirect manner to describe the judgment of God upon sinners. Such references include:
Pit (2 Pet. 2:4). Falling into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31). Second death (Rev. 20:14). Blackness and darkness forever (Jude 13). Why Christians Should Fear God Too As a child of God, we have the wonderful joy of knowing that all of our sins have been atoned for in the death of Jesus on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24; John 3:16). As a result, we are no longer the enemies of God (Rom. 5:10). We are now adopted into the family of God and enjoy the privileges of sons and daughters of God (Rom. 8:15-17). However, even so, we too must fear God!
When we as God’s children fear God, it’s a different type of fear than an unbeliever who must fear the wrath of God. As the children of God, we learn that we fear God by reverencing his sovereign power, his benevolent love, his transcendent holiness, and his providential rule of the entire universe. Consider what God’s Word teaches about such fear:
Psalm 103:17 – But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children Psalm 111:10 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. Proverbs 10:27 – The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. Proverbs 14:26 – In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. Proverbs 14:27 – The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it’s a good reminder of how we as God’s children should approach God with humble hearts and a proper fear that is genuine respect of who God is and what he has accomplished in the salvation of our soul. A proper fear of God leads to a proper worship of God. A proper fear and worship of God leads to a proper lifestyle that brings glory to God. Without a proper fear of God—we will be led down the path of pride and self-serving that doesn’t bring God glory.
Do you have a proper fear of God?
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 14, 2024 19:04:41 GMT -5
When Preaching Leaves a Church, Christ Goes With It
JOSH BUICE
Social-Justice-Divide-Bible For centuries leading up to the dawn of the Reformation era in the sixteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church had deformed the church of Jesus. The blueprint for the church as recorded in God’s inerrant and sufficient Word had been so distorted and disjointed, that the God ordained form of the church had been lost.
Every aspect of the church of Christ had been twisted and repackaged into a deformed and deficient substitute that necessitated a reforming of the church into the original mold. That process would be far more than what Martin Luther thought when he attached his Ninety-Five Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517.
The Historic Deformation The explosion of the historic Reformation was fueled by Word of God. The Material Principle of the Reformation was focused on justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone for the remission of sin. However, the Formal Principle of the Reformation was focused upon the issue of authority. Who can speak for God? Was it the Pope of Rome? Was it the councils of the Roman Catholic Church?
The Reformers were focused on bringing the Bible to the people. The priests were lecturing to the people in Roman Catholic cathedrals in Latin, a language that the common people didn’t speak or understand. The worship was lifeless. There was no preaching. There were no preachers. The pulpit had been hijacked and pushed into the shadows as the Roman Catholic mass emphasized the altar as the central aspect of their worship. The pulpit was occupied by men who delivered shallow homilies in a dead language which kept the people in a cloud of confusion and darkness. When preaching leaves a church, Christ goes with it.
When preaching leaves a church, Christ goes with it.
When God raised up the Reformers, they gave themselves to the translation of the Bible and the proclamation of sacred Scripture. Martin Luther gave the people the German Bible. William Tyndale labored to bring the people the English Bible. John Knox was involved in bringing the people the 1560 Geneva Bible—the Bible of the Reformation. You can literally trace the movement of the Reformation by the movement of God’s Word.
The Reformers were gifted scholars, theologians, linguists, orators, authors, and Bible commentators. However, it was the pulpit where they took flight and powerfully delivered the Word to the people through relentless and powerful preaching of God’s Word. Martin Luther preached sometimes four times per day and approximately 4,000 sermons in his preaching ministry. His first sermon eachLord’s Day was at 5am and he would preach every day through the week.
John Calvin was the expositor of the Reformation who labored verse-by-verse through books of the Bible in Geneva. From his local church were sent out many missionaries who would give their lives for the sake of the gospel. It was preaching, and relentless preaching that fueled the Reformation. He was a faithful expositor of the Word.
· He began his series through Acts in 1549. He completed it in 1554.
· He preached 25 sermons on Lamentations.
· He preached 5 sermons on the 21 verses of Obadiah.
· He preached 46 sermons through 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
· 1 and 2 Corinthians – 186 sermons.
· He preached 86 sermons through the pastoral epistles.
· His series through Galatians was 43 sermons.
· He preached 174 sermons through Ezekiel.
· He preached 48 sermons through Ephesians.
· He preached 159 sermons through Job.
· His series through Deuteronomy was 200 sermons long.
· He labored through Isaiah in 353 sermons.
· His series through Genesis was 123 sermons in length.
John Knox believed in preaching and was a powerful preacher. He is known as the founder of Presbyterianism and the father of Puritanism. He was a relentless defender of the gospel of Jesus and a passionate Reformer in Scotland. Knox said that preaching is the “chief ordinary means of grace.” If you look at the paintings of Knox preaching as recorded in church history, he looks as if he is taking flight from the pulpit as he hangs over the front of the sacred desk of God with his hands pointing into the faces of the people. Knox was no boring preacher who simply merely saw himself as giving a lifeless biblical commentary to the people. Knox was a preacher.
While God raised up gifted and powerful servants to be instruments in the hands of our God to reform his church, it was ultimately fueled by the Word of God. That’s why when you travel around the world, wherever you see large statues of the Reformers, they are almost always pointing at the Bible in their hand. In Berlin, the large statue of Luther depicts him pointing to the Bible. At the Reformation monument in Worms, Germany you will find the men pointing to the Bible. In London in the courtyard of the Royal Horseguard hotel, you will see William Tyndale pointing at the Bible. If you travel to Bedford, England you will find John Bunyan pointing at the Bible.
When the Bible is opened and expounded among God’s people, it always results in a reforming of his people to conform to the Word.
The Modern Deformation Today, if you visit many evangelical churches you will notice that there is a constant deformation of God’s church that continues in our day. The form of God’s church is consistently being changed by every wind of culture. Pastors look to the culture to see what the people want and then form their local churches in that mold. It’s the ancient temptation of pragmatism. There is always a cultural scheme offered to pastors that promises success. That typically means, bigger numbers and increased financial budgets. In the end, it leads the church off course. Sometimes the move is subtle or slight and barely detectable, but decades and centuries removed it will be catastrophic.
Any move away from biblical preaching is a move away from God. When preaching is minimized and muzzled, it leads to a downgrade of the entire church of Jesus.
Any move away from biblical preaching is a move away from God. When preaching is minimized and muzzled, it leads to a downgrade of the entire church of Jesus. Rather than asking the culture what they want, we should look to the Word of God that remains fixed and sufficient for the answer. If the form of God’s church is to be kept unstained and unaltered, it must be through a firm commitment to the Formal Principle of the Reformation. Who has the right to speak on behalf of God? The answer is the same in our day. Sola Scriptura!
When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure, he gave them a Great Commission. In that commission, we find one word that must not be overlooked. Sometimes the Great Commission from Matthew 28:17-20 is quoted with a slight omission. While it may seem minor and harmless, it’s a word that must not be omitted from Jesus’ words. Jesus said:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:18-20).
The word translated “observe” is critically important. The Greek term is “τηρέω” which literally means to keep, guard, or preserve. As the Bible is faithfully preached and explained on a weekly basis, the people will see and hear God’s Word clearly presented. As they come to understand God’s original form of his church—it is the calling of God’s people to consistently keep that form unstained and pure. In other words, we are to be consistently reformed according to God’s Word in our day.
Every ministry in the life of the church rises or falls based on the health and strength of the pulpit. As the pulpit goes, so goes the church.
Historically, a phrase became popular during the time of the Reformation. It was “ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda.” The Latin phrase means, “The church reformed, always reforming.” The short version is, “Semper Reformanda.” If we will be consistently reformed according to God’s Word, it must begin by faithful biblical preaching. The primacy of preaching will result in a proper order among God’s church. It’s the pulpit that drives reformation and health in the life of a local church. Luther believed that the pulpit was the throne of God’s Word among his people. If we will experience a reformation in our day, it will begin by a firm and unwavering commitment to biblical preaching.
The church must always keep the pulpit at the heart of the church. The primacy of preaching must be carefully guarded. Every ministry in the life of the church rises or falls based on the health and strength of the pulpit. As the pulpit goes, so goes the church.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 16, 2024 20:48:23 GMT -5
Does My Friend’s Heresy Change Our Friendship? DivisionFalse GospelFalse TeachingGospelHeresyHeresyHereticLead Article Share
g3min.org/friends-heresy-change-friendship/ JOSH BUICE
man and woman holding hands Life often takes sudden turns and unexpected twists along the journey. One of the harsh relities of this fallen world is that best friends are not always best friends for life. It may never happen in your lifetime, but in the event that you find yourself in that unfortunate position—how will your friendship change when your friend embraces a heresy? Heresy changes everything—not just your Facebook relationship.
Is Your Friend a True Heretic? In our day where the term heresy is used with such casual attitudes and people such as Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, and John Calvin are all classified as heretics, it would be wise to investigate whether or not your friend is a true heretic. A heretic is someone who teaches a false gospel. This person may never have been a professing Christian and simply engages people with a false gospel in order to do violence against God’s church. On another note, a heretic could be a former professing Christian who apostatized from the faith and is now teaching, preaching, or proselytizing for an unorthodox religion.
In short, don’t call someone a heretic unless that person is a genuine heretic—to the letter of the definition. Words matter and so does the character and reputation of a person under the theological microscope. It’s amazing how a few words of classification can leave lasting damage on the reputation of an individual, so approach such conversations with care.
Heresy Divides and So Does Jesus If your friend is a true heretic, it’s essential to remember that your friend is the one who embraced a false gospel—not you. Therefore, the actions by your friend will definitely have an impact on your friendship. The nature of your friendship will be forever changed. The intimacy of your friendship will be severed. This is a necessary division that is inevitably caused by the heretical position of your friend, and it may be up to you to pull back and sever the longtime intimacy that you both enjoyed in the past.
Secondly, Jesus said that he came to divide (see Luke 12:49-53). Although Jesus is the Prince of peace (Is. 9:6; John 14:27; Phil. 4:7), and his ministry is that of making propitiation and peace between God and sinners (1 John 2:1-2), he also has a ministry of division. Through Jesus, light is separated from darkness. Believers are called out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ (1 Pet. 2:9). Therefore, Jesus divides even the closest of relationships including parents and children, and so you can expect that friend will be divided from friend as a result of Jesus Christ.
What Does the Bible Say? Paul makes it abundantly clear that heretics are to be treated differently than intimate friends. To the church at Rome, Paul writes, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive” (Rom. 16:17-18). In simple terms, the point of division is the true gospel of Christ and Christians are to avoid heretics who spend their time confusing people with their false gospel. This means your heretical friend should not enjoy the same place at your supper table as was the common pattern in the past. You and your family must be guarded from the deceitful schemes of heresy.
To the church at Corinth, the man who was having sexual relations with his step-mother was to be put out of the church and turned over to Satan. Furthermore, Paul instructs the church to not associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolator, reviler, drunkard, or swindler. Paul goes on to instruct the church saying, “not even to eat with such a one” (1 Cor. 5:11). The point is clear, it is necessary at times to end friendships with people who are guilty of vile sin and who have swerved from the faith.
Why is this division necessary? Consider the following reasons:
To divide over the gospel is to make a statement about the necessity of the true gospel. To divide over the gospel is to make it clear who’s in and who’s out. To divide over the gospel is necessary to protect the hearts and minds of children and others who may be weak in the faith—or as Paul puts it—naive. To divide over the gospel is a form of defending the faith once delivered to the saints. Friendship with a heretic in hopes of winning that person to the truth is a dangerous game—one we’re not given the freedom of playing. Division is always condemned in the church until it’s in relation to false teachers and heretics. God demands that we divide ourselves from those who contradict the true gospel. Consider the danger of heretics and their lying tongues that often speak just enough truth to entice the hearts and minds of those who simply lack the maturity necessary to detecti the trap. Be cautious and guard yourself from following them off the cliff of heresy into the eternal wrath of God. William Gurnall once penned the following sobering warning, “None sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven, because they fall from the greatest height.” [1]
William Gurnall, A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2000), 20.
|
|