Why Your Prophetic Position Matters

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

Psalm 145:13

All wrong thinking is wrong thinking about God. All wrong thinking leads to wrong behavior.  All wrong behavior leads to wrong consequences.

The entire Word of God is bound up in one theme, the plan and program of God through His Son Jesus Christ, Luke 24:44-48. This plan is enmeshed in the entire fabric of God’s Word from Genesis through Revelation.  It is a literal plan. It is an obvious plan, it is a profound plan. Most importantly, it is a plan designed from beginning to end to extol the glories of Jesus Christ. It has been said that 2/3 of the scriptures are essentially prophecy, prophecy which is ultimately about Jesus Christ.

Three steps open the prophetic Word to us:

First, we must accept the scriptures as the inspired Word of God. That is, we must be committed to the idea that every word is equally inspired. It is not enough to believe in the popular doctrine of inerrancy. Inerrancy does not commit to the inspiration of the words, only the concepts behind the words. There is no negotiation on this point. To hold to anything less is to hold to heresy.

Secondly, we must interpret the scriptures literally, following simple common sense rules, when the Bible uses symbolism to illustrate a literal truth. The evidence for this is in the examples that the apostles gave us for their own literal interpretation. Notice the argument of singular versus literal in Galatians 3:16 over the discussion of seed.

Thirdly, the scriptures are thematic. They have an underlying theme. We interpret the scriptures through the Messiah. (Luke 24:44-48.) We admit our bias and admit our inability to place the proper value on literal passages. There will always be a need to agree to disagree on particulars because we are human.  However, when we take literally God’s stated plan for Messiah as the lens through we view the Bible and we always interpret this book in terms of Jesus Christ and His stated objectives (as outlined in the Old Testament and affirmed and expanded in the New Testament) we always come out agreeing on the basic prophetic infrastructure of the Word of God. [In a technical sense, we say that we interpret the Bible literally through a Christological grid.]  In other words, we impose a predisposition on our literal interpretation. We interpret according to a theme, One Theme. We assume, in advance, that we will find Jesus Christ everywhere in this book and that all the truth revealed about Him will fit into one beautiful picture.

What premillennialism represents. Premillennialism is simply an acknowledgement that God’s program for Messiah has been outlined in two phases. First, Messiah will bring justice to all the earth through the Jewish people and the restoration of Israel. Secondly, Messiah will also be a light to the nations (the Gentiles) and this global witness to the nations will occur before justice is brought to all the earth (Isaiah, chapters 40-49.) While the New Testament apostles grasped and expanded this truth in Acts (cf. chapters 13 and 15), it was the apostle Paul who received special revelation from the Lord regarding the details of this mystery age (Gal 1:12.)

These are the ABC’s of premillennialism which should not even be so labeled. It should simply be labeled Messiahism because is a simple basic commitment to the singular program of Messiah which is worked out in two phases, exactly as specified by the covenants.

We have already conceded that, due to the weakness of human flesh, we must all agree to disagree with a large dose of humility on numerous matters. That is not the Bible’s weakness, it is ours. The question on the floor is this. Where do we draw the line in agreeing and disagreeing? Clearly, we are admonished in the Word of God to both speak and defend sound doctrine (2 Tim 1:13, 1 Tim 6:3-5, and a host of others.) At the same time, we are not to “strive about words to no profit (2 Tim 2:14.) The modern mentality is to assume that sound doctrine relates to the basics of salvation and that Bible prophecy is pretty much like a set of Legos with which we may all play to our content or ignore at our pleasure. Yet, we discover the opposite in the Thessalonians epistles that were written specifically to correct behavioral problems related to an incorrect prophetic position. Notice how outspoken Christ and Paul both were in their warnings that we should let no man deceive us regarding prophetic matters (typically, Mark 13:5,6; 2 Thessalonians 2:3.)

Here is why we cannot agree to disagree on premillennialism. 

1. To accept any other position than premillennialism is to reject the literal interpretation of the Word of God.  Reformed theology with all its varieties and shades of millennial positions is evidence of exactly what happens when men depart from a simple literal system of interpretation.

1. When we reject literalism in favor of any mix of allegorical interpretation Pandora’s box is opened and a flood of wild and fancy prophetic schemes inevitably follow.  The millennial cults of the 19th Century and the apocalyptic cults (such as the Weavers and Davidic Branch cults) are simple illustrations of this. 
2. When literalism is mixed with the leaven of allegory in prophecy it must, of necessity, leech into the other major doctrinal disciplines as well. Augustine, who reintroduced allegory back into the church intentionally limited it to eschatology. It flowed instantaneously into soteriology, ecclesiology, and all the other “ologies.”

2. To accept any other position than premillennialism is to inevitably corrupt the doctrine of the grace of Christ.  It is to sentence yourself and your children to unending doctrinal confusion.  That leads, of course, to no doctrinal stand at all.  Remember, there is no such thing as a partial Premillennialist! When one departs from this truth, he immediately blurs all distinctions between

• the church and Israel;
• salvation and discipleship;
• the church and the kingdom;
• the apostolic message and Paul’s message;
• law and grace.

What happens when we do this?  In varying cultures and at varying times we have reaped the horrific results of each of these departures. Perhaps, most sadly of all, is the bondage into which this system brings us, because once grace and law are mixed, in any percentage, grace is nullified and we begin to experience, in our lives the bondage and susceptibility to sin which the law imposes on us. Every single doctrinal system (bibliology, Christology, anthropology, hamartiology, ecclesiology, angelology, soteriology, and eschatology) is affected when premillennialism is abandoned.

3. The grace of God teaches us to look for and long for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. This is to be a daily, ongoing anticipation that produces hope and purity in our experience (Titus 2:11-13, 1 John 3:3). NO OTHER POSITION produces this vibrant, daily, living hope, though, of course, there are folks in these other systems who long for the return of Christ.

And how will a typical Reformed teacher disagree with the above? He will claim that theirs is the truly unified system; He will claim that they have the historical property rights to the issue, they will claim that premillennialism is a simplistic position, and at the same time, he will claim that it is inconsistent and convoluted. There are answers to each of those claims and they deserve answers, but one will notice an underlying theme in most of those arguments. Every effort will be made to shift the discussion from the actual scriptures themselves to philosophical, rational, and historical arguments.

If I might be allowed to make one note regarding my personal convictions (a rational, historical argument!). It is my own conclusion that amillennialism is simply a step toward liberalism (Follow Canada’s evangelical history as an example.) Further, it has historically led to anti-Semitism at worst and the disenfranchisement of Israel at best. Consider the views of the late D. James Kennedy and the Knox Theological Seminary for a simple starter*. The great lovers and defenders of God’s people Israel have always been premillennialists.

Why can’t we agree to disagree? Because premillennialism is at the foundation of all that we believe and hold dear.  It is a core belief, not a preference. The system of interpretation which brings it to us is the system that brings us the free gospel of the grace of Christ and insists that that gospel not be perverted from within or without. Simply stated, there are only two kinds of churches, those committed to a consistently literal hermeneutic and those who are at the whims of every scholarly pastor and teacher to whom they submit.

Prophecy is not a playground. The Lord did not say, “Do not fudge on any other doctrinal truth I have given you, but you are free to disagree on Bible prophecy!” Interestingly, 2/3 of His book is prophetic in nature and many of its strongest most shocking warnings are directed toward those who would play with prophetic truth. To agree to disagree on premillennialism is tantamount to throwing our hands up in the air, giving up all hope of truly understanding and defending the scriptures.


*Kennedy is an example of a wonderful, godly man who rejected literal interpretation.
https://www.pre-trib.org/articles/dr-mike-stallard/message/a-dispensational-response-to-the-knox-seminary-open-letter-to-evangelicals

Have the Scriptures become Marginalized (Neutralized)  in Your Church?

Are the Scriptures Being Marginalized in Your Church?

The Bible's influence becomes marginalized in stages. The colored columns (left to right) document the gradual shift in preaching, curriculum, and overall emphasis which occurs in our churches. Marginalization usually begins innocently with elective type classes offered on weekdays and Sundays. This can then translate into a broader shift ending with the diminution of sound biblical exposition in the Sunday services. We tend to succumb to the need to keep our teaching practical, dynamic, and on target with our listeners' perceived needs - intimating that sound Bible exposition falls short of those desired traits.

Note: Electives have a legitimate practical appeal and are not necessarily wrong, but they must never compete with a strong emphasis on sound biblical exposition. The reader may notice that this same shift occurs in the curriculum of our Bible colleges and seminaries.

Is your church in the green zone?

Are You Ready for the Rapture?

FelixMittermeier from Pixabay

Simplifying the Rapture Discussion in Five Steps

 
The Pretribulation Rapture is being uniformly scuttled in church doctrinal statements everywhere. One’s position on the rapture is now considered “optional” and is certainly not a thing to be debated, or required in church doctrinal statements. These folks are throwing out more than one baby with the bathwater!

Don’t be overwhelmed by the rhetoric! Once we grasp the major issues surrounding the rapture, it’s easy to locate the scriptures which reveal this precious truth!

Ignore the nonsense!

If one simply “Googles in” the rapture discussion he risks becoming overwhelmed by the volume of material on the subject. One daunting article, for example, lists 250 reasons for the rapture (the majority of which are good)! Most articles, however, are highly charged, emotional arguments against this precious truth. Don’t be intimidated when you encounter these kinds of approaches:

1. The word rapture does not even occur in the Bible. To be raptured simply means to be “caught up.” While the English word does not appear in the Bible, the Greek word and idea certainly does and we get the doctrine from that very word “harpazo,” exactly as it is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Many wonderful doctrines don’t have English representations in our Bible. For example, the words trinity and millennium are not there. This argument is a ploy to distract folks from the biblical truth.

2. Historical arguments don’t work either. Supposedly, Darby (a founding father of Dispensationalism) listened to the fanciful vision of an 18 year old girl, and thus invented this doctrine. This attack is favored by the Church of Christ folks who never tire of repeating it. In reality, we don’t really care who did or did not have a vision. We do not care whether Darby did nor did not give an audience to this girl. One fact, remains, the rapture is clearly taught and easily recognized in the Bible and no one assumes it is true based on someone’s vision. If there is anything that would scare a true Dispensationalist off, it is the idea that his doctrine is based on anything other than the literal interpretation of God’s Word!

3. There are also fabricated arguments. Adventists favor this “straw man” tack. They consistently misrepresent what we mean and teach by the rapture. They insist that we teach a “secret rapture,” and then list a bunch of verses declaring that the Lord’s appearance will be visible by all. There is nothing secret about the rapture and Adventists know that rapture teachers do not embrace this silliness. Yet they persist. This is an openly deceitful ploy, and it rightfully challenges the
integrity of Adventism in other areas as well.

4. Then there are emotional arguments. The most significant is that folks cannot imagine Christ receiving an impure church unto Himself. She must go through the fires of the tribulation in order to purify her metaphorical robes, as it were. Such folks might as well teach purgatory. What about all the impure Christians who are already dead? And since when is the blood of Christ not sufficient to purify us? (Ephesians 5:25-27) Will the tribulation accomplish what the blood of Christ cannot? The raptured believer will face the Bema seat, but he will do so in a spotless robe! More to the point, the issue is not whether an argument satisfies us emotionally. If it is Bible truth it is Bible truth whether we like it or not. The Bible does not teach such purgative nonsense no matter how reasonable it seems to some.

Focus on the KEY passages.

Before we too become overwhelmed by all the nonsense, consider taking the time to read a few simple passages from the Word of God. Read them in their entirety. Read them in their simplicity. They are easily understood. John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20-21.

1. John 14 explains the purpose of the rapture. Christ will personally return and bring us unto Himself and to His Father’s house. The whole purpose is so He can take us unto Himself. This is what makes the rapture so sweet!

2. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 explains the physical necessity for the rapture. This event was a
mystery. The resurrection was not a mystery (Job 19:26).The mystery was that Christians would be changed. Both dead and living believers will exchange their mortal remains and bodies for their resurrection bodies.

3. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 explains the mechanics of the rapture. We are not to be ignorant of these details. Those who are now with Christ will be brought with Him. We who are alive at the time will not precede them in this event. Their bodies will rise first, and we will join them as we are caught up (raptured) together in the clouds. Again, notice the purpose, so that we may “ever be with the Lord!” The Bible’s word for the coming of the Lord is the Greek word parousia which stresses His presence (the fact that He is coming physically) and we will enjoy that presence forever! Chapter 5 then continues on with the Day of the Lord which will follow.

4. Philippians 3:20 and 21 explains the timing of the rapture. We are to be looking (waiting with
full expectation) for this grand event during which our vile bodies will be transfigured and we
will go to the land of our citizenship! We will expand on this in the next step.

Put imminence in your arsenal!

The rapture is imminent and can happen at any time. The second coming of Christ cannot happen until specific prophetic events (Daniel’s seventieth week, for example) have occurred. Many view the rapture verses we have cited as relating to the second coming of Christ. They miss the simple doctrine of imminence.

1. We are waiting for the coming of Christ (1 Cor. 1:7, 8).

2. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10 the Thessalonians were saved in order to wait for the return of Christ from heaven in order to be delivered from the “wrath to come.” This appearance out of heaven is clearly the rapture mentioned in 4:13-18 and it precedes the wrath to come mentioned in 5:3-9. For a very thorough treatment of these verses, see http://www.pre-trib org/data/pdf/Brindle-BiblicalEvidenceforth.pdf.

3. Notice 1 Corinthians 1:7 where even the Corinthian believers were eagerly “awaiting” the coming of Christ. Yet the same Paul, who commended the Corinthians for this, would never have done so if he knew all of Daniel’s 70th week had to occur first.

4. In Titus 2:11-13, it is grace which teaches us to be looking for the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of Christ.

5. 1 John 3:2,3 tells us that this hope for the return of Christ promotes self-purification.
Obviously, Bible teachers have delved far more deeply into these verses than space allows here, but
they remain good starting points for teaching the fact that our Lord could return at any moment!
This precludes the idea that Christ could return in the middle of the Day of the Lord or at the
end. In those cases, we would be watching for the Day of the Lord.

6. Paul does explain the conditions which will usher in the antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Because he did this some say he assumed the Thessalonian believers were expected to watch for those conditions. On the contrary, Paul was simply explaining that the Day of the Lord had not yet come because those conditions had, obviously, not been met. Paul was protecting the Thessalonians from the idea that the rapture had come, he was assuring them that they would not be overtaken by this future day which will come as a thief in the night. You and I who see these conditions on the horizon are wise to have our spiritual houses in order. We are not foolish enough to predict when the rapture will occur, but neither are we ignorant how world events are rushing toward the end times.

Separate the two comings of Christ.

Christ does not come for His saints and return with His saints at the same time. These are separate events.

1. The fact that Christ would come with His saints is seen throughout both the Old and New Testaments (Dan. 7:13-14; Mat. 24:27-30; 1 Cor. 15:51-52).

2. The fact that Christ would first come for His saints was a mystery (1 Cor. 15:51). When Christ returns the second time, the signs preceding the event will be clearly seen, He will personally and physically return in great power and judgment, and all the earth will tremble at His coming. (Mat. 25:31, Rev. 19:11-16 and 15-21, Mat. 24:30, Acts 1:11, Rev. 1:7)

Separate God’s plan for the church from Israel.

1. The Lord Jesus Christ has an intricate plan for the world which He will ultimately complete in and through Israel. Scores of scripture passages in both the Old and New Testaments argue this point, and Romans 9, 10, and 11 give us a brief overview of this plan, past, present, and future.

2. The church age which occurs between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week (See Daniel 9:24-27) was not
prophesied. Not only does the Bible clearly state that this age was a mystery, but it also states that Christ will work out His mission to reach the Gentile nations through His body, the church. That is, unlike ages past and future, the church in this age fulfills the unique role of being the body through which He carries out His work (Colossians 1:24-28). When Jesus Christ personally executes the events of the Day of the Lord as outlined in Revelation 4 and 5, the work of the church will have consummated. In fact, the four and twenty elders will have already been judged (as evidenced by their victors’ crowns in Revelation 4:4). They will personally witness the work of Christ in the judgment of the entire world, the protection and salvation of a remnant of Jews throughout that tribulation period, and the ultimate salvation of all Israel. Israel, not the church is once again in focus. There is not as much as a hint that the church, the body of Christ through whom He ministered in His physical absence, will have any part in these events. This article includes a brief summary of the discussion, designed especially to assure new believers who are being “tossed about with every wind of doctrine.” Students who are struggling with particular aspects of this discussion are invited to send us a note. We will happily connect them with the best resources we know of to help them along in their study of God’s Word. Are you ready for the rapture?

Don’t waste a minute!

The Bible Versus Western Cosmology

The Bible and Western Cosmology

Don’t be intimidated by the strange sounding title. When we speak of cosmology we are discussing the study of the origin and development of the universe. Although this article is a little more difficult than most, we hope you’ll take the time go get a handle on this all important subject.

Our Cosmological First Principle

While we could begin our study of biblical cosmology in most any book of the Bible, Paul addresses a fundamental point in Romans 8:21-22:

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Pay particular attention to the words we have underlined. Our entire creation is in a state of “together change” moving forward as in the travail of a mother in delivery toward the coming Day of the Lord. The term “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8 and Mark 13:8) are also unique terms which refer to the birth pangs associated with delivery. 

When the Bible speaks of the creation, both directly and metaphorically, it makes it clear that sin has actually permeated the creation itself. Bildad commented that even the moon and the stars are not pure in God’s sight (Job 25:5). A close study of the doctrine of the Kinsman Redeemer will reveal that this whole creation is under the curse, and will one day be judged (Revelation 4-19). While God will never again destroy the earth by water, it will certainly be destroyed. Peter announces that this destruction will be at the elemental level. The elements (or first building blocks) of the entire creation will melt or be dissolved with a fervent heat: 2 Peter 3:10-13:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Some Bible teachers believe that “new means new” and that God will annihilate the old creation and provide us with an entirely new, unrelated creation. Others, like myself, are called by the unseemly title “renovationists.” In a word, we see the new creation as going through the redemptive process and experiencing its own resurrection (so to speak) from the seeds of its destruction, just as Paul described that we ourselves in our own physical redemption, will be resurrected from a seed of our bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42ff). We believe that, just as sin infected the whole creation, so God’s redemption will restore it after its abysmal destruction. 

We hope you do not toss and turn, losing a night’s sleep over this issue. We see through a glass darkly. But, of this, all parties in the discussion should be very sure, this creation, just like our bodies, is waiting for the grand adoption! (Romans 8:21-22)

When looking at this passage and 2 Peter 3 we realize another very important point, concerning which we cannot be so tolerant. We must permanently do away with the pervasive idea that there is a constant of any kind in the creation. Only God is constant. 

The World’s Cosmological First Principle: Uniformitarianism

In an effort to free Greece from the existential despair into which it had plunged the ancient philosophers sought to rebuild their epistemology (system of knowing) by embracing a single basic assumption or first principle. They declared that somewhere, at some level, there was a constant in the creation and that from that constant we could build all of our disciplines of learning. Our entire western scientific mindset is based on this uniformitarian premise, and to this day, we are chasing the ever elusive “god particle” in the effort to locate that constant.

What, in actuality, has science experienced? It has discovered that the entire universe, both organic and inorganic, is in varying degrees of change at all times. Only God is unchanging. The processes the Lord Jesus Christ uses to carry the universe forward are often consistent and predictable, but they are not, by any means etched in stone. Jesus Christ is upholding (carrying forward as in a birth) all things, both physical and spiritual. (Hebrews 1:3). 

Science, so called, has fabricated the theory of evolution in order to accommodate this otherwise inexplicable change. In one fell swoop, it observes changes in living things and, pronounces that they are all driven through natural selection, a mystical force that drives all species forward. 

Scientific postulations in the world of inorganic evolution are even more preposterous. For example, no generation has been subjected to more fantasy than this generation which endures the pontifications of theoretical astrophysicists! Remember, pure scientists are empirical. They are secular materialists. Take the time to look these terms up if you need to. The first pages of every modern science textbook include a commitment to gospel of uniformitarianism - the principle of constancy intrinsic to the creation. Without it, there can be no science as we know it.

Rome’s Later Adoption of Uniformitarianism.

The seeds of western philosophy/science were initially obscured as a result of the spread of the gospel. As a result of its rapid growth many came into “the church” out of philosophical and “scientific” backgrounds. As might be expected over time, their views and the initial views of a once biblical church conflicted.

As the gap between secular and religious thought widened, an extremely brilliant and prolific theologian named Thomas Aquinas entered the scene in the thirteenth century. Though we see some evidence of this thinking in Origin, Aquinas' school of thought (Thomisian theology) would change the Catholic church forever. Aquinas argued that because God is unchanging, His creation must, of necessity, be unchanging. In a word, his love for the great philosophers prompted him to reintroduce the notion of a constant in the creation. 

As a result of the impact of Aquinas a series of new notions came into play. The Roman Catholic church, from this point forward, would include multiple authorities (rather than the Bible only) into their teaching. Aquinas’ conclusion necessitated this. Philosophy and science (natural revelation) were placed on an even plane with the Word of God. 

It does not take a Bible student long to figure out that these conflicting sources of “revelation” would lead to inevitable confusion. How then, would Rome resolve these issues? It would determine its path by means of the Magisterium, the combined input of the pope, his faithful bishops, scholars, and even the holy wisdom of the full body of Catholics. 

Our Last Days Warning

What does the Bible say? Peter warned us that coming last day false prophets would deny the biblical promise of the destruction of the creation by using this very argument - that the universe itself is unchanging (or eternal.) 2 Peter 3:3-4:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 

Peter, of course continues with a magnificent argument, reminding false teachers that God has already proven that He has interrupted the processes of nature and that these liars are willingly ignorant of the evidence God has left behind, specifically, the universal flood. Further, God will most certainly destroy the entire creation in the Day of the Lord.

How can intelligent, and well meaning people, buy such silly nonsense that natural selection can account for the so called forward movement of “evolution”? How can they swallow their constantly self-contradictory dating notions? How can they tolerate the foolish astrophysical schemes which multiply almost weekly? It all goes back to a first principle gone awry. God alone is eternal and unchanging. Their minds are in bondage or imprisoned by their first principle, so they discard anything which does not fit as error.

There simply is no constant in the universe. Your constant, your first principle, is the unchanging God revealed in the unchanging person of Jesus Christ!

Acts 17:31: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. * Victor McAllister, at Godsriddle.org has stated it succinctly:  Paul warned in Colossians 2:8 of several things that can take us prisoner (Greek sulagogeo). Watch out for philosophy, empty deceit, the teaching of men and the rudimentary principles of the orderly system (stoicheia tou kosmou). Stoicheia are elementary principles that serve as a foundation for a structured way of thinking. People can be enslaved by their passions, their religions and their way of thinking. Our minds can also be imprisoned by the elementary assumptions of philosophy. The world’s First Principle:  There is an eternal constant in the creation. Image: Courtesy of Godsriddle.org * Victor McAllister is a Changing Earth Creationist (not to be confused with either New Earth or Old Earth Creationists.  He is a master in biblical cosmology who focus heavily on building a biblical interpretive grid in astro-physics.  He is a true pioneer in this discipline and has been building an articulate cosmology based on the Bible’s first principles. Those who visit his web site and blogs will be astounded by his claims. While the reader may not agree with everything Victor has to say, be assured, his material is biblically sound and well worth reading.

Romance is in the Air! Pope Francis's Visit

BRACING OURSELVES FOR A WAVE OF ROMAN MYSTIQUE! 

Puppy Love

Our new mom took on the task of raising five children after the loss of our birth mother.   Her relatives and friends became ours, including a slightly older little girl with just the right mix of freckles, hair and beautiful eyes to turn any eight year old boy’s head. I do believe I would have married that girl on the spot had it not been for the unwritten law against liking girls that all  card carrying eight year old boys must follow, along with a few other State laws.  Oh yes, and there was one problem even greater.  Our new step mom, who had an unholy fear that one of her charges would marry a Catholic ,was not going to let it happen on her watch.

I have not forgotten the passioned admonitions concerning Catholic beauties which my twin and I endured as we grew up. My mother took no prisoners.  She said we would find that they were the most beautiful, the best of friends and companions, and that they would share many of our family values. They were the good girls and the fun girls.  She also reminded us that, should we cave, we would face the prospect of raising our children as Catholics, a promise all good Catholic girls require from their suitors.  In her perception, good Catholic girls had a mystique,(a mystery or charm that does not correspond to truth) and frankly, from my young perspective, she was right. 

Whether mom was right or wrong, the fact is Rome itself does have a mystique which defies reason.  Americans are about to witness that papal aura first hand.  Millions will usher in an affable leader whose presence will be loved by most and felt by all.  In spite of a church which has been ridden by scandal both moral and fiduciary, a Vatican famous for its intrigue, and a political stance which is clearly pro Muslim and anti Israel, Rome will exude a beckoning persona which will mesmerize millions in the bask in her glow.

New Couple in the Neighborhood

Along with her followers, Rome will gladly parade with an entourage of evangelical leaders who will have a stronger crush on her than any eight year old boy encountering his first beauty.  They will openly confess their love and would, in truth, marry Rome, if their evangelical pacts and laws would allow.

Those walls which once separated Rome and evangelicalism are being systematically dismantled.  The rules are changing at a fundamental level.  This is no mere dalliance.  The scent of matrimony pervades the air. Though this forbidden love is still somewhat secret, like all true loves, it will not be repressed. 

Where They Met

The fundamental change has taken place with respect to the one underlying issue which has keep the Protestant boy and the Catholic girl apart for so long. We refer to the erosion of the doctrine of justification by faith.

No good Catholic will deny the term “justification by faith”, and no good non Catholic believer will deny it either.  The problem is that we use the same term to reflect opposite views. A Bible believing non Catholic believes that we are saved by grace through faith alone in the finished work of Christ. He takes Ephesians 2:8-10 very seriously: 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The non Catholic believer knows that he was justified once and for all when he came to Christ.  In fact, he points out that every Bible passage on justification speaks  of it as a one time, once and for all event. Romans 5:1:

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Those words being justified are in the aorist tense. This requires that we read it “Therefore having been justified...”

By definition, justification is the legal (forensic) act of God whereby He declares us to be righteous. Period. End of story.  God reckons righteousness to our account when we appropriate by faith what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.

By definition: Infused (or imparted) righteousness is a non biblical term which suggests that God continues to impart a transient righteousness to us on an ongoing basis, based upon our obedience. Thus, it is works based.

It is important for the Bible believer to understand that there is no such thing as infused or imparted righteousness that flows from this legal imputation of our righteousness into our being. We strive daily to be found in the practical outworking of the righteousness which is in Christ, but this, in no way, relates to our justification before God.  It is the work of the Holy Spirit who molds us in the image of the indwelling Christ. We share the righteousness of Christ practically as a result of our placement in Christ’s body. Again, this practical righteousness does not result directly from imputation. It is the result of the indwelling Christ.

Rome believes that justification began in the past and is ongoing. Justification is past, ongoing, and will consummate in the future. Try to wrap your thinking around this: Rome sees both legal and practical righteousness as being infused on an ongoing basis.  Men must continually avail themselves of the sacrifice of Christ sacramentally in order to perpetuate their ongoing legal and practical states of salvation.  In other words, in Romish math, Salvation = Grace + Works. Biblical non Catholics say Salvation = Grace alone through Faith in Christ alone. In other words, there is no math. The Catholic argues (enigmatically) that meritorious works could not justify us initially, but meritorious, or faith-works, justify us now and perpetuate our salvation.  So says Rome^1..

Meet the Matchmakers

The New Protestant Evangelicals. Evangelicals are now mashing the biblical doctrine of once for all imputation with the Catholic (Augustinian) doctrine of  ongoing  infusion and impartation. Protestant Evangelicals are actually using Rome’s logic and rhetoric! These evangelicals are not denying justification by faith, they are corrupting it through slow re-definition. 

John Piper has argued that we diminish the imputation of Christ’s righteousness when we do not see its practical outworking. In other words, what Bible believers say is forensic only, Piper says, must also be practical. The Bible says that we derive practical righteousness from indwelling Christ through the indwelling Spirit. Piper argues otherwise (as must all who would consistently argue the perseverance of the saints.). Those who do not hold Piper’s view are said to “diminish the doctrine of justification by faith!” 

And, do we really care?  Of course we do, because this plays out in our lives.  For example, this does great damage to the doctrine of assurance. Consider harm this has done to John Piper, a sincere man of God. In the context of this discussion he has stated “...why I sin against my wife the same at age sixty-two that I did at age forty-two causes me to sometimes doubt my salvation.”  Maybe, its vice versa.  Maybe his lack of assurance, brought about by his faulty doctrine of infusion is hindering the work of grace in his heart.  In any case, the idea that imputed righteousness necessitates infused righteousness is what drives the Reformed doctrine of perseverance and robs believers of being absolutely and completely sure of their relationship to Christ. Our security in Christ comes from our imputed righteousness alone, never from our practical experience (thank God!). Our awareness of that security can be clouded, but our security is impregnable.

Piper is not alone. The new theory which seeks to mash forensic and practical justification is emerging in evangelical circles. Philip Congdon (my go to source for the quotes in this article) points out the more current work of Paul Rainbow and Richard Gaffin². These men are teaching that there is an “initial justification” and a “final justification” which depends on “works of grace.”  The only remaining difference between this Reformed view and the Catholic view is the issue over priestly sacraments!  Both views are works based.

Once we mash the concepts of justification and “faith works” we have fallen under the siren song of Rome.  Both the doctrines of Lordship Salvation and Perseverance of the saints confuse legal justification with practical righteousness.

John MacArthur, another Reformed teacher has played right into the hands of Rome in his book Faith Works where he declares “Meritorious works  have nothing to do with faith, but faith works have everything to do with it.”    Works are works. If we are to believe MacArthur there are two kinds of works, meritorious works and faith works.  No serious Catholic theologian would  disagree with him.  This is what Rome has been saying all along. Lest the reader think we are putting words into John MacArthur’s mouth consider this quotation from his book Hard to Believe:

“Salvation isn’t the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ...The life we live...determines our eternal destiny².

Dear reader. Believing God for your salvation is a far higher and nobler event than a mere intellectual exercise. And a life lived in obedience and service to Christ will not move you one inch closer to heaven!

Its OK to Break the Engagement!

May God save us from anyone, inside or outside the ranks of biblical Christianity, friend or foe, who would diminish the glorious doctrine of justification by faith by soiling  our own wedding dress with any kind of works - call them meritorious or faith works.  Dear friend, by definition, a mystique is a fascinating aura of mystery. Do not be lured or deceived by the siren song of Rome.  Rest assured in the finished work of Christ, and rest completely!  

Hebrews 4:10-11:

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

^1.Other issues arise, after this, of course, as Rome claims to own the priesthood which administers the sacrifice of Christ, but the core issue is that justification is not a once for all event in Catholic thinking.  

^2. The direct quotations in this paper from Piper, Rainbow, and Gaffin and John MacArthur are all sourced and documented from the same paper by Philip F. Conglon from New Braunfels Bible Church, in John Piper’s Diminished Doctrine of Justification and Assurance is published by the Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society and is available from numerous sources on the Internet. 

The Thin Yellow Line - Thoughts about how we speak to others about Christ

                        The Thin Yellow Line                 

The thin yellow line... Consider this a rumble strip!

Thoughts about how we speak to others about Christ

In an age when men sense no need of a Savior and find Christ irrelevant it is important, more than ever, that we restore the knowledge of God and His holiness in our preaching. It is both good and appropriate to use the laws of God in our evangelistic effort to show men their need of Christ. Man centered evangelistic witnessing which produces no brokenness over sin inevitably produces stony ground believers who are not truly believers at all. Our self absorbed generation needs to hear of God’s wrath in unmistakable tones (Romans 1:18, John 3:36). It makes no sense to announce that the grace of God has appeared unto all men unless we have already declared that the wrath of God is upon all (Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:6).  Nor are we merely speaking of God’s present state of mind.  There is a day coming when His fearful wrath will be felt by all Christ deniers (Read Revelation 15 and 16).  

There is a line however, which, when crossing, places us in more danger than crossing the thin yellow ribbon on a two lane road.  However narrow that line may seem to be, relative to the width of the whole lane, it is a line between life and death. It places a stumbling block ahead of the gospel and in doing so, perverts the pure and simple message of the gospel by obscuring it with requirements the Bible does not teach. 

When we tell men that they must sell all in order to purchase the field of salvation, or that they must deny themselves daily in order to be a believer, or that they must agonize in order to be saved, we have twisted and perverted the scriptures and the teachings of Christ in a most egregious way.  We have gone beyond using the law as a tool to expose our sin and made obedience to the law a means for securing saving grace. (We have sacramentalized the law much in the same way Roman Catholics use the elements of the Lord’s table as means of saving grace.) The doctrine of the grace of God may slay a man before giving him resurrection life, but the pure gospel makes no demands on a man who is dead in his sins other than to recognize his lost and sinful condition. It is ironic that many of the same teachers who would tell us a man who is dead in sin cannot respond to the gospel are the same ones who require that same man to go through great soul exercises before “coming to faith”! Such a soul needs simply to look unto Christ and live (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9,10)!  The grace which teaches us to fear is the grace which relieves that fear through the finished work of Christ. 

Using the law to convince men of sin is biblical. Mixing elements of the law in a formula for salvation is as sinful and perverse as having men sign on the proverbial dotted line in order to be saved. When repentance requires an unspecified level of soul searching and agony, when accepting Christ as Lord requires some pre-salvation exercise wherein we scrutinize every area of our lives making sure we have left no unsurrendered stone unturned, we have poisoned the fountain of grace and taken upon ourselves the anathema of Galatians 1:3-9.

Our MNCL Ministry is growing!

MY NEW COVENANT LIFE 

HAS EXPANDED!

Thanks to God's goodness and your ongoing encouragement, our MNCL ministry has expanded! MY NEW COVENANT LIFE About this Study Series PHASE I In the 2014 Fall Semester, the first installment of the My New Covenant Life series was introduced.  It consists of a very personal (though challenging) study of the New Covenant.  We received numerous expressions of gratitude as the Lord used this material to help open the eyes of serious Bible lovers to the plan and program of God and the rich biblical dynamics which drive God's program in our time...                                                                       Learn more... MY NEW COVENANT LIFE About the Group Bible Study PHASE II Now ready for the 2015 Fall Semester, the  My New Covenant Life Serieshas expanded into a full blown Bible study, ideally suited for interactive, small group Bible studies.  The MNCL series follows what we call the Breadcrumbs Teaching Format, a dynamic, self teaching, system which leads the Bible student naturally, helping the Bible student discover Bible truths for himself.                                                                     Learn more... MY NEW COVENANT LIFE About the Online Bible Class PHASE III Now scheduling for the 2015 Fall Semester, the  My New Covenant Lifeseries has expanded into an online Bible class as well.  Study with one of the MNCL author/teachers in a live, environment. Enjoy the luxury of interacting with questions, fellowshipping with fellow believers, and even sharing your burdens on occasions when the Lord leads you to do so.  There are no pre-requisites for this study - and NO COSTS!                                                                     Learn more...