Any thinking person should ask and answer this question: why do atheistic agnostic apostates maintain that their former faith was genuine? If their new-found truth is real, that there is no God, why should it matter what one believes? Why doesn’t the atheistic agnostic apostate just say, “My former faith wasn’t of the biblical saving type?”
There is one primary reason that this type of apostate will never concede the truth that he never had the belief that saves – he would knowingly establish the veracity of the Bible and its Author. This he could never do because it would prove his present worldview false and the Bible and its Author true.
Therefore, the apostate MUST maintain that his former faith was genuine or else the Bible is true. Specifically the Bible says concerning this type of apostate, “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). If he admits that his former faith wasn’t genuine he would now knowingly establish the truthfulness of the Bible.
So the apostate attempts to make people believe that there is nothing different from what he believed and what those who are genuinely saved believe. The reason is too obvious – if he admitted to not having believed then what reason would you trust his current belief? Therefore the apostate plays the “sincerity” card. He was sincere in believing and as such should have been just as much saved as anyone else. This means that his basis for salvation was his sincerity and not that God had actually shown him that these things are really true.
Now the apostate has double trouble. He wants you to believe that he was sincere when he claimed faith and love for Christ, faith and love for God’s Word, and faith and love for God. But now he admits that he was sincerely wrong then. How does he know that he isn’t sincerely wrong now? He doesn’t!
Be sure to get this – the apostate admits to being sincerely wrong about his former beliefs and wants you to believe him on his current beliefs because of his sincerity.
The apostate cannot and will not admit that his former faith was not of the biblical saving type because he would then establish the veracity of the Bible and its Author. The apostate can only claim that he was formerly sincerely wrong which means you have absolutely no basis for believing him now.
The apostate is unbelievable!
Showing posts with label apostates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apostates. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Unwittingly Establishing the Veracity of the Bible and its Author
This is a response to Ken Pulliam, Ph.D. over at Why I De-Converted from Evangelical Christianity about his unwittingly establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author in his post about Ken Daniels, A Former Missionary with Wycliffe Translators is now an Agnostic Atheist.
There are several problems in this post that are working against Ken Pulliam's truth claim rather than for it. Unwittingly he is establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author instead of nullifying it. Both his testimony and Ken Daniels’ testimony are perfectly and accurately described in the Bible.
Ken Daniels said, “If I could patch things up by forcing myself to believe again, I would do so in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I have tried that several times, only to be besieged again by doubt, and have come to the conclusion that attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.”
The Bible declares that no man can will himself to believe – “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13 NASB). This verse not only does away with Daniels’ false notion that a man can believe of his own accord but also does away with his false credentials that you have put forward as evidence that Daniels was once a true Christian.
Daniels is right in this conclusion – “attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.” And what is necessary to be a genuine Christian? The Bible says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NASB). The word confess, means to speak the same and be of one mind (same logic), which means that confession of Jesus as Lord is to say the same thing about Him that God says about Him because of illumination and not imitation. It’s the difference between a parrot saying that Jesus is Lord without understanding what it is saying and a person saying that Jesus is Lord with full understanding and logic so that the truth he is declaring is inline with what he believes in his heart.
The part of Romans 10:9 that says, “And believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead”, is the part that gives rise to the confession of Jesus as Lord. There is no confession of Jesus as Lord without the accompanying belief in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. The only alternatives are for one to say, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, or, “I sincerely know that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is false.”
For the person that says, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, there is no belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and therefore there is no confession (speaking the same thing and being of the same mind) of Jesus as Lord but only parroting Jesus as Lord. The person that does not confess Jesus as Lord and believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is not a genuine Christian. He or she may profess saving faith but does not possess saving faith.
One who professes faith but does not possess faith may be sincere in his belief that he is a true Christian and as such would classify himself a “sincere Christian” but would nonetheless not be a true Christian irregardless of his sincerity.
So the combined testimonies of Ken Daniels and Ken Pulliam are this: Ken Daniels, “Attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile”, and, Ken Pulliam, “You cannot force yourself to believe something that you sincerely know is false.”
Now if either one of you claims that your confession of Jesus as Lord was a result of believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, how did that belief in your heart come about? Did you will yourself to believe for a while against all sound reasoning? On what did you base your belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?
There are several problems in this post that are working against Ken Pulliam's truth claim rather than for it. Unwittingly he is establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author instead of nullifying it. Both his testimony and Ken Daniels’ testimony are perfectly and accurately described in the Bible.
Ken Daniels said, “If I could patch things up by forcing myself to believe again, I would do so in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I have tried that several times, only to be besieged again by doubt, and have come to the conclusion that attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.”
The Bible declares that no man can will himself to believe – “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13 NASB). This verse not only does away with Daniels’ false notion that a man can believe of his own accord but also does away with his false credentials that you have put forward as evidence that Daniels was once a true Christian.
Daniels is right in this conclusion – “attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.” And what is necessary to be a genuine Christian? The Bible says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NASB). The word confess, means to speak the same and be of one mind (same logic), which means that confession of Jesus as Lord is to say the same thing about Him that God says about Him because of illumination and not imitation. It’s the difference between a parrot saying that Jesus is Lord without understanding what it is saying and a person saying that Jesus is Lord with full understanding and logic so that the truth he is declaring is inline with what he believes in his heart.
The part of Romans 10:9 that says, “And believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead”, is the part that gives rise to the confession of Jesus as Lord. There is no confession of Jesus as Lord without the accompanying belief in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. The only alternatives are for one to say, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, or, “I sincerely know that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is false.”
For the person that says, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, there is no belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and therefore there is no confession (speaking the same thing and being of the same mind) of Jesus as Lord but only parroting Jesus as Lord. The person that does not confess Jesus as Lord and believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is not a genuine Christian. He or she may profess saving faith but does not possess saving faith.
One who professes faith but does not possess faith may be sincere in his belief that he is a true Christian and as such would classify himself a “sincere Christian” but would nonetheless not be a true Christian irregardless of his sincerity.
So the combined testimonies of Ken Daniels and Ken Pulliam are this: Ken Daniels, “Attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile”, and, Ken Pulliam, “You cannot force yourself to believe something that you sincerely know is false.”
Now if either one of you claims that your confession of Jesus as Lord was a result of believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, how did that belief in your heart come about? Did you will yourself to believe for a while against all sound reasoning? On what did you base your belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?
Friday, February 5, 2010
Excluded Living (Romans 8:5-8)
In this section Paul contrasts the differences between the saved and the unsaved – between those who experience exempted and exalted living and those who are excluded to that way of life because they are trying to live it in their own power. So it is here that Paul speaks of the differences between the Spirit-led life and the self-led life; humble dependence verses prideful independence; Lordship verses non-Lordship; and trusting verses trying.
This is of utmost importance because the Bible speaks clearly and completely about the truth of multitudes perishing who thought they were saved (Matthew 7; 24; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-2).
Because of the reality of the danger of being deceived we are told to make sure that we are saved – “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you…” (2 Peter 1:10). We are told to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith – “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith: examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). And we are told how to test ourselves (1 John and Romans 8:5-17).
So in this section (Romans 8:5-17) Paul contrasts and compares the differences between the saved and the unsaved primarily to show how those who are saved will live an exalted and sanctified life in the Spirit and how those who are not saved will live an excluded and unsanctified life in the flesh. We can divide this section into three categories: (1) those who are in the flesh (8:5-8), (2) those who have the Spirit (8:9-11), and (3) those whom the Spirit has (8:12-17).
For now our primary concern will be with those who are in the flesh according to Romans 8:5-8. Here we see three characteristics of those who are in the flesh:
Those who are in the flesh mind the things of the flesh (Romans 8:5). What does it mean to mind the things of the flesh? Before we answer that question let me tell you what it does not mean. Minding the things of the flesh does not mean that a person is not religious; it does not mean that a person does not go to church; it does not mean that a person does not read the Bible; and it does not mean that a person does not have a profession of faith. A person can do all those things and still be someone who minds the things of the flesh. A person can do all those things and still be lost – the Bible even tells us that many preachers and teachers of God’s Word mind the things of the flesh instead of things of the Spirit and that they are false and lost.
So what does it mean to mind the things of the flesh? As simply as I can state it, minding the things of the flesh means to live by the flesh rather than by faith. It means to be self-controlled or self-led rather than Spirit-controlled or Spirit-led. It means to be governed by worldly principles rather than by principles of the Word. We are actually given many examples of this in the Bible.
In Jude 11 we read about Cain, Balaam, and Korah – all given as examples of men who operated by the flesh and not by faith.
Cain rebelled against God’s way of justification by approaching God on his own terms and not on God’s terms. Cain departed from the Word of God and offered God something other than what God prescribed. Cain operated in the flesh and not in faith – he minded the things of the flesh. Cain wanted to do it his own way and not God’s way. And we read that by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous… (Hebrews 11:4). We also read that Cain was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous (1 John 3:12).
Balaam rebelled against God’s way of sanctification by encouraging the people of God to compromise their purity, holiness, and separation through committing acts of immorality both spiritually and physically. Balaam caused the people of God to be defiled with the world by teaching them to be friends with the world and to love the world. Balaam operated in the flesh and not in faith – he minded the things of the flesh. Balaam wanted to do it his own way and not God’s way and he taught the people of God to do it the same way. Balaam’s motive was fame and fortune and not the well-being of God’s people or the glory of God.
Korah rebelled against God’s way of glorification by exalting himself over God’s appointed leaders. Korah deceived himself with his works by gathering 250 men of renown and assembling themselves against Moses and Aaron for the purpose of self-exaltation. Rather than by faith trusting God to exalt him in due time, Korah took matters into his own hands and operated in the flesh. Korah operated in the flesh and not in faith – he minded the things of the flesh. Korah wanted to do it his own way and not God’s way!
In Jude 16 we read about these people who mind the flesh – “These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts [desires]; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.” Now let me ask you, where do you see any living by faith in the person who is taking matters into his own hands to bring about what he desires? This is minding the flesh and not living by faith. Is this person saved?
Jude 17-19 says, “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly minded, devoid of the Spirit.” Being worldly minded is to mind the things of the flesh; to be devoid of the Spirit; and to not live by faith.
So we ought to be able to see that those who are in the flesh and mind the things of the flesh are worldly minded rather than Word minded. They operate in the realm of man’s best thinking (philosophy) rather than God’s revealed truth (theology). This is what makes the false preachers and teachers so dangerous and so successful. To the worldly minded man the worldly minded teaching of the false prophets sounds like truth.
The Bible tells us that these false prophets are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5). But it also tells us that the true prophets are from God; he who knows God listens to them; he who does not know God does not listen to them. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4:6).
False prophets and their followers mind the things of the flesh and are worldly minded. What does it mean to mind the things of the flesh? It means to be self-controlled or self-led.
So I pray that you get the picture that those who are in the flesh and mind the things of the flesh do not live by faith and end up violating the Word of God. The requirement of the Law is not fulfilled in them.
Those who are in the flesh are dead to the things of God and are still at war with God (Romans 8:6-7). We saw what it means to mind the things of the flesh, but what does it mean that the mind set on the flesh is death? First it means that the mind set on the flesh is a mind that is in rebellion against God. The root of death is sin or rebellion against God. The mind set on the flesh is death because it is an independent spirit. It has a suicidal love affair with independence and self-determination. The mind set on the flesh is worldly minded and devoid of the life giving Spirit of God. No matter how loudly it proclaims to honor and serve God it is anti-God and anti-Christ and it does not and cannot subject itself to the Law of God.
For another thing it means that those who are in the flesh and set their minds on the things of the flesh are dead to the things of God. We will look to 1 Corinthians 2:3-14 to establish this truth.
Those whose minds are set on the flesh have a type of faith but not biblical saving faith. The mind set on the flesh rests on the wisdom of men rather than the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:3-5). The mind set on the flesh is dead to the things of God and alive to philosophy and worldly wisdom.
The mind set on the flesh does not understand the wisdom of God nor the ways of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). God’s wisdom is hidden from the unsaved and it is foolishness to those who are perishing. The unsaved look at the ways of God and in essence say, “God wouldn’t do that; God doesn’t work that way; or that will never work.” It is impossible for the unsaved to operate by faith according to God’s wisdom because they are dead to the things of God.
The mind set on the flesh does not accept or receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised or understood (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, the unsaved, those who set there minds on the things of the flesh cannot and will not live by faith. This truth leads to the second truth that is stated in Romans 8:7 – “Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so.”
So those who are in the flesh are dead to the things of God and are still enemies of God – they are hostile toward God. This means that they have not been justified and that they do not have peace with God. They are still in their stubborn independence and self-determination – even as they attempt to do what they think to be the will of God.
No man can do the will of God in the flesh. Our text says that it is impossible. The only way to do the will of God is by faith through the indwelling Spirit. This is why Jesus said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This brings us back to the truth that Christianity is trusting not trying. We can’t obey God in the flesh – He never said we could – He actually said we couldn’t. We can only obey God by faith – trusting Him with all our hearts and leaning not on our own understanding. We must remember this truth – we can’t, He never said we could; He can, and He always said He would.
So clearly we can see that those who are in the flesh are dead to the things of God and are still at war with God – they have not been justified.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). This truth is more than obvious. Since those who are in the flesh are still in their rebellion and suicidal love affair with independence and self-determination – they cannot please God. All that this type of person can do is sin against God while claiming to obey God. This means that they are not being sanctified no matter how religious or how good their works seem to be when judged according to appearance.
A person can give his life going around trying to bring about world peace or cure world diseases or fight world hunger or diminish world poverty and still not please God. All of this can be done in the flesh and can be a result of the heresy of works righteousness which will eternally damn the soul.
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Romans 8:8 says that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. It is of utmost importance that Christians learn the differences between flesh and faith because much of what is being called Christianity in our day is nothing short of deeds of the flesh counterfeiting and posing as faith.
This is of utmost importance because the Bible speaks clearly and completely about the truth of multitudes perishing who thought they were saved (Matthew 7; 24; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-2).
Because of the reality of the danger of being deceived we are told to make sure that we are saved – “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you…” (2 Peter 1:10). We are told to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith – “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith: examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). And we are told how to test ourselves (1 John and Romans 8:5-17).
So in this section (Romans 8:5-17) Paul contrasts and compares the differences between the saved and the unsaved primarily to show how those who are saved will live an exalted and sanctified life in the Spirit and how those who are not saved will live an excluded and unsanctified life in the flesh. We can divide this section into three categories: (1) those who are in the flesh (8:5-8), (2) those who have the Spirit (8:9-11), and (3) those whom the Spirit has (8:12-17).
For now our primary concern will be with those who are in the flesh according to Romans 8:5-8. Here we see three characteristics of those who are in the flesh:
Those who are in the flesh mind the things of the flesh (Romans 8:5). What does it mean to mind the things of the flesh? Before we answer that question let me tell you what it does not mean. Minding the things of the flesh does not mean that a person is not religious; it does not mean that a person does not go to church; it does not mean that a person does not read the Bible; and it does not mean that a person does not have a profession of faith. A person can do all those things and still be someone who minds the things of the flesh. A person can do all those things and still be lost – the Bible even tells us that many preachers and teachers of God’s Word mind the things of the flesh instead of things of the Spirit and that they are false and lost.
So what does it mean to mind the things of the flesh? As simply as I can state it, minding the things of the flesh means to live by the flesh rather than by faith. It means to be self-controlled or self-led rather than Spirit-controlled or Spirit-led. It means to be governed by worldly principles rather than by principles of the Word. We are actually given many examples of this in the Bible.
In Jude 11 we read about Cain, Balaam, and Korah – all given as examples of men who operated by the flesh and not by faith.
Cain rebelled against God’s way of justification by approaching God on his own terms and not on God’s terms. Cain departed from the Word of God and offered God something other than what God prescribed. Cain operated in the flesh and not in faith – he minded the things of the flesh. Cain wanted to do it his own way and not God’s way. And we read that by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous… (Hebrews 11:4). We also read that Cain was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous (1 John 3:12).
Balaam rebelled against God’s way of sanctification by encouraging the people of God to compromise their purity, holiness, and separation through committing acts of immorality both spiritually and physically. Balaam caused the people of God to be defiled with the world by teaching them to be friends with the world and to love the world. Balaam operated in the flesh and not in faith – he minded the things of the flesh. Balaam wanted to do it his own way and not God’s way and he taught the people of God to do it the same way. Balaam’s motive was fame and fortune and not the well-being of God’s people or the glory of God.
Korah rebelled against God’s way of glorification by exalting himself over God’s appointed leaders. Korah deceived himself with his works by gathering 250 men of renown and assembling themselves against Moses and Aaron for the purpose of self-exaltation. Rather than by faith trusting God to exalt him in due time, Korah took matters into his own hands and operated in the flesh. Korah operated in the flesh and not in faith – he minded the things of the flesh. Korah wanted to do it his own way and not God’s way!
In Jude 16 we read about these people who mind the flesh – “These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts [desires]; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.” Now let me ask you, where do you see any living by faith in the person who is taking matters into his own hands to bring about what he desires? This is minding the flesh and not living by faith. Is this person saved?
Jude 17-19 says, “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly minded, devoid of the Spirit.” Being worldly minded is to mind the things of the flesh; to be devoid of the Spirit; and to not live by faith.
So we ought to be able to see that those who are in the flesh and mind the things of the flesh are worldly minded rather than Word minded. They operate in the realm of man’s best thinking (philosophy) rather than God’s revealed truth (theology). This is what makes the false preachers and teachers so dangerous and so successful. To the worldly minded man the worldly minded teaching of the false prophets sounds like truth.
The Bible tells us that these false prophets are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5). But it also tells us that the true prophets are from God; he who knows God listens to them; he who does not know God does not listen to them. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4:6).
False prophets and their followers mind the things of the flesh and are worldly minded. What does it mean to mind the things of the flesh? It means to be self-controlled or self-led.
So I pray that you get the picture that those who are in the flesh and mind the things of the flesh do not live by faith and end up violating the Word of God. The requirement of the Law is not fulfilled in them.
Those who are in the flesh are dead to the things of God and are still at war with God (Romans 8:6-7). We saw what it means to mind the things of the flesh, but what does it mean that the mind set on the flesh is death? First it means that the mind set on the flesh is a mind that is in rebellion against God. The root of death is sin or rebellion against God. The mind set on the flesh is death because it is an independent spirit. It has a suicidal love affair with independence and self-determination. The mind set on the flesh is worldly minded and devoid of the life giving Spirit of God. No matter how loudly it proclaims to honor and serve God it is anti-God and anti-Christ and it does not and cannot subject itself to the Law of God.
For another thing it means that those who are in the flesh and set their minds on the things of the flesh are dead to the things of God. We will look to 1 Corinthians 2:3-14 to establish this truth.
Those whose minds are set on the flesh have a type of faith but not biblical saving faith. The mind set on the flesh rests on the wisdom of men rather than the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:3-5). The mind set on the flesh is dead to the things of God and alive to philosophy and worldly wisdom.
The mind set on the flesh does not understand the wisdom of God nor the ways of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). God’s wisdom is hidden from the unsaved and it is foolishness to those who are perishing. The unsaved look at the ways of God and in essence say, “God wouldn’t do that; God doesn’t work that way; or that will never work.” It is impossible for the unsaved to operate by faith according to God’s wisdom because they are dead to the things of God.
The mind set on the flesh does not accept or receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised or understood (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, the unsaved, those who set there minds on the things of the flesh cannot and will not live by faith. This truth leads to the second truth that is stated in Romans 8:7 – “Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so.”
So those who are in the flesh are dead to the things of God and are still enemies of God – they are hostile toward God. This means that they have not been justified and that they do not have peace with God. They are still in their stubborn independence and self-determination – even as they attempt to do what they think to be the will of God.
No man can do the will of God in the flesh. Our text says that it is impossible. The only way to do the will of God is by faith through the indwelling Spirit. This is why Jesus said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This brings us back to the truth that Christianity is trusting not trying. We can’t obey God in the flesh – He never said we could – He actually said we couldn’t. We can only obey God by faith – trusting Him with all our hearts and leaning not on our own understanding. We must remember this truth – we can’t, He never said we could; He can, and He always said He would.
So clearly we can see that those who are in the flesh are dead to the things of God and are still at war with God – they have not been justified.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). This truth is more than obvious. Since those who are in the flesh are still in their rebellion and suicidal love affair with independence and self-determination – they cannot please God. All that this type of person can do is sin against God while claiming to obey God. This means that they are not being sanctified no matter how religious or how good their works seem to be when judged according to appearance.
A person can give his life going around trying to bring about world peace or cure world diseases or fight world hunger or diminish world poverty and still not please God. All of this can be done in the flesh and can be a result of the heresy of works righteousness which will eternally damn the soul.
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Romans 8:8 says that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. It is of utmost importance that Christians learn the differences between flesh and faith because much of what is being called Christianity in our day is nothing short of deeds of the flesh counterfeiting and posing as faith.
Monday, January 26, 2009
How to Keep from Stumbling...Build Your Christian Life
In Jude 17-25, Jude gave four instructions to follow if we would stand firm, not stumble, and resist the apostates: (1) Believe God’s Word (17-19), (2) Build our Christian life (20-21), (3) Battle for backsliders (22-23), and (4) Behold the Lord (24-25).
If we are to keep from stumbling in this age of apostasy then we must remember that the Lord warned us through His apostles, remembering what the apostles said (17) - that in the last days, mockers would come who would deny and depart from the word of God (18), and remembering why the apostles said it – because the apostates want to divide and deceive the church (19). We must believe the Word of God if we are to keep from stumbling.
Not only are we to believe God’s Word if we are to keep from stumbling, we must also build our Christian lives (20-21). With forces at work to tear us down and destroy us we must always be at work repairing and building up. Each Christian must be involved in building up his own spiritual life and also that of the local assembly. In these two verses we are given how to build our Christian lives so that we can keep from stumbling.
Study and know God’s Word (20a) – the foundation for our Christian life is our “most holy faith,” which is the same as “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). It is the body of truth that has been delivered to the saints which gives us faith in Jesus Christ, instructs us in righteousness, equips us for service, guards us from deceivers and nourishes our spiritual life. “Building yourselves up on your most holy faith” isn’t talking about some totally subjective, mystical, flesh powered ability to believe more but is talking about your faith being built up from the objective revelation of truth as found in God’s Word – faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. So if we are to build ourselves up on our most holy faith then we are to study and know God’s Word.
The Word of God is central in spiritual growth. There are no strong fruitful Christians who ignore the Bible and who ignore sound preaching of the Bible. People who don’t know the Bible cannot operate in faith and cannot be built up in the faith. They become prime candidates for deception and destruction. It is through God’s Word that we grow in respect to salvation and in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints – after all – God isn’t going to force feed us! We need to study and know God’s Word.
Pray in the Holy Spirit (20b) – the material for building the Christian life comes from studying God’s Word; the power for building the Christian life comes from proper prayer – praying in the Holy Spirit. The Word of God and prayer go together in spiritual growth. We read the Word to grow in faith, then we use that faith to ask God for what we need and for what His Word tells us we can have.
We are told that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14-15). This is what it means to pray in the Holy Spirit - that our prayers are in line with God’s will because our prayers have been born out of the Word of God and therefore our prayers are prayers of faith. So then, praying in the Holy Spirit is to pray according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit leads in line with the Word of God. The opposite of praying in faith or praying in the Holy Spirit is praying in the flesh. Someone who isn’t in God’s Word and doesn’t really know God’s word is going to pray in the flesh if they pray at all. And we are told that praying in the flesh goes unanswered – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3).
Also as Christians we may pray in solitude but we never pray alone; the Spirit of God joins with us and helps us as we pray in faith because He knows the mind of God and can direct us. When the believer is studying the Word and is yielded to the Holy Spirit, then the Spirit will assist him in his prayer life, and God will answer his prayers. One of the things the Spirit will prompt you to pray for as you study God’s Word is discernment. You will realize that you don’t have the ability in and of yourself to know who is true and who is false and so you will pray for God to reveal that to you. This is what the Lord was talking about in Matthew 7:7-8 – praying for discernment.
To build our Christian lives we must study and know the Word of God and pray in the Holy Spirit. But we must also keep ourselves in the love of God (21a). This entails obedience. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…” (John 15:10). Put another way, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments"(John 14:15). Jude tells us that we are being kept for Jesus Christ (1) and that Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling (24) but he also tells us that we are to keep ourselves in the word of God and keep ourselves in the love of God. Christians are to be marked by knowing and obeying God’s Word. Apostates are marked by departing from and disobeying God’s Word. Christians obey God because they love God – “But whoever keeps His Word, in Him the love of God has truly been perfected” (1 John 2:5). It is the obedient Christian who keeps himself in the love of God.
To build our Christian lives we must study and know the Word of God, pray in the Holy Spirit and obey. But we must also wait with hope (21b). The believer’s eyes must be looking for Jesus to come. We must be living for and longing for His glorious appearing. This will give us motivation to live righteously and sensibly in this present age.
“Waiting anxiously” means “earnestly expecting.” It describes an attitude of life that is motivated by the promise of the Lord’s return. On that day the apostates will receive judgment but God’s people will receive mercy and deliverance and eternal life.
If we are to keep from stumbling in this age of apostasy then we must remember that the Lord warned us through His apostles, remembering what the apostles said (17) - that in the last days, mockers would come who would deny and depart from the word of God (18), and remembering why the apostles said it – because the apostates want to divide and deceive the church (19). We must believe the Word of God if we are to keep from stumbling.
Not only are we to believe God’s Word if we are to keep from stumbling, we must also build our Christian lives (20-21). With forces at work to tear us down and destroy us we must always be at work repairing and building up. Each Christian must be involved in building up his own spiritual life and also that of the local assembly. In these two verses we are given how to build our Christian lives so that we can keep from stumbling.
Study and know God’s Word (20a) – the foundation for our Christian life is our “most holy faith,” which is the same as “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). It is the body of truth that has been delivered to the saints which gives us faith in Jesus Christ, instructs us in righteousness, equips us for service, guards us from deceivers and nourishes our spiritual life. “Building yourselves up on your most holy faith” isn’t talking about some totally subjective, mystical, flesh powered ability to believe more but is talking about your faith being built up from the objective revelation of truth as found in God’s Word – faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. So if we are to build ourselves up on our most holy faith then we are to study and know God’s Word.
The Word of God is central in spiritual growth. There are no strong fruitful Christians who ignore the Bible and who ignore sound preaching of the Bible. People who don’t know the Bible cannot operate in faith and cannot be built up in the faith. They become prime candidates for deception and destruction. It is through God’s Word that we grow in respect to salvation and in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints – after all – God isn’t going to force feed us! We need to study and know God’s Word.
Pray in the Holy Spirit (20b) – the material for building the Christian life comes from studying God’s Word; the power for building the Christian life comes from proper prayer – praying in the Holy Spirit. The Word of God and prayer go together in spiritual growth. We read the Word to grow in faith, then we use that faith to ask God for what we need and for what His Word tells us we can have.
We are told that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14-15). This is what it means to pray in the Holy Spirit - that our prayers are in line with God’s will because our prayers have been born out of the Word of God and therefore our prayers are prayers of faith. So then, praying in the Holy Spirit is to pray according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit leads in line with the Word of God. The opposite of praying in faith or praying in the Holy Spirit is praying in the flesh. Someone who isn’t in God’s Word and doesn’t really know God’s word is going to pray in the flesh if they pray at all. And we are told that praying in the flesh goes unanswered – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3).
Also as Christians we may pray in solitude but we never pray alone; the Spirit of God joins with us and helps us as we pray in faith because He knows the mind of God and can direct us. When the believer is studying the Word and is yielded to the Holy Spirit, then the Spirit will assist him in his prayer life, and God will answer his prayers. One of the things the Spirit will prompt you to pray for as you study God’s Word is discernment. You will realize that you don’t have the ability in and of yourself to know who is true and who is false and so you will pray for God to reveal that to you. This is what the Lord was talking about in Matthew 7:7-8 – praying for discernment.
To build our Christian lives we must study and know the Word of God and pray in the Holy Spirit. But we must also keep ourselves in the love of God (21a). This entails obedience. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…” (John 15:10). Put another way, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments"(John 14:15). Jude tells us that we are being kept for Jesus Christ (1) and that Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling (24) but he also tells us that we are to keep ourselves in the word of God and keep ourselves in the love of God. Christians are to be marked by knowing and obeying God’s Word. Apostates are marked by departing from and disobeying God’s Word. Christians obey God because they love God – “But whoever keeps His Word, in Him the love of God has truly been perfected” (1 John 2:5). It is the obedient Christian who keeps himself in the love of God.
To build our Christian lives we must study and know the Word of God, pray in the Holy Spirit and obey. But we must also wait with hope (21b). The believer’s eyes must be looking for Jesus to come. We must be living for and longing for His glorious appearing. This will give us motivation to live righteously and sensibly in this present age.
“Waiting anxiously” means “earnestly expecting.” It describes an attitude of life that is motivated by the promise of the Lord’s return. On that day the apostates will receive judgment but God’s people will receive mercy and deliverance and eternal life.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Indeed, has God said that Jesus Christ is the only way?
Just before the end of 2008, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released a report indicating that a significant percentage of American evangelicals reject the biblical claim that Jesus is the only way of salvation. According to the report, 52% of American Christians believe that "at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life."
Surprisingly, 37% of those specifically identified as evangelical Christians agreed, rejecting the claim that Jesus is the only Savior and identifying at least some non-Christian religion or religions as leading to eternal life (source).And no wonder, when popular, powerful, and highly influential so-called evangelical leaders distort and doubt the truth of God's Word themselves, will not those who trust them and believe them believe the same errors that they preach?
When Billy Graham denies that Jesus Christ is the only way or Rick Warren claims that religious pluralism is the answer to the world's problems, will not many begin to believe the lie of the devil and doubt the Word of God? "Indeed, has God said?" is still one of the devil's primary methods of deceiving and his ministers who disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness are more than happy to perpetuate his sinister inquiry.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Contemporary Relevance of God's Word
Many in our day believe that the Bible, God's Word, has to be "made" relevant to today's cultures and societies. However, in the attempt to "make" God's Word relevant the final outcome is twisted Scripture, twisted meaning, and therefore twisted application. The great news is that God's ministers only need to be faithful in accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) and it will be relevant because it is the eternal contemporary (1 Peter 1:23-25).
One example of just exactly what I am talking about is clearly seen in this blog which I read this morning and this blog which I posted last week which defines the characteristics of the heretic and apostate Ralph Waldo Emerson of the 19th century and still has perfect and piercing application to the heretics and apostates of the 21st century.
I'll give a few quotes from both blogs in order to show this wonderful truth about the accuracy and reliability of God's Word.
One example of just exactly what I am talking about is clearly seen in this blog which I read this morning and this blog which I posted last week which defines the characteristics of the heretic and apostate Ralph Waldo Emerson of the 19th century and still has perfect and piercing application to the heretics and apostates of the 21st century.
I'll give a few quotes from both blogs in order to show this wonderful truth about the accuracy and reliability of God's Word.
More to the point, Emerson had ignited an intellectual explosion the year
before, when he was asked to deliver the annual lecture to the Phi Beta Kappa
Society at Harvard. That address, "The American Scholar," was widely understood
to represent a declaration of independence for American intellectuals. No longer
should American thinkers be slavishly dependent upon European patterns, Emerson
declared. This was the time for the emergence of the American Scholar, a new and
advanced form of the human thinker; a scholar who would "plant himself
indomitably on his instincts" and refuse to be "timid, imitative, tame." A year later, Emerson rose to deliver his address to the Divinity School. Speaking to
young men studying for the ministry, Emerson repudiated Christianity and called
the young ministers to trust their own spiritual instincts and to free
themselves from the Bible, from belief in a divine Christ, and from any remnant of orthodox Christianity (source, emphasis mine).A fifth characteristic of these people is that they are instinctive in
their actions – “…and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning
animals…” (10b). These people are not motivated by the Word of God (inspiration) but by their instincts for accomplishing their agenda. These people operate by the flesh and not by faith. Their way seems right but it ends in death. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. They think that they are promoting themselves and that God is pleased with them forgetting that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. God is never pleased when people attempt to do His will their way. It is a dangerous thing to operate by instinct rather
than inspiration. These people are instinctive in their actions (source, emphasis mine).Do you see the relevance of God's Word without having to "make" it relevant?
Monday, November 10, 2008
These People - Woe to Them!
God’s Word is truth and it must be because He is truth and He only speaks truth. Therefore what God has to say on any subject is true and we are not left to ourselves to determine what is and what is not true. Since it is the Word of God which is the standard of measure for determining truth we must go to it and hold every truth claim up against God’s Word to see whether or not it really is true. God’s Word is our only trustworthy standard of judgment. Not only does God’s Word tell us the truth of who God is but it also tells us the truth of who we are and whether or not we have become His children or are still His enemies. It is the Word of God alone that tells us who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil.
Since the Word of God is truth it gives an accurate portrait or portrayal of those whom it describes. Therefore God’s Word serves as a mirror or even x-ray which accurately reflects or reveals the inner character traits of each person. I like the way that Warren Wiersbe put it, “God’s Word doesn’t show me my baldness but my badness.” It is possible for men to appear on the outside to be all pious and pure but on the inside to be full of dead men’s bones. It is possible for men to appear on the outside to be all righteous but on the inside to be all rotten.
In Jude verse four, Jude introduces us to some very dangerous people who may appear to be all righteous on the outside but are completely rotten on the inside. In verse four Jude tells us that these dangerous apostates are insidious (stealthy, treacherous, or deceitful) in their activity – “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
In verses five through seven Jude gave three biblical and historical examples of the certainty of God’s judgment on apostates. In verses eight through nineteen Jude gave a portrait of apostates which accurately reflects and reveals their inner character traits. In these twelve verses (8-19) Jude referred to the apostates of verse four as “these men” or “these” six times.
Let us consider from the Word of God the portrait of “these people” and the reasons for their woe.
To begin with Jude says of these certain persons in verse four that they are insidious in their activity. They are stealthy, treacherous and deceitful. These people are a great danger to the church of God and His truth that they are to proclaim and uphold. They are workers of iniquity twisting the meaning of God’s Word and God’s grace. And now in verses 8-10 Jude begins to give the full portrait of these people who are insidious in their activity.
The first characteristic that Jude gives is that these people are insatiable in their ambition – “Yet in the same way, these men, also by dreaming…” (8a). These persons are not content with their lot; they are not satisfied with their positions until they achieve their dreams. They believe that they are the answer to the problems of God’s church and that if God would turn them loose they could show everyone how church is supposed to be done. These people live in a dream-world of unreality and delusion. They overestimate their own importance and are not satisfied when others don’t recognize their abilities and their supposed rights to be in some position of leadership.
Jude put it this way in verse 16 – “These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts….” “Grumblers” is “murmurers” and it is one who discontentedly complains against God. It refers, not to a loud, outspoken dissatisfaction, but an undertone muttering. “Finding fault” here means “blamers of their lot, complaining of one’s position, discontented with their position.” We will talk more about this when we get to the apostates’ engagement in the rebellion of Korah. “Following after their own lusts” shows us that these people are dreamers who do not abide in or by the Word of God. They have a vision for the church that includes them in positions of prominence but that vision is not based on God’s divine revelation as found in His Word. These people are insatiable in their ambition.
The second characteristic of these people is they are insanitary in their audacity – “Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh…” (8b). Insanitary means unclean or likely to cause disease. Audacity means boldness or daring, especially with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety. These people have an unholy boldness. They have the nerve to disobey God’s divine revelation and act as though God doesn’t mind. They believe that their agenda is God’s agenda and that their happiness is God’s concern. They live to satisfy their lusts both for their positions of leadership and their personal happiness. Peter in 2 Peter 2:10 said that they are “daring, self-willed.” They have the boldness to turn God’s grace into licentiousness and say things that are an outright denial of the will, way, and Word of God. For instance, Ray Boltz, who divorced his wife a couple of years ago and is now an out of the closet homosexual said, “This is what it really comes down to, if this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.” Isn’t that daring and self-willed and an outright denial of the will, way and Word of God? These people have an unholy boldness and are insanitary in their audacity.
The third characteristic of these people is that they are insubordinate to authority – “…and reject authority…” (8c). Doesn’t it make sense that if a person is insatiable in his ambition and insanitary in his audacity that he will be insubordinate to authority? The dissatisfied, scheming, daring, and self-willed person isn’t for a minute going to subject himself to the law of God. “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8). Apostates recoil against the boundaries that would keep them in their God appointed place. These people don’t want to be under authority – they want to do things their way and not God’s way. When you see a person who despises and rejects authority, especially in the church, you are looking at an apostate. When someone is in a position of leadership in the church and will not be subject to God’s ordained and called leadership with his or her ministry, you can mark it down, he or she is rebellious and despises and rejects authority. If you have the attitude that I don’t need and don’t desire the oversight of the preacher and the church leaders in my ministry then you fit the portrait of “these people” who are apostates headed for destruction. Let me ask some questions: who structured the government and function of the church? Who designed the church to be led by scripturally qualified men? Who calls those men to that responsibility? The answer is the Lord! Now let me ask another question: if someone rejects and despises that leadership, who are they rejecting and despising? The answer is the Lord! These people are insubordinate to authority.
A fourth characteristic of these people is that they are insolent in their arrogance – “…and revile angelic majesties” (8d). Insolent means boldly rude or disrespectful. Again look at the logical sequence in their downhill plunge to destruction – the person who is insatiable in his ambition, insanitary in his audacity, and insubordinate to authority, will be insolent in his arrogance. Here the example of the archangel Michael disputing with the devil is given as to how those who belong to God are not insolent in arrogance (9). “But these men revile the things which they do not understand…” (10a). These men revile God’s ministers. This is what Korah and his bunch did to Moses in the book of Numbers. They rejected the authority that God gave Moses and accused him of taking that authority to himself and lording it over the people. Arrogant speech is a dangerous thing and so is despising that authority that God has established. Look out when you see someone who is arrogantly rebuking the devil or arrogantly disrespecting the authority that God has established. These people are insolent in their arrogance.
A fifth characteristic of these people is that they are instinctive in their actions – “…and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals…” (10b). These people are not motivated by the Word of God (inspiration) but by their instincts for accomplishing their agenda. These people operate by the flesh and not by faith. Their way seems right but it ends in death. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. They think that they are promoting themselves and that God is pleased with them forgetting that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. God is never pleased when people attempt to do His will their way. It is a dangerous thing to operate by instinct rather than inspiration. These people are instinctive in their actions.
A sixth and final characteristic of these people in these verses is that they are insensible to their apostasy – “…by these things they are destroyed” (10c). It should be obvious to anyone who is marked by the first five characteristics of these people that they are in grave danger and that they are apostates and children of the devil. But not these people – you can show this to them as clear as day from God’s Word and they will be insensible to their apostasy. They will not be able to feel or fear the danger that they are in. These people are insensible to their apostasy. And no wonder – look at verse four.
Since the Word of God is truth it gives an accurate portrait or portrayal of those whom it describes. Therefore God’s Word serves as a mirror or even x-ray which accurately reflects or reveals the inner character traits of each person. I like the way that Warren Wiersbe put it, “God’s Word doesn’t show me my baldness but my badness.” It is possible for men to appear on the outside to be all pious and pure but on the inside to be full of dead men’s bones. It is possible for men to appear on the outside to be all righteous but on the inside to be all rotten.
In Jude verse four, Jude introduces us to some very dangerous people who may appear to be all righteous on the outside but are completely rotten on the inside. In verse four Jude tells us that these dangerous apostates are insidious (stealthy, treacherous, or deceitful) in their activity – “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
In verses five through seven Jude gave three biblical and historical examples of the certainty of God’s judgment on apostates. In verses eight through nineteen Jude gave a portrait of apostates which accurately reflects and reveals their inner character traits. In these twelve verses (8-19) Jude referred to the apostates of verse four as “these men” or “these” six times.
Let us consider from the Word of God the portrait of “these people” and the reasons for their woe.
To begin with Jude says of these certain persons in verse four that they are insidious in their activity. They are stealthy, treacherous and deceitful. These people are a great danger to the church of God and His truth that they are to proclaim and uphold. They are workers of iniquity twisting the meaning of God’s Word and God’s grace. And now in verses 8-10 Jude begins to give the full portrait of these people who are insidious in their activity.
The first characteristic that Jude gives is that these people are insatiable in their ambition – “Yet in the same way, these men, also by dreaming…” (8a). These persons are not content with their lot; they are not satisfied with their positions until they achieve their dreams. They believe that they are the answer to the problems of God’s church and that if God would turn them loose they could show everyone how church is supposed to be done. These people live in a dream-world of unreality and delusion. They overestimate their own importance and are not satisfied when others don’t recognize their abilities and their supposed rights to be in some position of leadership.
Jude put it this way in verse 16 – “These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts….” “Grumblers” is “murmurers” and it is one who discontentedly complains against God. It refers, not to a loud, outspoken dissatisfaction, but an undertone muttering. “Finding fault” here means “blamers of their lot, complaining of one’s position, discontented with their position.” We will talk more about this when we get to the apostates’ engagement in the rebellion of Korah. “Following after their own lusts” shows us that these people are dreamers who do not abide in or by the Word of God. They have a vision for the church that includes them in positions of prominence but that vision is not based on God’s divine revelation as found in His Word. These people are insatiable in their ambition.
The second characteristic of these people is they are insanitary in their audacity – “Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh…” (8b). Insanitary means unclean or likely to cause disease. Audacity means boldness or daring, especially with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety. These people have an unholy boldness. They have the nerve to disobey God’s divine revelation and act as though God doesn’t mind. They believe that their agenda is God’s agenda and that their happiness is God’s concern. They live to satisfy their lusts both for their positions of leadership and their personal happiness. Peter in 2 Peter 2:10 said that they are “daring, self-willed.” They have the boldness to turn God’s grace into licentiousness and say things that are an outright denial of the will, way, and Word of God. For instance, Ray Boltz, who divorced his wife a couple of years ago and is now an out of the closet homosexual said, “This is what it really comes down to, if this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.” Isn’t that daring and self-willed and an outright denial of the will, way and Word of God? These people have an unholy boldness and are insanitary in their audacity.
The third characteristic of these people is that they are insubordinate to authority – “…and reject authority…” (8c). Doesn’t it make sense that if a person is insatiable in his ambition and insanitary in his audacity that he will be insubordinate to authority? The dissatisfied, scheming, daring, and self-willed person isn’t for a minute going to subject himself to the law of God. “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8). Apostates recoil against the boundaries that would keep them in their God appointed place. These people don’t want to be under authority – they want to do things their way and not God’s way. When you see a person who despises and rejects authority, especially in the church, you are looking at an apostate. When someone is in a position of leadership in the church and will not be subject to God’s ordained and called leadership with his or her ministry, you can mark it down, he or she is rebellious and despises and rejects authority. If you have the attitude that I don’t need and don’t desire the oversight of the preacher and the church leaders in my ministry then you fit the portrait of “these people” who are apostates headed for destruction. Let me ask some questions: who structured the government and function of the church? Who designed the church to be led by scripturally qualified men? Who calls those men to that responsibility? The answer is the Lord! Now let me ask another question: if someone rejects and despises that leadership, who are they rejecting and despising? The answer is the Lord! These people are insubordinate to authority.
A fourth characteristic of these people is that they are insolent in their arrogance – “…and revile angelic majesties” (8d). Insolent means boldly rude or disrespectful. Again look at the logical sequence in their downhill plunge to destruction – the person who is insatiable in his ambition, insanitary in his audacity, and insubordinate to authority, will be insolent in his arrogance. Here the example of the archangel Michael disputing with the devil is given as to how those who belong to God are not insolent in arrogance (9). “But these men revile the things which they do not understand…” (10a). These men revile God’s ministers. This is what Korah and his bunch did to Moses in the book of Numbers. They rejected the authority that God gave Moses and accused him of taking that authority to himself and lording it over the people. Arrogant speech is a dangerous thing and so is despising that authority that God has established. Look out when you see someone who is arrogantly rebuking the devil or arrogantly disrespecting the authority that God has established. These people are insolent in their arrogance.
A fifth characteristic of these people is that they are instinctive in their actions – “…and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals…” (10b). These people are not motivated by the Word of God (inspiration) but by their instincts for accomplishing their agenda. These people operate by the flesh and not by faith. Their way seems right but it ends in death. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. They think that they are promoting themselves and that God is pleased with them forgetting that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. God is never pleased when people attempt to do His will their way. It is a dangerous thing to operate by instinct rather than inspiration. These people are instinctive in their actions.
A sixth and final characteristic of these people in these verses is that they are insensible to their apostasy – “…by these things they are destroyed” (10c). It should be obvious to anyone who is marked by the first five characteristics of these people that they are in grave danger and that they are apostates and children of the devil. But not these people – you can show this to them as clear as day from God’s Word and they will be insensible to their apostasy. They will not be able to feel or fear the danger that they are in. These people are insensible to their apostasy. And no wonder – look at verse four.
Monday, October 27, 2008
A Call to Arms...Jude 3-4: About the Aim
So far in our studies of the letter of Jude we have learned about the author – that Jude was saved; that he was a servant; and that Jude was serious (1a). We have also learned about the audience and their unique position as believers, who had been effectually called into the kingdom of God through the gospel; who were the special objects of the love of God the Father as the beloved; and who were kept or preserved for Jesus Christ (1b).
Today we learn about the aim of Jude’s letter (3-4) – that it is a call to arms; a rally cry for those who are kept for Jesus Christ to keep or guard the truth of the Word of God which has been entrusted to the saints. This is a reminder to the saints that we are in a war for truth, a battle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness, and that we are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ the Captain of the army. The Christian life is a battleground and not a playground and we are not volunteers but we have been chosen and enlisted by the Lord Himself.
Here we see three aspects of Jude the soldier of Christ: (1) Jude’s important desire, (2) Jude’s impelling necessity, and (3) Jude’s imperative reason.
Jude’s important desire (3a) – “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation….” Jude had set out to write an encouraging letter about the common salvation of the saints. This is a very important theme and is a noble and important desire for pastors to teach their people about the glorious truths of their positions as saints. After all, what we do and how we live should be determined by who we are in relationship to our position. Therefore the truth about our position as saints should serve as a motivator for us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.
Doctrine determines duty or to put it another way belief determines behavior. This is why the apostle Paul began his letter to the Ephesians with the doctrine of who we are in Christ before he ever gave our duties as believers in Christ. A careful reading of Ephesians tells us both who we are and how we should conduct ourselves – and it is interesting that even in the book of Ephesians that our calling and blessings in salvation are to result in our victorious stand in the battle for truth.
While it is an important and necessary desire to teach the saints about our common salvation so that they can walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, it is also important for them to be reminded that based on their position that they are to war in a manner worthy of the gospel. As a pastor I would much rather encourage the saints than to declare war on apostates but the two must go hand in hand.
Jude’s impelling necessity (3b) – “…I felt the necessity to write you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” Jude had no more than began to write his encouraging letter that he intended to be a discussion on the blessings and benefits of our common salvation that he was compelled or compressed into going another direction. The Spirit of God changed Jude’s mind and laid on him the necessity to write about the battle against the forces of evil which were rapidly gaining a foothold in the church. Jude was impelled by the Holy Spirit and the circumstances of apostates infiltrating the church to the extent that it was necessary for him to sound the trumpet.
What was it that the Holy Spirit impelled Jude to write to the saints? Jude was impelled to write an exhortation or an appeal. In the Greek language, the word for exhort or appeal was used to describe a general giving orders to the army. In other words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jude called on the saints to engage in the battle for truth and especially as it pertains to the body of truth, the faith, which was once for all handed down to the saints. The saints have been given the responsibility from the Lord to guard and fight for the faith. The apostle Paul spoke of guarding or fighting for the faith many times in his letters to Timothy. Guarding the doctrine and keeping the gospel pure against the strange doctrines of the apostates and false teachers is a primary responsibility of pastors but it is also a primary responsibility of every Christian. The church is supposed to be the pillar and support of the truth and the only way to accomplish this is to guard the truth and battle for the truth.
We are told that we are to earnestly contend for the faith. Earnestly contend comes from a word from which we get our English word “agonize.” The word speaks of a vigorous intense, determined struggle to defeat the opposition. In other words we are to strain with every fiber of our being in this battle to maintain the purity of the faith without letting it be spoiled or corrupted by apostates and their strange doctrines. We are to exert ourselves to the point of agony in an effort to win the battle for truth. Jude tells us that it is with such intense effort that the saints should defend the doctrines of Christianity.
The exhortation was to earnestly contend for the faith. The faith here is not faith as exercised by the individual, but the body of truth pertaining to Christianity in its historic doctrines and life-giving salvation. In other words we are not seeking some new revelation but to be true to the historic doctrines of God which was once for all delivered to the saints. It is our responsibility to seek the ancient paths and to be sure that what we believe and are preaching, and teaching is in line with the Word of God. God is keeping us and we are to keep or guard the truth of the Word of God.
All the cults and false religions and I should also add apostate religions have abandoned the truth of God’s Word and are not keeping or guarding it but corrupting it with destructive heresies. They come up with new revelations and new interpretations although God’s Word plainly says that the body of truth has been once for all handed down to the saints. God has said what He needed to say and there isn’t going to be any further revelation. Muhammad was a liar, Joseph Smith was liar, and all who claim to have divine revelations of heaven or hell or anything else is a liar. If we want a divine revelation I suggest we read God’s divine revelation – His Word. God’s Word is not only His divinely inspired revelation of truth; it is totally sufficient in all areas of rule and practice. We do not need to look to the psychologists, anthropologists, or sociologists to see how we are to do church or grow the church – we only need to look to the Word of God and the historic truths of Christian doctrine.
Jude’s imperative reason (4) – “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude now gets to the reason that we must earnestly contend for the faith – the stealth of the enemy whose desire is to dilute, distort, and defile the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Notice how Jude characterized these apostates – “for certain persons have crept in unnoticed.” They use stealth. They enter alongside by stealth and deceit. They slip in secretly. They have the ability to go undetected by the radar. In other words they claim to be Christian and claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t misinterpret this passage. The way these people deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ is not through an outright denial but by turning His grace into licentiousness. They could not have crept in unnoticed with an outright denial of the Lord. They actually claim to be His servants and claim to speak His word. They disguise themselves as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). It is the responsibility of the church leaders to guard the flock (Acts 20:28-31) and the responsibility of the saints to be alert.
Jude also characterized these apostates as marked out for condemnation – “those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation.” The word of “marked out” is prographo and it means to write beforehand. God’s word tells beforehand the nature of the apostates and their coming judgment. Before it ever happened, God’s word told of the activity of the apostates who would sneak in and corrupt the meaning and application of God’s word thereby incurring a just and rightful condemnation for such ungodly activity. There is no excuse for apostates who twist God’s word because He has already said beforehand that they would and that He would judge and condemn them.
Another characterization that Jude gave of the apostates is that they are ungodly – “ungodly persons.” Ungodly is one of Jude’s key words in this letter. He used it six times in these twenty five verses. Ungodly means destitute of reverential awe toward God. This means that these people have no fear of God and that they reject His authority. Apostates will have nothing to do with the Lord as absolute ruler but would rather think of Him as their buddy who is interested in their happiness and not their holiness. Apostates want Jesus Christ as Savior but not as Lord. They want Him as a means to be used for their health, wealth, and prosperity but not as the ruler of their lives. They are ungodly!
The apostates are also transposers – “who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” By turning the grace of God into licentiousness, the apostates replace one thing with another. In this case they put licentiousness in the place of the grace of God. This is a redefinition of biblical grace into that which is not biblical and not intended. Licentiousness is nothing short of anarchy by giving the right to do whatever one pleases as though God’s grace allows such activity. Turning the grace of God into licentiousness turns the grace of God into a license to sin rather than a motivator to live righteously (Titus 2:11-12). Therefore, turning the grace of God into licentiousness becomes a denial of the rule and authority of the Lord in our lives. It becomes a denial of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Apostates “deny our only Master and Lord - “master” is from the word despot and means absolute master or ruler. The apostate views the Lordship of Jesus as a King with absolute or unlimited power as that which is oppressive. Therefore the apostate views the absolute rule of Jesus Christ as a type of tyrannical and oppressive rule. So the apostate recoils against salvation as an issue of Lordship and rejects the Lord’s authority choosing instead to replace God’s grace which gives us the power to live righteously under the Lordship of Jesus with licentiousness which is nothing short of anarchy.
So these persons are ungodly and without reverential awe of God and deny His absolute authority by turning His grace into licentiousness. Apostates claim to know Jesus Christ but they have not and will not receive Him as the King of God’s kingdom. Apostates don’t teach the doctrine of the Lordship of Jesus but rather undermine it. Apostates want Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. We must guard against such destructive heresies!
Today we learn about the aim of Jude’s letter (3-4) – that it is a call to arms; a rally cry for those who are kept for Jesus Christ to keep or guard the truth of the Word of God which has been entrusted to the saints. This is a reminder to the saints that we are in a war for truth, a battle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness, and that we are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ the Captain of the army. The Christian life is a battleground and not a playground and we are not volunteers but we have been chosen and enlisted by the Lord Himself.
Here we see three aspects of Jude the soldier of Christ: (1) Jude’s important desire, (2) Jude’s impelling necessity, and (3) Jude’s imperative reason.
Jude’s important desire (3a) – “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation….” Jude had set out to write an encouraging letter about the common salvation of the saints. This is a very important theme and is a noble and important desire for pastors to teach their people about the glorious truths of their positions as saints. After all, what we do and how we live should be determined by who we are in relationship to our position. Therefore the truth about our position as saints should serve as a motivator for us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.
Doctrine determines duty or to put it another way belief determines behavior. This is why the apostle Paul began his letter to the Ephesians with the doctrine of who we are in Christ before he ever gave our duties as believers in Christ. A careful reading of Ephesians tells us both who we are and how we should conduct ourselves – and it is interesting that even in the book of Ephesians that our calling and blessings in salvation are to result in our victorious stand in the battle for truth.
While it is an important and necessary desire to teach the saints about our common salvation so that they can walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, it is also important for them to be reminded that based on their position that they are to war in a manner worthy of the gospel. As a pastor I would much rather encourage the saints than to declare war on apostates but the two must go hand in hand.
Jude’s impelling necessity (3b) – “…I felt the necessity to write you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” Jude had no more than began to write his encouraging letter that he intended to be a discussion on the blessings and benefits of our common salvation that he was compelled or compressed into going another direction. The Spirit of God changed Jude’s mind and laid on him the necessity to write about the battle against the forces of evil which were rapidly gaining a foothold in the church. Jude was impelled by the Holy Spirit and the circumstances of apostates infiltrating the church to the extent that it was necessary for him to sound the trumpet.
What was it that the Holy Spirit impelled Jude to write to the saints? Jude was impelled to write an exhortation or an appeal. In the Greek language, the word for exhort or appeal was used to describe a general giving orders to the army. In other words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jude called on the saints to engage in the battle for truth and especially as it pertains to the body of truth, the faith, which was once for all handed down to the saints. The saints have been given the responsibility from the Lord to guard and fight for the faith. The apostle Paul spoke of guarding or fighting for the faith many times in his letters to Timothy. Guarding the doctrine and keeping the gospel pure against the strange doctrines of the apostates and false teachers is a primary responsibility of pastors but it is also a primary responsibility of every Christian. The church is supposed to be the pillar and support of the truth and the only way to accomplish this is to guard the truth and battle for the truth.
We are told that we are to earnestly contend for the faith. Earnestly contend comes from a word from which we get our English word “agonize.” The word speaks of a vigorous intense, determined struggle to defeat the opposition. In other words we are to strain with every fiber of our being in this battle to maintain the purity of the faith without letting it be spoiled or corrupted by apostates and their strange doctrines. We are to exert ourselves to the point of agony in an effort to win the battle for truth. Jude tells us that it is with such intense effort that the saints should defend the doctrines of Christianity.
The exhortation was to earnestly contend for the faith. The faith here is not faith as exercised by the individual, but the body of truth pertaining to Christianity in its historic doctrines and life-giving salvation. In other words we are not seeking some new revelation but to be true to the historic doctrines of God which was once for all delivered to the saints. It is our responsibility to seek the ancient paths and to be sure that what we believe and are preaching, and teaching is in line with the Word of God. God is keeping us and we are to keep or guard the truth of the Word of God.
All the cults and false religions and I should also add apostate religions have abandoned the truth of God’s Word and are not keeping or guarding it but corrupting it with destructive heresies. They come up with new revelations and new interpretations although God’s Word plainly says that the body of truth has been once for all handed down to the saints. God has said what He needed to say and there isn’t going to be any further revelation. Muhammad was a liar, Joseph Smith was liar, and all who claim to have divine revelations of heaven or hell or anything else is a liar. If we want a divine revelation I suggest we read God’s divine revelation – His Word. God’s Word is not only His divinely inspired revelation of truth; it is totally sufficient in all areas of rule and practice. We do not need to look to the psychologists, anthropologists, or sociologists to see how we are to do church or grow the church – we only need to look to the Word of God and the historic truths of Christian doctrine.
Jude’s imperative reason (4) – “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude now gets to the reason that we must earnestly contend for the faith – the stealth of the enemy whose desire is to dilute, distort, and defile the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Notice how Jude characterized these apostates – “for certain persons have crept in unnoticed.” They use stealth. They enter alongside by stealth and deceit. They slip in secretly. They have the ability to go undetected by the radar. In other words they claim to be Christian and claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t misinterpret this passage. The way these people deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ is not through an outright denial but by turning His grace into licentiousness. They could not have crept in unnoticed with an outright denial of the Lord. They actually claim to be His servants and claim to speak His word. They disguise themselves as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). It is the responsibility of the church leaders to guard the flock (Acts 20:28-31) and the responsibility of the saints to be alert.
Jude also characterized these apostates as marked out for condemnation – “those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation.” The word of “marked out” is prographo and it means to write beforehand. God’s word tells beforehand the nature of the apostates and their coming judgment. Before it ever happened, God’s word told of the activity of the apostates who would sneak in and corrupt the meaning and application of God’s word thereby incurring a just and rightful condemnation for such ungodly activity. There is no excuse for apostates who twist God’s word because He has already said beforehand that they would and that He would judge and condemn them.
Another characterization that Jude gave of the apostates is that they are ungodly – “ungodly persons.” Ungodly is one of Jude’s key words in this letter. He used it six times in these twenty five verses. Ungodly means destitute of reverential awe toward God. This means that these people have no fear of God and that they reject His authority. Apostates will have nothing to do with the Lord as absolute ruler but would rather think of Him as their buddy who is interested in their happiness and not their holiness. Apostates want Jesus Christ as Savior but not as Lord. They want Him as a means to be used for their health, wealth, and prosperity but not as the ruler of their lives. They are ungodly!
The apostates are also transposers – “who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” By turning the grace of God into licentiousness, the apostates replace one thing with another. In this case they put licentiousness in the place of the grace of God. This is a redefinition of biblical grace into that which is not biblical and not intended. Licentiousness is nothing short of anarchy by giving the right to do whatever one pleases as though God’s grace allows such activity. Turning the grace of God into licentiousness turns the grace of God into a license to sin rather than a motivator to live righteously (Titus 2:11-12). Therefore, turning the grace of God into licentiousness becomes a denial of the rule and authority of the Lord in our lives. It becomes a denial of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Apostates “deny our only Master and Lord - “master” is from the word despot and means absolute master or ruler. The apostate views the Lordship of Jesus as a King with absolute or unlimited power as that which is oppressive. Therefore the apostate views the absolute rule of Jesus Christ as a type of tyrannical and oppressive rule. So the apostate recoils against salvation as an issue of Lordship and rejects the Lord’s authority choosing instead to replace God’s grace which gives us the power to live righteously under the Lordship of Jesus with licentiousness which is nothing short of anarchy.
So these persons are ungodly and without reverential awe of God and deny His absolute authority by turning His grace into licentiousness. Apostates claim to know Jesus Christ but they have not and will not receive Him as the King of God’s kingdom. Apostates don’t teach the doctrine of the Lordship of Jesus but rather undermine it. Apostates want Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. We must guard against such destructive heresies!
Friday, June 27, 2008
A Portrait of Emerging/Emergent Postmoderns
The Emerging Church is embracing the postmodern culture and its way of thinking. What marks the postmodern culture is its tendency to dismiss the possibility of any sure and settled knowledge of the truth. In other words it is the rejection of every expression of certainty. According to the postmodern mindset, truth is relative and subjective but not fixed and objective. Therefore one can never speak with certainty and clarity and conviction.Emerging/Emergent, postmoderns have a special disaffection for clarity, for truth, for certainty. Postmoderns especially despise clarity when it comes to an accurate and true portrait of what they are like. They attempt to eschew their disdain for truth and clarity through several clever disguises.
First they exalt agnosticism as though it is a godly virtue - mystery, ambiguity, and uncertainty as forms of piety. This indeed is a clever disguise because then the truth that God has revealed can be treated as though it has been concealed. But - "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us" (Deuteronomy 29:29). Then as soon as a Christian deals in truth or certainty, speaking a clear, "Thus says the Lord," he or she is caricatured as immodest, arrogant, Pope-ish, omniscient, excathedra speaking, pontificators of doctrinaire arrogance. Why? Because of the postmodern's hatred for absolute truth.
Phil Johnson of PyroManiacs said, "Like all good postmodernists, Emergent Christians hate clarity and precision. They despise authority, and they detest certainty. They say they don’t want answers; they want mystery. They don’t want to be preached to; they want a conversation. They don’t want to have to judge whether something is orthodox or heretical, true or false; they want to create their own spiritual reality, and they want to be affirmed while they do it. Unfortunately, the evangelical movement has plenty of people who are willing to affirm all of those things." (Source)
Another clever disguise used by postmoderns to appear that they don't really hate truth is their never ending trumpeting of thier diversity. This is in order to attempt to make an accurate portrait of the movement appear to be just a caricature and therefore critique-resistant. As Dan Philips said in one post comment box, "Try to nail down one blop of EC Jello, and another blop says "I'm not that way!" (Source)
So as soon as you describe an accurate portrait of what postmoderns are like - haters of truth, clarity, certainty, and despisers of authority, one will come along and say, "I love absolute truth and we're not all that way. It's unfair for you to lump us all together that way." However, keep engaging him or her in conversation and you will sure enough discover that they fit the portrait and still want to call it a caricature.
A caricature is a picture or description ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of a person or thing (Websters Universal College Dictionary). It is an untrue, ridiculous, and absurd characterization. A portrait does not involve ludicrous exaggerations but is an actual and true portrayal or depiction of a person or thing.
Beware of the caricatures painted by postmoderns and study closely the portrait of apostates as revealed in God's Word.
Edit: John Piper has an excellent post today concerning mystery. Check it out here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)