The Triumph of Grace over the Power of Sin
Mike Ratliff has posted an excellent article on the condition of the visible church with regards to a lack of understanding and preaching on repentance. In fact, it seems these days that even mentioning repentance may get you thrown out of the “popular” culture within the church visible.
The debate in the visible Church in our time concerning the need for Christians to walk in Repentance is actually quite perplexing to those of us whose hearts and consciences are bound to the Word of God. It clearly exhorts us all to repent and walk in righteousness. I had a conversation with a Pastor a couple of years ago at lunch following his sermon that Sunday morning. We discussed the dreadful condition in the visible Church today in which most professing Christians appeared to be very immature and in bondage to their flesh. I asked for his opinion of why that was so. His response was that it was the result of the Church not being the Church as God designed. There was little or no Church discipline. There was little preaching of the Law and the Gospel together. There was hardly ever a mention of walking in repentance before our Holy God. I agreed completely with his analysis. He also shared that he did not believe that a very large percentage of the professing Christians were genuine.
Head on over to “Possessing the Treasure” to read the rest of this great article.
True Conversion
Sovereign Grace and Man’s Responsibility
“Again, the grace of God is sovereign. By that word we mean that God has an absolute right to give that grace where he chooses, and to withhold it when he pleases. He is not bound to give it to any man, much less to all men; and if he chooses to give it to one man and not to another, his answer is, “Is thine eye evil because mine eye is good? Can I not do as I will with mine own? I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” Now, I want you to notice the sovereignty of Divine grace as illustrated in the text: “I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest to them that asked not after thee.”
You would imagine that if God gave his grace to any he would wait until he found them earnestly seeking him. You would imagine that God in the highest heavens would say, “I have mercies, but I will leave men alone, and when they feel their need of these mercies and seek me diligently with their whole heart, day and night, with tears, and vows, and supplications, then will I bless them, but not before.”
Five Errors that Arise from Christ-Replacements
In a culture where everything in most churches is man-centered the way that we interpret Scripture is often focused primarily on us. What we must realize is that all of Scripture points to Christ. The only way to correctly interpret Scripture is to have a Christ-centered focus on the text - for no other reason than that is exactly what Scripture does - it points to Christ!
Jesus most clearly taught that “you search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)
Hendryx comments in his paper that “Jesus never condemned a Pharisee for taking Moses too seriously. They take him far less seriously than they should. For Jesus says, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for He write of Me. But if you don’t believe His writings, how will you believe My words. Your accuser is Moses.” (John 5:46). So to understand Moses is to come to know Christ when He is revealed. Likewise, Abraham saw Jesus’ day and was glad, the Bible testifies. And “…foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” (Gal)”
“The Scriptures should be read with the aim of finding Christ in them. Whoever turns aside from this object, even though he wears himself out all his life in learning, he will never reach the knowledge of the truth.” - John Calvin
I ran across an excellent article by John Hendryx entitled “Five Errors that Arise from Christ-Replacements” and it’s a must read. He outlines five examples of doctrinal errors that arise when Christ is unBiblically removed as the key focus of Scripture (which is so terribly common today).
Take some time to read this excellent article over at monergism.com.
Pathetic Theology, Pathetic Preaching
OK… I’ve gone quote “happy” here on the blog this week (first Spurgeon, now Washer) but as I continue to hear and run across statements from men of God I can’t help but to post them here. Paul Washer of HeartCry Missionary Society is one passionate man of God and he hits the nail right on the head…
“There are so many people, especially in my own denomination . . . because of the pathetic theology and pathetic preaching . . . on church membership rolls—and they are as lost as they can be. Because we have forgotten that salvation does not cometh by praying and asking Jesus to come into your heart; salvation does not come by going through four spiritual laws and saying a prayer at the end; salvation does not come by all these silly little mechanisms we’ve developed. It comes as a supernatural work of God through which God regenerates, makes the heart alive, He gives the man repentance, He gives the man faith, the man repents, he believes and is saved. And it is a supernatural work of God that manifests as much if not more of the power of God than when God stood on the first day and said, “Let there be light.” - Paul Washer
To Cherish Christ - Receiving Jesus
What Has Happened to the American Church?
The more I watch American churches the more I am convinced that we are losing the essential focus - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe this is a two-fold problem and one that is creating false converts who are saturating American churches. We should be concerned about this and our passion as Christians should be to proclaim with boldness the full Gospel of Christ, not some watered down version!
Jesus Christ & Him Crucified
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. - 1 Corinthians 2:2
The core of the Gospel is the absolute key to preaching, teaching & evangelism. Why has most of the American church forgotten this?
In this powerful verse of Scripture Paul explained to the church in Corinth that when he proclaimed the good news of the Gospel that he did not do so with oratorial skills and with the wisdom of man seeking to tickle the ears of the listeners. He proclaimed the truth of the Gospel and the amazing grace of Christ Jesus and Him crucified.
Too often today we see pastors, teachers and preachers who lean on their own persuasive speech, their marketing tactics or even cheap gimmicks to get people to either hear them or step foot into their local church. Anyone aspiring to be an evangelist (and frankly that is every Christian) needs to constantly remind themselves that what Paul says in this verse is tantamount to proper proclamation of the saving Gospel. We must not rest on our own abilities or charisma. We should rest completely on the power of the Holy Spirit and faithfully proclaim the full message of the Gospel - Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
May Christians boldly proclaim the full Gospel message of Jesus Christ - one of trusting faith and repentance in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus! What the visible church so desperately needs is a reformation and return to the Biblical glorious gospel of our Savior and King! Maranatha!
Inside the Cup and Platter
Though we may struggle to wrap our minds around the specifics of the regeneration and sanctification process of a man’s heart and life. We do know there are indicators that tell the story of the regenerate life. Such as eternal fruits or lack there of. I recently read a sermon by Spurgeon addressing the Baptismal Regeneration issue of his time and I came upon this phrase ipse dixit. Latin for “he himself said it”. He used this phrase in regards to the requirements for regeneration, mainly faith. Today, society would deem this statement to describe zero grounds to prove anything. Such as in the court of law: You have no proof other than a man’s word. I’ll provide the context of Spurgeon’s message:
This faith is spiritual in its nature and effects; it operates upon the entire man; it changes his heart, enlightens his judgement, and subdues his will; it subjects him to God’s supremacy, and makes him receive God’s Word as a little child, willing to receive the truth upon the ipse dixit of the divine One; it sanctifies his intellect, and makes him willing to be taught God’s Word; it cleanses within; it makes clean the inside of the cup and platter, and it beautifies without;
Spurgeon is addressing the issue of those who believe regeneration takes place at the moment of baptism as if the act of baptism produces regeneration. On the contrary Spurgeon clearly counters this false teaching and provides biblical grounds for regeneration. Faith, as the requisite to salvation. It is imperative for any transformation to take place. A faith that produces the attitude of ipse dixit towards the father. Such a faith that humbles the proud heart of any man. Spurgeon outlines that this faith is a gift of God. This believing consists of “an accrediting of the testimony of God about his son…and to confide in it” to let go of our own feelings and actions and to solely trust in Christ. To do so, produces in us such a faith that submits to anything the Father says. A transformed mind that has raised ears at anything He proclaims. “Creator, God said it. I’m listening. I’m obeying” How awesome is our God to humble the proud and reconcile himself to us in this way! This isn’t some, “Okay, I believe. Now I can get on with my life.” kind of thing. This is a radical change that produces in us a trust that doesn’t require anything other than the proclamation of God’s word to our hearts. Nothing outside of His word is needed.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. - Romans 1:17-20
A Passion for God’s Word
Today I was talking on the phone with a friend of mine about something we both desire to see in those we teach and preach to - a passion for God’s Word. We were talking about how some Christians seem to have no desire to read the Bible. Beyond the possibility that true regeneration may be the issue, it got me thinking about how God’s Word is approached in most of the American church today.
The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian. –AW. Tozer
I believe there is a two fold problem within the church visible today - almost exclusively in America. First and foremost is a departure from good, solid Biblical preaching and 
teaching. Think about it. If congregations rarely see the church proclaiming God’s Word with boldness and fire then why should they read it? Most churches today are comprised of a few entertaining “worship” songs and a twenty minute sermon on your best life now where if any Scripture is used it is often twisted beyond recognition. The issue at hand is that while most churches herald their belief that Scripture is inerrant and infallible they deny the functional authority of Scripture by their actions. Many in the church today sit through nothing more than a pep talk on Sunday morning then they go off to a Sunday school class that focuses more on a curriculum than God’s Word. Those two factors alone demonstrate a lack of trust in the functional authority of Scripture. Expositional preaching and teaching is what we need to begin the process of instilling a passion for God’s Word in the lives of people. Of course, without regeneration the desire to read God’s Word, obey it and desire to be conformed into the image of Christ is lacking. But maybe that is the problem - without the preaching and teaching of the full counsel of God’s Word we’re packing the pews of many churches with unregenerate people who are being told they are saved all-the-while without a passion for holiness, a passion to know God and obey Him through His Word and without a passion for conformity to Christ-likeness. So, here is definitely one reason there is a lack of passion for God’s Word in the church today - namely the church is not heralding the functional authority of Scripture as evidenced by the actions and dependency on “method” and “curriculum”.
Secondly, I believe that without holiness and a genuine regeneration by the Holy Spirit (which happens through hearing the full counsel of God’s Word - the Gospel of Jesus Christ) the majority of people who line church pews today hear one thing coming out of the mouths of preachers, teachers and other Christians and then see with their eyes lives that are lived in contradiction to the Word of God. For example, look at the rows and rows of “self help” and pyscho-pop books that line the shelves of “Christian” bookstores today. It’s as if we’re telling everyone the Bible’s either not good enough or cannot be used for today’s situations in our lives. Right there we have a clear indication of the lack of dependancy on the functional authority of Scripture even while proclaiming inerrancy and infallibility.
Bottom line, a passion for God’s Word first and foremost comes from our Almight God taking a heart of stone and turning it into a heart of flesh, opening the eyes of a sinner to their depravity and granting them saving repentance and faith. Through that miracle transformation comes a new creature. This new man, indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, yearns and longs for the solid food of God’s Word. He yearns and longs to obey God - to not just be a hearer of the Word but a doer. Yes, we fall. Yes, we have seasons of spiritual dryness but the Holy Spirit convicts us and brings us through a continual state of synergistic sanctification conforming us more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. So we must start with true regeneration and that happens when the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is proclaimed with power and boldness to soil prepared by God. It all gets back to the church needing desperately to return to the Bible - to the Christ exalting Words of Holy Writ. When true regenerated Christians get together they yearn to talk about the things of God. This passion alone can be seen by others and the trust, dependancy and obedience to God’s written Word becomes a living example to light the fire of passion for others. We need leaders in the church today to boldly proclaim the Word of God - all of it!
Polls
Loading ...