Category Archives: Theology

Apostasy

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What is in a name? Understood properly, we would have to answer, “A lot!” A name describes. It explains. It divulges. All this seems strange to us because we think of names simply as a label. By extension, we have lost interest in the meaning of words; we simply use them too as a label.

The modern Church has been caught up in this fad through the general principle of Political Correctness. It is now mandatory to “be nice” to everyone and, therefore, we are told that we should not use certain words.

Two words that the Church has dropped from its vocabulary are Heresy and Apostasy. Both terms have to do with false belief. Heresy describes the false belief; Apostasy describes the action of turning to that false belief from the position of truth.

Here, I would like us to think about the terms Apostasy and Apostate.

When we speak of Apostasy, we generally use this term in the sense of a complete turning away. A Biblical example would be that of the Israelites rejecting Yahweh as King by asking for an earthly king (1 Samuel 8:4-9). However, when we analyse the situation, we see that Israel’s request was not a radical change. It was not a “bolt from the blue.”

Examining Scripture, we see that there were a number of steps along the path. Israel did not pursue the conquest of the land as they were commanded. Thus, foreign people and foreign gods remained in the land to tempt Israel. We see throughout the book of Judges an ebbing and flowing in the fortunes of Israel because they did not obey the Lord or listen to His word. We then arrive at the failure of Eli and Samuel, Judges in Israel, to discipline their sons and instruct them in the ways of Yahweh.

Accordingly, we see that there were quite a number of bricks laid that created the path to Apostasy. We may label each brick a heresy, but, regardless of the term, the path lead to Apostasy; to Israel turning away.

Brethren, are you apostatising?

That is a big question. No, I am not asking, have you turned or are you currently turning your back on the Lord so as to totally deny Jesus and His revelation. I am more interested in those individual bricks.

Friend, are their things in your life, belief, and action, here and there, which constitute Apostasy? Do you have little deviations away from the Lord Jesus and His commands?

Again, I am not speaking of trips and falls into sin. We all do this. What I am speaking of is a deliberate deviation into the drive-through of your favourite spiritual fast-food outlet knowing that you have promised your loved One that you will stick to Their diet!

These deviations are not slips and stumbles. These are deliberate course changes brought about to feed a sinful desire. You go there precisely because you want to be there and nothing will dissuade you.

Beloved brethren, beware of such deliberate deviations from Jesus Christ. Each trip to the drive-through makes it easier to go there another time and to select something else from the varied menu. Each time you go, you disappoint your loved One – The Lord Jesus Christ. Each time you go there the turning away becomes easier and the degree greater. Before long, you will find yourself permanently parked in the fast-food outlet’s car park. You will have no desire for healthy food. As to your promise to Jesus … “What promise?”

Remember the Apostle Peter’s words: “For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them” … “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 2:20-21; 2 Peter 3:17-18).

Beloved brethren, beware the turning! No matter what the rate or degree, beware the turning! Apostasy leads from Jesus, not to Him. Apostasy is built on false belief.

Therefore, cling to the truth. Jesus Christ is God’s truth.

I Want to be With the Lord!

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“I want to be with the Lord!”

These are the words of an 84-year-old friend. They are stirring, sobering, and admirable words. Yet, they raise some issues.

I often wonder why it takes age, aches, pains, and failing health for us to find this as our true desire and utter these words. I equally wonder why the idea of “living Christ” is viewed as a post mortem event.

Paul shows something of this conflict. He writes: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.” (Philippians 1:21-26)

What can we learn from these words?

First, the obvious lesson is that we should desire to be with Christ. This should be part of who we are as Christians. This desire should be felt and expressed tangibly from the moment we know Christ. It should not be a desire expressed only because of age or failing health.

Second, we must understand that living or dying, our life is Christ. Jesus is Emmanuel – God with us. He is with us now through the Holy Spirit. The work we do on earth is His work, empowered and directed by His Spirit. We are His temple (1 Peter 2:5). The goal of our work should be that which is acceptable to God through Jesus.

Third, the gain of which Paul speaks is that of meeting Jesus face to face. Currently, we see through the “glass darkly” as the King Jim phrases it. Then, we shall see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Christians need to appreciate the correlation in these points. To understand Paul’s obvious conflict, we need to unpack the order of his words. Note that Paul does not say ‘life is gain’ and ‘death is Christ’. It seems as though that is the way most understand these verses. Rather, Paul shows that fulfilling his life and calling is Christ. Understood aright, Paul is arguing that death does not usher in something different, but rather more of the same in greater degree. His gain is also Christ. Death is the realisation of the fullness of Christ. The barrier of sin is torn down completely and the totality of our relationship with God in Christ can be enjoyed.

It is important to understand Paul’s words, as some have tended to look down upon this life. It is considered a ‘treading of water’ until better things come. However, if we understand Paul aright, our life here is Christ. Paul was happy to postpone the “gain” and continue to live “Christ” in order that he may serve the brethren by showing them how to live Christ – “progress” and “joy” in the faith.

Our times are in God’s hands. Our desire should always be to live Christ. However, we should not be fooled into thinking that our life here is not Christ. How can we, living Christ every moment, encourage, support, progress, or bring joy in the faith to the brotherhood?

How will you live Christ in this day; in this moment?

I am a Hater – a Godly Hater!

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  1. Fairy Floss.

Playground politics, Postmodernism, and Political Correctness make a volatile and disastrous combination.

Playground politics equals bullying. Postmodernism equals a denial of Truth. Political Correctness equals a biased, pseudo-egalitarianism. In such an environment, cogent arguments, truth, fact, and even reality are dismissed. In their place come name-calling, bullying, meaningless terms and lies. This modern estate is the “fairy floss”[1] estate—you are handed a bright and colourful substance that looks real, but once you put it in your mouth it disappears! In effect, you have paid for the joy of eating nothing and remaining hungry.

In the current debate surrounding homosexual union, we are being handed many brightly coloured tidbits and asked to swallow them. Yet, once they are in our mouths they evaporate to nothing. Then, when we have the audacity to point this out, we are labelled, condemned, harangued, and treated as completely unworthy.

Two recent examples stand out:

  1. Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, had this to say: “I don’t believe that people’s relationships and love for each other need to be submitted to a public opinion poll. … I don’t want to give the haters a chance to come out from underneath the rock and make life harder for LGBTI people.”[2]
  2. The second instance has no name and not much detail. For this I apologise. After visiting my elderly father in hospital, I was driving home and decided to listen to the radio. I came across a woman’s voice arguing for protection from “hate speech”. I can only assume that this was a debate into the removal of clause 18c from the Racial Discrimination Act. Anyway, the point of interest came when the speaker highlighted her coup de gras question that she asked of her opponents: “What hate speech do you wish to use?” She went on to announce that this question had her opponents “nonplussed” or stopped cold.

Let’s analyse these statements.

  • Please note the bullying and name-calling that come to the fore. People who have a different opinion are immediately labelled as “haters”, those who dwell under “rocks”, and those who delight to use “hate speech”.
  • In keeping with this name calling and bullying, there is an automatic assumption on the part of the speaker that their position is the correct one or the morally superior one. Thus, the opponent is labelled and pigeon-holed for no other reason than they disagree with the speaker’s point of view.

This is truly fascinating. My wife has worked for years in the health sector. Several decades ago there came a huge, government sponsored push to avoid, at all costs, “labelling language”. People were not to be pigeon-holed or labelled in a way that would cause them detriment. Now, these same governments wish to label people without cause just to win political arguments and “Brownie” points.

  • All of this leads us to ask questions regarding Morality and Truth. When the above people spoke, they did not appeal to any Absolute, they merely insisted that their opinion or view on this subject be accepted as absolute. In such a situation, who is the umpire? Does Bill Shorten win simply because he is Opposition Leader?

Time to connect the dots. The reason that we are subject to bullying and harassment is precisely because these people do not have an Absolute on which to base their arguments. They have no logic, no absolute, no moral, no consistency—so they must develop their own brand of sanctioned and sanitised “hate speech” with which to browbeat those who oppose them. Then, when this phase is effective, they will pass laws and then label those who oppose as criminals and a danger to society and then invite them to spend time behind bars.

Today we are told that everything is sweetness and light. Everything is equal. Two men together is as valid as a man and a woman. Yet, we ask, on what basis is this assertion made?[3] Indeed, even incestuous relationships are now being embraced and given their own alphabet soup so that they can be legitimised.[4] We are being handed fairy floss!

Herein is the hypocrisy. An honest citizen who has committed no crime – other than to insist on moral absolutes – becomes to these people the equivalent of a thief, paedophile, or murderer. If you think this is foolishness, then simply reverse engineer their arguments. If all are truly equal and morality does not exist, then there can be no wrong. If morality is simply what the Government of the day makes it to be, then we are all in danger for morality will change with each new law, with each passing year, and the turn of a new decade.

Think about this! You raise your child on the moral principles of the day. That child is a successful, law abiding citizen until they are in their mid-thirties when, due to a change in legislation, they now become a pariah. Society now punishes them for what society previously taught them.

  1. Absolute Morality – Loving and Hating.

The only safety net available to this or any society is to return to or embrace God’s absolute morality. God has spoken. Obedience alone will bring His blessing. Empirically, we know this to be true. Our nation is in turmoil; it is in its death throes. If we are honest, we will admit that we are further from God than we have ever been, yet our estate is worse than it has ever been.

Our only hope, therefore, is to reject Man’s egalitarianism and subjective morality and embrace God’s absolute morality. We must learn to love what God loves and Hate what God hates.

At this statement, some will be greatly perplexed. They will never have heard these types of words before. Sadly, this is a confirmation of how much the World has penetrated the Church and Her theology.

Our minister has been preaching through Corinthians and he noted that the Corinthian problem was that there was too much World in the Church. Conversely, it may be argued that there is too little Church in the World. Perceive it as you will, the point is that the Church no longer believes God and His revelation of Morality and Truth. Therefore, She shies away from taking a stand. The Church has become so enamoured with being popular and with winning souls that She has forgotten what Holiness and Righteousness are and in Whom they are to be found.

This was brought home to me clearly many years ago when I made a statement about God “hating” certain things. I was immediately rebuked and told that such concepts were erroneous. I shook my head, disbelieving what my ears were transferring to my brain. Sadly, decades later, I am hearing a growing chorus of dissenters who are simply being blasphemous because they are speaking lies concerning God.

It is time to evict the World from the Church and inject the Church into the World! This eviction must begin with us believing what God says in His word about His own Being and Character, and as a consequence, jettisoning all the Worldly fair floss that we have purchased.

This jettisoning process must begin with acceptance of the very simple fact: God hates! As a Christian, as a Man created in God’s image,  I must hate what God hates. If I do not hate what God hates then I am being treasonous. Strong words by modern standards, but they are, nonetheless, true words. Think about it. Are we not citizens in a Kingdom? Are we not bound to obey the great King? Yes, we are; on both counts! Thus, to love what the King hates is to bring evil and falsehood into the Kingdom.[5]

Now, let’s be clear. We are speaking of God and as such we are speaking of intrinsic Morality as God has created and revealed it. We are not talking Ford v Holden, Pizza with or without anchovies, or whether we should drive on the left- or right-hand side of the road. No, we are speaking of God’s Morality intrinsic to Man as a consequence of being made in God’s image and likeness.

What then does God hate? Well, the answer is that God hates anything that digresses from His express will, decree, and standard. If we think of the Ten Commandments as a summary of God’s Morality, then we see that any digression from these Laws would be a thing that God dislikes intently. Thus, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, greed, robbery, false worship, murder, and so forth are all things that God hates. It is for this reason that I say there are too many blasphemers who today speak lies in the name of God.[6] There are too many Christians who simply do not believe what God says about Himself.

If you are in doubt in regard to the basic thesis that God hates, then please consider the following (As you do, think about the relationship of each item to the Summary of God’s Moral Law, the Ten Commandments.):

Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

Isaiah 61:8 – “For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering;”

Jeremiah 44:4-5 – “Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.” ‘But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods.”

Amos 5:21 – “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.”

Zechariah 8:16-17 – “These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. ‘Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.”

Malachi 2:16 – “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

To this list we could add those texts that speak, like several here, about that which the Lord God Almighty declares to be an abomination. As one example, please consider Deuteronomy 12:31 – “You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”

As per usual, we are keenly aware that detractors will state that these texts are from the Old Testament and then justify this statement with some new spin on an old heresy. To these, we can only suggest that it time that they got their head around the Doctrine of God’s Immutability.

Anyway, for these, we will give one text which is very important. Here are Jesus’ words; the words of God’s eternal Son; words that Jesus, the resurrected Lord spoke to His Church concerning a group of wayward heretics: “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”[7]

Yes, Jesus hates. That is what the text says. Jesus commends His people for hating the deeds (works) of these heretics because Jesus also hated them. The commendation comes because at that very point these people were one with their Master.

This then gives us a clue as we move forward and look at what our attitude should be to those things which God hates. Indeed, this is not a clue or a hint; it is the reality of our relationship with God, through Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit – we must be one with our God!

The Psalmists have this to say:

26:5 – “I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.”

31:6 – “I hate those who regard vain idols; But I trust in the Lord.”

97:10 – “Hate evil, you who love the Lord, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”

139:21-22 – “Do I not hate those who hate Thee, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against Thee? I hate them with the utmost hatred; they have become my enemies.”

119: 104, 113, 128, 163 – “From Thy precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way; I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Thy law; Therefore I esteem right all Thy precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way; I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Thy law.”[8]

Next, a simple question: The fear of the Lord is …? How did you answer this? Did you say “knowledge” or maybe “wisdom”? Not incorrect, but did you realise that the same pen also wrote: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate”?[9]

Again, for the New Testamenty Christians we have this selection:

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 – “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”[10] (NIV: Test everything. Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.)

Jude 22-23 – “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”

Romans 12:9 – “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”

Lastly, let us conclude with two statements from Jesus:

Luke 14:26 – “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 16:13 – “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

What these statements teach us is that God in Trinity must have the priority in our lives. There is no human relationship, nor is there wealth, life, philosophy, ideology, policy, or organisation that can make a claim on us that is greater than that which God makes. If we are God’s servants in and through Jesus Christ, then we must serve as Jesus did – My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish His work!

It means that we can only love that which God loves and that we must hate and abominate that which God loathes. We cannot claim to be God’s faithful servants and then disown those things which are the essence of His nature. We cannot befriend that which God hates nor can we accept that which God has declared unacceptable.

Therefore, I am crawling out from under my rock and the hate speech I wish to say is this: Thus says the Lord, “Homosexuality is an abomination in My eyes”. As His servant, I say, “Homosexuality, along with murder, rape, thievery, and the like, is an affront to His holiness. If we as a nation continue to pander to the rebellious homosexual minority, in particular, and if we continue to fail in providing true justice, then we will ask for God’s wrath to be delivered to us both in time and space and in eternity. Our nation will not prosper. We will continue to face dangers from without and within. Our freedom will become slavery. Our joy will be turned to sorrow. We will inflict great suffering on the generations to be born.

Mr. Turnbull, Mr. Shorten, and all those who support the homosexual movement’s radical rebellion, know that you are playing with fire by angering Almighty God. Know that all your statements are falsehood. Know that you speak lies and impugn the integrity of God Almighty. Know that you betray your office as Ministers of God. Know that He will not acquit the guilty. Know that you are bringing destruction to this people. Know that you will give an account before His judge, Jesus Christ. Know that unless you repent, there will be no account that you can give of yourself that will be acceptable. Know that ideas and actions have consequences and your continued rebellion will bring ruination to this people in time and in eternity!

I adjure you by the mercies of God, forsake your folly; Kiss the Son lest you perish in your way; Flee from the coming wrath; Repent; Hate evil; Do what is Good; Live! Exalt this nation rather than cover it in shame and disgrace! In short, fulfill the great Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind!””

Footnotes:

[1] “Cotton Candy”, for our North American brethren.

[2] Taken from Saltshakers News Update, September 9, 2016.

[3] The nonsense of the current position being thrust upon society is seen in the growing alphabet soup. Once, homosexuals were labelled as “queer”. This was not acceptable to the moderns so it was changed to LGBT. Now this is not adequate. Apparently the fraternity of the sinful have embraced their former appellation, so a “Q” was added. Now this is not adequate, so the soup has been extended yet again to LGBTQIA, to included “intersex” and “asexual”. What next? All we will add is, please note that there is no “H” for heterosexual. Apparently it is okay to accept every sexual orientation except the one created and commanded by God!

[4] http://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/in-the-news/im-in-love-with-my-brother-and-were-going-to-get-married. http://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/in-the-news/mother-and-son-face-jail-as-they-fight-to-stay-in-sexual-relationship. This is now referred to as GSA – Genetic Sexual Attraction. The sickening aspect is that I had bookmarked one account of a Father and daughter. This story had disappeared, but I easily found two new ones on the same site – Vomit bags on standby!!!

[5] Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Proverbs 17:15 – “He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.”

[6] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-30/welcoming-but-not-affirming-being-gay-and-christian/7798226. I refer you to this site for the picture, not necessarily for the article content.

[7] Revelation 2:6.

[8] Note that in these particular Psalms the contrast is always between God’s revealed standard – Law, Precept – and what the Psalmist sees in men.

[9] Proverbs 8:13.

[10] We would do well to remember that the “form” of evil begins with the evil thought. The evil thought produces evil actions. Thus, we must always be on guard against believing anything which contradicts God’s word for this is the evil root which will produce the evil fruit.

The Gospel: What is it?

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The Gospel! Only two words. These are words known by most men, whether from within or without the Church. These are words used by most Christians on a regular basis. Those attending worship will hear them often. Yet, “What is the Gospel?”

This topic needs to be urgently addressed for whilst the term “The Gospel” is an ever present term, it is also a regularly undefined term. Some say that The Gospel is “good news”. What is it, then, that makes The Gospel good news? When asked about the nature of The Gospel we will be told that it is salvation. Asked where we will find The Gospel, most will reply, “In the New Testament?” Asked as to the ownership of The Gospel, we will be told that it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Macquarie Dictionary, as an example, defines gospel as: “(often capital) the body of doctrine taught by Christ and the apostles; Christian revelation.”

How right are these answers? What do you think? Does any more need to be said or are these definitions adequate?

Our concern at this point has to do with the limited nature of these definitions and the fact that these popular definitions fall in line with the modern truncated view of Scripture and therefore of God’s work. For example, I recently had a conversation with a young man. In the context of being offered advice, he told me that the opinions of all were held up to the light of “The Gospel.” Admittedly, I should be ecstatic, should I not? Is this not an excellent answer? Well, the answer to that question depends on the answer to this question, “What did he mean by Gospel?”

I fear, for good reason, that his answer was akin to those above. What was meant by The Gospel was a particularly narrow, non historical, New Testamenty, Johnny-come-lately concept that highlights grace and peace and which makes no demands on sinner or saint. It is a concept the divides Scripture, brings a sharp focus to Jesus, His words and life, which thereby discounts or diminishes other writers, and generally excuses sin because grace has arrived.

Okay. Grab a nice coffee. Sit yourself back down. Wait for the tremors to cease. Dry your eyes. When you are composed, we will continue.

The summary definition of The Gospel given may not be completely accurate in all cases. Nonetheless, elements of it, to a greater or lesser extent, will be found in the ordinary definition of most Christians – especially those under the age of thirty. Importantly, it must be apprehended that the summary definition or those answers given earlier are not The Gospel. If you believe these statements to be The Gospel, then you are in error. Remember, not everything called “Gospel” is The Gospel: “even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”[1]

In contradistinction to these modern concepts, The Gospel, Biblically defined, must be seen as the totality of God’s revelation and promise as it comes to fulfilment in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In this sense, The Gospel is Old and New Testament – the whole of Scripture; it is salvation and wrath; it is grace and law; it is vindication and condemnation; it is of Jesus Christ in fulfilment, of God in inception, of  prophet in promise, of the Apostles in proclamation, of the Holy Spirit in power; it is given in time and it is eternal; it speaks of a King and of a Servant; it is Majesty and it is humility; it is Command and it is Promise; it is a free gift yet it requires payment; it is of the earth and it is heavenly; it is ultimate freedom and it is obligation; it is good news to those who believe and truth tragically realised to those who disbelieve; it is extreme joy and it is the gnashing of teeth; it is life and it is death.

Alright! Do we need another coffee break?

These truths may be hard to bear, but bear them we must. When this definition is given, it will be at once obvious that it stands in contradistinction to those outlined above. Of all the definitions above, the Macquarie dictionary comes the closest to the truth because it at least acknowledges a “body of doctrine” and speaks of “Christian revelation”.

If you have believed the truncated view of The Gospel, for whatever reason, it is time to put that in the past. Now is the time to move forward into greater light and understanding that we may become better and more faithful servants of Jesus Christ.

As always, you are not to believe the opinion of man, so let us look to the Scriptures to show that the definition given is that which the Bible teaches.

  1. Whose Gospel:

Given the modern, truncated view of The Gospel, we often hear that The Gospel is ‘the gospel of Jesus Christ’. This is true enough; however, we must ask why it is defined as the Gospel of Christ. The answer is that Jesus Christ forms the centrepiece and fulfilment of God’s promise. Thus, when The Gospel is defined as belonging to Jesus Christ, the defining aspect of The Gospel, in this instance, is to be found in Jesus Christ as the focus and fulfilment of God’s promise.

However, we must grasp that this is but one aspect of The Gospel’s nature. It is vitally important for our understanding that we perceive the nature of The Gospel as variously ascribed to different persons and states. Thus, it is imperative that when we see The Gospel ascribed to Jesus that we do not forget that this is but one aspect, one vantage point, if you will, and begin to think that Jesus came to give us something new, different, or contrary to God’s revelation and promise. No, The Gospel is multifaceted and it depends on what is in view as to the correct appellation used.

The truth of this point is born out for us by the fact that The Gospel is attributed to various persons, institutions, and states. It is the Gospel of the Kingdom.[2] It is the Gospel of salvation.[3] It is the Gospel of peace.[4] It is the Gospel of God.[5] It is the Gospel of His Son.[6] It is the Gospel of the Grace of God.[7] So much so is this the case that Paul can legitimately refer to The Gospel as “my Gospel”.[8] Paul proclaimed what he had been given—so indentifying with the promises, the fulfilment, and his commissioning, that he could, without compromise, speak of The Gospel as his Gospel.

The Gospel belongs to any who own it, Christ Jesus, God, Paul, and yes, you!

  1. The Beginning of the Gospel:

This is one of the most important aspects of this discussion. We have inferred that many of the moderns see The Gospel as something new that arrived with Jesus. Thus, we previously referred to the “New Testementy” aspects adored by the moderns. In this view, Jesus comes with The Gospel, not as its goal and fulfilment, but, in essence, to introduce new doctrines and the like. Yet, this is false. The truth is that The Gospel predates Jesus by millennia. The truth is that The Gospel, as with Jesus Himself, was promised to us by God.

Paul says that his Gospel is the Gospel of God, which “He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.”[9] If, then, The Gospel was promised in the Scriptures by the prophets, it makes perfect sense that The Gospel, even if in embryonic form, predated Jesus and His incarnation. Thus, it is not new.

Equally, if The Gospel is promised by the prophets, its shape and content must have already been known to some extent. In fact, is this not exactly why and how we know that Jesus is the Messiah? Is it not true that Jesus could identify Himself as the Messiah because He could show exactly how the promises were realised in His person and work? Thus, the content, aim, and purpose of The Gospel are not new.

Then we have to consider the words of Paul when he states that, “… the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you.”[10] Hmmm! Very difficult to see The Gospel as “new” and bringing “new content” when The Gospel was both preached to Abraham and defined by promise for Abraham.[11]

Thus, we must correctly conceive of the complete Scriptures giving to us a complete Gospel in type and antitype or in promise and fulfilment. Nothing more. Nothing less.

  1. Is the Gospel “good news” only:

This is one of those questions that nobody likes to answer because the answer requires stating truths that Man does not like to hear. Even Christians who say that they believe the Bible are reluctant to take Scripture on face value when it comes to answering this question. However, Scripture is our only foundation and there we must stand.

The Gospel, etymologically speaking, can be and is translated as “good news”. Hence, to speak of The Gospel as good news is not wrong, but it is one-sided. It is one-sided because there are two types of people on this earth and there are two destinies. For those who are saved The Gospel is most definitely good news. Indeed, it is most excellent news. It is the news that God saves hopeless sinners. It is the good news that God pays the debt we owed. It is the good news that Jesus the Just died for the unjust. It is, for God’s people, wonderful news. For the rest, however, the news can only be considered ‘good’ from the perspective that God’s justice will be holy, perfect, and delivered as per His promise.

For many, the fact that God judges sin and sinners is not viewed as part of The Gospel. Indeed, for many moderns, God’s wrath and judgement are considered to be contrary to The Gospel. Hence, these aspects are dropped from preaching and worship services the world over. After all, do we not hear, constantly, the false refrain that ‘God loves the sinner but hates the sin’? Yet, the truth of the matter is that God never divorces sin from sinner. The sinning one will perish; the sinning one will be judged; the sinning one must pay the penalty for their sin. Hell will be full of unrepentant sinners paying for their sins.

Unpalatable as this may be to some, the simple and basic reality is that this judgement of sinners is as much a part of The Gospel as is the wonder of salvation. Indeed, it is a Biblical fact that salvation is always accompanied by judgement.[12]

Consider these Scriptures:

“From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.”[13]

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.”[14]

“…on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”[15]

Each text informs us that The Gospel holds a message of condemnation as much as it does a message of salvation. Men are blinded to the truth. Some were cut off so that others may be engrafted. The Gospel contains the fact that God will judge men through Jesus Christ.

The truly sad reality is that Scripture is deliberately skewed at this point because men do not like this aspect of The Gospel. Tragically, we have become those who preach a different Gospel because we refuse to preach and teach The Whole Gospel. This fact is demonstrated most clearly by our refusal to abide by and proclaim the totality of God’s revelation as it is found in Scripture. The best example would be that of John 3:16-17, which says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” All good so far! However, the searching question is, “Why do we not readily quote verses eighteen through twenty?” These verse state: “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

  1. Conclusion.

The Gospel! Only two words. Nonetheless, the most important words the world has ever received. These words convey the truth and gamut of salvation history. These words contain the fullest expression of God’s revelation. These words span the millennia of Scripture. These words contain a movement from embryo to adulthood; simplicity to complexity; promise to fulfilment. These words are code for the complete revelation of God in Jesus Christ His Son. This is The Gospel. This is The only Gospel.

Brethren, why do we have a penchant for having a different gospel? Why does the Church Growth Movement insist on dropping doctrines from The Gospel? Why do many of us feel more comfortable with this alternative gospel? Why do we rob The Gospel of power and God of His glory by adopting this different gospel? Why do we insist on the cut-down, race version, which turns The Gospel into a gospel; a version devoid of power and the Holy Spirit? Why do we insist on the diet-lite version, rather than be satisfied with the full and complete meal of the Word that is satiating?

Brethren, if we would see God work in might and in power in these dark days then we must return to the true proclamation of the whole counsel of God, which alone is The Gospel. If we would see sinners saved, wickedness dispelled, Jesus Christ exalted, the Church united, the nations obey Jesus, righteousness as a standard, and so forth, then we must believe and proclaim The Gospel!

Footnotes:

[1] Galatians 1:8. Emphasis added.

[2] Matthew 4:23.

[3] Ephesians 1:13.

[4] Ephesians 6:15.

[5] Romans 1:1.

[6] Romans 1:9.

[7] Acts 20:24.

[8] 2 Timothy 2:8.

[9] Romans 1:2.

[10] Galatians 3:8.

[11] We might also point out that Genesis 3:15 is also referred to as the protoevangelium or the ‘first gospel’. Whilst the term “gospel” does not occur in the text, theologians throughout history have traced back through the promises of God and arrived at this point – God’s initial promise to save through judgement.

[12] We see this fact in many places in Scripture. In footnote eleven, we spoke of the protoevangelium found in Genesis 3:15. There we find this juxtaposition. God declares war on Satan and his seed and declares that the seed of the woman will be attacked and bruised, but that this Seed will be the one Who deals the death blow. In essence, salvation (Jesus being bruised on the cross) is accompanied by Jesus ultimate destruction of Satan and his minions. See also 1Peter 4:17-18; Romans 9:27-30. Paul’s words in Romans may seem difficult, but the essential point is that God judged Israel for sin leaving a remnant that was both life and hope. In the midst of just Judgement, Yahweh left a remnant by which Messiah would arrive and purchase for God with His blood “men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.”

[13] Romans 11:28. Paul’s argument is that Israel was partially hardened and judged in order that wild shoots may be grafted in to where the natural branches had been broken off. Judgement for Israel meant salvation for the gentiles.

[14] 2 Corinthians 4:3.

[15] Romans 2:16. This text is very understandable. Paul’s Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, contains the undeniable truth that God will judge men through Jesus Christ. Thus, judgement and wrath are a part of The Gospel. See also Acts 10:42.

Nonsense in the Name of God

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In the current debate regarding homosexual union, it is patently obvious that “truth has become the first casualty in this war.”  Many are adducing arguments in support of homosexual union that are simply non arguments. We have written elsewhere in regard to such facile arguments as “Love is Love”. However, the greatest nonsense being spewed forth on this issue comes from those who, claiming to speak for God, tell lies in the Name of God.

At this point, we particularly single out those people who claim to be Christians, claim to love Jesus and at the same time claim that practicing homosexuals are acceptable to God, loved by God, and are therefore not required by God to repent of their sin and rebellion. It is not our intent to interact with their claims at this point, for that is just an exercise in futility. Rather, it is our purpose to show the folly of their position by looking at the Biblical evidence. Specifically, we simply intend to draw some parallels and then leave the reader to make the obvious conclusions for themselves.

The Older Testament concludes with these words:

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. “And you will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts. “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. “And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.”[1]

In looking at this text, three things are to be noted. First, it is important that we understand the place of judgement. Throughout the Scriptures, salvation is always associated with judgement. God’s people cannot be saved unless God’s adversaries are judged. Thus, Malachi rightly begins with a stern warning to the evil doer. He, like his fellow prophets,[2] points us to the great and awesome Day of the Lord. Second, the line of demarcation is given in the words – for you who fear [or revere] My name. Both in Hebrew and Greek, the terms for name go far beyond simply being an appellation appended to a person in order to distinguish him from another. Rather, these terms point to character and being. This is why we see names being changed in Scripture. This is exactly why the Pharisees forbade Peter and John “to speak or teach … in the name of Jesus.”[3] Consequently, those who serve God, who love God, will reflect His character and being in their lives morally and ethically. Third, the text points us to the source of knowledge wherein we find God’s revealed standard – Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him – so that we may show our love in true, not feigned, obedience.

Now, some will immediately object that this is the Older Testament and that we in the Newer Testament are somehow under a different set of rules.[4] This is simply more nonsense; an objection raised in the hope that the guilty conscience may be eased. In truth, the points highlighted from the text of Malachi are all treated equally in the Newer Testament.[5]

In bringing these three points together, we learn the following:

a) As God judges the wicked, there are obviously behaviours which He disapproves of and condemns.

b) The truth of a) is found in the fact that those who are accepted by God are those who love and revere His holy name and therefore seek to abide by the characteristics of His eternal Being.

c) God, realising Man’s sinful estate, gave through Moses the revelation of His eternal Being so that Man would know what was and was not acceptable to God.

Therefore, if we want to please God we must obey those laws, given by God Himself, in which the holiness of His character and His right as Sovereign are manifest. It means that we, the creature, respect the parameters placed upon us by God, the Creator, and live by His rules.  If we do not obey those laws or abide by His rules, we can never be said to “fear” or “revere” the name of God. If we do not “fear” or “revere” the name of God, then we must be considered as the “evildoer”.[6] This truth is superbly clear in Scripture. Yet, today, we have those who say that they “fear the name of God”, that they love Jesus, and that they are Christians; all the while they despise the laws and rules given by God.

This situation outlined is seen definitely and clearly in regard to the battle over homosexuality and homosexual union. Thus, it seemed appropriate to highlight the absolute inconsistency of those who speak nonsense in the name of God.

God’s law prescribes the death penalty for a number of sins; significant sins that attack either God or Man. Thus, God says that the following are to forfeit their lives:[7]

  • The Murderer (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 20:13; Exodus 21:12-14);
  • The Kidnapper (Exodus 21:16);
  • The Rapist (Deuteronomy 22:23-24);
  • The Adulterer (Leviticus 20:10; Exodus 20:14);
  • Witchcraft (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10-13);
  • Bestiality (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23);
  • Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:10-16);
  • The Homosexual (Leviticus 18: 22; Leviticus 20:13).[8]

The point of this list is to highlight the nonsense spoken in the name of God by those who say that they are practicing homosexuals, fearing God’s name, and respecting God’s law. These twist the words of Scripture in order to justify their perversion and their false rhetoric is made apparent when a list like this is adduced.

Please, allow me to explain. Here is a list of crimes against God and Man that God so loathes that He, in His divine wisdom and sovereignty, has proscribed with the death penalty. Now, in our modern day, we have those, claiming to follow God, love God, and honour God, who say that the proscription of  and penalty prescribed for homosexual behaviour is no longer of any consequence. They go on to add that they can practice their homosexuality and serve God without any detriment or compromise.

Now, arguments can be adduced to counter those claims, but we want to take a much simpler road – How welcome would categories 1-7 be in your local church or any church for that matter? Think about this! How welcome would be the unrepentant Murderer, Kidnapper, or Rapist? Would there be a general feeling that God loves this person so much that their sin, practiced openly and without remorse, should go without rebuke? How many would willingly send their daughters to Sunday school or on the church camp with men like this in their midst?

Which one of you would front up to church on Sunday morning eagerly awaiting a sermon from a Satanist or blasphemer? How eagerly would you attend the Bible study if these same persons were to be in charge and lead? How comfortable would you be with the Pastor conducting home visits when he is known to be an adulterer, unrepentant and on the prowl for his next conquest?

We could go on and give an example of bestiality, which would make you vomit; but there it is! How would you respond to any church that allowed the open practice of murder, rape, blasphemy, witchcraft, kidnapping, or bestiality? How would you respond to any congregation who refused to rebuke such sin and call for people to repent of it immediately?

To those who are of a more liberal ilk, “Where would you draw the line?”

The point here is simple. All of these behaviours are proscribed by God. Almighty God avows that those who commit these crimes should be put to death. Yet, in our day we have a number of people, calling themselves Christians, who want us to believe that one, and only one, of these heinous crimes is no longer either heinous or grotesque.

Yet, it would seem that they still want the other crimes to be considered as heinous. After all, we have not heard vociferous cries to stop discriminating against murderers and pedophiles. We have not heard calls to overturn various “Proceeds of Crime” Acts, as these intrinsically discriminate against the criminal element. No, here there seems to be contentment. Why?

When all these crimes are viewed consistently from the Biblical perspective,[9] we see that it is indeed sheer nonsense to claim or believe that practicing homosexuals have any place inside the Church of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Even more ridiculous is the claim by these people that practicing homosexuals should be allowed to hold office in the Church of Jesus Christ.

One may be more sympathetic to the claims of these people if they were to be consistent and assert that the murderer, rapist, and kidnapper should all be allowed to ply their trade without discrimination or consequence. However, should they do so, the veil would completely fall, we would see behind the mask, and they would be exposed as evildoers who do not revere the name of Almighty God or obey His law.

The last word must be that of Scripture – a text that shows that those who claim to be God’s whilst openly rebelling against Him are deluded liars! The Apostle John writes: And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.[10]

Footnotes:

[1] Malachi 4:1-6.

[2] Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Zephaniah. Importantly, Joel’s reference is picked up and used by Peter in Acts 2.

[3] Acts 4:18; See also Acts 5:28.

[4] This very supposition is indeed problematic. When this supposition is brought to the fore, there is a tacit implication that God has changed in His essential character. This tacit implication suggests that the God who spoke in the Older Testament has mellowed with age and no longer finds certain moral deviations from His law objectionable. This view is popular, but it lacks in one important detail – there is no credible Biblical evidence to support it!

[5] Judgement – Acts 17:30-31 – “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” John 5:22-23 – “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” The Name: a unity – John 5:43 – “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him.” John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.” John 10:37-38 – “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” John 4:34 – “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.” Obedience, law, Love – John 14:15 – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” 1 John 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” Luke 18:18-22 – And a certain ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. “You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

[6] Again, reference to the Myth of Neutrality must be made. There are only two types of Man – obedient and disobedient. As Jesus said, you are either with Him or against Him!

[7] This list is not exhaustive, but highlights the main crimes. For an exhaustive list, see Rousas John Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law, 235.

[8] For those who do not like the Older Testament, we see that most of these crimes are denounced in the Newer Testament: I Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Timothy 1:8-11 – “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” Revelation 22:14-15 – “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”

[9] These crimes are prescribed as crimes by God. They are all proscribed by death. They are all denounced in God’s law, particularly in the Torah. Many are said to exclude a person from God’s presence, heaven, if you will. Hope is in Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ means repentance and turning from sin, not embracing it. Thus, what is true of one must of necessity be true of the other. Therefore, it is a logical fallacy, if there be no Biblical evidence, to assert that one of these crimes is now wiped from God’s statute book while the others remain.

[10] 1 John 2:3-6.

Of Shepherding Shepherds

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(Eldership in the 21st Century)

In a recent edition of Una Sancta[1], Brother P. Posthuma wrote on Eldership. In that article he contended that there is a place in the Church for Christian counsellors. To be sure, he upheld the primacy of Eldership, but nonetheless hinted that elders needed supplementation in our day, particularly by those trained to deal with mental illness. This article was of great interest to the current author as it is a topic that is near and dear to his heart. As I read Brother Posthuma’s work, I must admit to feeling as though I had been placed on a roller coaster at a popular theme park. I felt the emotions soaring then plummeting. After the ride, my head was spinning and my knees were the consistency of jelly.

Now, before moving on, let me make a few things very clear:

  1. This article is not an attempt to discredit my Brother. Far from it. Referring back to the roller coaster ride, there were indeed high points. I am sure that we agree on much.
  2. The importance of the Eldership is such that we need to deal with it Biblically. Neglect in this area will be calamitous.
  3. As such, this article is issued as one more step in constructing a Biblical perspective on Eldership. I wish, therefore, not to diminish brother Posthuma’s work, but to build upon it.

Alright, back to the topic at hand and that nagging question that you have in your mind – Why was my head spinning and my knees the consistency of Jelly?

The basic reason is that the good Brother’s article hinted at some very important issues that need to be grappled with, but, regrettably, did not follow through to a consistently Biblical conclusion. Thus, one was caused to soar to lofty heights before being brought back down in a hurry with all the attendant “gut wrenching” sensations that normally accompany such an exercise.

There is no doubt that our Brother pushed very hard to establish eldership as a God given model that is to hold pride of place. However, as noted, there were the lows.  If God has appointed elders, why do we need counsellors? Why have we erected ecclesiastical roadblocks that hinder Biblical practice? What can a university add to a man that the Spirit of God cannot? Are we today confronted by situations to which the Bible does not speak either explicitly or by “good and necessary consequence?”[2]

These questions, and others, must be answered candidly. We must seek the Biblical data and the Biblical data alone, lest we be found to be introducing threads of ungodliness to our thought process. Regrettably, this author believes that such threads were, in part, introduced in the article to which we referred. The gate was left ajar and unlatched – yes, ever so slightly. Nonetheless, that small oversight means that the slightest nudge will see the gate swing further open.

With Brother Posthuma, I wholeheartedly agree that God has ordained elders for the governance of His Church and the wellbeing of His sheep. Peter’s restoration is a clear testament to this fact.[3] These men should be esteemed. These men rightly occupy Moses seat and are therefore worthy of respect.[4] These men are, literally, on the front line of the Kingdom battle as we seek to eject Satan from this our Father’s world. Consequently, we should not make their task difficult. We should pray for them often and by name. This is our great privilege as the non-elders.

However, we cannot esteem elders and eldership, on the one hand, and then introduce unBiblical data, on the other, that erodes the very standard that we have just professed. Thus, we must question whether or not many of the issues surrounding elders and eldership in our day do not in fact come from the tacit acceptance of unBiblical data.

(This said, I may need to encourage you to continue reading whilst sitting on the floor with a ribbon holding your hat firmly in position.)

My background is that of a different Reformed denomination – a denomination that actually sees unregenerate men appointed as elders. As a consequence, there are many horror stories to tell. You may reply, “Well, we do not have such lax practices!” To which I would reply, “No, not yet!” (Gasp!)

You see Brethren, the point is not to focus upon current practice, but on the ideas (theology) that inform our practice? Our focus is not merely to be on the external and outward, but on the data that informs our ideas and which, thereby, undergirds and instructs our practice.[5] Thus, the problem surrounding elders and eldership in the 21st Century has less to do with the examination of divergent practice and more to do with the degree to which divergent data has been inculcated into our systems of belief and governance.[6]

Thus, a denomination that ordains ungodly men to the eldership is different from the one that does not only because the former has travelled further down the “slippery slope” of disbelief. In short, it has adopted more unBiblical data and thus the practices in that denomination have become more obviously corrupt.

Again, if we focus merely on the externals and begin to feel all warm and gooey inside because we do not do what they do, we miss the fundamental point that, at some stage, these people also once had a Biblical practice founded on Biblical data. They then adopted a faulty standard or data set, a standard other than Scripture, which led to a corruption of the Biblical standard and the implementation of the corrupt. Consequently, the salient question must be, “Have we begun to allow unBiblical data into our thought process in regard to elders and eldership?”

1. Rationalism:

Living in our individualistic, scientific age, we are no longer content with, “Thus saith the Lord!” Rather, we want to find a researched article or some other academic device that supports the Biblical position. This seems harmless enough. Yet, here, there is great danger. Why? Very simple; in the end, we begin to argue science, research, or academic opinion rather than the Word of God.

Just today, as I construct this article, the following headline came to me from a prominent Christian organisation: “WHY Fathers MATTER – research reveals the truth!” Does this mean that fathers did not matter until science stepped in with a helping hand? If so, then fathers can be relegated to irrelevancy by another study that takes a contrary position.

Please allow a further illustration using coffee. As a middle aged man, I hear all sorts of reports on the consumption of coffee and most are contradictory or limited in their application. If I drink too much coffee, I may have high blood pressure or end up with a failing heart. Then, another report says, ‘Na. Coffee is great!’ Finally I hear, ‘If you are middle aged, drink five cups per day as it has been proven to combat prostate cancer.’

So, my options are: 1. Bathe in coffee and flourish in every way; 2. Bathe in coffee and have my head explode from high blood pressure, but not die of prostate cancer; 3. Don’t bathe in coffee, maybe avoid high blood pressure and heart problems, but open myself up to prostate cancer! Anyone for a coffee?

The point that I hope you will see is that there is no absolute answer available in Rationalism. Research contradicts research; academic paper contradicts academic paper; expert contradicts expert, and so on.

Therefore, if we Christians adopt this rationalistic approach, we begin to rely on the so-called ‘wisdom of men’ rather than upon the absolute wisdom of God. When this happens, we find ourselves at the ‘whim and fancy’ of every research paper produced or that of every so-called expert that makes an announcement.

Sadly, this rationalism is too prevalent in Christian circles. Recently, during the debate over homosexual union[7], this rationalism came to the fore. We were told to write to our politicians and insist that children “need a mum and dad.” The obvious question then is, “What is a “mum” or a “dad”?

If we rely on the definitions given by rebellious man, these terms could mean anything. Moreover, these terms would change with every new piece of research. If you question this, please conduct a simple experiment. Find yourself both a new and an old dictionary. Now look up some moral term, for example, marriage. What you will note is that these definitions are changing. The dictionary is being made to conform to current practice. Similarly, the terms “mum” and “dad” will be moulded to conform to the current (secular) view of the family.

Relating this to eldership, the obvious force is to question why we need to wait for “enough university qualified and trusted persons totally committed to what the Bible teaches who could also advise and consult with elders.”[8] The implicit connotation in this statement is that elders are neither “academically qualified” nor “totally committed to what the Bible teaches” and as such are in desperate need of supplementation by other (Humanistic) professionals in order to ensure that they stay on the path of truth.

Here we encounter one of those “head spinners”. The statement unequivocally upholds a Biblical standard – these must be “committed to what the Bible teaches” – yet, in the very same sentence, we see the introduction of that which the Bible does not teach—the university qualified.

In Ephesians 4:11-12 we read, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,  to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up”. You will note that this list is devoid of counsellors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Also, you will note that there is no mention of the need to be “university qualified”. What you will see is that God, in Christ, appointed, for the edification and building of the Church, certain offices, which are to be filled by qualified officers. Among these is the pastor (Gk: Shepherd).

Turning to Acts 20:28-29, we witness Paul giving the following counsel to the Ephesian elders: “Keep watch[9] over yourselves and all the flock[10] of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.[11] Be shepherds[12] of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.  I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock[13].”

The point in bringing these texts together is to show what the Bible does and does not emphasise. Extracurricular offices are absolutely denied. No room is given to the concept that secular institutions may turn out a superior product of which the Church should avail Herself. On the contrary, Scripture stands firm. God has given offices to His Church. In these offices are God’s officers, having been appointed by the Holy Spirit. These and these alone are to govern and to defend; for only that appointed, anointed, and empowered by God’s Spirit can adequately care for God’s precious blood bought Church.

It must be remembered that only the true shepherd stands in the face of adversity. The hireling tucks tail and runs.[14] The hireling simply will not defend against the “savage wolf”. Equally, those not having the mind of Christ cannot relate to the Christian whose mind is set on Christ. “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”[15] In similar vein, the one trained by the world, will tend to bring the world’s ideas into the Christian arena, polluting it to one degree or another.

Consequently, Biblical wisdom behoves us to follow the Biblical pattern. God instituted elders for the governance of the Church in the Old Testament. Christ did not alter this. Much rather, Christ’s Apostles continued the practice[16] thereby reaffirming the validity of the elder and his office.

If there are issues regarding elders and eldership in our day, then they are not with the concept of eldership. The problem must be in our inadequate application of the Biblical data, both in regard to the standards for elders and our duty toward elders. Our responsibility then is to return to the data revealed for us by God’s Spirit – the same Spirit who appoints elders – and to stand in that light making sure that we conform to every jot and tittle. This is our only option, for the Bible does not give us warrant to abandon or supplement elders or the eldership.

With Brother Posthuma, we must assert an absolute belief in God’s order and standard as revealed in His infallible Word. This confident stand must, in the first instance, cause us to treasure that order so dearly that we will automatically reject anything that seeks to encroach upon the oracles of God. Thus, we must reject both Humanism and Rationalism at the outset. To accept data from these sources is to step onto the “slippery slope”. It is to introduce that thin thread of false data that will eventually corrupt the whole system.

 

[1] Volume 61, No 7; 8 Feb 2014. Pages 165-167.

[2] The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men. Westminster Assembly, The Westminster Confession of Faith, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995. Chapter 1, Section 6. See also The Belgic Confession Article 7 – that the teaching (of Scripture) is perfect and complete in all respects.

[3] John 21:15-19.

[4] Matthew 23:1ff.

[5] This concept is a two-way street. The Biblical data addresses both the shepherd and the sheep. Hence, whilst the bulk of this article will look at the shepherds, the sheep must realise that the same data places obligations upon them also.

[6] For clarity, think here of the old adage, ‘Ideas have consequences.’

[7] I refuse to use the term “homosexual marriage”.

[8] Shepherding the Flock, p.166. Emphasis added.

[9] This is an imperative or command.

[10] This is the same noun as used in Ephesians 4:11. God gave pastors (shepherds) to watch over the flock (sheep).

[11] Overseers and Elders are two different Greek terms. Whilst some believe these terms to refer to different offices, the Biblical data would suggest that they refer to the same office. Here in Acts 20:17, Paul calls the “elders” to himself and then states that they have been appointed as “overseers” (20:28). Seemingly, Paul saw no difference. Hence, the best way to understand these terms is that the term “elder” refers to the character of the officer, whilst the term “overseer” refers to the character of the office.

[12] This is the same root word as already encountered and it means “to act as a shepherd”.

[13] The same term as previously used.

[14] John 10:12-13.

[15] Romans 8:7.

[16] Titus 1:5.

Praying in Difficult Times: A Response

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[One of our readers asked for some guidance in regard to knowing how to pray in this time of chaos. The following is a reply to that request. It is by no means all that can or should be said, however, we hope that the basics given will help you to establish a strong and confident prayer life. For those interested in additional reading, can I please recommend Andrew Murray’s, Waiting on God.]

Introduction:

In answer to your question, Nina, I believe we need, as always, to take our guidance from God’s word. I understand the despondent tone of your question. Sometimes it seems as though we are about to be swept away in the flood because God appears distant or unaware of our circumstances. At other times, it may seem as though our prayers bounce of the ceiling. What is important, at this point, is to discern between our subjective perception of the situation and the objective reality. In other words, we need to distinguish between our perspective of the situation, based in our feelings, emotions, and limitations and God’s perspective, based in His immutability, promise, and sovereignty.

In all such cases, we must remember the promises of God – “Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. “Now My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. “For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually”(2 Chronicles 7:12-16); “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13); “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

God is listening and is attentive to the prayers and petitions of His people. These prayers, imperfect and stuttering as they may be, are corrected and amplified by the Holy Spirit and by Jesus (Romans 8:26-27; Hebrews 7:25). Thus, we should have great confidence in prayer. We should not hold back from prayer because of uncertainty. We must pray – even if our prayer is, “Lord, I do not know what to pray. Please, teach me.”

So, the first thing that I would encourage is prayer itself. This may seem silly, but it is a necessary exhortation. I have personally witnessed the decline of prayer in the Church and have seen prayer meetings fold when a congregation has run into strife. Such actions would tend to indicate the lack of a substantial prayer-life in that congregation in the first place. However, the real tragedy is that, in the heat of battle, the cries of the saints fell silent. The warriors were severed from their General when this important line of communication was cut. When this happened men began to rely upon other men rather than upon God, the Rock of our Salvation.

So it is that I reiterate: the first point in praying successfully is committing to a regular time of prayer. We cannot be held back by any excuse. Prayer is communication with our God and Father through communication with Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. To make an excuse for not praying is to say that the … is bigger than or more important than God. It is to say that you desire God less than …! This should never be.

So pray.  This is where we must start.

Second, let me say a few things in general about prayer. Prayer is communication with God. It is the essence of communication in our familial relationship that is our redemption in Jesus. As such, it is fundamentally important. We would not accept the overtones of a wife who asserted that she loved her husband even though she had no desire to talk to him. So why should we accept the protestations of the Christian who asserts this same reasoning in regard to God?

Nothing should stop us from expressing our desire for God and coming to Him in prayer.

This said, it is also important to continue the analogy. There are many successful marriages, but most are conducted differently. There are essential aspects that are the foundation of these marriages, but they are no doubt implemented differently. In a similar way, our prayer lives will differ from person to person, but they should nonetheless display the same essential qualities.

Therefore, I am not going to say that you should lock yourself in a prayer closet for X minutes a day or that you should pray X times a day. What we must do is make sure we incorporate all the essential items into our relationship with God. So, using marriage again, there are aspects of the husband / wife relationship that are on display to all;[1] there are aspects that are intimate and private. By this I mean that there are times when prayer should be spontaneous – it happens on the spot and in response to an event. It may be an audible, “Praise the Lord!” It may be an audible, “Forgive me Father! for I have sinned.” It may be the cry of the heart at news that saddens. Each is acceptable. However, we should also aim at intimate times with God; special times that are just ours – times when we pour out our hearts in adoration, praise, and request. Times when we place before God a request made known only to Him—so that when it is answered we may yet have more reasons to magnify the Lord for His goodness and sovereignty which is directed toward His children.

For young Christians, and even seasoned Christians who have not been mentored adequately, the thought of an intimate prayer time can be daunting. Questions flood the mind. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I use the wrong word? What if my mind goes blank?

My response is theologically stunning – Who cares? God desires to fellowship with you. He has loved you from eternity in Jesus Christ. You are now His newly born child. He loves you immensely and wants to be the significant part of your life and to fellowship deeply with you. Do you think for a moment that the Father of all fathers is going to ‘switch off’ because a word is mispronounced or faltering?

Do you know of any earthly father that was repulsed at his child’s first stammering effort of ‘dada’? I would think not. In fact, most parents engage in fierce rivalry to see which can evoke the ‘dada’ or ‘mama’ first. Then they crow over these faltering words. Therefore beloved, do not ever bring to mind such thoughts. Your Father in heaven knows you are but a new born child and that your words will falter. He cares not. He too will crow (in a non-proud, holy sense) that His newly born child has uttered His name, no matter how imperfectly.

Equally, remember that when these words fall from your mouth, you are not alone. Not only do you speak to your Father, but you sit upon the knee of your elder Brother, Jesus. Like all elder brothers, he will understand and make known for you the desires of your heart, even if your words are inadequate.

So please, beloved brethren, do not let such thoughts cloud your mind and prevent you from starting that intimate, familial conversation, “Abba, Father …!”

If these concerns are not eased by this inadequate advice, then pick a passage of Scripture. The Bible contains many prayers. Maybe the Lord’s Prayer.[2] Maybe Moses’ song.[3] Maybe Mary’s prayer.[4] Then, of course, there are the many Psalms that could be prayed. Each of these can provide a basis for building a vibrant prayer life.[5]

Advice on Prayer:

So how and for what should we pray?

First, I believe sincerely that we need to get “fair dinkum” with God. When we pray, as in all things, God knows the true desire of our hearts. It seems that in our modern world, we pray nicely, politely, conveniently, shortly (for we do not wish to disturb God too much), and ineffectively.

Yes, our prayers should be reverential. We most certainly should remember “the Fear of the Lord” when we pray. However, such truths should not lead us to sterile prayers. Learning from Biblical men and women, we must learn to wrestle with God. The Psalmists’ prayers were not sterile. They poured their very hearts out to God. Jesus is shown to wrestle greatly with God in the garden, asking that the “cup” may pass from Him. We see the prophet question God concerning His tactics in whom He would use to judge Israel. Nowhere do we see a rebuke for such prayers.

So not only is it important that we pray, it is important that we pray earnestly and honestly. We need to tell our Father that we do not understand; that we are confused; that we do not feel that we can hang on much longer. We need to go to our Father and say, “You have promised …! I am not seeing this promise fulfilled. Help me understand.” We need to positively express what we are feeling so that we are not guilty of trying to deceive God – thinking one thing but praying another.

Equally, we need to express to our Father our desire. We need to be willing to ask God to act (Psalm 119:126) and to do something. I am convinced that we do not see many prayers answered today because we do not actually ask God for anything. We are too trite and polite to really get to the crux of the matter and to ask God for specifics.

Second, we need to own our guilt. When we come to prayer, we often look at the mess “out there” and look at the failings of others. Biblically, we seem to get a different picture. When Isaiah saw the vision of the Lord (Isaiah 6:5) he exclaimed, “Woe is me!” He started with “I am” before he got to the people. Similarly, we see Jeremiah pen these words, “For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, since our youth even to this day (3:25)”.

Taking these lessons, we need to begin by asking the Lord to forgive any personal shortcomings and sins. We need to sincerely ask the Lord to show us our failings and the areas in which we need to improve (Psalm 139). This is the prayer equivalent of taking out the log so that we can see the speck. The Lord will not hear us if we are praying hypocritically.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves the potent questions in regard to obeying God, before we demand answers from our politicians. What are our attitudes to the purity of God’s worship? How will a pagan government respect God’s day, if the Christian and the Church do not? What are our attitudes to God’s word? How will a pagan government respect the authority of the Bible when Christians and the Church do not? What are our attitudes to sexuality and its correct expression? How will a pagan government uphold the sanctity of marriage when Christians and the Church are silent on ‘sex before marriage’, fornication, divorce, and homosexuality? What are our attitudes to God’s rule? How will a pagan government submit to God’s rule when Christians and the Church do not?

Third, when we pray nationally (for or concerning our nation), we need to pray toward a Biblical end – the glory of God! Here, instruction can be gleaned from passages such as 1Timothy 2:1-2: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

At once, we need to note, highlight, state, and reinforce the fact that civil government is a minister of God. Too often, it would seem that Christians do not know how to pray in regard to the State because they have been led to believe that the State has the right to do whatever it wants. Apparently, in the New Testament we have a realisation of Psalm 2:3-4. Apparently, the kings of the earth have successfully thrown off the fetters of God. This is exactly what we should believe given the proclamations of the moderns.

However, this is nonsense and it borders on heresy. In Psalm 2 God was victorious having established His Son upon the throne. The nations, as a consequence, were issued with an ultimatum – kiss the Son or perish! Where in the New Testament do we see that this message is any different? Nowhere! The New Testament writers quote Psalm 2 to show that Jesus was the One begotten of the Father and given rule over the nations.[6] Revelation 19 clearly picks up this picture given in Psalm 2 and again applies it to Jesus. So, the kings of the earth are still under an obligation to yield to King Jesus.

This fact is even evident from the text of 1Timothy 2:1-2, quoted above. Why are we to pray for those in authority? Is it not so that we can lead peaceful lives in all godliness and holiness? Pray tell, how do we live a peaceful and Godly life if the “authorities” are rightly entitled to impose chaos and ungodliness? The obvious intent of Paul’s instruction is to the end that the “authorities” would be godly and God-honouring.[7] To be this, they must self-consciously submit to God’s rule; ipso facto they must obey the Biblical principles that lead to peace and godliness!

A similar principle is found in the Lord’s Prayer. What are we praying for when we utter the words, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? Are we to believe that there are calls for homosexual recognition in heaven? God forbid. I gag just writing those words. Therefore, if the perfect righteousness of our God, the standard prescribed and upheld in heaven, is to be “done” here on earth, should we really be saying to the government that they are free to rule as they see fit? May it never be!!

Consequently, we should never be afraid or unwilling to pray against governments and government officials. If it is right to pray, “God’s will be done!” then it is also right, read ‘mandatory’, that we pray against anything that would exalt its will against God. These, we are to destroy (2 Corinthians 10:5), not prosper.

Therefore, if we pray for the inviolability of marriage as God ordained it, we must pray against those things which attack it. As such, we would pray against homosexuality, fornication, adultery, divorce, try-before-you-buy, and the like. If it is right that God’s law be the standard for our nation, then we must pray for this and pray against any other false standard. If we would see revival in the Church and reform in our nation, then we must pray for those men who preach and proclaim Christ truthfully and pray against those whose speak falsely.

Fourth, when principles like these are brought together we must see that our prayer life, when broken down into its constituent parts, consists of two things: Positively, prayer for God’s glory and those who seek and act to His glory; Negatively, prayer against all that oppose God’s right to seek His own glory.

As noted in What a Ruddy Mess, I am currently asking God to decimate the Labor Party, the Greens, The Democrats, and those independents who gave Julia Gillard power. I do so because, in terms of Psalm 2, these people conspired against God and His Christ. The untrammelled desire for power on the part of some meant giving into demands to foist unrighteousness upon this nation, moving us further under God’s judgement. Their banding together in unrighteousness has created untold suffering. Therefore, I pray against them. I do so that God would be glorified. I do so that God would be vindicated. I do so to prove before God that not all have bowed the knee to Baal. I do so that these would be held to account and thereby be a practical demonstration of the fact that unrighteousness is a fool’s errand.

However, along side of this prayer is a prayer that God would also do some cleaning and clearing within the wider Church. There are too many pulpits occupied by windbags whose efforts amount to nothing more than them being oxygen thieves. These stand in pulpits and actively disown God’s word. They spend 20 minutes denying Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. They encourage godlessness and disobedience by proclaiming false messages. Then there are prayers to teach other pulpiteers the meaning of courage; others to teach them the meaning of humility; and more still that they would rightly distinguish between a God-anointed calling and a vocation!

This I do because the Scriptures teach me that a strong nation is a nation squared away in the things of God. So judgement and renewal must begin with the household of God.[8] It is the revival of the Church that will lead to the reform of our nation.

Thus, my bedrock prayer is that we would have a true Spirit filled revival of Christ’s Bride in this country. Not a fluff and bubble supposed revival, but the genuine article such as this nation has never seen before. I pray for true men of God to be raised up. Men whose only fear is God. Men equipped in God’s word and ways – men who know righteousness and how to live it.

For me, the end is not just political reform. My goal is the rule of Jesus Christ over every institution; the individual, the family, the Church, and the State. God’s word reveals that this path is tied inextricably to the Gospel of God, which is the power of God unto salvation. This Gospel alone can save every one of these institutions. However, it is all but useless if it be not faithfully proclaimed.

As Paul says, “How will they hear without a preacher?”[9]

Therefore, as stated, my bedrock prayer is for a true movement of God’s Spirit to the Revival of the Church in this nation so that there will be a true, powerful proclamation of Jesus Christ, the King. In this not only will paupers, but princes and kings, once more be authoritatively issued with the Divine decree to yield to Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, with hearts, minds, and wills subdued by God’s Divine power,  will men act in obedience to Jesus Christ. Then will God’s grace restrain evil and prosper righteousness. Then will men and governments bow the knee to Jesus and accept His rule.

Then, contrary to popular opinion, will true righteousness be legislated and act as a protection for the righteous and a restraint to the ungodly. Then our children will once more play in the streets and our wives and daughters walk alone without fear. Then we will lead peaceful and tranquil lives. We will do so because “Godliness” will be the standard and not fallen Man’s “mannishness”.

Conclusion:

Prayer is not as complicated as some would make out. It is a simple matter, at heart, of going to prayer and earnestly praying for God’s glory in Jesus Christ. As noted, there is also a clear implication that we would also pray against that which does not bring glory to God or to Jesus Christ.

Problems are usually encountered when various Christians express their opinions as to what does or does not glorify God. Here, again, the solution is reasonably simple – turn to the pages of Scripture! What lessons do we learn? What is proclaimed to glorify God? What things are said to dishonour God?

Once we have exercised the “Berean Attitude” then all that remains is to implement that knowledge in our lives and our prayers. Pray! Pray often. Pray earnestly!

Then we have the last essential ingredient. Pray expecting that God will keep His promises to hear your pleas and act. Pray the promises of God, not only expecting Him to keep His word, but asking Him to do so. Pray confidently knowing that the same elder Brother who helped your first faltering words still willingly aids and magnifies your prayers in the Father’s throne room.

Dear Sister, I hope that this has given some direction that will be of benefit in your current situation. God bless you as you pursue faithfulness in His service.

Might I also add that those who read this article will need to do some extrapolating. What is said here is applicable in many areas. Thus, we may refer to Governments and Politics; yet one could equally say Businesses, Bosses, Water Boards etc. Equally, we could speak of Fathers and Families. So, please, do not take this article as being a treatise on “Imprecations against the Government”. I urge you, by the mercies of God, to look at the principles exemplified and apply them to the situation you may face.

Addendum:

I am aware that the question will be raised in regard to praying against people or asking God that people be brought low under His judgement. Thus, I will attempt a few words in explanation.

          A. We must be wary of our modern era. Too many niceties have been added to God’s account; niceties that we do not find in Scripture. Therefore, we must be extremely careful that we are not countering God’s desire by actively expressing a common falsehood. As one example, many Christians today are more concerned with the sinner than they are with the glory of God. Such a switch leads to all kinds of errors. So, when asking questions concerning persons and God’s judgement, we must always view the issue from God’s perspective. His sovereignty and holiness demand nothing less.

          B. What do we do with the imprecatory Psalms and the many other imprecations found within Scripture? This is a particularly curly question for those who believe that such imprecations are unchristian. Sadly, many in the Church today express this exactly sentiment because they have not heeded the warning of the first point – they have been seduced by the philosophy of the world.

          C. It is not wrong for the Christian to pray against people or to seek God’s judgement upon them. Admittedly, this must not be done hot-headedly or without humility. Nonetheless, it is a perfectly acceptable part of the Christian walk.

I would like to continue in point form to hopefully make understanding these points easier:

A.   The Bible is God’s word. All Scripture is God breathed. This includes all the imprecations.

B.   Many who disapprove of the imprecations attempt to drive a wedge of some sort between the Biblical Testaments.

C.   Such a view is false precisely because there are imprecations in the Newer Testament.

D.   Jesus quotes from Psalm 69 in John 2:17; John 15:25. Psalm 69:21 is applied to Jesus in Matthew 27:34.

E.   Paul quotes Psalm 69:22 in Romans 11:9-10.

F.    The quotations of this Psalm by Paul and Jesus do not give it validity; they simply confirm and reinforce its existing validity as God authoritative word.

G.  Then there are the clear New Testament imprecations.

H.  Paul: “If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed.” 1 Corinthians 16:22

I.      Jesus: “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” Matthew 11:23-24

J.     Jesus: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! …“Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:29 & 36. (And they did!)

K.  Whilst not exactly an imprecation, we see that John, echoing Jeremiah, forbids prayer for certain sins: “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.” “As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you.” 1 John 5:16 c.f Jeremiah 7:16. See also Jeremiah 14:11ff.

L.   On a more personal level, we see two instances in the New Testament in which imprecations of a type are enacted. In Acts 13:4-12, we read of Paul’s encounter with “Bar-Jesus” a magician who was hindering Paul’s preaching. The salient verses are 10-11: “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? “And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” The other, also in Acts, is Peter’s interaction with Ananias and Sapphira. In Acts 5:9 we encounter the significant text: “Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out as well.” In both cases, the Apostles uttered words that had an immediate effect upon those to whom they were spoken. In both cases these parallel the imprecation in that the effects were negative.

M. Lastly, let us throw in a really curly one. Psalm 35 is an imprecatory Psalm. In verses five through eight we read:  “Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the Lord driving them on.  Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord pursuing them. For without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.  Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.” Please note the role of the Angel of the Lord. It is almost universally held that the Angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ. The moderns will no doubt find such a link offensive. Those who believe the Bible will simple see it as consistent with the New Testament’s affirmation that Jesus is appointed as God’s judge (Acts 10:42; Acts 17:30-31).

N.   This is the testimony of God’s one Word revealed in Jesus Christ and authored by the Holy Spirit!

O.  Practically, we must be responsible and humble in dealing with this knowledge. It is not ours to simply waltz around the place calling down curses. However, what we are shown clearly is that such an action is not wrong given that it is done in appropriately.

P.    The appropriate measure seems to entail persistent rebellion and opposition to the proclamation of the Gospel message.

Q.  Importantly, and this to reinforce the point already made, imprecations are not a means of personal vengeance. They are an avenue for the vindication and establishment of God’s glory. (Please also remember, when dealing with such issues, the hatred with which a holy God views sin.)

R.   In light of this, I personally have no issue asking the Lord to deal with our treacherous Government and particular politicians who have openly waved their fists at God; who have ridiculed His people for bidding them “repent and live”; who have mocked those who have asked them to yield to God’s command; who have scorned Jesus Christ and the path of life; and who, in terms of Romans 1, have actively encouraged others to sin all the more and “hang the consequences!”

S.    In fact, in such circumstances, I fail to see that there is any other legitimate path for the Christian. In Psalm 139:19-22 David says, “O that Thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against Thee wickedly, And Thine enemies take Thy name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate Thee, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against Thee? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.” When we analyse these words, we are forced to ask, “What is David’s intent?” If we can get past the emotive language, what we see is a man seeking nothing more than conformity to His God. If we look throughout the Psalms, let’s take Psalm 119 as an example, we see David laud God’s law. It is His life (vv 81, 97). He loves this Law so much that he would rather be dead than be without it. In this context, David concludes, “Therefore I hate every false way” (vv 104, 128).

T.   Is this not our goal? Romans 8:29 states categorically that the end result of our salvation is that we would be “conformed to the image of His Son”, Jesus. Hence, we should be willing to identify with our God in all things. That means loving what He loves and hating that which He hates.

U.   Lastly, this conformity must be expressed in all our desires and aspirations – lived and prayed!

 

[1] No, I am not suggesting any type of Pharisaic mimicry.

[2] Matthew 6:9 ff.

[3] Exodus 15; Deuteronomy 32.

[4] Luke 1.

[5] Here, I would add an exhortation and a caution. If you adopt this practice, you must commit to praying two other prayers. 1. Lord, teach me to pray. 2. Lord, teach me from these examples in Your Word. The caution, do not refuse to grow in prayer! I know Christians who have walked with the Lord for many years and their prayer life is stunted. They pray pre-written prayers out of such booklets as “Daily Bread” and their graces are those rote learnt as children. Again, these are acceptable starting places, but they make for an inadequate and pitiable finish line. Thus, these two prayers must be attached, like training wheels, so that the novice is upheld. However, like training wheels, the rider cannot rely on them forever. The rider must develop skills so that the training wheels can be discarded. If this does not happen, the rider is forever limited by the restriction imposed by those wheels. At this point, the aid becomes a hindrance and a limitation.

[6] See: Acts 4:25-26. It is also worth noting, in the context of Christ’s dominion, how often Psalm 2’s statement that “He shall rule them with a rod of iron” is picked up in the New Testament. See: Revelation 2:26-27; 12:5; 19:15

[7] Paul’s argument in Romans 13 clearly bears out this point. In that text, Paul calls the magistrate a minister or servant of God.

[8] 1 Peter 4:17.

[9] Romans 10:14.

The Evangelism of Despair: Preachers v Laity (Pt 2)

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The Revolution outlined in Part 1 is important for our understanding. We must see the cause and effect of ungodliness in the Family and in the Church. In both instances, the solution to an apparent failing of one party was to either rebel against or subjugate the other party. At no point were the Scriptures studied or Biblical counsel brought to the fore.

The consequence of this Revolution has been nothing short of needless destruction and the ultimate failure to reach the stated goal. Why? Precisely because it is Humanism!

To illustrate the issue, let us look at one further example from Feminism. As we know, “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.” So what! This is Biblical. God tells us that there are differences (Male / Female) in our similarity (Man). However, God also tells us that we are better and more potent as a team (Marriage). Humanism, in the form of Feminism, recognised the differences, but their response was to start a war between the sexes.  Rather than see the potential of the two combined in compatibility, they chose a fight to the death.

The same is true of evangelism. God’s plan was never one or other; us or them; laity against Officer. God’s plan emphasised both! Throughout Scripture God had both Witness (laity) and Proclamation (Elders / Prophets / Apostles). Sadly, this point is missed because the Dodgy Theology Brigade have rent the Scriptures and once again insisted that the New Testament is brand new, full of differences, rather than complete by means of consistency.

When we look to both Testaments, we see that God appointed his commissioned to speak and act. These were those who rightly and properly held office. They are God’s officers and to them belong both the right and obligation to speak authoritatively from God and in His Name. This is not something, contrary to Church Growth, that belongs to all Christians. It is a particular call to hold an authoritative office within God’s Church.

Thus, in the Old Testament, we have kings, priests, judges, and prophets. In the New Testament, we have prophets, apostles, and preachers.

Alongside of these, there have always been those who make up the Church. Their job is to be a consistent witness to the truth of what the commissioned proclaim. What point is there for the proclaimer to state anything, if he has no tangible proof to back his claims? Therefore, the consistent living and obedience of God’s people has always been of manifest importance as a witness in support of the authoritative proclamation.

When the preacher says, “If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed;” we testify, stating that “we are freed prisoners.” When the preacher says, “God sent His Son into the world to save sinners”; we shout together, “and such were we, but we have been washed and sanctified”. When the world looks to us, they should see this explicit demonstration of freedom and of righteousness, which confirms and witnesses to the preached word.

Through our role as living epistles, we have the power to witness and show forth the radiance of the glory of Jesus Christ. This is potent. It is a genuine tool in the hands of God. Sadly, though, the moderns have despised this because they seek for themselves the more prestigious position of proclaimer.

In God’s order, He has appointed His men to preach. Equally, in God’s order, He has appointed us all to live! The proclamation is witnessed to and verified by obedient living. Both must exist in harmony. Unlike the previous articles, you are not being asked to make a choice of one or other. Today, you are being asked to accept both as God’s means of mission in the world. You are being asked to respect God’s design and to not covet positions to which you have not been called or adopt methods that God has not ordained. The analogy is again one taken from your homes. Fathers, do not act as children. Wives, do not usurp your husbands. Children, be children and do not seek to rule. Fulfil your God-appointed roles!

My plea is this: Preachers, understand your God-given role. Take His commission to heart. Climb back into your pulpits and begin to thunder with the voice of authority. Laity, go home! Husbands, love your wives; wives, respect your husband’s; children, obey your parents; families, honour God – and thereby shine and redound to the absolute glory of God. Preachers, call the lost; edify the saint. Laity, learn righteous and radiate Christ in all of life. Together, testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God come in the flesh!

The true power of transformation can only be unleashed when God’ people work in unity by self-consciously fulfilling their respective calls. Anything else is, fluff, bubble, smoke and mirrors – it is usurpation; it is unholy!

“Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3

The Evangelism of Despair: Preachers v Laity

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Who is to evangelise? Now there is a sticky question. One which is sure to create great debate, but only if we ignore Scripture!

The issue of evangelism has, unfortunately, been side-tracked by modern worldly perspectives. The common idea is that ministers had evangelism all to themselves while the laity (for want of a better term) sat around and listened to the sermonising of the pulpiteers waiting for the Rapture. These ministers were seen as “glory hounds” with their fancy robes and ecclesiastical paraphernalia. As the world agitated more and more against authority, it was only a matter of time before the rumblings reached the pew – adequately aided by the State education of the pew sitters.

Then came the revolution! Books like “Liberating the Laity” hit the stands and were devoured. The phraseology changed. “Laity” became a term that was to be spurned. All were now said to be ‘ministers’. This change was even justified on the Biblical grounds that the Bible speaks about the “priesthood of all believers”. The poor, oppressed laity were finally unchained, freed, and let loose on the world. They were encouraged to find and explore new avenues of mission. They were encouraged to make up the rules as they went along. Finally, people with real vigour and passion were enabled and empowered to venture forth and save the lost, leaving the ecclesiastical bombasts to their pontificating.

Where has the Revolution taken us? What did this Revolution achieve?

To be perfectly blunt, it achieved nothing more than to destroy the Church, its worship, and its witness. The reason for this boils down to one important fact: this movement was not from God! It was one more example of Humanism being rushed by the baptismal and then press-ganged into the service of the Church.

Having had the rampant Humanistic doctrine of Individualism taught to them for decades, the laity were simply glad to be free so as to scratch their itching feet. They cared not whether this movement was Biblical. I doubt that any really stopped to ask the question. The laity were free at last from the chains of a draconian ecclesiastical system. Now they were free to express the desires of the individualist that had been lurking in the shadows of their heart.

This happening parallels the destruction of the family through Feminism. Men had, to some extent, dropped the ball as head. As per Scripture’s prophecy (Genesis 3:16), women simply sought the opportunity and the excuse to step up and take on the mantle. Again, few stopped long enough, if at all, to question the Biblical warrant. All they knew was that they finally had an opportunity to give expression to their desire.

The commonality in this process is important. First, the authority figure gave up on their task. Husbands and Elders ceased to understand their roles as Covenant heads and directors of Godliness. They failed to teach those under their care the importance of the Biblical order and role. Consequently, they failed to teach the basis for their authority and the necessary role and attitude of submission. Their servant-leadership disintegrated and the associated requirements of Biblical submission followed suit. Men became administrators; they bankrolled projects and organised community, but they were no longer holders of an office of authority.

The result of this was that Family and Church began to wander. They became aimless. As the Word of God ceased to speak with volume and clarity and its serene voice dwindled, so the raucous voice of Humanism grew louder and louder until it could be ignored no longer. As the Biblical model crumbled, a shift in leadership was imminent. Thus it was that Humanism stepped into the void and grasped the helm.

The result was Revolution; Familial and Ecclesiastical Revolution!

Understand this well. Do not dismiss its importance!

What is seen here is a Biblical picture too oft repeated. When trouble and crises came, the institutions of God did not turn back to their Biblical roots and to the wisdom of their God. No, they turned for counsel to the spurious one called, the World!

What does this have to do with Evangelism? Enter Part 2.

The Evangelism of Despair: Proclamation v Invitation

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In our last instalment, we looked at the post-fall estate of man and concluded that the Biblical picture of man is that he is “dead in trespass and sin”. As such, the idea of speaking about “seekers”, as one example, is incongruous with Biblical revelation. In this article, we will look at another incongruity.

Throughout the 50’s and 60’s, people became used to hearing about the invitation to come to Christ. This was popularised by men such as Billy Graham. This language is seen in the following sentence: “According to his staff, more than 3.2 million people have responded to the invitation at Billy Graham Crusades to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior.” Consequently, this term was popularised and made its way into the psyche and vocabulary of Christendom.

Once more, the truly pertinent question is, “Does this term reflect the Scriptural position?”

Once more, we must answer, “No, it does not!”

If man is dead, then it stands to reason that he can neither seek nor respond to an invitation. Please, put this to the test. Go to your local cemetery and place an invitation on each tomb inviting the occupant to attend your next soirée. Now the safest way to do this is to make sure that you add an RSVP to the invitation. That way, if I am wrong, said soirée will not be ruined! However, you will not do this because, in principle, you know that I am right. The dead do not seek. The dead do not respond to invitations.

This brings us to the salient point. Salvation is and always has been a sovereign, authoritative, act on the part of God. Consequently, Scripture is oblivious to the terminology of invitation, but replete with the language of proclamation.

To start, consider the OT usage of “Thus says the Lord!” God did not just, “throw it out there”. He did not give the “Ten Discussion Starters!” or the “Ten Suggestions”, as some have termed it. Yahweh did not reveal His “opinion” in the form of “guidelines”. No! Yahweh revealed His Word and His Word was Law! This is the “Judges decision. It is final. No correspondence shall be entered in to.”

Jonah did not invite Nineveh to repent. He proclaimed Yahweh’s proclamation of Judgement (Jonah 3:2). Ezekiel did not invite the dry bones to knit themselves together. He prophesied the command of Yahweh, “Hear!” (Ezekiel 37:4) Moses did not invite Pharaoh to release Israel.  Moses commanded Pharaoh to release Israel. Moses made proclamation to Pharaoh in the Name of Yahweh.

When we enter the NT, the language and method does not change. The Biblical approach can be viewed in the events surrounding Lazarus. He was dead. Helpless. Lifeless. Jesus did not simply invite Lazarus, “to pop on out” of his tomb at his first convenience. Rather, in a succinct summons, Lazarus was ordered from the tomb (John 11:43).

Thus, it is that in the NT we see preachers (having semblance to the prophets) appointed to proclaim the authoritative message of the fullness of the Kingdom (Matthew 10:7; 11:1). People were not being invited with a ‘take it or leave it message’; rather they were being summoned or commanded with regard to an authoritative announcement. The heralds went forth in the name of the King!

For us the lesson should be clear. Is it not time that we stopped playing futile games with people’s souls? The only possibility of salvation, according to normal means, comes through the authoritative proclamation or declaration of God’s commissioned mouthpieces. Rather than invite, our Preachers and Evangelists should proclaim and summon.

It is time the mouthpieces remembered their ambassadorial roles, girded up their loins, and spoke with the authority of the Great King. Theirs is the glorious privilege of calling dead men to life. If they lose confidence and belief in their calling and are persuaded to remain quiet, then the tombs shall remain full. Others may seek to replace them and engage in the practice of placing invites on tombs, but it will avail naught.

Dead men must be summoned by the voice of Christ, not invited by the words of men!

Part 5