Heroes and Heretics

I did a series of studies a couple of years ago with the Got Doctrine guys back in Michigan. One of them asked a question about who we should trust from the history of the Church. A ministry that he liked had, at that time, recently printed a retraction for quoting a Christian from past centuries. This made him question; who were the good guys and who were the bad guys? The important doctrines of the Church have always been there. However, sometimes people show up on the scene who challenge orthodox belief with some brand of novel corruption. It has been that way since the Church began. 1 John, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude all refute some brand of false teaching that had already crept into the Church before the closing of the New Testament Canon.

Acts 20:28-31 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  29  For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  30  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.  31  Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

However, these false teachers provided opportunities for those who understood the Scriptures to stand against them and expound the Truth in articulate ways that continue to benefit the Church to this day. All of the questions that people ask today have already been studied out in great detail and brought to the touchstone of Scripture where the truth has been clearly displayed. Is Jesus God? It the Trinity biblical? What did Constantine have to do with the Canon of the New Testament? Where there Christians in the Dark Ages while Rome suppressed the Gospel? When did images begin to be used in the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Churches, Who was really the first Pope? History is clear on all of this.

Using resources from Covenant Seminary’s Worldwide Classroom and Reformed Seminary’s iTunes U as well as many original source documents from The Christian Classics Ethereal Library we sat and discussed this for eleven weeks with a group of Christian guys so that we could be informed about some of the most important teaching of the Christian Church. I encourage to check it out and follow up on some of those resources. Then, whether you have your own questions, questions from other Christians or from the cult member who comes to your door, you can answer them with the authority of the Bible and the strong Christian Believers who have gone before us.

Check it out by clicking on the link below where you will see the list of subjects and time periods that we have examined.

Heroes and Heretics - Developing Doctrine by Refuting Heresy

In Christ!

Kevin

The Character of Repentance [Jonah Pt. 6]

The Chacter of Repentance

Sometimes we need to grow up and move beyond our childhood Sunday School knowledge of the Scriptures. I was approached by one lady from the church after the service who was amazed at how good the messages from Jonah have been. God’s Word is so powerful! Not to pick on the lady, rather it is the PULPIT that is to blame as much as anything else. Too many milk-sodden pews leave the people in them with no defense against people like Rob Bell and his latest horrific offering to to consumer Christianity. No, I haven’t read Love Wins (and I find myself too busy now to give it my time), but the MSNBC interview with him showed me that the news guy has a better grasp on the Gospel than poor Rob does.

Some sound theologians respond to Love Wins

Michale Horton’s  Whitehorse Inn

Tom Pryde’s Sermons in Song

Today we looked hard at an important aspect of the true Gospel, repentance. Repentance is a part of the Gospel. It is an integral part of the message of Jesus and the Apostles! The way we live in time reflects what our eternity will be like. If we embrace the message of the Gospel by faith, that faith will be demonstrated in a difference in the life we live from that point on.

John the Baptist preached it; Matthew 3:7-8 “But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  8  Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, ”

Jesus Began His ministry with the message, Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

The Apostle Peter’s Pentecost sermon was capped with the very same command, Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  39  ‘For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all those afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’”

So, what does it truly mean to repent? When Jonah finally submitted to the command of the Lord and made it to Nineveh, we see true repentance. It is not so profound from the man of God as it is from the entire city of heathens.  When God’s message reaches the people of Nineveh this is the response.

Jonah 3:8-9 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.  9  Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

An acknowledgment of sin. A resignation to the authority and justice of God. A realization that only by His mercy will we ever be able to stand. A desire to turn away from that which God hates. Only when these things come together will we ever truly repent. Unless and until we do repent, we have no hope of God’s mercy. Separating repentance from the Gospel is like separating the office visit from going to the doctor. I believe I am sick. I have made an appointment. Then I sit at home and expect to get better without doing what is required. If I really believe I am sick and that the doctor is my hope of getting well, that will affect my behavior. I will go to the doctor.

If I believe I am God’s enemy because of my sin and that He can and will rightfully judge me; that my only hope is to trust in His method of redeeming me, then the act of trusting must be accompanied by an act of departing from that which initially made me His enemy.  This is the message from the beginning of the Scriptures to the end. This is the Gospel. To ignore repentance is to take away the power of the Gospel to save and the evidence that salvation has taken place.  “Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance”

I challenge you to give the message from Jonah 3 a listen. Click on the link below and hear The Character of Repentance and see whether you have found true, biblical repentance.

The Character of Repentance – Jonah 3

In Christ!

Kevin

The Anatomy of Faith

Does faith have an “anatomy?” you may ask. Doesn’t it just happen? It happens when we understand and accept a certain truth or proposition. But every time we say, “I believe,” that is not to say we have fully embraced that truth or proposition. Evidence of this is given in several places in the New Testament. We began in John 8:28-31 where Jesus was preaching to the Jews during the Feast of Tabernacles. He was speaking to them of His crucifixion and of His deity and we read in John 8:30 “As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.”

What was Jesus’ response to this “believing” of the Jews? Did He immediately take them by the hand and say, “Well then, repeat this prayer after me and you will be saved?” No. As a matter of fact it seems that He did quite the opposite,

John 8:31-37 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  33  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”  34  Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  35  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  36  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  37  “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

Jesus challenged these “believers” at the point that they professed faith. He began to talk about sin and their need to be freed from its bondage and they did not like the rest of His message and went from believing to being ready to kill Him. Did Jesus blow it with this group of potential converts? Could He have coaxed a profession out of them that would have gotten them saved? Many modern Evangelical Christians might think so. But Jesus knew that there was more to faith than just mental assent or agreeing with the facts. There must be three aspects to saving faith as we see it in the Bible. Historically in Protestant Theology these are known as Notitia, Assensus and Fiducia.

Notitia is the information that needs to be believed. It is our message. We see that the Jews were willing to believe a part of the message, but they were not willing to believe one of the most important parts of it. Believing that Jesus was from God and that He would be “lifted up” or crucified was comfortable enough for them, but being accused of sin when they were so meticulous to keep the Law of Moses was unacceptable to them. Many modern people, though far less scrupulous in their religion are much the same way. The have no problem that Jesus came as God in the flesh or that He died and was raised on the third day, but when it comes to their dire need for this service that He rendered they cannot abide with the idea that they are desperate and hopelessly lost without His atoning sacrifice. So, the message must be complete, that is the responsibility of the one who preaches.

Assensus, that is understanding the truth or proposition and mentally saying, “I understand and agree.” Many stop here and say well, what more can you ask for? But the Bible says that this is not enough. James 2:14 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” James teaches us that a “said faith” is not a saving faith. Faith must motivate us to action. True faith is demonstrated by the life of faith that is lived.

John 2:23-25 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  24  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,  25  and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

You see, Jesus understood what superficial faith was. People began to believe in Him early on in His ministry but as they “believed” in Him, He did not “commit” Himself to them. “Commit” in verse 24 is the same in the Greek as “believe” in verse 23. The word pistuo is also often translated as “faith.” Even though the people believed in Jesus, at this point He did not believe in them, John 2:25 “and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” They needed to move on to the next level.

Fiducia, that is absolute trust. It is easy to get the sense of this word as it is used in the English language. Fiduciary is used in the banking industry as related to the handling of other people’s money. There is not much more concern than what someone will do with your cash. Trust is the key word here, and so we often see the words Bank and Trust together.  This often falls short as an illustration with the banking industry as it stands, but you understand why that word is used in this situation. It comes down to the question, Can I rest all of my hope upon this thing that I believe?

Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  5  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Am I trusting in something that I have done to repair my relationship to God or completely resting in His mercy and grace? Do I think that I need to add my own righteousness to the equation or is His sacrifice and resurrection sufficient for all of my hope? You see, I can believe that Jesus is God and that He died and rose again as the payment for sin, but if I add the slightest bit of me to that equation it is not the kind of faith that saves.

Truly resting in the righteousness of Jesus Christ will indeed provoke me to live differently, this is evidence that my faith is real as James points out in the second chapter of his epistle. But I do not count on those works to satisfy the justice of God in any way.

I encourage you to listen to the message and I pray that as you do you see clearly what faith is and what faith does.

The Anatomy of Faith – John 8:28-31

In Christ!
Kevin