Which doctrines are not important?

"What sins can I commit, and yet still be saved?" I hope you recoil in horror from such an ungodly sentiment. But many "Christians" today have this very same attitude when they say, "What is the least I must believe correctly, and yet still be saved?" It's like saying, "I don't really care about God at all, but I'd like to not go to hell."

Every child of Satan wants to be saved from hell, but we don't want to be saved from sin, because we love our sin - unless we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God.

People are just looking for a cheap ticket to heaven, to avoid hell, but what they don't realise, or don't think about, or simply refuse to believe, is that the Holy One who cannot abide sin is in heaven, and heaven is not an escape from Him. Hell is to be in the presence of God and not hidden in Christ.

Is truth and righteousness unimportant? Then God is unimportant. One cannot love God, without loving truth and righteousness. God is truth. God is righteous.

People misuse the words, "Oh, I don't believe in religion, I have a personal relationship with God." You have a personal relationship with God do you? Yet you don't care about doctrine, or living a holy life according to His commandments? How absurd. As if doctrine and obedience belonged to "religion" and not also to "relationship", and as if "religion" was necessarily devoid of "relationship"!

But as for the saints, "we love Him, because He first loved us." - I John 4:19.

Revivalism: A carnal discontent with the biblical means for church reformation

"Revivalism and the unceasing desire for revival in the church all come from the desire for a 'quick fix' for the church's problems and weaknesses. Rather than insisting on the necessity of true holiness, of living faith in Jesus Christ, and of sincere repentance for sin, the desire is for some excitement which will give the appearance of bringing the church back to her spiritual moorings, however temporary such excitement may be. Rather than the hard work of preaching the gospel and of calling for these things in the church, the easy way is sought."
- Rev. Ron Hanko (2009) "Another Look at the 1859 Revival in Ireland", British Reformed Journal, 51, p26.

Revivalism brews when the preaching of the gospel in a church falls to the ground, and is replaced by vain stories, amusing platitudes, and entertaining nonsense, and the sacraments are corrupted by no longer being explained biblically in the preaching, and church discipline is wholly neglected, such that the most profane adulterers and idolatrous unbelievers are not only treated as if they had nothing to fear on the Day of Judgement, but are regularly, and unashamedly welcomed to the Lord's table.

People in this environment often don't see that the solution to these problems is for the church to diligently and zealously return to Scripture, not to seek the misguided and ignorant enthusiasm and excitement of Revivalism. And if the church opposes the biblical protests for her to correct her doctrine and practice in these areas, then believers must flee and seek to join a church which does submit to God's Word. An institution which rejects the authority of Scripture is not a true church of Jesus Christ at all, but a syngogue of Satan.

We are naturally lazy and weak, and prone to every kind of carelessness and foolishness because of our sinful nature. We are prone to not believe in the power of preaching of the Word of God, and instead search for all manner of unclean gimmicks, godless tools, and every other kind of imagined means instead of the means that God has appointed for us in His Word - which is primarily biblical expository preaching. In this way, Revivalism is actually a lack of love for the truth, despite all the passion it boasts of. Love must be demonstrated in action, and if heartfelt passions do not lead one to search the Scriptures and insist on its authority alone, then such passions are an abomination before God. All our passions and the thoughts of our minds (along with every other aspect of our beings) must be conformed to the image of Christ through the knowledge of God which is eternal life (John 17:3).

Yet it is also God's sovereign decision whether a church falls further into apostasy or reforms (and we have no right to insanely protest against His good and perfect will). It is nothing but pride, rebellion, and stubbornness, stemming from a stiff neck, to pray for the Almighty, sovereigng and only wise God to change His mind (which is impossible for Him to do). Our calling is to submit to His will and to be "reformed, and always reforming", and to join churches which manifest the marks of a true church, and to leave whatever institution which claims to be a church yet does not bear the marks of it, when it refuses to hear godly biblical protests.

May God give His beloved elect believing saints in Limerick, and throughout the world, the grace to do so.

God works in a mysterious way - His wonders to perform!

I have just finished reading one of the most outrageous, shocking, man-humbling, God-exalting, books ever compiled:

Calvin's Calvinism - including God's Eternal Predestination and Secret Providence, A Brief Reply, and Reply to the Slanderous Reports, written by that inescapably biblical Reformer, John Calvin, of unparalleled significance in that glorious work of God, the Protestation Reformation, and translated from the Latin by Henry Cole, first published in 1856, and now published again by the RFPA with absolutely essential and hugely helpful historical introductions by Prof. Russell J. Dykstra of the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary.

Anyone who has quarrel with Calvinism can turn here to read the man's own words as he demonstrates with candid language and compelling truth-power how thoroughly biblical and apostolic, not his doctrine, but God's doctrine of absolute, all-encompassing, unconditional, glorious, good, and perfect predestination is. Opponents of this doctrine need to take up their bitter argument with God Himself, and read His own Holy Word to be soundly refuted and silenced. Calvin, perhaps more capably and more clearly than others who have endeavoured to write on this subject defending the glory and majesty of the eternal and immutable God who works all things after His own good pleasure, wields the Sword of Spirit mightily, by God's grace to rend asunder all the calumnies and insane ravings given birth by the unbridled, astonishing pride, and bestial reasoning of heretics. Need I say, read it!

In this masterpiece of exegesis and apologetics, Calvin almost preempts the theodicy of the final judgment on the last day, so far does he see through this dark glass into that unapproachable light. Brandishing the revealed things of God as a mighty hammer, he crushes the unimaginable arrogance of those mere mortals of clay who presume to pontificate upon the supposed unrighteousness in God's secret things: "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?" (Rom. 9:20).

Calvin says memorably that their purpose is nothing more than, "...to fabricate monsters of [their] own brain and to slaughter them in [their] own imagination, glorying to [themselves] in a mighty triumph..." He expresses the futility of their audacity and profanity very clearly, "Now, then, dog as you are, bark as loud as you will. You will no more obscure the glory of God by your revilings than you can obscure the brightness of the sun by spitting in his blazing face."

But this is not a subject for mere talk - it is massively practical. It changes everything in how we view everything that ever happens, or has happened, or will happen everywhere, without exception. And it changes how we live in that assured confidence - the confidence that God works all things for the good of them that love Him, who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). Calvin calls it one of the "first principles" of godliness.

Take for example, the recent atrocity committed by Mark Driscoll, reviewed perhaps as graciously as possible here: http://www.irishcalvinist.com/?p=3221

To put things in perspective, you can read an interview between Michael Horton and Robert Schuller here: http://www.whitehorseinn.org/free-articles/interview-with-robert-schuller.html

There's no question, Schuller is a wolf, teaching people to be lovers of themselves - that the ultimate condition of sin is not loving yourself - i.e. being proud of yourself. Now Mark Driscoll himself has some very objectionable views (some very dangerous!) - but I am still hoping that he will grow out of them. Maybe not - and for sure I would not recommend his preaching to anyone, even though he is a breath of fresh air compared to most. My own comments, were these:

Pragmatism is a heinous and evil sin – especially for a Calvinist. I’m trying to be gracious with Driscoll, because he’s come from terrible stuff, and improved a lot in many areas. I think he’s still got a lot to learn. But this is one lesson which I think he should have learnt before, and I hope that he will see this and not do likewise again.

It’s always difficult for onlookers I think – because we know people need to hear the Gospel – it’s always difficult for us to say that no matter what our ideas are or what we think would work, that He requires that we worship Him according to His commandments and no other way. Pragmatism is a [sic] evil philosophy – one for which Saul lost his kingship. This should be a warning for us.

But the other side of it is this. As Calvinists, while we ought to be confident in God’s unhindered purposes when we refuse to fall into pragmatism – however enticing it may be, we also can see that just as God uses all things for good – he can use even the sin of pragmatism for good. It may be that God used Driscoll’s sin here to bring life and light to members of that congregation.

Who are we to reply against God? Did not God cause David to count the number of the children of Israel? Did not God use the Babylonians to chastise His people? Did not God use the Jews and Gentiles and Pilate and the Sanhedrin to crucify Christ? God performed righteous acts in all these things – carrying out His good and perfect purposes – but there is still a warning.

Calvinism is the sworn enemy of antinomianism! Shall we sin that grace may increase? GOD FORBID! But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? GOD FORBID! And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil that good may come? Whose damnation is just. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

In love for Driscoll, we ought to have more than a raised eyebrow for him ("open rebuke is better than hidden love") – even though we worship God for having brought the Gospel to that congregation (even through such an instrument), and while we certainly do not foolishly charge God with Driscoll’s sin of pragmatism.

I just finished reading this book by Calvin – amazing how it deals with this: http://rfpa.org/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=59

“O the depth…!”

The point is this - that God works everything for good does nothing to justify the evil sins of the instruments He uses - including Mark Driscoll, as much as their sins do nothing to mar the supreme righteousness of God, and the guilt can only be ascribed to the sinner, not to the one who is just and true in all His works. Anyone who would try to deny this need only study the prophet Habbakkuk.

I have said it before that Arminianism is at base, Romanism, and atheism. Nothing could be more evident when we look at the doctrine of God's providence. Theodicy is not a concern of Arminianism, because in this hellish system, there is no God of providence. This is their insane and heretical "apologetic". I recently heard a man reasoning from the supposed free will of man, who went so far as to say that not God, but people are in control. One cannot argue with the validity of his argument - only with his premise. I am glad that the Bible denies this so strongly. So, I conclude this review of Calvin's best treatment of predestination with a memorable comment from Prof. David J. Engelsma:

"Always the gospel of salvation by grace alone provokes the response that this gospel denies the responsibility of man and makes God the author of sin (see Romans 3:5-8, 31; Romans 6:1; Romans 9:19). If the message of the church does not elicit this response, the church may well ask whether it is preaching the gospel of grace."

Do you believe the Gospel of grace? Is the defense of God's glory in all providence a concern for you? It certainly was for Calvin.

- Sam W.

P.S. This book has many other commendable merits, which at this point I'll only briefly mention. In it, Calvin's absolutely repudiates any notion of a "free offer" calling it a "puerile dream". He repeatedly, and emphatically, and logically, argues that God does not will that all are saved, and that it is a denial of the oneness, and immutability of God's will to teach such a thing. He touches on the subject of infant baptism - in denying the "absurdities" of Pighius, he also denies the imaginations of those who now currently teach a conditional covenant - proving unequivocably that the sacraments profit only the elect, just as the PRCA hold and teach.

Clarkians would appreciate also how Calvin never allows an inconsistency or contradiction. He often exclaims on how we can only see so far into those depths of God's wisdom, and frequently warns us of presumption and pride in trying to peer beyond the limits of our own feeble minds, but at the same time, he utterly denies any form of Van Tilianism - indeed defending God's providence by showing how it is logically consistent, and refuting his opponents by showing how their positions is logically inconsistent. Finally, in Reply to the Slanderous Reports, he also underscores, and exposes the profound idiocy of building upon human imaginations, instead of upon Scripture alone. At this point, I have to quote at length:

"As to your description of the nature of the true God, let readers judge how appropriately you argue concerning his divine being from the absurd fact that you make the beginning of all true knowledge of him to proceed from common sense. That there is a God is a truth received by the one consent of all nations and all ages, because the seed and principle of this knowledge is imparted by nature in every human mind. But how shall reason define what God is, when by its own power of sight, it can do nothing but turn the truth into a lie and adulterate whatever of light and understanding true religion and faith possess. The Holy Spirit commands us to become fools, if we would be the true learners of heavenly doctrine, because the natural man himself can neither receive nor taste anything of divine wisdom. On the contrary, you would have human reason and common sense to form a judgment of the great and adorable God. And you would not only set up reason, which by its blindness ever extinguishes God's glory as a leader and guide, but you would exalt that blind reason above Scripture itself. What marvel is it, then, if you should permit, without hesitation, religions of all kinds to be confounded together and should consider the Turk - who is enveloped in the deliriums of Mohammed and who adores as his deity no one knows what - as much a worshiper of God as he who calls upon the Father of Christ our redeemer, instructed by the sure word and faith of the everlasting gospel? Although you do not patronise infidels seriously is a fact proclaimed aloud by those sarcastic grins of yours, which show your teeth gnashing at every plainest and holiest article of our faith while the excuses that you make for the superstitions of all nations prove your malicious purpose to be to root out of the earth every doctrine of that holy religion that the sacred oracles of God reveal and teach."

Then Calvin places his finger on the vital point:

"Out of that very human reason that is the mother of all errors, you form that God of yours, who wills, without any election or predestination of his own, that all men should be saved. Has, then, the word election, which occurs so frequently in Scripture, no meaning whatever? Is it altogether a vain and empty term? Have the law, the prophets, and the gospel no meaning whatever when they everywhere proclaim aloud that all those chosen by the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world are called and illuminated unto salvation? We repeat, is the united and harmonious testimony of the law, the prophets, and the gospel an utter vanity when they pronounce, free from all ambiguity, that the source and cause of eternal life is the free love of God by which He has loved and embraced not all mankind, but those out of mankind whom He pleased? What will you gain after all, I ask you, by thus roaring against this truth a hundred times over? You dazzle the sight of the ignorant and the inexperienced by setting before their eyes as a shining cloud your doctrine that God will have all men to be saved."

Modern moderate "Calvinists", who everywhere boast the same doctrines as these heretics that Calvin is refuting, are manifestly not proper Calvinists at all. More importantly, they are not biblical - which is exactly what Calvin here exposes.

Substitutionary Atonement

It might be said that the very heart of the Gospel is a promise; no, the promise of God from which all promises of God proceed. And that this promise is none other than the fullness of the promise of salvation.

The promise willed by the Father.
The promise worked by the Son.
The promise witnessed by the Spirit.

The promise foreordained by the Father.
The promise fulfilled by the Son.
The promise fixed by the Spirit.

The promise decreed by the Father.
The promise delivered by the Son.
The promise demonstrated by the Spirit.

The promise purposed by the Father.
The promise purchased by the Son.
The promise proven by the Spirit.

The simplicity of the Gospel is evident since it has been revealed to babes. Yet also its depth cannot be fathomed and the weight of God's glory revealed in it can never be measured and all the faculties of our heart and soul are wholly insufficient to rejoice enough in this wonder and majesty and render praises to God that would befit such glorious splendour as has been revealed in so great a salvation.

It is clear here that our understanding of the doctrine of salvation is essential for our correct understanding of the Gospel itself. For ourselves, this is probably the most important doctrine for us to consider. Not only the nature and result of this salvation, but the means by which it is accomplished. Christ says this regarding the importance of this doctrine of salvation:

"What profiteth it a man, if he gaineth the whole world, but loses his soul?"

I have said before, and we have often heard it said regarding the means of salvation, that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, and all this to the glory of God alone. This is what Scripture indeed reveals to us, as I have often commented on. These truths are the biblical truths recovered in the reformation. We may also phrase it that salvation is to the glory of God alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, and all this by grace alone. This is exactly what I have said above, but some may at this point have disagreed. And this concerns me.

At the heart of this biblical doctrine of salvation is without controversy, the work of Christ on the cross. That is what the biblical church has always confessed. The centre of the Gospel itself is the work of Christ on the cross, this is the centrepiece of God's glory, the blazing heart of His majesty, where righteousness and justice kisses mercy and love, where God's love and grace are demonstrated most vividly and where also His justice and holiness are just as clearly demonstrated.

"Salvation is of the Lord."

So, what is this work of Christ on the cross? As I have also said before, it is crucial to a right and saving knowledge of this work to understand the nature of who the Person of Christ is.

"Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh."

The Nicene and Athanasian creeds expound carefully and precisely the nature of this man who hung on the tree. Jesus is the Christ, whose name means "The LORD saves", and He is both fully God and fully man, in perfect holiness, eternal and co-existing with the Father and one with the Father; the fullness of the Godhead dwelling within Him. We may neither take away from any aspect of the fullness of His divinity, nor of the fullness of His humanity (though being without sin), nor may we ever take away from the truth that the Lord is one.

And having laid this crucial foundation of having a basic understanding of who this Person on the cross is, we now look at the nature of the work of Christ on the cross. To call this work, substitutionary atonement, sums up both the work and the Person who performed this work, because when we understand the nature of this work, it becomes evident that only this Person, Christ as revealed in the Scriptures could ever accomplish this work.

Again I say, this work has been called substitutionary atonement and this is an appropriate description. So, going back to my first paragraph it can be said that the very heart of the Gospel is this substitutionary atonement. This term tells us also the necessary nature of Christ when it is considered who this atonement is between. This atonement is between the holy and righteous God and the wicked and sinful human. This atonement is accomplished by substitution; it is substitutionary atonement.

The justice of the holy and righteous God demands the infinite punishment of the wicked and sinful human because their offenses are against the infinitely righteous God. This substitutionary atonement is a Person being substituted for these sinners. It is this Person taking the fullness of this infinite punishment that these sinners justly deserve from the holy God. It is absolutely clear that first of all, for this substitution to leave these sinners guiltless, that all of this infinite punishment must be taken, and secondly that the one being the substitution for these sinners must not be deserving of any punishment Himself, because then that punishment would fall on the sinners in His stead.

We conclude then that this Person must be both entirely guiltless and righteous, and entirely capable of taking all the fullness of this inifinite punishment and overcoming it so that His guiltlessness and righteousness may be substituted to the sinners' account, just as the sinners' wickedness was substituted to His account. Further, this Person must be of a nature that He can actually be a just substitution. If a goat took the place of a human, it could not be a just substitution. Anything less than fully human, could never be a just substitution for a human.

Again, we see that this substitutionary atonement could then only be accomplished by the only One entirely guiltless and righteous and also entirely capable of bearing and overcoming the infinite punishment of the infinitely holy God and also fully human so that He might be a substitution for humans.

Therefore the problem is that only One both fully God and fully human could ever satisfy this criteria. But this has been revealed in Jesus Christ:

"Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh."

The nature then of this substitutionary atonement is that God the Son became a substitutionary atonement for humans. He took the fullness of the punishment they deserved by suffering and dying on the cross under the holy and just wrath of God the Father and overcame this punishment by being raised to life again on the third day, and by this life, as the wickedness and sinfulness of humans was laid to His account, so by His life, His guiltlessness and righteousness was laid to the account of these humans.

"No-one takes my life from me, I have the authority to lay my life down, and to take it up again."

When we gaze and marvel at the wonder and glory of this substitutionary atonement, we ask ourselves, what do the Scriptures say of this? This is what the Scriptures are all about. This is indeed the heart of the Gospel and the doctrine of salvation. We can only marvel at the sufficiency and security and assurance of so great a redemption - paid with the highest price, the blood of the Son of God. When contemplating this feat wrought by the Saviour on the cross, how could we ever doubt that His work on the cross is surely more than enough to secure us all the benefits of salvation.

"For He made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

"But God commendeth His love to us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

It is clear that when we correctly understand the glory of this atonement, this heart of the Gospel that all the rest of our theology fits into place. This is, as I said, what the entirety of Scripture points towards - Christ and His work on the cross. At one time, the Evangelicals knew this and held firmly to it, but the enemy infiltrates and sows seeds of discord and doubt and strife and contention.

But, next we must ask, if this is indeed the nature of the substitutionary atonement, then if Christ was the substitutionary atonement for every single person on the planet, then surely every single person on the planet would be saved? Yes. When we correctly understand this substitutionary atonement, it is clear that every single person for whom Christ was the substitutionary atonement, will be saved. As I said, all the rest of important correct Biblical theology falls into place. If Christ had died for every single person, then every single person would be saved. Seeing the truth of substitutionary atonement, the very heart of the Gospel, we can only conclude that Christ did not die for every single person, but only for some.

He laid down His life for the sheep, not the goats. He gave Himself up for the church, not the world. He prays for those who will believe on His name, and not for the world. As we contested before, we now say again, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. I could also say it this way: the only reason any of us are saved is by grace alone, by the work of Christ on the cross alone.

The only reason any of us are saved is by the work of Christ on the cross, there He accomplished the fullness of salvation for His people, that they would be saved by grace alone and that salvation would be in Him and His work alone, and that it would be to the glory of God alone. So it is clear that when we also say that salvation is through faith alone (in Christ alone - Him and His work on the cross - the substitutionary atonement) that this faith could only be also wrought by the work of Christ on the cross, otherwise all of salvation could not be by grace alone and to the glory of God alone and in Christ alone!


It is not that this faith is a work that we are saved through it, but it is that this faith rests in the work of Christ alone, and thereby declares instantly of itself that it is a useless work and rests not in itself for salvation but only on the work of Christ on the cross alone. Because this saving faith is in Christ alone, it declares of itself that it is only accomplished by the work of Christ on the cross. It is the means by which we behold this substitutionary atonement, the means by which the work of Christ on the cross is applied to individual sinners - the work of the Holy Spirit regenerating them and thereby creating this resting in Christ alone in the heart of a sinner.

So, we see three levels to this great salvation - the unconditional election of these sinners by the Father, the substitutionary atonement for these sinners by the Son, and the regeneration of these sinners producing faith in Christ alone by the Holy Spirit. The Father plans this salvation from the beginning and determines to save His people and sends His Son, His Son gives Himself as a substitutionary atonement for His people to accomplish this salvation, and the Holy Spirit proceeds to apply this salvation to His people by regenerating them to produce faith in Christ alone in their hearts.

What of free will, someone cries! What of it? Our will is enslaved to our nature, and unless our nature is changed from darkness to light, we can never be saved. And if "free will" took any part in our salvation, then we could never say (except being doubletongued and liars) that salvation is by grace alone, and salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone, and that salvation is in Christ alone, and that salvation is to the glory of God alone.

If left to our will, we would never trust in Christ alone for salvation, and further, I speak as a fool, for if we looked to Christ by our "free will", we could not be trusting that all of our salvation was in Him alone, but in our "free decision", and His work. And it further denies the work of Christ on the cross and tries to add our work to the work of salvation, and it denies substitutionary atonement and says that the work of Christ was insufficient and says that Christ did not actually pay for our sins, but only somehow made a bridge by which we could go to God if we chose to, and that He certainly did not pay for the sin of unbelief, and that His righteousness is not imputed to all those for whom He died, and that we could do something to please God before being regenerated by the Holy Spirit, it says that Christ did not actually save anyone but only enabled men to save themselves.

To say that Christ saves men with their help is exactly the same as saying that men save themselves with the help of Christ. This is the reality of what synergism means. But when we trust in the subtitutionary atonement of Christ alone, then we are immediately speaking of monergism. It is the "alone" factor that can only mean monergism, and that God helps the helpless without their help, and that His help is never reliant on their help, and they never need any more help or any other help or any of their own help than His help once He is their help. It is in fact this "alone" factor that is the offense of the cross which Paul spoke of; that our salvation is Christ's work alone.

There are few doctrines more unscriptural and anti-Christ and anti-Gospel and deceptive and blasphemous than this one of faith proceeding from "free-will" or synergism. It says that Christ is not the Saviour, but the Helper for men to be their own Saviours. There is no difference between this insistence on the freedom of the will and the Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation by works. What do we mean by works?! We mean anything not of grace, anything that is of the sinner. Those who trust in Christ alone as their salvation recognise that their own will wrought no part of salvation, but that their will to have faith in Christ alone is the result of Christ's work alone. Those who believe that their own will to have faith is not the result of Christ's work alone, do not really have that faith in Christ alone. I call them not to be offended by this, but to examine themselves to be sure that their trust is in the finished work of Christ alone, and not any work of themselves.

"And if by grace it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

So then those who trust in the substitutionary atonement of Christ alone for salvation, say "We only have faith because of the election of the Father." Those who trust also in "free will" say totally confusedly, "We are elect of the Father because we have faith." It's plain to see here that the very nature of election is then rendered meaningless, as are the insistent Biblical claims that election is before the foundation of the world. For all intents and purposes, the election here is purposeless and futile, and certainly not before the foundation of the world because it relies on something far more recent. I could continue, but perhaps another time.

For now, I commend the Gospel to you all - the substitutionary atonement accomplished by Christ on the cross by which we are made co-heirs with Him and partakers of all His benefits - that being that we become the recipients of eternal life, and eternal life is this: to know God and His Son whom He has sent.

And here is the result of this promise of salvation of the Gospel - that we know God. That we dwell in relationship with in Him, under no condemnation but beloved of Him as is His Son. That we behold Him in His glory, that we will see Him face to face, that we delight and rejoice in Him and enjoy Him forever. And now we have but a taste of this, and we long for the day when these present sufferings and our sanctification by the work of the Spirit shall be complete.

"For I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us."

Assemblies of God teach a false health "gospel"

The Heidelberg Catechism has this to say regarding the comfort of the Christian:

Question 1: What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him."

And John Piper has this to say regarding the health, wealth and prosperity "gospel":


However, one of the four "cardinal doctrines" of the Assemblies of God makes this bold assertion:
http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/index.cfm

"Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers. (Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:16,17; James 5:14-16)"

I could stop right there and you would know exactly what is wrong with this - but I am compelled to explain and place the nature of this false teaching beyond all doubt. Aside from their dubious views on "Holy-Spirit-Baptism" and tongues-speaking being the necessary evidence of this (and therefore of salvation - thereby destroying the doctrine of assurance, 1 John 5:13, John 3:18, Romans 4:18-25), this particular doctrine incontrovertibly shows that the Assemblies of God officially teaches the false health prosperity "gospel" which is no gospel at all.

Before continuing any further, I must clarify beyond any doubt that it is absolutely true, not only that God actually heals people today (possibly both by natural and special providence), but also that we are instructed to pray for healing as James 5:14-16 says (though the context suggests that this refers to an affliction of not being able to pray for oneself). Divine healing however is not an integral part of the gospel nor is deliverance from sickness the privilege of all believers, nor is it provided from in the atonement. This is a different "gospel" to one which the Spirit bears witness to in scripture. I also hasten to add that there will be eventual deliverance from sickness in that there will be no sickness in the new heavens and new earth (Rev 21:4).

The Gospel of God is exactly what Christ has done on the cross. This necessarily includes not only the work of Christ on the cross, but also the Person of Christ on the cross. His work was to purchase redemption by the payment of His blood for His people (Ephesians 1:7). His blood flowed to cleanse us from sin. He died in our place, so that we would be delivered from death. He bore the full wrath of God that was against us so that not a drop of the fury of God is left toward us. He bore in entirety the punishment for our sin that we deserved. By this perfect and eternally secure redemption, our full salvation is provided for, being as secure as the unchanging character of God, as sure as it is impossible for God to lie.

He could only accomplish this work by His Person, being the very eternally begotten Son of God; fully man and fully God, the one mediator between God and man, and our kinsman-redeemer; the descendant of Adam according to the flesh. He is also a priest forever in the order of Melchisedek; being Prophet, Priest and King, and having an indestructible life. He is the Sovereign Lord under whose absolute authority forever is everything that ever was and is and ever will be. He is the Holy One of Israel, the Great Jehovah, perfectly righteous in whom there is no iniquity even in His human nature; there is not a shadow of turning in Him and no darkness at all. He is full of grace and truth, full of mercy and justice, full of compassion and zeal, and many other glorious qualities which we could never be finished speaking of, but at this time suffice to say that He is unsurpassed and infinite in glory and beauty, and all glory is His.

He rose from the dead to conquer the power of death once for all, and to break all the power of sin in His people. He lives that we also may live in Him and share in His righteousness imputed to us by the bond of faith in Him alone which He works in our hearts by His Holy Spirit by His grace alone because He has removed the wrath of God from us. As a consequence, we are not only justified in the sight of God, being declared righteous by Christ's righteousness imputed to us, but by this faith we are also partakers of Christ and all His benefits.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" - Ephesians 1:3.

We are adopted as children of God and no longer children of the devil. The very love that the Father has for the Son is the love He has for us, this is the love with which He loved us in election before the foundation of the world and made possible by the death and resurrection of our Saviour Jesus the Christ. Being reconciled to Him by His death, how much more are we saved through His life!

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:" - 1 Co 5:1-4.

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Co 5:21.

In the light of this glorious Gospel to which all of Scripture attests in all its glorious promises to all those who trust in Him alone and put no confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3), which we have now discussed and described, we must now ask the question, does the atonement wrought by Jesus on the cross provide deliverance from temporal sufferings, hardships, sicknesses or difficulties? We have affirmed that we are delivered from the punishment of sin in that we have eternal life in fellowship with God, and from the power of sin in that though we still groan in our sinful bodies awaiting the redemption of our bodies and fall into grievous sins on occasion, but that in the present time by the Holy Spirit in us we are yet turning away from sin every day so that our conduct is one marked by a holy life lived in righteousness, submitting to our Lord in humility and godly grief and repentance when we do sin. Does this atonement also give us any promise of removing any of the temporal effects of sin on our lives such as sufferings and sicknesses or any kind of tribulation? The epistle of Paul to the Romans has this to say while speaking of what is provided for in the atonement:

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were ye without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." - Romans 5:1-11.

Not only is it clear here that God indeed helps those who cannot help themselves, in that we were without strength when Christ saved us, but it is also clear that we are to rejoice in tribulations. This is reiterated in many places in the Scriptures, which would take a far longer essay to expound fully in all their glorious encouragement for the called of God: James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:3-8, 2:19-25, 3:14-16, 4:12-16, Hebrews 10:32-37, 11:13-16, 24-27, 11:32-12:11, 13:10-15, 2 Timothy 3:9-13, 2:3, 1 Timothy 5:23, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 3:1-7, Galatians 4:13-15. I could not even list all the Scriptures which speak of the sufferings of God's people, but these are listed to give a taste of what Scripture teaches on this subject.

These passages prove not only that God's people endure sufferings, including physical illnesses, but also that such sufferings are promised to God's people and not only that but that God brings them for the good of His people and for His glory. The grace of God toward us provided for all believers in the atonement then is not that we are delivered from these tribulations, but that we are delivered through these tribulations and even that these tribulations are used as part of the means of the application of this grace in our lives to conform us more to the image of Christ, that is they are part of the means of our sanctification. The grace of God does not remove these tribulations from us (though eventually it will, Rev 21:1-7) but upholds us and strengthens us through these many trials (included physical ailments) and even uses these to sanctify us. This is what the prophet Isaiah says:

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." - Isaiah 43:1-2.

This is repeated explicitly in the epistles, that we are delivered not from these troubles but through them:

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in time of need." - Hebrews 4:15-16.

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

So then we can see how God's grace works in us, despite many infirmities to strengthen us for our good and for His glory that we might rejoice in Him even in our infirmities. And so we see that even in this the promise of Romans 8:28 holds true:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28.

Our response then to all situations and calamities and infirmities and all manner of sicknesses and illnesses and disasters and tribulations should be that of Job and to fulfill the command in Philippians:

"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." - Job 1:20-22.

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." - Philippians 4:4.

Now, to misunderstand the glory of God and the comfort of the believer in tribulations would perhaps be a small matter, but in the doctrine of the Assemblies of God, it is taught that divine healing is part of the Gospel and deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers. This is trying to add to the work of Christ on the cross and trying to add to the Gospel. It is therefore a false "gospel" and will therefore lead to false and deluded converts who will simply come in the hopes of being healed. But Christ says this to all who would follow Him:

"And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." - Matthew 10:38.

God gives us the grace to bear our cross until the final day, His grace does not mean that we have no cross to bear. We must openly declare the same to all who would believe in the Gospel, lest they deceive themselves. From all of this it is plain to see that to preach this doctrine of the Assemblies of God is heresy and a "false" gospel. Therefore with a heavy heart, I call all my friends to forsake this organisation and remove yourselves from it lest ye be ensnared by Satan to do his will and I beseech you all to take heed to the stern words of the Apostle Paul:

"I marvel that ye are so soon moved from the Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so say I now again, If any preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:6-10.

Todd Bentley's Revival

I wrote this as a response to the following post on Irish Calvinist:
http://www.irishcalvinist.com/?p=1358

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Thank you so much for this post. A good friend of mine has recently been falling into this despicable deception. But I consider that you haven't got the right end of the stick here. The first thing to do is to see what he is actually preaching. And as it says in Isaiah, "To the law and to the testimony!" I would greatly appreciate if you could write a post in response to his teaching.

I praise God that when we study His word and judge by His precepts that the things that these dogs say and do are self-condemnatory. Look at this remark as an example of his teaching:

"Be like a little child, the simplicity of when you were a young child, and receive the kingdom heaven (Matt. 19:14). Allow God to speak to you like that. Be sons and daughters, not preachers, not ministers, not pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers; forget about that for a moment and begin to receive the Father’s love. Begin to receive His goodness; that the mercy of God would begin to wash you in those areas in your life where there has been condemnation, guilt and shame, sorrow and grief."

Besides the mysticism and experiential goo, he continually emphasises the physical blessings in this life (he treats Paul's settling with his thorn with utter contempt it seems - remember Paul's words, "I consider that my present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us." and the Lord's words, "My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness."). What about the glorious sufferings and persecutions and afflictions of those who would also share in Christ's glory for His sake?!

Compare his above statement with Ephesians 4:11-16, especially verse 14. Not only that but we are to be like children only in the sense of [sic - being] humble before God and utterly dependent on Him. This is twisting scripture and introducing damnable heresy deceptively attacking the pastoral offices - which according to 1 Co 12 we must eagerly desire. Notice that healers are not on his list above, rather those responsible for teaching sound doctrine.

Reference for above excerpt from Todd Bentley's teaching:
http://freshfire.ca/index.php?Act=read&status=teaching&Id=247&pid=954&bid=955

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When I said experiential goo, I do not mean that we do not experience God. In fact we must experience what we have learnt to be true. But we must believe His goodness, whether we feel it or not! And it is by this faith, through thick and thin by perseverance and character and hope enduring suffering as a good soldier for Christ that we will begin to feel His goodness.

But consider for a moment how glorified the Lord Jesus is by your faith if you continue to cling to Him while having "felt" not an iota of Him. Consider the joy and the wonder of Jesus being glorified and lifted high in your life despite your physical circumstances!

Sing Habakkuk 3:16-19 with me and rejoice in such a great Saviour!

Hell-deserving sinners are saved for God's glory

"I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins." - Isaiah 43:25

And even clearer in Ezekiel 36.

22"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.
23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you.
30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.
31Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations.
32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.

It is so clear that evangelism is for the sake of the glory of God. For His name's sake. May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering. Humanism says that it is for the happiness of man. That same man who is an enemy of God, whose depravity and rebellion is so offensive in the eyes of the Lord that he deserves eternal condemnation, damnation and torment. The only reason for God to save such a person is for the praise of the glory of His grace.

May we have the same motivation and have done with humanism and utilitarianism which makes God a means instead of an end. As Paris Reidhead said, let's tell Micah we're through, let's tell the tribe of Dan that we won't go along with them anymore. Let's serve the living God instead of serving Micah and the tribe of Dan for ten shekels and shirt.

May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!

"Ten shekels and a shirt" by Paris Reidhead. You might be able to find it on sermonaudio.com as well, and I highly recommend listening to it. Sadly these heresies of humanism and utilitarianism are rampant throughout the church, but may we stand for the truth.