What Is The Place Of The Law?

The moral code has not been rescinded which is summarized by the Ten Commandments, except for the Sabbath requirement which is a principle more than a legalistic burden (cf. Romans 14:5; Col. 2:16).  The law was made for lawbreakers and rebels according to 1 Tim. 1:9. We obey the law out of gratitude and not out of obligation: because we "want to" not because we "have to." Obedience is a "therefore" not an "in order to." The law is holy, righteous, and good if one uses it righteously. So, we don't have to become somewhat "Jewish" to be good Christians. Judaizers are wrong missing the point and want to burden themselves with the law.

Does the law of Moses serve any purpose today? There were 613 laws in the books of Moses. They were of three classifications: ceremonial (ritual); governmental; and moral. Only the moral laws are still in effect and are fulfilled in the command to love our neighbor as Paul said. "The entire law is summed up in one single command: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Gal. 5:14).  We are under a higher law:  the law of love  The law is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ as Paul said in Galatians 3:25. "If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law." "Cursed is everyone who relies on the law for righteousness" (Gal. 3:10). Paul said in Rom. 6:14, "...You are not under the law but under grace."

The law has been set aside as a way of life, either justification sanctification, or obedience. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for those who believe" (Rom. 10:4). "For if justification were through the law, Christ died for nothing" (Gal. 2:21). "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming not the realities themselves..." (Heb. 10:1). The law is obsolete for Christ "by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and ordinances" (Eph. 2:15) has made it irrelevant to us as a way of life, except for the moral code (it is still wrong to murder, for example).

Our relationship to the law is like a husband and wife and when one dies the other is free from the union. We are free in Christ and shouldn't be yoked again in bondage. The Law adjudicates or declares a man to be a sinner and does not exculpate him or free him from guilt. Only in Christ can we be free even though we say, "Mea Culpa" (I am to blame).

Romans 3:20 says that by the Law is the knowledge of sin. Paul wouldn't have known himself as a sinner unless he heard that he shouldn't covet. It is by the Word of God that the Holy Spirit convicts and it is His job to convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (Isaiah 55:11; cf. John 16:8). One law that is not repeated in the New Testament is the Sabbath law (cf. Neh. 9:14). This law was given as a sign (cf. Ezek. 20:20) to Israel that they were His people and comparing Rom. 14:5 and Col. 2:16 we see that this is not commanded or re-instituted in the New Testament. Finally, we serve not in the old written code of the law but in the new way of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 7:6). Watchman Nee said that the day he was delivered from the law was like heaven on earth.

The Formula of Concord (1577), the Lutheran confession of faith, established the so-called three-fold purpose of the law: To reveal sin; to establish decency in the society at large, and to provide a rule of life for the regenerated through faith in Christ. (this is according to R. C. Sproul). On the other end of the spectrum is Martin Luther's Against the Antinomians which refuted those who thought the law had no purpose (literally "against the law"). Sproul says that the law (here the moral law) does not sanction the idea that everyone has the right to do as they please in their own eyes or the right to do wrong just because we are not "under the law."

The law prepares us for grace and if we love Jesus we will do His commandments. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). The law is a mirror according to Luther that shows us our true selves. The Hebrews, upon receiving the law, didn't pray for mercy but said they would obey it--what a mistake! Legalism is mainly adherence to the letter of the law and exclusion of the spirit of the law according to Sproul. He says, "The antidote to legalism and antinomianism is a serious study of the Word of God."

The law should be used in witnessing because the "law is perfect, converting the soul" (Psalms. 19:7). Billy Graham says that the law is not a panacea but a diagnosis. "It condemns but does not convert, it challenges but does not change." Charles Finney says, "By a convicted sinner, I mean one who feels condemned by the Law of God as a guilty sinner. I remark that this [the Law] is the rule and the only just rule by which the guilt of sin can be measured." Psalm 19:7 says, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the sinner."

D. L. Moody says, "God, being a perfect God, had to give a perfect law, and the law was given not to save men, but to measure them...They try to save themselves by trying to keep the law, but it was never meant for men to save themselves by...This, then, is why God gives us the law--to show us ourselves in our true colors." John Wesley says, "The first use of [the Law], without question, is to convince the world of sin." Yes, when He comes He will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (cf. John 16:8). John Bunyan says, "The man who does not know the nature of the law does not know the nature of sin. The world at large is under the law until they are redeemed from its curse. 

The Law was given to convince us we cannot keep it!     Soli Deo Gloria!

What is Subjectivism?

Just because we have the right to interpret Scripture doesn't mean we have the right to interpret it any way we want to. The obverse of privilege is responsibility--to interpret it right!  Just because we feel something is true doesn't make it so: e.g., not believing in the election because we feel it seems to make God out to be a despot. We cannot fabricate our own truths! We are obliged to cutting it straight so to speak. Quakers believe they should heed the "Inner Light" and Mormons follow "the burning in the bosom." There have been many "mystics" who claim special revelation and new interpretations that only they have been privileged to know.  We are entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts!

Remember the road to Emmaus: "Were not our hearts burning within us?" Karl Barth said that passage becomes the Word of God when you have an "existential experience" with it. Well, that could subjectively mean anything: Does he mean getting goosebumps, chills down the spine, or "burning in the bosom?" Somehow God can convict us of the truth and speak to our hearts; it is usually different to each individual. Reading into the Scriptures what we want to see is called eisegesis (reading into the Bible), and correct interpretation is called exegesis (reading what's there). Also, we don't interpret it to justify our behavior but to change it!

God can speak through the air vent if He chooses, but He has chosen to primarily speak through His Word. "And the Word of the Lord tried him." "He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word" (1 Sam. 3:21). "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life" (Deut. 32:47). "Do not My words do good to him whose ways are upright?" (Mic. 2:7). Note that God uses His Word.

Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian Emmanuel Swedenborg was a mystic that decided he would eliminate some of the books of the Bible that he didn't "feel" were scriptural. Today we have a sect following his errant teaching. If God is going to reveal the meaning to you He will do it to other members of the body also as confirmation. "For no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation..." (2 Pet. 1:21). In summary: Subjectivism is a road to mysticism and we must endeavor to be objective, even though there is no such thing as total objectivity except with God.  Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is The Place Of Doctrine?

That is a loaded question since most people have a preconceived idea of what doctrine is. Doctrine is important; don't bail out theologically (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3). We all have a credo; we all have doctrines; some of us just don't have sound doctrine. Usually, they think of something dogmatic or doctrinaire or narrow-minded. They want to avoid doctrine. Actually, if we realize that all doctrine means is "teaching" then half the problem is solved. Who's against teaching?

Doctrine isn't just for intellectuals. You don't commit spiritual or intellectual suicide when you join a ministry or church. You are committing spiritual suicide if you ignore doctrine: It is a given and we are all theologians in a sense. We cannot avoid doctrine: "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine..." (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). "Those who are wayward in spirit shall gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction [doctrine, as it were]" (cf. Isa. 29:14).

There is value in knowing the scoop, as it were, or being "clued in," because this gives us confidence and these two, according to Charles Swindoll, are like Siamese twins. Doctrine feeds the soul and is the spiritual bread that Christ referred to when He said, "You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (cf. Matt. 4:4). Just because we are privy to some doctrine doesn't make us a cut above other Christians. " The mere presence of doctrine can leave us cold, even if it is sound doctrine." It is necessary for spiritual wellness but not sufficient.

We don't have the right to believe what we feel is right but must obey rules of hermeneutics and logic that apply to any other book as well. Avoiding controversy is un-Christlike because Christ didn't shy from controversy: "to avoid controversy is to avoid Christ" (see John Stott's book Christ the Controversialist) The early disciples were devoted to the apostles' doctrine or teaching. Remember, God wants us to be "mature in our understanding." Ignorance is not bliss! It is a childish faith that balks at learning Scripture in depth. The meat of the Word is for those who "have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (cf. Heb. 5:14).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Cutting It Straight

We are told to "rightly divide the Word of Truth," which literally means "cutting it straight" or rightly interpreting according to proper hermeneutic principles. I have heard that we should interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament or vice versa. Well, you can sometimes interpret the Old in light of the New and sometimes the reverse. All Scripture is profitable for doctrine and so forth. Examples are Jesus talking about the abomination of desolation and referring to Daniel and about Isaiah talking about the virgin birth and Luke saying Christ fulfilled it. Or Peter saying that Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel 2.

We have teachers that say, "Where in the New Testament are we told to obey the law?" Is this fair? We are not under the law as it says in Rom. 6:14 (the ceremonial and governmental institutional law) but still must obey the moral code. Morality doesn't change, but Christ said that all the law is fulfilled in loving God and our neighbor. "Love is the fulfillment of the Law." The messianic Jews, though sincere, are plainly wrong, seeking to put themselves under bondage again when they have been set free (cf. Gal. 5:1).

There is the argument that we don't have to obey the sabbath laws because this is the only commandment not repeated in the New Testament. We ought to live in the New Testament and not in the Old Testament. I realize that the only Scripture the early church had was the Old Testament but they also had the prophets and apostles. There are 613 laws in the books of Moses and the only ones that apply to us are repeated in the New Testament. The New Testament is to be looked upon as the fulfillment of the Old. The law does have a purpose: to convict of sin and lead one to Christ. Paul said that if it wasn't for the law to not covet he wouldn't have considered himself a sinner. It is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ says Paul in Galatians.

So, one must be very careful to know the place of the law when interpreting the Scriptures. "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20). Or "Indeed, it is by the straight edge of the law that we realize how crooked we really are" (J. B. Phillips).

Christianity was a break from Judaism and not another sect of that religion. Thus the New Testament stands alone as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, just as Christ is the fulfillment of the Law. The Old Testament looks forward to Christ while the New Testament presents Christ. The Old looks forward to Christ and We look back to Christ; the important thing is that we are both looking at Christ.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Easy-believism

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the famous Lutheran Nazi resistor, talked about "cheap grace." Our salvation is free, but it costs everything. "Easy-believism" refers to belief without commitment and lordship. We must accept Christ as the lord of our lives and the center of our being. Simple acquiescence or agreement is not enough (the Romanists or Papists believe that agreement with church dogma constitutes a meritorious faith); one must believe in one's heart and decide to follow Jesus no matter the cost. Jesus said, "Take up your cross, deny yourself and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24).

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, regretted that the twentieth century would usher in Christianity without Christ and faith without repentance. Your head belief must travel 18 inches to your heart to be heart belief. True faith loves Jesus and is a living relationship with Him. Repentance is the flip side of faith and goes hand in hand with it. They compliment each other and need each other--they are different viewpoints. We are to leave the fundamentals of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. To get assurance we must "examine our hearts and look at the fruit of our lives," according to R. C. Sproul. Also, he says the "Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit" will bring assurance of true faith.

Don't let anyone tell you that it is easy to become a Christian. Sure children can get saved but one must receive it as a child even if one is old. Jesus said to enter at the "narrow gate" for narrow is the gate and hard is the way that leads to life and "few there be that find it" (Matt. 7:14). Many preachers say, "Just believe! (we don't need faith in faith per se, but obedient and penitent faith) It's easy!" but the Holy Spirit must be working in the person's heart to convict them (John 16:8) and draw them to Christ (John 6:44).

Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Soli Deo Gloria! God gets all the glory and we are not the captain of our souls or the master of our fate--our ultimate destiny is in the hands of God. Arminians think this makes God look like a terrible tyrant, but in reality, He is sovereign over all.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are Some Reprobate?

When Jonathan Edwards preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to bring on the Great Awakening in 1741, his text was Deut. 32:35 as follows: "Their step shall slip in due time; the day of their calamity is at hand."

Reprobate means condemned beforehand. (Those that believe not are condemned already.)  Paul calls them vessels of wrath as opposed to vessels of mercy. It's God's call who we are. Even our niceness is God's gift to us, not our gift to God. God doesn't actively force a person to reject Him or disobey Him--He does it on his own accord. Jean Calvin called this doctrine the "horrible decree." The opposite of reprobation is an election which is clearly mentioned in Titus and 1 Peter. I don't believe in double-predestination or that God makes some reject Him--that is called hyper-Calvinism and Calvin didn't believe that. "To the elect...." If you can prove reprobation which is a doctrine with much consternation like predestination (nobody likes to talk about it), you can by default prove election.

In my view, God passes over the non-elect (known as preterition) and lets them go their own way, but all of us would reject God if He hadn't had worked in our hearts and wills to make us willing to do His will (cf. Phil. 2:13). Compare John 6:44 and 6:65 which say that one cannot come to Jesus unless it has been granted him and the Father draws him (woos him--elko, the Greek word actually means to drag).

Three verses stand out to be brought to our attention.  [All verses in NKJV.] Jude 4 says, "For certain men have crept in unnoticed who long ago were marked out for this condemnation...." 1 Peter 2:8 says, "They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which also they were appointed." And finally 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." These verses are pretty straightforward and don't need commentary. [All italics are mine.]

Is not God the potter and we the clay; cannot God do with us as He sees fit, whether for common or for honorable use. How then can God blame us if He chooses? This is the question that Paul anticipates in Romans 9:19, "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?'" If you can answer this you deserve a doctorate in theology. Nota bene:  Paul knew ahead of time that people would wonder about the election and try to reconcile it with free will. The fact is, is that we cannot resist God's will--He always gets His way. NB: REBROBATE IS A BIBLICAL TERM FOUND IN 2 COR. 13:5FF.    Soli Deo Gloria!

How Limited Is The Atonement?

NB:  WHETHER YOU BELIEVE CHRIST DIED FOR ALL THE SINS OF MANKIND WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION, OR JUST FOR THE SHEEP, EITHER WAY ONE LIMITS THE ATONEMENT (EITHER IN EXTENT OF OUTREACH OR EXTENT OF EFFICACY).

Actually, those who believe in unlimited atonement are either universalists or believe in an atonement that only makes possible the salvation of all but actually saves no one for certain--that is a real limitation. In a so-called limited atonement, it actually accomplishes something--the salvation of the elect ("it is finished"). In 1 John 2:2 we see that Christ is the "atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not ours only but those of the whole world."

The problem lies in the definition of "world." The Greek word kosmos has several meanings. It doesn't always refer to everyone without exception. Sometimes it refers to everyone without distinction. In other words, all kinds of people can get saved, not all people. The word can mean creation or the universe and the way to test this is to plug the word into the sentence and see if it makes sense. John uses the word in John 3 several times and every time the word creation makes sense whereas believers or every person doesn't make sense.

We have to be careful so we don't prove that God saves everyone. The atonement was infinite in value and only avails for the believer, otherwise, everyone would be saved. What they say is "sufficient for all, efficient for some." God sent His Son into the universe because He so loved the universe.

In 1 John 2:2 what He did for us He did for the cosmos. He did the same thing for the cosmos. Now we just have to figure out what He did. In many translations, the word propitiation isn't used because it is above the reading level of the readers. They use the word atonement instead. Martin Luther used the word reconciliation. You see how the translators like to do your thinking for you. If Christ redeemed us He also redeemed the world or creation. Well in a way He did. Another way of looking at this verse is to see that there is one way of salvation, for the Jew as well as for the Gentile--Christ is the way of salvation, not for the Jews only but for the whole world. The main argument for the limited atonement is that Christ suffered once for the "sheep" and for His "friends" and not for the lost. "The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." "No love has a man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Also, there is the law of double jeopardy which says that if Christ suffered for your sins, how can God make you pay for them in hell. The whole question is whether Christ died for Hitler's sins or not, and if he has to pay his debt in hell on top of that. Some Arminians say that Christ died for all sinners and it's their fault if they don't accept the "free gift of eternal life." But doesn't God know ahead of time who will believe and didn't Christ only pray for the believers in the high priestly prayer of John 17?

The answer is that God offers salvation to everyone through the general call of the gospel but only the elect will hear. But all that God calls get justified (cf. Rom. 8:30). "The elect obtained unto it and the rest were hardened"m (Rom. 11:7).  "As many as were appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48).  The gospel is for "all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39).  We don't know who the elect are so we have to preach to everyone and we preach the gospel because we are commanded to, not because we know who will be saved. The Scriptures say that "no one can resist His will" (Rom. 9:19). NB:  We are not saved by our theory of the atonement, period.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Can Man Be Born Again?

Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God. He rejoined, "How can an old man reenter his mother's womb and be born again?" The question is not whether one has the permission to be born again but the ability. It is from the word for "power" in the Latin Vulgate whereas in English "can" often implies permission. Martin Luther also translated it "Wie kann ein Mensch geboren werden,..." German is similar to English but kann means ability while darf means permission and the two are not to be confused. This refers to total depravity, the T of TULIP.

God isn't out to reform your life but to give you a full life. "No man can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44). We are helpless and totally dependent on God's grace to save us--we are at His mercy, He is the Master of our fate and Captain of our soul. Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

We had no say in our first birth and we were born again by God's miracle also. Did you cooperate in your birth or were you just a victim so to speak?  (It was the counter-reformation Council of Trent in 1546 that declared that if you don't believe you cooperated with God of your own free will you are anathema.)   We have no indigenous power or inherent ability to reform ourselves or transform our nature or to make ourselves suitable for salvation--God is the potter and we are the clay. Notice that Jesus used the passive voice meaning that we are acted upon and we don't do anything ourselves--we become born again through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit and adopted into God's family as brethren of Christ.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Principles Of Witnessing

Jesus was the witness par excellence and we can learn from Him, the prototype evangelist, who never made a mistake. As obedience to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 we are all ambassadors for Christ bearing the "ministry of reconciliation." They said: "We implore you, on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God" (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20); "Always be prepared to give an answer..." (1 Pet. 3:15); "...Do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5). This isn't just a job for the cleric, but for all the body of Christ, the layman too, to work together--the whole church. If you have no desire to win others to Christ seriously doubt your relationship with Christ because that is what we are here for. Pray earnestly for a burden--like John Knox, who said, "Give me Scotland or I die." We should all pray, "Give me converts or I die." In conclusion, we must first seek from God a burden for souls--he that wins souls must first weep for souls, someone has said. That's a good attitude.

He didn't always get the catch when he "fished." There was different bait to catch different fish; e.g., the intellectual Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the rich young ruler, the Greeks, etc., were all dealt with in different manners; Christ "tailored" or designed his message individually. I don't believe in machine-gun evangelism that uses the same bait with everyone, like telling everyone to repent or else! The point is that you will always "win" when you witness, regardless of whether the person receives Christ or not; we don't witness to put feathers in our cap but out of obedience. One plants, another waters, and another reaps, but God gives the increase (cf. 1 Cor. 3:7). Only God can convert someone, so don't try to do the Holy Spirit's job of convicting someone of their sin, if you know what I mean. Jesus looked for quality, not quantity and did everything He could to discourage insincere followers.

One must develop a witness or testimony; wait for God to open the door and then make a beeline for the gospel. Bring the conversation to a head and challenge them. The person should be asked, if he has been presented the gospel, is, "Is there any reason you cannot receive Christ right now?" "...Now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). This will force him to a decision and give the Holy Spirit something to work on.

Also, one must not rely upon one's wits or cleverness, but on the Word of God--it is the Word that is the "seed" and what God promises to use (cf. Isa. 55:10-11--"My Word will not come back void"). Our faith does not rest on the "wisdom of men," but on the Word of God, "which effectually works" in us who believe (cf. 1 Thess. 2:13). Indeed, "...the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (1 Cor. 1:18).

Yes, we are in a win-win situation, and the only way we can lose is if we keep our testimony--that which cannot be refuted--to ourselves. "They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony..." (Rev. 12:11). God only requires us to witness or testify to what we know and have experienced and been faithful in that. Remember, the blind man said, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (no one could argue, John 9:25). We don't have to know all the answers to witness either--we can get back to them and tell them we can get the answer. One doesn't need all the answers to become a Christian either, but just recognizing that the preponderance of the evidence points in that direction and to take a leap of faith in the right direction.

The right attitude is expressed in Acts 4:20: "For we cannot help speaking of what we have seen and heard." Amen! The power of testimony--our very own story. As the psalmist says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" We should all pray as David did in Psalm 51:15, "O Lord open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise." Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Faith A Gift?

Is faith a gift or a work? "Who makes you to differ? What do you have that you didn't receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). Are we not clay in the hands of the potter? "For it has been granted unto you...to believe..." (Phil. 1:29). Jesus is the "author and finisher of our faith;" hence He originated it. Let us live according to "the faith God has distributed to each [of us]..." (Rom. 12:3).

Romanists believe it is a meritorious work because they believe in merit plus grace and not sola gratia or grace alone as the reformers championed. "This is the work of God [not our work] that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29). "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God [antecedent is faith as the gift], lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). If faith were a work then we would be saved by works.

Faith is not our salvation and faith is not reckoned as righteousness but unto righteousness (cf. Rom. 4:3 translation of dia meaning unto). Faith is the instrumental cause of salvation and we don't put faith in faith but in God. God opened the door of faith to the Gentiles in Acts 14:27 and He opened Lydia's heart to believe in Acts 16:14. It might be interpreted as God quickening faith within us.

Why is this important? 1 John 5:1 says that "Everyone who believes that Christ is the Christ has been born of God [ESV]." That means that regeneration precedes faith--we don't conjure up faith and then get saved. God gives us faith and expects us to use it. It is our faith but it is the gift of God. "Who believed through grace" means that we're enabled by God to believe. 2 Pet. 1:1 says, we have "received a precious faith like theirs." Ergo we are given faith. This doctrine is important so that we don't revert to Romanism and have a merit-based rather than grace based salvation. God wants all the glory (Soli Deo Gloria). To sum up, "Faith comes by hearing and by hearing of the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).   Soli Deo Gloria!