The Assault On Truth

"TRUTH forever on the scaffold, WRONG forever on the throne."--James Russell Lowell, The Present Crisis, 1844" TRUTH is that which corresponds with [describes] REALITY."--John Locke (now known as the correspondence theory of Truth)
"To begin learning, you must admit your IGNORANCE."--Socrates
"...as the TRUTH is in Jesus" (Eph. 4:21, NKJV).
"... Everyone who is of the TRUTH hears My voice" (John 18:37, NKJV).
"... [B]ecause they refused to love the TRUTH and so be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10, ESV).
"Politics without PRINCIPLE ."--one of the seven deadly sins that will destroy society per Mahatma Gandhi
"These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A LYING tongue..." (Proverbs 6:17-17, NKJV).
"Only simpletons believe EVERYTHING they're told" (Proverbs 14:15, NLT).
"If the FOUNDATIONS are destroyed, What can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3, NKJV).
"No nation has ever survived the loss of its gods."--George Bernard Shaw
"The simple believe ANYTHING..." (Proverbs 14:15, NIV). (ALL EMPHASIS MINE.)


Who would ever think that someday the very notion of truth would come into the debate, not just not knowing what it is like Pilate, but denying it exists--this is Postmodernism! There is no universal belief, but there is universal truth.
NB: WE LIVE IN THE POST-TRUTH ERA NOW POLITICALLY.

Pres. Trump has told at least 118 outright lies in less than a year in office, according to an investigative report team of The New York Times, while Obama told a mere total of 18 combined in his two terms--not exaggerations, nor differences of judgment or opinion, mistakes, or misspeaking, but proven lies with evidence! For example, he claimed to have signed more bills than any president except one in his first year (which is a big fat lie); however, he delegitimizes the "mainstream press," because they didn't cover this so-called fact, or, in reality, a lie of his. He claimed that 3-5 million illegal aliens voted for Clinton to give her the popular vote with no basis in fact or evidence to substantiate it. 

 Yet despite these prevarications, his base hasn't yet realized that our president is a congenital, habitual, boldfaced, shameless, pathological liar and the truth is not in him--he will even prevaricate about easily verified data that can be Googled! What's more, he repeats his lies and refuses to correct them or own up to them. The joke around the Beltway being circulated is that George Washington said, "I cannot tell a lie," Richard Nixon couldn't tell the truth, Jimmy Carter promised not to lie, but Donald J. Trump cannot tell the difference! It is even said of Trump that he lies even when the truth will do and won't do him any harm.


Basically, his base relies on FOX News and his Twitter feed for their information and news flashes and to be informed of the latest news cycle, twisted in favor of the president's viewpoint. If you only rely on one source of input or worldview you'll lose your discernment! FOX News is unapologetic about the president and refuses to criticize him, even if he is patently wrong. Breitbart News is the president's propaganda machine armed by his self-proclaimed "wingman," Steven Bannon, a right-wing party hardliner, called a "white nationalist" and a spokesman in his media for the "alt-right," which is set against the establishment GOP. Trump resents a free press and strives to discredit it, realizing it inhibits his power and authority and is a wannabe despot who is only limited by our governmental system of checks and balances, which he wants to destroy and discredit because he doesn't want restraint on his agenda, power, and authority.


How is it that the public tolerate such lies coming from the top? Some even know it and are unconcerned or apathetic, even thinking it doesn't matter. Pragmatism is not concerned with truth, but what works, or results, as the effectiveness of an idea or policy. People just believe in what "works" for them! We live in the age of Postmodernism, whereby truth is individualized and relative to a situation, person, or time: "You've got to change with the times!" \

Everything is in a state of flux. The citizenry doesn't know what truth is any better than Pilate, who asked Christ at his trial: "What is truth?" People are simply clueless and think truth is unknowable, and you cannot claim to speak for it. Our president has the so-called bully pulpit to propagate his dangerous ideas and notions, and more than that, we have a bully in the pulpit! He spends a large portion of his time insulting various constituencies politicians and opponents he deems his enemies in a paranoid mindset.


Joseph Goebbels, the "notorious chief of Nazi propaganda," believed in telling big lies or whoppers and frequent lies to fool and brainwash or condition the common man, in his ignorance (Scripture says the simpleton believes anything in Prov. 14:15) --a large section of Trump's base is uneducated working-class folks who don't know how to fact-check, or do any research. They are mostly highly gullible and don't think for themselves or make up their own opinions--but are just sponges of the conservative media and radio hosts (they're also called ditto-heads). These naive people buy into the lies of the alternative universe of Trump politics. Trump couldn't be truer to the ideas of Joseph Goebbels, "notorious chief of Nazi Propaganda, because he is engaged in propaganda himself, telling lies over and over again until they get accepted, even big lies a la Goebbels, and never admitting error or that it was a lie, and to this day he has never admitted being wrong or apologized for it. The president sees it as a sign of weakness to say, "I'm sorry!" or "I was wrong!" Never before has any president been able to lie with such impunity and unchallenged by his partisans.


In the final analysis, education is going from an unconscious to a conscious awareness of your ignorance, and Trump doesn't seem to gain anything by O.J.T. and his learning curve is extremely low. As Socrates said, you will never arrive at the truth, unless you admit you could be wrong! No one has a monopoly on wisdom or truth and doesn't need feedback, rebuke, or correction by others at times when he makes mistakes--if you've never made a mistake, you've never made anything, goes the proverb. In modern terminology, truth has become "a short-term contract," and, even if knowable, not communicable--denying universal and objective truth (true whether believed or not), there's no Truth with a capital T! In sum, it's the truth that's under siege and Christians must not stand in the sidelines, (1 Tim. 6:12, NKJV, says, "Fight the good fight of faith..."), but make their stand clear and declare their Christian colors, even if it means going solo: The true statesman will stand for the truth, declare his colors, and let the chips fall where they may in a posture of moral courage. (By definition: Believing something doesn't make it true, and not believing it doesn't make it false or wrong.


CAVEAT: Just like the emperor who wore no clothes, many of the leaders of the GOP know in their hearts that Trump is a liar, but for the sake of self-preservation and survival instinct, and because they want to look out for Number One; Job One is protection of party reputation and their job security. They refuse to acknowledge this because it would be political suicide, as they are also afraid of Trump's base, and in effect, they are his ENABLERS and are equally guilty of dismantling our democracy and its foundations under the rule of law, the US Constitution being the supreme law of the land.


Two germane verses from the Word come to mind: "Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!" (Deut. 32:29, NKJV). "The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3, NLT).

I deplore the reality that the day has finally arrived for politicians to be more concerned with public opinion than the truth and/or principle; how can a man call something crooked, if he has no idea what straight is? The truth does matter, whether we realize it or not, Jesus said in John 18:37, NKJV, "... Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." As a word to the wise is sufficient: Paul depicts unbelievers as those "who suppress the truth" (cf. Rom. 1:18) and who "reject the truth" (cf. Rom. 2:8; Titus 1:14). He also says they "exchange the truth of God for a lie" (cf. Rom. 1:25). Their judgment draws nigh: "because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they may be saved ... that they should believe the lie" (2 Thess. 2:10-11, NKJV). We can only hope if perchance God may do a work of grace in their conversion: "... Perhaps God will change their mind and give them a knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 2:25, CEB).


Knowing this, one realizes that the truth is the antiseptic of error and wrongdoing and we must never give up fighting the "good fight" (cf. 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7) for Him who came to bear witness of the truth (cf. John 18:37). Paul tells Titus that the "acknowledgment of the truth ... accords with godliness" (Titus 1:2, NKJV). One should never feel he has a monopoly on the truth, has cornered the market, or closed his mind to new ideas whose time has come--no one has all the truth! Note and apply Paul's admonition: "And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8, ESV). Those of us who know what to do should declare our colors and take our stand, as the immortal words in Esther 4:14, NKJV, say, "... Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"


There is a condition to finding truth: "Science says to sit down before the facts as a little child, be prepared to go up every preconceived notion, be willing to be led to whatever end Nature will lead you, or you will know nothing." Finally, bear in mind, in the search for ultimate truth, the immortal axiom of St. Augustine: "All truth is God's truth," and similarly of St. Thomas Aquinas, "All truth meets at the top." Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance And Security Part 3

The best Bible verse I've seen for eternal security is Rom. 8:29-30, which says that all who are predestined are justified--none are lost ("For whom He foreknew, He predestined, and whom He predestined, He called, and whom He called He justified"). Jesus also said none are lost except the son of perdition and we are "kept" (See Jude vv. 1-4 for the promise). Without eternal security, there is no assurance of salvation like Romanists maintain. If our salvation depends on our behavior or conduct we might blow it in the end. Who would know that he would endure to the end unless God promised it in His Word? "He who endures to the end shall be saved." (This is not a proviso of salvation, but a promise that we will be saved.) (Matt. 10:22; 24:13) God doesn't quit on us, but finishes what He starts (He doesn't teach us to swim to let us drown): "For He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" (Phil. 1:6). "Tetelestai!" (It is finished, PAID IN FULL!.) Soli Deo Gloria.

Assurance And Security Part 2

The doctrines of eternal security and assurance of salvation are interconnected. The truth or falsity of one bears on the credibility of the other. Romanists deny any sure doctrine of assurance, though they say assurance is possible for some by divine revelation to that effect, and say that one who is born-again cannot say for sure that he is numbered among the predestined--that would be presumption. St. Aurelius Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, said that this is not arrogant stoutness (presumption), but faith. Wesleyans believe in present assurance, but deny any perseverance is guaranteed. They believe they can lose their salvation and deny the ditty, "Once saved, always saved." Most Lutherans believe that if you lose your faith, you will lose your salvation, even though Martin Luther was orthodox in his belief of the perseverance of the saints. Security is a fact, assurance is an acknowledgment of a fact and the two can be distinguished or differentiated, but not separated.  You cannot logically affirm one without the other!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Notes From Lecture Of Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.

Dr. Johnson (predecessor of Norman L. Geisler and my first teacher of sound doctrine,) mentioned three assurances of salvation: The evidential (works of righteousness, love of the brethren, overcoming sin per 1 John 3:7); the internal witness of the Holy Spirit per (Rom. 8:16 as the Spirit bears witness with our spirit); and the external witness of the reliable Word of God itself. Trusting in the Word cannot be more reliable, so we should cling to our favorite verse of assurance, e.g., John 6:37 which says, "He who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out." This is like having a "spiritual birth certificate."

Salvation brings life, but assurance brings joy. "Do we have faith to die by or just one we can live with?" says Dr. Johnson.

He made it clear that one can be saved and have no assurance or a weak faith with doubts. It is God's will for us to know for sure absolutely. Not just out of curiosity, but as a boon to our faith and a duty to God to have a strong faith. Augustine of Hippo said that assurance is no "arrogant stoutness," but faith, and no presumption at all. What shall we trust: God's infallible Word or our experience?   Soli Deo Gloria!

Note:  Dr. Johnson baptized me and was criticized at DTS (Dallas Theological Seminary) for his strict Reformed theology. He was the pastor at Believers Chapel in Dallas, Texas.   He also was one of Charles Swindoll's professors at DTS.   

Basic Assurance

I have seen stats and data that support the conclusion that most Christians are not sure of their salvation. At least 50 percent of Christians claim to be unsure. In some churches, 95 percent of the members are unsure (mostly Roman Catholic). Assurance of salvation does not belong to the essence of faith and doesn't always exist with saving faith. God is more interested in whether our faith is sincere and unfeigned and not hypocritical than being unwavering. Everyone's faith is tested at times because it is more precious as gold and silver in God's eyes. Someone whose faith has never been tested has weak faith. It isn't the amount of faith, but the object of the faith.

We don't need divine intervention or a revelation to the effect that we are saved, like hearing voices or seeing visions, to know we are saved. God's Word is true and He cannot lie. If we have done our part of the promise of salvation and God's Word says we're saved, then God has more to lose than we do by not saving us, we would lose our soul, but God would lose His deity. Some claim to have experiences, but we should still base our assurance on the Word of God and stand on the promises of God, relying on His Word, not walking in the "glow" of some experience, or clinging to the memory of some emotional encounter.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance And Security...

"Our assurance is not based on our feelings, behavior...but on the character of God...." We may have a question of semantics here, but it seems to me that we are reassured by our subjective experience and objective faith in God's Word. Our ultimate "security" is in God's hands as we are inscribed on the palms of His hands (cf. Isaiah 49:16). We are sealed and a down payment has been paid to guarantee His promise. We are given assurance and security as a GIFT.

One cannot be "unborn" nor "unjustified" and so our salvation is as permanent as adoption can be. God's judgment of our justification is permanent. Christ is interceding for us, so who can be against us?

Do I understand you, that you don't believe in the final perseverance of the saints? Do you believe that it doesn't matter how you live as long as you know you are saved (antinomianism which is libertinism)? False security and presumption are wrong. Do you dichotomize (split into two factions) Christians into spiritual spheres? I don't believe some Christians can sin and say that it's alright because they are "carnal" Christians, but Christians can be carnal at times. (Look at the reality of Rom. 7--"Oh, wretched man that I am.") This is not a "Christian experience," but it is, nevertheless, the experience of many. This seems to be the anticlimax of the book of Romans but it is really the starting point--our END IS GOD'S BEGINNING according to Watchman Nee.

I believe you can fall away, but not absolutely, and finally. I do not believe that apostasy is a "clear and present danger" for the believer. I have heard it said that you should not believe in "eternal security" but perseverance. That means that we cooperate with God in our final security. I disagree with this, partly out of a personal experience where I can say I have strayed from the Lord and He has brought me back out of grace, and partly out of scripture.

The difference is not that we can say, "Now that I am a Christian I can go see a for fun and not worry about my salvation." I do not think any real genuine believer would ever say that it is only hypothetical. You can do what you want to if you love Jesus, but the things you want to do are different and are changed. We are held and kept in His hands and He has a tight grip on us. We do persevere in the end, though we may have our ups and downs and backslide, God, will heal us.

No Christian ever truly presumes on the grace of God or purposely goes astray; it usually happens slowly (he drifts away), by not being in fellowship or not going to church and waking up one day and realizing what you did, as God grants you repentance like the prodigal son. The Christian may go into sin, but he doesn't want to deep inside, he is just succumbing to temptation--it's not a temptation to some, who have no right to judge. God can cure him of his weakness and bring him back to the fold. If God allows it to happen, He has a purpose, because no one can thwart God's plan or resist His will.

One must understand that perseverance does not mean we will not sin frequently, or fall into it, but that our faith will not fail (David never lost faith, though he was out of fellowship for about one year). We should really give God the glory and stress the preservation that He does on our behalf. A word to the wise is sufficient: The Scriptural caveat is, "Let him who thinks he stands to take heed lest he falls" (cf. 1 Cor. 10:12). There, but for the grace of God go I. NB: Security and assurance can be distinguished but not separated--they go hand in hand and cannot exist independently.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 5

First of all, it must be recognized that there is no assurance without eternal security, for one would never know if he were to persevere. Apostasy is never the final lot for the Christian--it is not a "clear and present danger," so to speak, even though one can temporarily be led astray by false teachers, Christ is watching out for His sheep. (We can fall from grace, but not absolutely.) "You have fallen from grace..." does not mean you've lost your salvation.

Faith in Christ is faith in His Word. Leaning on the everlasting promises. "Not one of them has failed." Good advice is to take a favorite salvation verse like John 1:13 and call it your spiritual birth certificate. God says it in His Word; I believe it in my heart; that settles it in my mind.

The entire book of First John was written primarily to give assurance of salvation and offers 7 tests that would be impossible without salvation to follow: Loving the brethren (1 John 3:9); Overcoming the world (5:4); Having the inner witness (5:10); Doing righteousness (2:3); Confessing the Lordship of Christ (4:15); Keeping His commands.

There are pseudo assurances such as spiritual interest, Bible knowledge, experiences, and moral behavior.

Some people have spurious faith and fall away and repudiate the faith. They were never true believers according to 1 John 2:19 which says that the went away that it would be manifest that they were not of us. They were enamored with some of the ideas of the faith or philosophies or: "converted" to the program, but not converted to Christ. They are "spiritual dropouts."

Jonathan Edwards wrote an entire book to give assurance as he studied the so-called "holy affections," which were impossible without conversion. (Having fellowship, sensitivity to sin, obeying God, rejecting the world, expecting the return of Christ, decreasing sin, love of the brethren, answered prayer, and experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit). His book was written in 1748 and is called  A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections.  He wrote it because of the Great Awakening, [which began about 1741] and so many people were being converted he wanted to bring some perspective to the converts.

To remain uncertain is to paralyze our walk and it is God's will for us to "know" that we have eternal life, not just "hope so" (cf. 1 John 5:13). Paul says, "...I KNOW whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to KEEP that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9--Emphasis added).  Soli Deo Gloria  

Assurance Of Salvation Part 4

I agree in theory that one must rest on the promises of God! We are fruit inspectors, but not of each other's fruit, but of our own--only we know if we are experiencing the joy of the Lord, etc. R. C. Sproul says that we "must search our OWN hearts." If we have come to a true love of the Lord, it is added assurance, because this is impossible without saving faith. (Cf. 1 Pet. 1:2-10)

 Assurance can be intermittent and immediate assurance is not of the essence but of the well-being of our faith according to The Westminster Confession (ca. 1646). The Christian that says he knows he is saved because he feels it in his heart will be silenced when one of another religion can duplicate his feelings if they are not based on objective historical fact and the Word of God. Without the historical fact of the resurrection, all the feelings in the world would be useless and meaningless and in vain.

The best way to be sure is to have faith in God's Word--holding Him to His promises as the Supreme Promise Keeper: 1 John 5:13, John 1:12, Rom. 10:9-10, et alia. But note well that our faith is not perfect but God only requires UNFEIGNED faith, we are not to be hypocrites but to be sincere and honest with God.

The doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints as the Reformed theology calls it or better known as "eternal security" should be called the doctrine of the "Preservation of the Saints" according to R. C. Sproul because it is really God's keeping power and not our ability. If our salvation depended upon us we would blow it. God does make us responsible for "Keep [yourselves] in the love of God."

Two verses that might be problematic are Mat. 24:13 and James 5:11 which say, "He that endures to the end shall be saved." and "Blessed is he who endures." These can be seen as "provisos" or requirements, but also as promises! I believe that we can fall, but not ultimately, we can fail the Lord, but not ultimately. We can even embrace heresy, but God will rescue us in the end. God will never lead us beyond that we are able, so there is to be no fear that we will be burned at the stake and lose our faith. We can backslide, but we will not despair. As far away from the Lord that I have gone, but God never gave up on me, even though I couldn't believe how far I had gone after I had come back to him.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 3

I hope you see the IRONY in my claiming (in a humble manner) that I am an expert on the subject of salvation assurance. I have studied it for a very long time, but it is my experience that I have learned the lessons through the school of hard knocks. No one really wants to be an expert on this subject, because it is embarrassing that one has struggled in this area. Why do we feel ashamed of our doubts? Doubt is an element of faith, not the opposite of it. I believe, help thou mine unbelief it says, right? \

What I have found out is that without the doctrine of eternal security there is no assurance, and that is why Catholics deny it, even present assurance of salvation. Lutherans are split, some thinking that if you lose your faith, you can lose it, but Martin Luther believed in the security of the believer like Calvin. The point is, is that we won't lose our faith. We can fall, but not absolutely.

There is no experience that you can claim that means your "in." God doesn't want you to base your assurance on experience (re attestation, e.g., tongues)--I don't care if you have prophesied in Christ's name, or have cast out demons.  One must have faith in Christ alone for one's salvation, not in experiences, Like Christ said that he is blessed who believes and hasn't seen, so is he blessed who haven't had experiences of wonderment or awe. I am not trying to brag of my knowledge per se, but this is one area where I really believe I have a grip on and a solid take.

God wants us to be sure and the apostle John says in 1 John 5:13 that he wrote the letter that they might "know." Michael Faraday, the great scientist, was asked on his death bed what his speculations were now. He said, "I don't have any speculations, I have certainties!" "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9).   Tongues isn't the only attestation experience (cf. Rom. 8:16).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 2

I am sort of an expert on this subject and would like to share some lessons I've learned in my spiritual journey.

Assurance is not presumption as the Catholics would have you believe, for Augustine said it was faith, even though Catholics say you must have a divine revelation to the effect to be sure of one's numbering in the elect; otherwise one is sinning unto presumption. There are four possibilities of assurance (according to R. C. Sproul): One can be sure of salvation and not be saved; one can be unsaved and know it; one can be saved and know it, or one can be saved and not know it. Assurance doesn't belong to the essence of faith (according to The Westminster Confession).

Some people have syllogistic (a major premise, followed by a minor premise, leading to a conclusion) assurance (As John MacArthur would say.): All Americans are saved, I am an American, ergo I am saved! They can be very ridiculous and there are many people talking about Heaven that are not going there, as the spiritual says. This is the phenomenon of false assurance.

True assurance comes from tried and proven faith through trials and tribulations and tests. One may or may not have an emotional reaction at salvation, but one shouldn't cling to the memory of some experience in the past as assurance, but only to present obedience and fruit. "Only he who is obedient believes, and only he believes who is obedient," said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Obedience is the true test of faith--Abraham obeyed God.) God is not impressed with feelings but with faith. A relationship based on feelings is shallow. The person that says he knows he is saved because of a warm feeling will be silenced when someone of another religion can duplicate his experience. One must base his assurance on the Word of God and stand on His promises and take God at His Word.

Assurance is commanded and enhances our sanctification and if one is or a backslider his assurance may be taken away. "Be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure ..." (2 Pet. 1:10). "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves..." (2 Cor. 13:5 cf. 1 Cor. 11:28).

We are guaranteed by God to endure to the end and not to lose our faith. Hab. 3:18 says that "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord" through the crops fail, etc. Only when one loses the Lord has he lost all, and a Christian cannot lose the Lord. However, it is a synergistic effort or you could say we persevere as God preserves.  Soli Deo Gloria!