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People of The Living God |
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May 2018
WAKE UP, NOW!
Lowell Walton
“Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him” (Matt. 25:6).
Readers, this is the message of the hour to all men, everywhere.
The word bridegroom used above is speaking of Jesus Christ, the Lord. He is coming and He will be met by those who go out.
Out from what, and out where will those who meet Him go? They will go out from all the evils of this present world condition, and will go to freedom and deliverance of their souls. In this condition they will meet their Lord when He comes.
These are not statements of imagination, but are based on the written word of God.
Any normal-thinking person is aware of the fact that we are living in the time referred to by St. Paul as the last days – a time when “men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (II Tim. 3:2-4).
Perilous times are upon us and only the foolish would refuse to acknowledge this fact. Through the media of radio, T.V., and the internet, worldwide corruption is being uncovered and exposed in every facet of life in the greater part of civilization. The political systems, the social systems, the economic and religious systems of this present world are reeking with greed, lust, injustice and hypocrisy.
This condition of gross evil on such a broad scale is spoken of in the scriptures in both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible. The name of the ancient city, Babylon, is used as a figure to portray this condition of total ungodliness, and God has purposed to destroy “Babylon” – this whole world system of evil. When God’s anger is unleashed, and the fire of His judgments begin falling on this earth, men will run seeking shelter but will not find it. Only those who are His people will be provided a hiding place. Even now God is preparing His places of refuge for those who have gone out and are now becoming one with Him.
Those who are fearless enough to trust in the Lord by obeying the call of His Spirit to come out of all this mess the world is in, and gather themselves together, are God’s own people, for He said when they came out and separated themselves, He would receive them and would be unto them a father, and they would be His sons and daughters. Go out now! Flee out! When it’s too late there will be a scramble!
RIGHTEOUSNESS
Charles Woodard
“Righteousness” is defined as “right standing before God.” Man was created righteous, for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). However, man fell by voluntary transgression and thereby incurred spiritual death (or separation from God). Paul wrote, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12).
Somehow, lost man must regain righteousness. A “second Adam” must conquer sin. He must be obedient unto God in all things. His obedience must cancel out the disobedience of the first Adam, as the Scriptures say, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).
But righteousness is not simply an act; it is a process. We are the righteousness of God in Christ, and we continue to become the righteousness of God by His life of righteousness in us.
To maintain the righteous state before God, He must reign in our lives. As Paul wrote, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17).
Notice that “death reigned” (the result was separation from God), but now Christ has come that “life might reign.” Spiritual life is fragile. We can quench the Spirit of God so easily. The gift of righteousness is a gift of grace. By the grace of God, we can live above sin. Sin does not have to have dominion over us. The Apostle Paul explained, “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:21).
Righteousness comes by heart belief and through open confession of that belief. The Bible clearly states, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10).
Some requirements precede salvation. In Exodus 29:4, we read, “And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.” The door of the tabernacle is a type of the entrance into God’s presence. (A type is an event, person or symbol that represents another.) Before the priests could enter, they had to meet certain requirements. Likewise, before we can be saved we must meet some requirements. Repentance is not the least of these. After we are saved, there are requirements which serve as guidelines to help us maintain the spiritual life of the new birth. It takes more than a move of emotions to be saved, more than a head belief, more than popular Christian psychology.
Before we can put on the whole armor of God, we must remove the carnal clothing. The Old Testament declares: “And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him” (Ex. 29:5-7).
Before entering the presence of God, the ephod is placed over the heart to remind the Christian of his heavenly calling; the crown is placed on the head as a symbol of power; finally, the oil, a type of the Holy Ghost, is poured over them. What a beautiful type of the Christian disciple – washed and sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost and endued with power.
Man is ruled either by self-righteousness or by God’s righteousness. Humanism, the world’s religion, is a doctrine of self-glorification; sad to say, this demonic self-righteous teaching has crept into the churches. True Christianity is a religion of subjecting one’s self-will to the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit.
Paul saw this conflict of wills and remarked, “When I am weak, then am I strong” (II Cor. 12:10). Philippians 2:7 and 8 tells us that Jesus “made himself of no reputation (that is, He emptied Himself) and became obedient unto death.” If a Christian would maintain spiritual life, he, too, must “empty himself” of all self-will.
Righteousness, then, is a relationship of love. Church is more than a religious meeting. It is more than singing and preaching. It is a group of born-again believers who have come into a loving relationship with Jesus and with each other. Righteousness is the catalyst for the relationship. God must pluck up and break down, destroy and overthrow before He can build and plant.
When Peter objected to Jesus washing his feet, Jesus replied, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” (John 13:8). The whole point in Jesus washing the disciples’ feet was to give them a lesson in humility, driving out self-righteousness!
In order to maintain spiritual life, the Holy Spirit and the word of God must reach our hearts. The heart referred to is not the organ that pumps blood, but it is man’s basic nature, his attitude, character, mind and seat of emotions.
How does the unrighteous become righteous of heart? It is not cognitive; it cannot be learned or taught. It is a work of the Holy Spirit. We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved – not mental belief, but heart belief. Heart belief will change the desire and concepts of the mind and this is, in effect, “righteousness.”
In Mark 1:15 Jesus tells us “The time is fulfilled.” The Old Testament prophecy that God would come to dwell with man has been accomplished. “The kingdom of God is at hand.” He is saying that “righteousness is at hand,” “for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink (material things); but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).
Some would postpone the kingdom until some far-off time and thereby postpone right standing before God. No, the kingdom of God is now established, and we who are the saints of God are its citizens. The passport to this land of grace is righteousness!
Natural man says, “Given sufficient knowledge, we will solve all human problems, remove all human evils, and usher in an era of peace on earth.” Dr. Clark Derr, former President of the University of Southern California (USC) at Berkeley said, “This university is a knowledge factory.” But I say to you that without the knowledge of God and His righteousness we are lost, doomed and damned!
Man, with all his knowledge and technology, has not solved man’s problems and will not solve them in the future! As carnal knowledge has increased so have immorality, unhappiness, suffering, discontent, violence, war and threats of war, inhumanity, human decadence and social frustration. Why? The answer: a lack of righteousness!
A basic law of physics is “cause and effect.” For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Adam’s sin of disobedience passed onto the human race. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (see Rom. 3:23). Adam’s sin and Eve’s sin is described in the first book of the Old Testament, which says, “And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat…And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (Gen. 3:12,13). The man said it was the woman’s fault; the woman said it was the serpent’s fault. Both Adam and Eve were at fault through disobedience. Here we have a prime example of cause and effect.
Education has taught biological evolution (that man came from animals and that man is an animal), so men live and act like animals. However, man has a spirit and an intellect that can appropriate the righteousness of God. Animals have only instinct.
The reason that the world is falling apart at the seams is because of the lack of a spiritual relationship with a holy God. Job said, “There is a spirit in man” (Job. 32:8). Man can become “God-conscious.” The natural man stifles this human spirit. Often Christians neglect or thwart this spiritual dimension of worshipful relationship by living an unrighteous life. Most people don’t want to hear about God. Very few want the Holy Spirit to direct their lives. People like the philosophy of secular humanism because it is a religion of “self.”
There is only one way to maintain spiritual life and that is to walk in the Spirit (Notice the capital S in the word). The Scriptures say, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). Now is the time to walk in the Spirit. Now is the time to appropriate the righteousness of Christ. Now is the time to suffer with Him and to be glorified together with Him. The Apostle Paul points out: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:16,17).
The Greek uses the present tense here. We are children of God, joint-heirs with Christ and glorified with Him now! We are not made the righteousness of God in Christ in the sweet by-and-by, but now! Don’t put these promises of God in the future. All creation has been waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, as Paul says, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:19).
Paul saw life in the Spirit. He saw a people who would walk in the righteousness of the Lord. He saw a people who would mount up with wings as of eagles, who would be overcomers, with the glory of God revealed in them. He explained, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).
“Which shall be revealed in us” is a present-tense experience! We are redeemed now! We are the firstfruits of the Spirit according to the following Bible verse, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:23). The promise of righteousness is for us today. We can sing the song, “I’m redeemed by love divine. Glory, glory, Christ is mine.”
The righteousness of Christ is fulfilled in us now. The Holy Ghost helps us to pray now! I don’t know what your infirmities are – they may be physical, mental or spiritual – but He can help you now!
Paul wrote, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26).
The Holy Spirit makes intercession for the saints now (See Rom. 8:27)! If we love God more than we love “self” and “the world,” He will make all things work together for good for us now (See Rom. 8:28).
Yes, to be righteous is to be like Christ, our elder brother: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29).
So, then, righteousness is the family resemblance. To maintain spiritual life we simply actualize His likeness. We are called, justified and glorified: “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30).
One of the reasons for divorce is that the marriage partners did not really love each other from the beginning of their relationship, or else they stopped loving one another. One of the main causes of divorce is unfaithfulness in one or both partners. True love cannot be shared extra-maritally. As in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. We must love the Lord our God with all our heart. We must be faithful to Him. We are “more than conquerors.” “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” except we fall out of love with Him.
Spiritual life is maintained by the righteousness of love.
SPIRITUAL EYESIGHT
Harry R. Miller
“The children of this world,” Jesus said, “are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). The people whom He calls “children of this world” are undoubtedly those who make no profession of Christianity. They are a class of people who know only the use of natural means for the success of their particular “way of life.” Such people, if truly successful, are of a practical turn of mind and view things in all of their stark reality.
The hypocrite is an altogether different type. He lives in a visionary world; a world of make believe and fantasy. He deceives, and he is being deceived. His world is most impractical.
Elijah cried out against apostate Israel on mount Carmel, saying, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him.” He wanted these people to clarify their vision. While they were of two opinions it was impossible for them to serve any god.
Religious people who are only half-heartedly devoted to the God they claim, are a people who walk in a smog. Their eyes are blinded by the smoke of uncertainty. Their judgment of spiritual values is so warped that even basic, fundamental truths seem to escape their attention.
Christianity is not a religion to be played with. It is not an ethical mode of life for the moralist, something that he can assume as a “fitting” or an accessory to his other super plans and activities. Any attempt to modify Christianity and force it to fit into human plans and activities will only result in spiritual dearth and blindness. The one who tampers with truth is the one who is blind. Many Christian believers, when confronted with the commands of God, which are His LAW, find that if they are to comply they will have to forfeit many of their carnal desires. They want the FAITH of Christ, but they cannot endure the DEMANDS OF THE LAW OF CHRIST; so they contrive ways and means to evade the LAW and still retain both their “faith” and their carnal ways. This leads to disaster, for soon the Light becomes darkness. Such people are not being led of the Lord and soon fall as victims of their own delusions. The judgment of such people is childish. Their spiritual stupidity often borders on the ridiculous. So many professors of the Christian faith are guilty of this thing that the Lord could make the statement: “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”
It is most interesting to note how clearly certain CHILDREN OF THIS WORLD have seen some of the plainest basic truths of Christianity. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the great minds of this past century, was an actual anti-Christ. He hated Christ and Christianity to such a degree that it became a passion with him to oppose everything Christian. If any man could possibly be called one of THE CHILDREN OF THIS WORLD Nietzsche was that man. In order, therefore, to demonstrate the wisdom of our Lord’s statement concerning such worldlings, let us quote a few paragraphs from this man’s writings.
He found fault with the teachings of Jesus because Jesus “made His demands, and demarcations so peculiarly exacting, and He required unconditional subjection to every one of these words, and refused any follower who would not comply.” Nietzsche also bitterly opposed what he called the “key point of Christian life,” saying that Christ demanded “total dedication to his person in terms of what He said and did. Through unconditional trust in His promises, they were to live in the obedience of this faith.”
It is very plain to see that this man, a CHILD OF THIS WORLD, read of, and saw the ABSOLUTE DEMANDS of the true Christian faith (i.e. COMPLETE DEVOTION AND SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF THE LORD). Since this man was of the world, he refused to surrender and kept himself frigidly aloof from the Christian way of life.
Jesus said: “I would that ye were cold or hot,” and the life of Nietzsche certainly illustrated this point. He did not try to amalgamate Christianity with his “way of life;” he completely opposed it, choosing rather, to serve SELF and the human ego. This man was not blinded by double dealing. He saw clearly, and he thought consistently and logically. It is true that he made a very poor choice in attempting to perfect SELF and exalt the human ego. But this man is not guilty of the blood of the innocents. He was definitely an anti-Christ, but he was a lone enemy and he lies in a lone grave. He was not among the GREATEST ENEMIES of our Lord. They are found among those of the Lord’s “own household.”
The celebrities of hell are not such men as Darwin, Voltaire, and Nietzsche. The most potent enemies are those found among the great leaders of the PROFESSING CHRISTIAN CHURCH, who claim Jesus Christ as their Saviour, but REFUSE TO OBEY HIM AS THEIR LORD.
The Lord’s message to the latter day church is this: “Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mightest see” (Rev. 3:18). Spiritual blindness has settled down upon most of the world, for the Pharisees have filled the whole earth with their “watered-down” Christianity.
On every hand there is the crying need for REVIVAL. Many thousands of people have resorted to fasting and much prayer to bring about the desperately needed spiritual awakening, but all of this effort has not brought any great amount of improvement in the condition.
IS THERE A REMEDY? CAN MEN DO SOMETHING TO AVERT DISASTER?
The answer to these questions is in THE BIBLE. Study the history of the people who were our “examples.” When Israel forsook the commands of the Lord, they fell into bondage. God’s wrath plagued them because He didn’t want them to remain in their sins. When their torments became unbearable they finally sought the Lord, and began to “set their house in order.” Their WORKS demonstrated honest repentance. In true humility they sought to please their God. Such acts are acceptable to the Lord. It is a return to His COMMANDS that will bring again the favor of the Most High.
Search, again, the COMMANDS OF CHRIST: and then DO WHATSOEVER HE SAYETH. Make your life conform to what He requires of EVERY DISCIPLE. You will find the REVIVAL has already started in your own soul, and it will not then be necessary to fast and pray for the day of awakening – for to OBEY THE LORD IS THE AWAKENING. In other words, there is no AWAKENING without OBEDIENCE TO THE WORDS OF JESUS. He who OBEYS THE LORD will not need the wisdom “of the children of this world” to show him the way, for such individuals have clear eye-sight and possess the “Light of Life.” Jesus put the whole idea into these beautiful words: “He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
GOOD NEWS!
Randall Walton
Someone remarked recently that they were tired of all the bad news which is daily filling the newspapers and magazines, and is constantly being aired by radio and television. Seldom, if ever, is any really good news published, for the simple reason that what happens beneficially is not considered “news.” Besides this, the bad news is what most people want to hear about; they seem to thrive on sensationalism and the bizarre, and good news just doesn’t sell well.
From our perspective, however, THE GOOD NEWS is what “it’s all about.” To those who know God, the Good News is the Gospel, or the Glad Tidings, of the Kingdom of God with all the ramifications which it embodies.
It is Biblical record that when Jesus sojourned in the land of Palestine nearly 2,000 years ago, He proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom of God as He boldly declared that the Kingdom of God was then at hand (or in their midst). Not only did He expound this NEWS to His audiences, He demonstrated the fact of it through the confirming of signs, miracles and wonders. Everywhere He went, He declared the same truth (Matt. 4:23-25; Matt. 9:35; Mark 1:14,15).
He made it plain to people that the kingdom of which He preached was not a political nor a material affair. The good news was that God’s rule, God’s power, God’s love, beneficence, and mercy were now available (at hand) to anyone who wanted it!
So earth-minded were nearly all of the people of that day (as indeed we still are) that they could not grasp the significance of His mighty words. They were yet hoping for a Messiah to be raised up who would overthrow their oppressors, restore the Davidic kingdom to its glory and splendor, and would assert its influence among the other worldly nations. They reckoned very little with spiritual matters. They had killed or silenced God’s messengers (prophets), and had commercialized the temple grounds, making it a den of thieves (Matt. 21:13).
We should not be too harsh in our evaluation of the reaction of that generation, however, for they were victims of many centuries of blindness, spiritual darkness and apostasy. The history of Ancient Israel is a vivid account of the frailty of the flesh, the almost impossible feat of living and walking in obedience and submission to the directives of a sovereign, invisible Master. Not only was their Divine written record not readily available universally (except that Moses was read in the synagogues every Sabbath day, Acts 15:21), but the Holy Ghost was not yet given (John 7:39); a fact which placed them under a great handicap spiritually.
While it’s true that there were a few spiritual giants in those days (we need to emphasize the word, few), we must admit that they were deprived of some of the advantages that came to us under the New Covenant which was heralded into being with the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. Much more was accomplished there than that 120 people were baptized in the Holy Spirit!
Divine Government
Of paramount importance was the setting up of divine government or rule in the midst of the church. Not only was this authority exercised over the body corporately, but it came to them on a personal, one-on-one basis! It is an indictment of present day Christianity that this all-important element of royal rule has been relegated to a physical/material plane for some time in the future. Yet this royal rule was an integral, indispensable feature of the Good News of the kingdom.
Consider the untold blessings inherent in the government of God. The noblest efforts of man through the ages have never produced any form of governing people which can even begin to be compared with that afforded by the Lord. The laws of that kingdom are perfect; just, impartial, holy, and good are only a few of the adjectives appropriate for that divine code: “he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth” (Isa. 11:1-4).
The evidence of this quality can be seen in the wonderful and magnificent words of Jesus which are found in the four gospels. The underpinning of all His commands is LOVE – for God and for mankind! His words cater to no special group or clientele; He recognized no elite, nor persons who were exempt from the majestic orders to love. The message was clear and strong and universal in its scope: God was to be loved! Service to Him was to come from a heart which adored Him. “If ye love me, keep my commandments” is just as apropos when paraphrased: “Keep my commandments because you love me.”
So important are the Kingdom laws to the Church that God stated, “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Heb. 8:10-11). And then He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell them, that He, the Comforter, would monitor their lives (even their very thoughts) to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to bring His laws to their remembrance (John 16:7-14; John 14:16,17,26). Furthermore, He promised that He would remain within His saints, and His objective would be to transform lives to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ.
This is government of the Highest order! This is marvelous news; this was designed in Heaven to meet every possible need of mankind. It provides for the initial translation of a soul from the clutches of sin and hell, then it gives the grace to walk with God in a manner pleasing to Him; it grants victory over every form of opposition which might come against mankind, and it promises a future which is the envy of the devil and every fallen angel.
Now Is Come Salvation
Of course, government is only one part of the Gospel message. Before anyone can enjoy the rule of God in his life, he must first submit himself and receive a new life from above, or as Jesus stated it, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3-5). It is certainly logical to infer from this that if a man is born again, he can both see and enter into the kingdom of God! Talk about good news! Paul was so elated over this transformation that he offered the following: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13). This, then, is what is meant by being born again, being saved, redeemed, ransomed, delivered, resurrected from the dead; this is the answer to the words of Jesus in Mark 16:15,16: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel (GOOD NEWS) to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”
Yes, salvation is a vital part of the gospel and is relevant for this great day of salvation (II Cor. 6:2). But even this is not the fullness of the message. There is more, much more, for remember that the gospel is the message which concerns the kingdom of God and of heaven. And of this kingdom, Paul said, it is “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).
Righteousness, Peace and Joy
The good news, then, proclaims the availability of (1) righteousness, that is, the doing of that which is RIGHT. It is within man’s reach NOW to live a life of integrity, virtue, purity of thought or, to live as God would have him to live. It is written of Jesus that he “loved righteousness, and hated iniquity” (Heb. 1:9). We not only have the privilege of attaining that glorious state, we have already been awarded this by imputation (Rom. 4:9-11). We are commanded to “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:11). The necessary work has been accomplished for us by Jesus: it now remains for us to believe the gospel and to live by it. (2) Peace is one of the blessings and heritages of the kingdom and is a NOW benefit bestowed upon the citizens of the kingdom by our Saviour. Listen to the glorious declaration, “Peace I leave with you, MY peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Hallelujah! Peace NOW!
Jesus never promised world-wide peace between the nations. In fact, He foretold just the opposite: “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” He also warned: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). Yet, Isaiah said He was the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).
The kind of peace Jesus gave and which is afforded to the saints in the kingdom NOW is that peace which gives serenity to the soul in the midst of turmoil, affliction, and anxiety. He is the Prince of the peace which keeps the feeble knees from buckling under the press of a great burden: “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).
This is the peace which sustained Paul and Silas during their imprisonment in Philippi. They were so peaceful that at midnight, with their “feet fast in the stocks” they “prayed and sang praises unto God” (Acts 16:24,25). That really is peace which passes all comprehension, but this is typical of the kingdom of God. (3) “Joy in the Holy Ghost” is another of those blessings in the extreme which the Good News announces. Jesus said this: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be FULL” (John 15:11). Full joy is for God’s people NOW.
The saints at Iconium were said to have been “filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 13:52). And Peter spoke of those who “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Peter 1:8). Indescribable joy and gladness are a part of the gospel message!
This, of course, does not assert that a Christian will not endure hardship, trial, tribulation, and persecution. In fact, we are assured of experiencing times of great trouble and stress, both of which are necessary for our continued walk in humility and submission to God. But in the midst of all this, we can and should enjoy great joy in our hearts because of the blessed presence of the Spirit within us.
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2,3). If we will but remember that whatever takes place is for our good, whether immediately or ultimately, we can keep the joy of the Spirit springing up within us. This joy is one of the evidences that we are saved and are walking with God. “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isa. 12:3). If you have lost the joy of your salvation, you should beware lest you lose your salvation, also!
Power
“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (I Cor. 4:20). The gospel of the kingdom, then, is the Good News that power is available NOW to the children of the King.
This power becomes available to every believer upon conversion. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12.). This is why Paul could state, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom. 1:16). This power, like grace, is free to everyone who comes to God.
It is always within reach, ready to be used whatever the needs may be. It is power over Satan, the world, the flesh, temptation, and any circumstance which may arise.
The power of the Kingdom includes authority over sickness, pain and all evil. It is the power which was demonstrated by Jesus in His ministry, the power which fell upon the disciples at Pentecost, the power which was shown throughout the early years of the church. The gospel was the announcement that this power was at hand, ready to be used by the Kingdom citizens. If the church is ever to become the light of the world, it must appropriate this mighty power so that its message shall not be in word only.
It is evident that God never intended the Church to be a powerless, spineless, emaciated, emasculated, impotent religious organization, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. The Good News of the kingdom of POWER was to have been taken to the ends of the earth as a testimony of the power and authority of the King of glory who lived and reigned in the midst of His people. “Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.” “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (I Thess. 1:5; I Cor. 2:4,5).
This was and is THE gospel of the kingdom. Any other gospel than that which was preached by Jesus Christ and the apostles is not the gospel of Christ and should be rejected by God’s people. It is high time for all of us who call ourselves by His name to believe and obey the Good News of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15; II Thess. 1:8).
GOD’S REQUIREMENTS DO NOT RELAX!
Lorraine Scullin
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
One word in the Scriptures which many present-day followers of Jesus Christ completely disregard is the word MUST. Because in the world of men the regulations of society and the laws of human government can be bent to suit the particular situation of the hour, people do not consider the word “must” inflexible and unyielding to the whims of human nature. Because of the continuous manipulations of corrupt public servants and oftentimes citizens as well for personal gain and the maneuverings of those who privately and publicly defend the guilty and conceal the offenders of society, the laws of human government become a thing of putty in the hands of those whose objectives have no concern with justice or the vindication of the guiltless.
Not so in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The laws of God do not yield one degree to any demand or device of men to evade their sovereign authority. Through all ages, both finite and infinite, the standard of God remains eternal and unchanging. Either His creatures conform to its demands or, in due process of time, that law becomes a JUDGE to the one who refuses to bond to its requirements. “The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
This is a day of irresponsibility on the level of both adults and children. This is apparent in the homes of America. Many children are raised in an atmosphere of laxity without the wholesome restraints of a home where there are rules and authority that must be respected. Parents do not OBEY the words of the Lord, therefore, their children have no regard for the words of the Lord. This is the day of religious license for parents because, say they, “We are under grace and not under law.” Many religious institutions teach this doctrine of license, so men “do what is right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). As a result, we have in this country millions of professing Christians who have no respect for the words of the Lord.
Is it any wonder that we have juvenile problems? Many of these youthful delinquents come from homes professing religion. Unruly children result from disobedient and irresponsible parents – parents who “with their mouth draweth nigh unto me and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is FAR from me. In vain they do worship me” (Matt. 15:8,9). These are they to whom Christ said, “Full well ye reject the commands of God that ye may keep your own tradition making the word of God of NONE EFFECT through your tradition” (Mark 7:9,13). [Emphasis mine]
Men are ill-prepared for this hour to meet the demands of the Word of God, for it is the popular teaching of the religious world that all man has to do is “accept Jesus Christ” and the Lord will do all the rest. God’s blessings are not given on the basis of their mere acceptance by man. God blesses those alone who meet the conditions on which the blessing rests. As soon as man comes into personal relationship with God, he is under obligation to meet very definite requirements.
God agrees to do certain things for man upon condition – that man will act in return. These conditions are not left to man to decide. As in every legal contract, the conditions obligating both parties must appear. So it is with God’s agreement to work for man. There are set down in the scriptures in plain language, the conditions which are binding upon those individuals who take hold of the words of the Lord.
The teaching that men have no responsibility in meeting these conditions has completely blinded men to the fact that God does make absolute demands upon His followers. Demands which admit of no change or deviation, whether His disciples live in the first century A.D. or in the twenty-first century. Men are under obligation to obey the words of the Lord now just as they were in the day when Jesus Christ spoke them. The passing of time has not changed the truth of those statements of Jesus Christ nor annulled their binding effect upon every disciple of His.
Today, men MUST be born again, if they would enter the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3). Today, men MUST do the will of the Father, if they would live forever. “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (I John 2:17). Today, men MUST forsake all, if they would become His disciples. “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).
Today, men MUST lose their lives for Christ’s sake, if they would save their lives. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt.16:25). Today, men MUST worship God in spirit and in truth, if they would become true worshippers. “The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:23).
“If a man love me, he will keep my words. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings” (John 14:23,24).
OBEDIENCE
Wesley Owen
Too often we seem to become so involved in our sufferings that we overlook the virtue that we should be deriving from them. Many of us find it easy to call upon the Lord during times of sufferings; however, frequently it is to ask, “Why me, God?” rather than to find the joy in knowing that something positive is taking place in our lives. The one object in our being here in this life is that we might obtain the supreme state of perfection or incorruptibility. The means to this end could be those sorrows, trials, and even serious illnesses that we are facing. “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28). “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous” (Heb. 12:11). Then why should we ask for the whip to be removed? We shouldn’t. As we surrender to this stripping process, we are humbling ourselves. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (I Pet. 4:12-13).
We must remember that the “Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost are not just ordinary pleasures; they are magnified experiences and states of mind and spirit. By the Spirit, man is lifted to a higher and more sublime plane of being where his comprehension of these delights may be fully experienced” (Miller). “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
Jesus Christ is our model, and He learned obedience by His sufferings. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). Then why shouldn’t we?
A father, out of love, corrects his children because he wants them to meet a given standard that is acceptable to him. Each child will respond differently according to his needs, personality, etc. This is similar to our heavenly Father; however, His standard is perfect, not subject to human errors in judgment. His training is given out of love. The molding of our souls into His likeness is a difficult process for us. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Heb. 12:6-8).
Man is commanded to be obedient unto his Lord. “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isa. 1:19-20).
What is it that keeps us from being obedient? One thing is our carnal love of independence that continues to hinder us from obtaining that great virtue of obedience. The love of independence was injected into our first parents, Adam and Eve, by their transgression. “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5), thus obtaining independence equal to God. They had wished to enjoy this privilege, which in a manner constitutes Divinity, a state reserved for God. The consequence was disobedience to God. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Rom. 5:10). Even though we are striving to obtain the state of perfection, we must remember that this state requires complete submission and obedience to our Lord. The privilege of independence is reserved for Himself alone, whereas His goodness, justice, patience, love, etc. are characteristics that we should strive to have imprinted in our own lives.
It has been said, “Men do not wish to be gods in sanctity, in justice, in patience, or in goodness, but they wish to be gods in independence.” (Spiritual Exhortation and Counsels)
It is our pride that drives us toward the love of independence. It is like a forbidden fruit which should be avoided in horror. Rebuke those prides that arise from within. Oh, how that pride will readily appear when we are told to do a task that is not to our liking. Watch this pride attempt to arise again when our children are beckoning us to come to their rescue from authority and/or regulations that they are unhappy about, and there are many others. Our pride and even our thoughts must be brought to the obedience of our Lord. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor. 10:4-5). We must maintain a continuous guard against our thoughts, not allowing those that might rob us of the love and joy of our Lord to enter. Remember: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James. 5:7).
Paul understood the value of trouble, “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation (II Cor. 7:4). “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience” (Rom. 5:3). In Paul’s message to the churches, he was “Exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
Christ came to practice and to teach us the virtue of obedience. He was obedient from the time of His birth and throughout His mortal life. He only desired the will of our Lord. “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). He taught us to ask God in prayer, that His “will be done” (Luke 11:2).
Einstein once wrote: “A person who is religiously enlightened appears to me to be one who has, to the best of his ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires and is preoccupied with thoughts and feelings and aspirations to which he clings because of their super-personal values.”
We need to apply ourselves, as children of God, to the practice of obedience. Attune our inner ears to the leading of our Lord, knowing that His will shall be done in each of our lives. We must learn to obey in entirety. This requires a diligent, active seeking of our Lord. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:32). Time must be set aside in our life for our daily contact with our Master.
Honestly seek His truth in prayer and in the study of His word knowing that He does hear us. “But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask Him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is tossed by the wind and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way, and then that. If you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you a solid answer” (James 1:5-8; The Living New Testament).
CHARITY
Harry Miller
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (I Cor. 13:1,2).
Whatever “charity” is, it certainly is the most essential thing to a Christian life. Yet, strange as it may seem, there are few Christians who have a definite idea as to just what constitutes “charity.”
Charity has been described as benevolence, charitable generosity, human kindness, and a host of other names, but such an interpretation of this word does not agree with the rest of the chapter, for verse three says: “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
Many people have learned that there is a law of God which functions for a generous giver. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Rich men have often given millions because of the satisfaction they receive in return for their generosity. They have received their reward. This was not “charity.”
But the “charity” of first Corinthians 13 is something more than an expression of human kindness or generosity. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.”
Whatever “charity” is, it has the nature of God. It also has personality. If this were describing the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what more could one add to the description?
Consider this verse from Col. 3:14, “Above all these things put on charity.” In verse 10 we are told to “Put on the new man.” And again in Romans 13:14, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.” The “new man,” “Charity,” and the “Lord Jesus Christ” are one and the same.
“Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me” (Matt. 7:22). These were but “sounding brass and tinkling cymbals”. They lacked the one great thing: CHRIST - they knew A-B-O-U-T Him, but they were not known of Him. They must have professed Christianity, for they prophesied in His name; but He had not dwelt within them.
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9). A true Christian is not merely a temple FOR the Holy Ghost; he is a temple OF the Holy Ghost.
Whenever a person “believes on the Lord Jesus Christ” he is NOT A CHRISTIAN because of his belief; he is then “given power to BECOME a son of God” (John 1:12). Belief in Christ is a START, but not until the Holy Spirit enters the individual is he a child of God. After one believes in the Saviour he should seek until he finds God. The Lord is found through deep earnest prayer, and when the individual finds God by deep soul seeking, he is then “born again” of the Spirit of the Lord (John 3:3,5). It is this Presence that makes the individual a Christian; all others are impostors. No matter what a man’s works, if he has not Christ WITHIN, he is without God and an enemy of righteousness.
“Hereby KNOW we that we dwell in Him, and HE IN US, because He hath given us of His Spirit” (I John 4:13). “Ye are of God, little children…greater is He that IS IN YOU, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).
If you have never had an experience with God, you have good reason to doubt your relationship with Him. Not everyone is jolted, or shaken, or knocked down as the apostle Paul was, but everyone should KNOW WHEN THEY WERE “BORN AGAIN.” Seek the Lord UNTIL YOU FIND HIM.
ARMINIANISM OR CALVINISM
Part 3
Warren Berry
In part 2 of this study (or discussion) we looked briefly at the Calvinist doctrine of “Total Depravity” juxtaposed to the Wesleyan teaching, “Depravity as Deprivation.” While no serious conclusions were established in the preceding chapter (at least of those with open minds and hearts), hopefully as we delve into the remaining four points, truth will emerge. I am certain if we listen to the Holy Spirit, we will come to the knowledge of the truth, for He is The Teacher, not Jacobus Arminius, John Wesley or John Calvin. It always amazes me that both the Arminian camp and the Calvinist camp quote certain scriptures that they feel support and prove their particular doctrine as though the other camp has never read that portion of scripture before. I think especially of a book written by A.W. Pink entitled, The Sovereignty of God. The way he expresses himself gives me the impression that he has discovered something special about God that no Arminian ever considered. Things like: God created the universe and everything in it at His will with no opposition. This fact proves He is sovereign. Or that He chose Jacob and rejected Esau before they were born. Or that God could have created something totally different than He did but, because He is sovereign, who could question Him or ask Him why. It is presented as though no Arminian every considered any of these things, although God’s sovereignty is clearly portrayed in scripture. And many Arminians do things similar to that of A. W. Pink.
The Bible from cover to cover paints a portrait of God. It reveals God to man. It unveils His character, His person, His divine qualities, His justice, His law, His grace, His judgments, His mercy, His righteousness, His purity and, above all, His love. It is these things, these qualities, these “fruits” that He desires to be created within man. A man is saved and brought into fellowship with God so that Christ’s nature can be formed in him. Whether you hold to Arminianism, Calvinism or any other idea of how God works in this created world, Christians are, above all, to put on Christ (to become more like Him each day) and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof (Rom. 13:14). This is the heart of the Gospel and the divine purpose of creation, which makes necessary the sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God. To have “the gift of prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I (anyone) have all faith so that I can remove mountains, and have not charity (agape: the love of God residing within) I am nothing” (I Cor. 13:2).
With this sincere introduction, let us continue with a solemn resolve to allow God’s love to work in our hearts and examine ourselves humbly, lest hate be the expression of our dogmatic interpretation of scripture, and our doctrine create more of a sectarian Pharisee than a Christ-like disciple.
The second point of Calvinism is Unconditional Election and was in response to the first Article of the Remonstrance.
“God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.”
The Arminian article which relates to this point is Article I, On Election: “That God, by an eternal, unchangeable purpose in Jesus Christ, his Son, before the foundation of the world, hath determined, out of the fallen, sinful race of men, to save in Christ, for Christ’s sake, and through Christ, those who, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall believe on this his Son Jesus, and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on the other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin and under wrath, and to condemn them as alienate from Christ, according to the word of the Gospel in John iii. 36: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,’ and according to other passages of Scripture also.”
To state these two opposing views simply is: Calvinism teaches that God, in His sovereignty, determined before the world was created whom He would save. Their salvation is not determined by anything they do, have done or what they in the future will do, rather God unconditionally saves them.
Arminianism states that God purposed through Jesus Christ, to save some. Those who would be saved would be those who, through grace (this grace is the Holy Spirit drawing them) believe the Gospel of salvation through Christ Jesus (initial salvation) and afterward, continue in this faith (present salvation) through obedience till the end (final salvation) “He that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 10:22). This strongly implies that one can lose his salvation.
It is too obvious in scripture to say that men are saved without good works and obedience to God’s laws. Conservative Calvinists strongly teach obedience, and they also teach that the life of obedience is a proof that they have been truly saved. If any person claims to be saved, and appears to have all the outward signs of being truly converted and regenerated, but later turns back to his old sins, he was either: 1) not truly saved to begin with, or 2) he is like the Prodigal son, and God will in time bring him back to Himself. If God has sovereignly chosen him, he will be drawn back to God.
There are those who claim to be Calvinists but do not conform to this strict teaching of obedience. They believe that once a person is saved, he is forever saved and nothing he does can “pluck them out of the Father’s hand.” (There are some who claim to be Arminian who also hold to the false idea that they can continue in sin and not lose their salvation.) There is no reason to spend time discussing their teaching because it is not true Calvinism or pure Arminianism, rather it is a perverted view, which is only claimed by those who are willingly ignorant and desire to continue in their sins. To be frank, they are not even Christian.
Before we go to the Arminian article relative to this topic, let’s first dissect the Calvinist’s doctrine of “Unconditional Election” and the implications contained in this declaration. (This will also include, to some degree, the next point of Calvinism and that is “Limited Atonement.” It will be considered more thoroughly in a following article.) It is paramount that we always keep in mind how a doctrine reflects upon the nature and character of God. Jesus came to reveal to man God’s person, His divine nature, His holy attributes, His holiness while at the same time revealing that His righteous nature requires a holy law, and consequently involves justice and necessary judgment. When a doctrine perverts or distorts these qualities of divine character, they violate scripture and bring reproach upon God. Calvinism rests primarily and strongly upon the foundation of “The Sovereignty of God” and nowhere does it more clearly manifest itself than in the doctrine of “Unconditional Election.” However, all serious, born-again believers believe in the sovereignty of God, for the Bible clearly teaches it. What, then, is the problem? The problem is the definition of and the out-working of that definition. It seems to me that the doctrine of “Unconditional Election” violates everything we understand from scripture about God. Let’s consider how this teaching presents God to man.
Unconditional Election And “God Is Love”
In I John 4:7-8, 16, we are informed that God is love. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (I John 4:7-8). “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (I Jn 4:16). It was the innate characteristic of love in God that motivated Him to send His precious and most beloved Son into the world to die for sinners. “God is love” and what greater manifestation of that attribute of divinity could be unveiled to all created beings than the sacrifice of His Son?
With this thought in mind, let us now consider what Unconditional Election does to God’s love. As stated earlier in this study, God has called His chosen to be conformed to the nature of His Son. Jesus commands us to love our enemies: Matt. 5:44-45, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” The important and pertinent thing we see in this scripture is that being a child of God requires that we love our enemies. And why is that? Because God loved His enemies and made a way for them to be salvaged from eternal death. Does God then require of us what He Himself is not? Does He demand of us attributes that are unlike Himself? Certainly not! We are to love our enemies because this is the nature of God. We are becoming more like Jesus Christ as we apply His teachings to our lives. (And let me add that this transformation is not accomplished without God’s marvelous grace.)
Continuing with the focus of “God is love”, let’s ask ourselves a couple of pertinent questions: How could a God, Who is Love, create a people who are afflicted with inbred sin by no fault of their own, and then cast them into an eternal hell, to be tormented day and night forever? How is love expressed here? If it were their fault that they were afflicted with the sin nature, it might be a little different. But such is not the case. How can a God, Who is Love, and Who loved His enemies, a love He requires of us, rejoice at the sufferings of men whom He created and who had no choice in being created with the sin nature, nor any choice in their eternal destiny? To be honest and, hopefully, not disrespectful, this sounds more like Satan than the God of scripture. This teaching paints a very dark image of God and is certainly not the God I believe scripture reveals to mankind.
Let me humbly and yet boldly express how this portrait of God appears to me. It’s like a man being born a Jew and living in the late thirties and early forties in Germany. His heritage was beyond his control, nor had he done anything to merit the fate destiny held for him. Rather, because of Hitler’s hatred for Jews (the absence of love) he takes the Jew and imprisons him, persecutes, starves him, puts him in a gas chamber with hundreds of other Jews and then buries him in a mass grave shoving dirt over them with a bulldozer. My intention is not written to offend any Calvinist who reads this, but this is my honest perception of the God presented by the doctrine of Unconditional Election (and Limited Atonement), because those not chosen by God are eternally punished by God. And on top of this, Calvinist belabor the wonderful “Grace” of God. This doesn’t sound like Biblical grace to me.
Lest some think the previous paragraph was too harsh, let me quote from the Calvinist, John Owen 1611-1683."Cursed be you of the Lord, with all the curses that are written in the Law, and all the curses that are denounced AGAINST THE DESPISERS OF THE GOSPEL. Yea, be you ANATHEMA MARANATHA, - cursed in this world always, until the coming of the Lord; and when the Lord comes, be ye cursed; be ye cursed from His Presence into everlasting destruction. Yea, curse them, all ye holy angels of God, as the obstinate enemies of your King and Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. Curse them, all ye churches of Christ, as the despisers of that love. mercy (and grace) which is your portion, your life, your inheritance. Let all the saints of God, all that love the Lord, curse them, and rejoice to see the Lord coming forth mightily and prevailing against them to their everlasting ruin." It is claimed that Owen was only expressing the Apostle Paul’s sentiments when he wrote to the Galatian church in Galatians 1:8-9, which reads: “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 said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” The assumption that Owen’s doctrine is in full agreement with the Apostle Paul is to also assume that Owen’s understanding of scripture is exactly as the Apostle Paul believed and taught. But is it not just as likely that Owen is the one who is teaching doctrine contrary to that which Paul preached? Not only is it possible, it is in opposition to what Paul taught, for Jesus wept over sinners that rejected Him. How unlike Christ is Owen in the hatred that seems to exists in his heart. WOW!
Consider carefully the hatred expressed in the above statement by John Owen and its reflection upon the God of scripture. Of course, we realize that God will be glorified with the destruction of the evil, but this rejoicing is not done over men who had no choice in the matter or who did not have an opportunity to gain eternal life. It is for them who spurned it and rejected it.
Pardon me as I describe a situation in the natural, what the doctrine of “Unconditional Election” teaches of the spiritual. A man purchases two dogs, one male and the other female. He deliberately puts them together so they will have puppies. When the eight puppies are born he chooses two to keep and the other six, he takes out and, not only kills them, but he tortures them so they slowly and very painfully die, all the while laughing and gloating over their suffering. We would want to put a man such as this in prison, yet that’s exactly how “Unconditional Election” portrays God. We must all seriously consider how our doctrines affect the person and character of God. If any Calvinists are reading this, please consider this seriously and prayerfully before God lest you be found blaspheming Him. (Blasphemy is to speak evil of, to defame, or rail against.)
As I read the words of John Owen, quoted above, it reminded me of the Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus’ day. It smacks of the hatred the Pharisees had for the common people and for Jesus, and the pride that permeated every word and action. The self-righteous attitude and fake godliness that oozed from every pore was a more disgusting plague than the sores of the lepers, whom they set at a distance. The egotistical and arrogant confidence they portrayed as “The children of Abraham,” or as “God’s chosen people,” led them to crucify the promised Messiah. When they spoke to the blind man to whom Jesus restored sight, “They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out” (John 9:34) [emphasis mine]. It would have been to their advantage if they had let this man teach them the love of God exhibited in our Lord Jesus Christ. So again, look at Jesus: Jesus wept over the citizens of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) even while they rejected Him. When He hung on the cross, He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus loved His enemies and prayed for them just as He commands us to do.
The Fall And Prevenient Grace
While Arminius and Wesley did not agree on every part of what today is commonly termed “Arminianism,” they were very similar in their views on the sin of Adam and its effect upon all men. Both of these men very strongly opposed sin and taught it was a destructive force which would send man to an eternal hell. Both believed that Adam’s sin was brought about by the free will of Adam. Although Adam was made in the image of God, he was not infallible or incorruptible. The choices which were laid before him, the choice to obey God or heed the lie of the serpent, were neither forced upon him. He knew what was right because God had told him, but his pride caused him to fall for the lie of the serpent. God did not sovereignly force Adam to sin. This is one of the greatest problems I have with the Calvinist’s definition of God’s sovereignty. If God forced Adam to break His commandment and partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then God worked in conjunction with Satan and, therefore, is an accomplice to Satan in Adam’s transgression. This is absolutely impossible! And is a blasphemous defamation of God’s holiness. (We will discuss the sovereignty of God later in this study.)
In order to understand Wesley’s teaching on God’s grace and how it works, we must also understand to some degree his view of the effects of the fall. Wesley separated Adam’s natural existence and his spiritual existence. In the fall, his spiritual life was destroyed by sin (he died spiritually) but his physical existence was not destroyed. This is why man does “do good” in this present evil world. Not that those good deeds can save him, but it does demonstrate that man is not totally depraved. (This point was illustrated earlier in this study.) However, now because of Adam’s sin, man has the proclivity to sin because his spiritual life is dead. Wesley taught “Prevenient Grace,” which is God’s means of reaching the lost. Man has in himself no tendency to gravitate to God, for he is dead spiritually. Because of this deficiency, God in love works in man’s life to bring him to salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Whatever method God chooses to speak to the sinner, whether through a sermon, a song, a Christian’s life, His creation, or events in his own life, this is prevenient grace. The Holy Spirit begins to work in the sinner’s heart, a work totally undeserved, a work in which He offers eternal life to the sinner and gives the sinner the power to choose or reject it. The choice is then left to the sinner as to whether he will believe, repent and be saved or whether he will reject the prevenient grace of God. His decision, then, is his responsibility and if he obtains eternal life by accepting God’s prevenient grace or if he will reject God’s grace and spend eternity in hell, it is his response to God’s prevenient grace.
Arminius believed that this prevenient grace was only once delivered to the unbeliever while Wesley believed that the Holy Spirit would work in a heart as long as there was hope. So, while one might reject His invitation for salvation early in his life, he might find it later as the Holy Spirit continues to work.
In light of the views expressed above: which seems to be in keeping first of all, with scripture, and second, of God’s character and nature? Which is just or unjust? I always get the same response from Calvinists and that is: “You are judging by your perspective of justice, not God’s.” and “God’s ways are not our ways nor His thoughts our thoughts”, or “Who can reply against God?” These are very true statements but where in scripture do we find that the Calvinist’s idea of justice is God’s definition?
Let me assure every Calvinist that may read this that I do not doubt that there are many Calvinists who love God and are genuinely saved. I have met and know many who are very dedicated to God and live according to His commands, who are grieved by the sin they see in their own lives and are ready to confess and repent of those sins in a heartbeat.
(to be continued)