Category Archives: Uncategorized

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What leader do you follow?

Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16

Every child grows up learning to play the “Follow the Leader” game. This seemingly innocent pastime reflects our innate tendency to follow. Whether we realize it or not, we are all followers of something or someone. 1

As his logical, deductive mind did so often, the apostle Paul boiled down the “following” tendency into two significant categories: We can follow the flesh (energized by Satan, the enemy of God) or the Spirit of God. To follow one means we are not following the other (Luke 16:13). And we are never in the “neutral” zone where we are not following one or the other. From the point in life at which we develop the conscious ability to make moral and spiritual choices, we are in the following mode.

The “flesh,” in Paul’s terminology, is our natural (fallen) human instincts, oriented to self-serving and self-gratification. That’s what we follow if we are not following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Contrast this to the following of the Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

The only way not to follow the desires of the flesh is to follow the desires of the Spirit. Live in the choosing mode today, and choose wisely: Follow the Spirit of God. I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16

One of the key indicators of a godly life is peacefulness.

Suggested Article:  Practicing Peacefulness

The wisdom of the flesh is always exclaiming against the mysteries of God. – John Calvin

1 Concept derived from: Leadership, by John C. Maxwell

Law of God, Love & Grace, Uncategorized

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4 NASB

If you have been brought up in a church wherein, the law was either a focus or a side doctrinal focus; please open your mind to get a new perspective on Paul. If you have understood the relationship to the moral law, as primarily keeping the Decalogue — the ten commandments, as the sole standard of righteous living, whereby we receive salvation from our sins in Christ, you may have a little bit more to fathom about the Gospel. 1

It is not a moral law or list of rules that make something right or wrong. Take civil laws for example. These requirements are established to cause people to behave in such a way that they line up with guiding principles designed by elected leaders of a city or village in which people seek to reside harmoniously — a system of law and order which was deemed necessary for the people before prescribed.

It is not a moral law or list of rules that make something right or wrong.

Laws are usually written with some ongoing situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. Judicial guidance is a necessary deterrent to overcome a real-life problem, legislated to guide or enforce the conduct of those too immature in their thinking and behaviour. Laws prohibiting, for example, hate literature, sexual assault, or loud noise-making after 11 pm have underlying existential reasons behind each statute.2

Such laws are made to protect the immature from him/herself or to protect society from the actions of the naive. The degree of immaturity is directly proportional to the number and specificity of laws that are required. You wouldn’t ask a reasonable 17-year-old youth to hold your hand while crossing the street because the maturity of a teenager supersedes that of a 5-year-old child.

For Christians in Christ, being in the new paradigm under the New Covenant (NC) does not mean that because you are no longer viewed by God as being under the old covenant law, that it is now acceptable to kill, steal and commit adultery! Think about this question: If you believed that all the Ten Commandment laws—had come to an end, and you were living a Spirit-led life, would you start doing the things prohibited in the Decalogue? 3 (see Romans 2:29; 8:1-4; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 7:6; Hebrews 8:8) We might, however, expect some compromised behaviour from a very immature Christian.

The Jews were a very immature people coming out of slavery in Egypt. Read the old testament account of the Exodus, the book of Judges etc. to see reasons as to why they needed laws before Christ would come to this earth (see Galatians 3:19 NLT). The issue in the NC church becomes problematic when a church group doctrinally defines righteousness as obedience to this law originally prescribed for the Jews. 4

I do agree that the ten commandments were mandated in the Old Covenant (OC) only before Christ’s atoning sacrifice established the NC. His death provided propitiation for our sins — in other words, he died in our place to ransom us from the condemnation of the OC law (1 John 2:2, 4:10; Romans 3:25; Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 12:24). In Christ, we shift our viewpoint of righteousness into the new life which He offers us so freely. (Hebrews 2:17)

Paul’s New Testament references contrast law and righteousness as being completely antithetical and now unrelated to each other. (Romans 3:21; 4:13–14; 9:30, 31; 10:3, 4 NASB). In Romans 3:29-31 he also stated that the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, are only justified as righteous “by faith” in contrast to the “works of the law”. With this, he denied the old connection that had indeed identified the Jews as law keepers, whereby they sought to attain righteousness by the works of the OC law before Christ’s time according to that agreement — that covenant period which was entirely based on obedience to the laws stipulated by Yahweh, through Moses at Mt. Sinai — laws that were meant to lead men to the need of Christ’s own imputed righteousness by faith (Galatians 3:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

And this law of the OC is not to be confused with meritorious human efforts. Paul would answer the question of Romans 3: 31 in the next chapter concerning Abraham’s acceptance with God as stated in the law and the prophets (compare Romans 4:1-2, 13, 22; Genesis 15:6). 5 

All the above verses indicate that the righteousness of God comes via faith alone, unrelated now with the law — it is a much higher righteousness beyond the righteousness of the law. In Christ, we are referred to as Christians similarly having the faith of Abraham based on our union with God by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:7-9).

The apostle Paul warned that you become separated from Christ, when you who are seeking to be justified by law — termed as fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4 NASB) Why is this? Think of yourself in this way. You are now “found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith”. (Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:21 NASB).

I also recommend reading The New Covenant Manifesto of God’s Love.

1 The following book is recommended to help guide you into a fuller comprehension of the transition out of the Old Covenant thinking, to the New Covenant freedom available to us, as offered in Christ. Many of the concepts in this book have proved helpful to my own comprehension on this subject. See Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Christ (Publisher, LAM Publications, LLC, Arizona)

2 Judicial Learning Center

3 Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Christ (Publisher, LAM Publications, LLC, Arizona)

4 “Righteousness is obedience to the law.” Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 1890-11-04

5 see N.T. Wright, The Letter to the Romans

Uncategorized

Warning ahead!

Here is an excerpt from a popular morning devotion,1 plus two articles I wrote offering two pathways: one eternal life and another, separation from God for disregarding his son, Jesus Christ.

Secret intelligence networks exist to warn approaching missiles. Deep-water buoys warn of approaching tsunamis. And Doppler radar warns us to hide from approaching tornadoes.

Why do we invest so many resources, technology, and people in warning systems? The urgent need to protect and save human life is the most valuable part of God’s creation. There is one warning system that no government or agency can implement; it can only be carried out by those who know the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. The warning is this: “God intends to judge the world we live in; His righteousness requires it. All who have not repented of their sins and found forgiveness through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, will find themselves caught up in God’s judgment and consigned to an eternity separated from Him.” This warning is not to be taken lightly. Every Christian is to urgently warn those nearby of this imminent judgment. There are two outcomes: 1) Eternal life for those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and 2) Eternal death and separation from God.

Dear brothers and sisters, just as you would warn your neighbours of an approaching tornado, have you pointed out the gathering storm clouds that portend God’s judgment to them? It is a duty and a personal responsibility to share this warning with those around us.

If you are not seeking the Lord, judgment is at your heels. – C. H. Spurgeon

1 Pathways, David Jeremiah

2 Ibid

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When we fear death

My deceased mother often quoted her favourite words spoken by Jesus: John 14:3 ESV: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Today my calendar reminds me that I lost my dear brother Perry, who died in a car accident at age 23. And my wife is currently reading “Dying and Death” written by Joel R. Beeke and Christopher W. Bogosh. I thought I would post an excerpt from this great book here, hoping to alleviate the fear of dying that some may experience. 1

We might as well face it: the reason why some Christians pursue medical treatment beyond the point of reason and sense is that they fear death. In part, this fear is the outworking of a God-given instinct for life. We were created to live, not to die. But this fear can also be rooted in a lingering sense of the guilt of sin. We know that we are sinners and deserve nothing but God’s wrath and curse and that death is the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23). Death presents itself as a scorpion with a deadly sting in his tail, which he claims to have the right to use on all who have sinned against God. Satan is thus able to use the fear of death as a whip to drive us onward in a desperate bid to escape our inevitable doom. He is pleased to remind us of the righteous sentence of God’s law: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:20). This fear, then, can expose a lack of faith in God’s promises to us in Christ.

We are assailed with doubts: How can God be just, and be the justifier of the ungodly? Does the blood of Christ truly wash away all sin? Are my sins forgiven? Is there no condemnation awaiting me in the judgment to come? Though “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26), it is still possible for Christians to persevere in faith and overcome this fear, because Jesus removed death’s sting (v. 56; cf. Rom. 5:12–21), depriving death of its power to hurt us, and one day will destroy death finally and forever. “Fear not,” said our glorious and victorious Physician, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:17–18).

The above except can be difficult to understand when one is suffering from any disease, especially when young. I advise that in this case one seek the elders and ask them to pray for healing as per this prayer of faith: James 5: 13-16 ESV: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1. Excerpt from: Joel R. Beeke and Christopher W. Bogosh, Dying and Death: Getting Rightly Prepared for the Inevitable (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2018), 73–75.

 

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Leaders are to broker spiritual gifts

Understanding and applying the gifts given to us according to grace is crucial. As Paul describes in Romans 12, these are spiritual gifts and tools for us to use. Every believer, including Christian leaders, is a steward of the abilities he or she has been given.

As Christian leaders, we have a significant role. We are not just managers but stewards of the unique gifts in Romans 12. Our goal should be to empower and maximize everyone’s gifts, as these gifts are central to our lives. Paul’s gift list includes:

Prophecy: challenging others by declaring God’s truth and calling for action.

Service or ministry: to serve others and meet their needs. Teaching: to explain truth so that others can understand and apply it.

Exhortation: encouraging, strengthening, and inspiring others to be their best.

Giving: to generously share what God has given. Leadership: to govern and oversee others so that the group moves forward. Mercy: to empathize with, cheer, and show compassion to those who hurt. 1

Too often the church does not know or acknowledge the importance of such guidance in life. For example, one who is gifted in theological truth-seeking and teaching, may be relegated to selling Christian books or handing out tracts prepared by others. I believe that conference leaders with macro-discernment and theological training – moreover born of the Spirit, must be involved in assessing gifts within the church, necessarily established with church guidance roles. I believe this is a grave responsibility under Christ — a very serious obligation that must be taken seriously by all biblical churches. Babes in Christ need godly leaders to help them see their potential to find their best life-work for the Lord.

1 Source: The Maxwell Leadership Bible
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Practicing Peacefullness

 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness” (Hebrews 12:14)

There are people who often fear the displeasure of another person and therefore may not consistently follow the Lord, if they feel they may insult or confront opposition rather than sustain camaraderie. Such people play the chameleon in order to maintain a certain strategic peace, even if it means leaning into worldly behaviour to maintain friendliness versus true godly  peace. This may be indicative that they do not truly have a peaceable heart in in the Spirit of Christ. They may not actually seek true peace, but their own expedience even if this would mean peace with the devil and the world, so much so, that they risk their eternal peace with God — as well as those to whom they display complacency, by deferrance from an honest and true biblical witness in godliness. This type of behaviour can be in a gathering, a lunch, or in a theological or ideological discussion.

Such people may insist that they must be silent and give in to ideologies that are at swords point with the bible — or else there would be unrest — so peace at any cost is best. If a sinner who needs to be converted from the error of his ways by way of exhortation and rebuke, one must refrain from this weakness — fearing that someone might get angry and cause us trouble. The world is at odds with Christ and His ways — so we might expect the world may tempt us to be compliant rather than manifest godliness, conceal it, conforming ourselves to the world. Such people easily influenced by the world’s definition of peaceful congeniality — a fake peace — will be prepared repeatedly to conform so as to not incur unrest or gently challenge someone, when a counterfeit peace will suffice.

God says, however, that godliness is intimately linked with biblical truth, peace and a gentle witness, working hand in hand. If spiritual agitation occurs due to our honesty, we must neither set aside our peaceable heart, nor refrain from pursuing God’s will with an inner peace in our conscience as we bear witness as the Spirit leads. We must not submit to an unbiblical carnal viewpoint. Instead, we are to oppose error and protect the truth. Thereby we shall thus oppose ungodliness and adhere to godliness — especially in a culture which is in a moral free fall.

If others cannot endure this; if this displeases them and they cause trouble and create difficulties—then this is to their account. A peacemaker will nevertheless adhere to truth and godliness, for God wills that these be conjoined. “Therefore love the truth and peace” (Zec. 8:19). Luther was accustomed to say: “I would rather have the heavens fall down, than that one crumb of truth would perish.”  “Follow peace with all men, and holiness” (Hebrews 12:14); “Righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10).

The ungodly Jehu answered the question of Joram very well: “Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” (2 Kings 9:22).

What does the Bible Teach? “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). This is the virtue which is so earnestly commanded and insisted upon everywhere in God’s Word: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9); “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace” (Romans 14:19); “Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thessalonians 5:13).

Note: I am indebted to the teaching — from which this is conceptualized —  of Puritan, Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, ed. Joel R. Beeke, trans. Bartel Elshout, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 1995), 94–95.

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Christ’s Priestly Prayer – Part 1

John 17:1–5 (ESV): …he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Although Mt 6:9–13 and Lk 11:2–4 have become known popularly as the “Lord’s Prayer,” that prayer was actually a prayer taught to the disciples by Jesus as a pattern for their prayers. The prayer recorded here is truly the Lord’s Prayer, exhibiting the face to face communion the Son had with the Father.

Very little is recorded of the content of Jesus’ frequent prayers to the Father (Mt 14:23; Lk 5:16), so this prayer reveals some of the precious content of the Son’s communion and intercession with Him. John chapter 17 is a transitional chapter, marking the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the beginning of His intercessory ministry for believers (Heb 7:25).

In many respects, the prayer is a summary of John’s entire gospel. Its principal themes include: 1) Jesus’ obedience to His Father; 2) the glorification of His Father through His death and exaltation; 3) the revelation of God in Jesus Christ; 4) the choosing of the disciples out of the world; 5) their mission to the world; 6) their unity modeled on the unity of the Father and Son; and 7) the believer’s final destiny in the presence of the Father and Son.

The chapter divides into three parts: 1) Jesus’ prayer for Himself (John 17: 1–5); 2) Jesus’ prayer for the apostles (John 17: 6–19); and 3) Jesus’ prayer for all NT believers who will form the church (John 17: 20–26). 1

In John 17:1 the hour has come for the time of His death. (see John 12:23). The very event that would glorify the Son was His death. By it, He has received the adoration, worship, and love of millions whose sins He bore. He accepted this path to glory, knowing that by it He would be exalted to the Father. The goal is that the Father may be glorified for His redemptive plan in the Son. So He sought by His own glory the glory of His Father (John 13:31, 32).

In John 17:2 we note that Christ has authority over all flesh. (cf. John 5:27; Mt 28:18).  A reference to God’s choosing of those who will come to Christ is noted “to all whom You have given Him” (John 6:37, 44). The biblical doctrine of election or predestination is presented throughout the NT (John 15:16, 19; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:29–33; Ephesians 1:3–6; 2 Thess 2:13; Titus 1:1; 1 Pe 1:2).

In John 17:3 eternal life is brought into focus. (cf John 3:15, 16; 5:24; 1 Jn 5:20). In John 17:5 Jesus prays “glorify Me together with Yourself”. Having completed His work (John 17: 4), Jesus looked past the cross and asked to be returned to the glory that He shared with the Father before the world began (see John 1:1; 8:58; 12:41). The actual completion of bearing judgment wrath for sinners was declared by Christ in the cry, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

1 MacArthur Study Bible NASB

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Understanding the Law and the Gospel

My interest in theology is Spirit-driven, believing that Christ leads us into all truth. I acknowledge Him mapping my itinerary in the Word, moving me to clearer doctrinal discernment, with respect for those teachers who have inspired me thus far.

Yet often, when one expands on the law of God in relation to the gospel, there is a fear exhibited by the brethren of Antinomianism (the displacement of the law with the gospel). For this reason, I want to clarify my beliefs once and for all. As a Sabbatarian, which honours the fourth commandment, it is paramount.

If a man cannot distinguish between the law and the gospel, he can never understand any penetration depth of divine truth. If we cannot appreciate the holy law as meant to convict us of sin, and guide us to believe Christ, we cannot have spiritual transformation discoverable in the gospel in the face of Christ. If our view of the gospel is wrong, it often is because the law of God is misunderstood.

That which the precept of the law requires as a duty, the promise of the gospel, offers hope to meet the duty. Whatever commands the place of duty occupies in the law, the place of privilege is experienced in obedience to the call of the gospel. Duties required in the law, call for the insight of grace as it widens faith, articulated in the language of the gospel.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (see Exodus 6:6; 20:2; 13:3; 15:13,16; 29:46) set the preface to the ten commandments as the rule of life to the faithful Israel of God, the children of Abraham, now offered to the true church among all nations. (Galatians 3:26, 29) The giving of the law at Sinai with this offering of Himself as redeemer is repeated many times in scripture!

According to the obedience of the redeemed of the Lord to the precepts of his law – the obedience is founded upon the recognition and respect of the articulator of the law, — Yahweh, Israel’s God, and redeemer.

In the laws of our redeeming God is the profound teaching in relation to his law, by which he would reform his people after many years of slavery. (Galatians 3:23-24) The offer to redeem his children and reform them in accord with his law was a type of his new covenant gospel, which he expressed and repeated to enforce our obedience to every commandment of his law as we enter and accept our duty bound to his privileged deliverance from sin in Christ.

Let us consider the law in the light of this privilege of the gospel’s offer of redemption in Christ, with help from my brother, the Puritan John Calhoun, as tightly edited herein to our current colloquium. Among my many studies on law and grace, John Calhoun excels. 1

The law is God’s curriculum that he uses to teach us the primary covenantal progressive guidance that the Holy Spirit still uses to convincingly lead us into the confession of sin and full redemptive atonement and reconciliation with Himself when we observe Christ’s righteousness as he forgives and covers us with His love witnessed in the gospel.

Every passage of scripture is divine revelation, either by administration of law or of the gospel — different in some respects but in agreement by their mutual use of leading and calling his children unto himself.

If our knowledge of the law and the gospel is superficial and indistinct, we will be in danger of mingling one with the other, potentially misunderstanding both legalism and libertarianism, both antithetical to God’s love. Luther, in his commentary on the epistle to the Galatians noted, such an indistinct understanding “doth more mischief than man’s reason can conceive”.

If we blend the law with the gospel, mixing our good works with our faith to earn unmerited salvation, we may miss the fact that we are redeemed from the condemnation of the law, which we are now freed to respect, especially in the understanding of justification.

In the adherence to a lifestyle hoping for sanctification, we must allow the Spirit to work his good pleasure within us, rejoicing in and not obscuring Christ’s glory of redeeming grace, and obtain the joy and peace of his deliverance to the freedom from fear and penalty of the law to the reverence of his moral ethics found in the same law. If you can praise God when you read the Decalogue in Exodus chapter 20 or rejoice when you read Psalm chapter 119, you will understand this peace.

The self-accusatory carnal mind may blind one to the inestimable value of believing in Christ’s substitutionary death in our stead. Without the righteousness of Christ understood as imputed to us by faith, we wear the blindfold of legalism, which retards our progress in the peace and joy of aiming forward to the responsible reformation of trusting his working holiness within, from which good works follow as led by him (Proverbs 3:6; Matthew 6:33).

Conversely, if we can distinguish clearly between the covenant of law and the new covenant of the gospel and yet comprehend both being of grace, we will then come under the illuminating influences of the great light of the Holy Spirit urging us to obey our glorious Lord in all things, even as obedience pertains to His commandments which reveals our sin and our constant need of our Sovereign Lord Christ.

The understanding that the moral law of God is necessary to discern the glory of the whole progressive covenantal scheme of redemptive grace, reconciling all passages of law and grace in scripture which to some may appear contrary to each other – the gospel calming our consciences inspiring us to advance in sanctification toward holiness, which is the opposite of transgression of law (1 John 3:4; Romans 5:20).

As stated in the Decalogue, the law is summarized in the two primary royal laws to love God and our neighbour (Exodus 26:33; Matthew 22:40) — shared by Moses and later in the gospel restated by Jesus. It helps to view Christ properly as our creator (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16), the lawgiver at Sinai, and future judge and articulator of law (1 Corinthians 10:3; Romans 14:10).

In the Trinitarian form of His son Jesus, our Saviour-Redeemer, Yahweh, saved Israel from Egypt and further us from the world (. He advocates the same divine law yet expands the more formally articulated moral laws of the Ten Commandments, understood by those led by the Spirit in mutual synchronicity with the gospel when we are freed from the law’s penalty when we submit to Christ as Lord. The scripture attests that our salvation preceded human life on earth: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1: 3-6 ESV)

The moral law signifies God’s declared will, directing and obliging humanity to do what pleases Him and to abstain from what displeases Him.

The harmony of the law and the gospel indicates their mutual subservience to one another for securing and advancing the honour of each other, in subordination to the glory of the triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as displayed in the person and work of Christ, our Redeemer.

The law was initially presented as a covenant of works, but now, without the rituals of sacrifice finalized in Christ, is an ethical rule of life, which demands of sinners only that which is offered and promised in the gospel within which everything is freely promised and offered to them, which the moral law, in any of its forms, requires.

The gospel presents to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who met every demand of the law in its old covenant form, amending it to the status of the new covenant by grace with his blood (Hebrews 8:22; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Romans 3:25; Galatians 2:16). Jesus magnified the law via the gospel making the law honourable, holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), while it offers and promises the infinite fullness of Christ, by whom Christians may be regenerated and sanctified by faith, enabled to yield obedience to the law as a rule of life as we progress in our relation to Christ in ongoing sanctification, being conformed to his image (Romans 8:29).

The gospel reveals and offers Christ’s righteousness to satisfy the law as a covenant; moreover, it promises and offers strength to obey the law as a rule. Via the Holy Spirit, written in all the divine promises of scripture, the gospel supplies the grace and strength necessary for the acceptable performance of every obedience that the law as a rule of life requires of believers (1 Peter 1:4).

Christ, as our sinless substitute, redeems a man or woman from the due penalty of disobeying God’s law, meeting the requirement of death in our stead, thereby presenting the good news of redemption, the assurance of our peace so that we may accept his substitute righteousness on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:25).

The righteousness which the law as a covenant demands, the gospel affords, being imputed to believers (Philippians 3:9), as the only merits for the offence, being death; offering a continuum in holiness of heart and life, which the law as a rule requires, which the gospel promises and having accepted Christ is obtained (Romans 8:4). Thus, it is clear that the law and the gospel agree together as they mutually serve each other even now as sinners come to realize their need of a Saviour.

How does the law, as a covenant of works agree with the gospel? We cannot cordially believe the gospel without apprehending the need for obedience to the law (Romans 3:23-24). Nor can we yield obedience to the law unless we, by believing the gospel, are equipped by the Holy Spirit and scripture to fathom obedience to the law as a progressive state in the gospel (Romans 8:4). Although entirely distinct from each other, law and grace have no separate agenda, no interfering partisan interest to serve (Romans 3:31).

The principles of the law and the promises of the gospel harmoniously reflect the highest honour in each covenantal period (Galatians 3:21).

The law requires from the sinner perfect human righteousness, which the gospel affords to it— a righteousness which is perfect because it is divine (Romans 10:4; 2 Peter 1;1; Galatians 2:21; Philippians 1:1; Romans 5:21; Romans 3:22; Philippians 3:9; Romans 8:10; 1 Corinthians 1:30).

The grace revealed and offered in the gospel supplies a powerful motive and new disposition to “remember and turn to the Lord.” While the law commands penitential sorrow, the gospel’s grace promised by the Spirit inspires heartfelt sorrow and repentance (John 16:8- 9).

The law directs our mind to acquire all the grace offered in the gospel, while the gospel offers the precious blood of Christ all the requirements of the law (Romans 8:4). The law requires perfect and perpetual obedience as the condition of eternal life; whereas the gospel admits and asserts the necessity of such obedience by affording it to the believing sinner via the great and precious promises engaged by the Spirit in obedience (1 Peter 1:16; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 10:13). The condemnation of the law with its terrors of judgment, under the illuminating grace of the Holy Spirit, serve, to show a convinced sinner his extreme need of the salvation which is presented to him in the gospel.

The law condemns all who reject the gospel, and the gospel, on the other, is antithetical to all who finally transgress the law (1 John 3:4). The terrors of the law frighten and impel convinced sinners to accept the offer of the atonement of Jesus Christ; with the redeeming love manifested in the gospel.

With its commanding and condemning power, the law is in harmony with the gospel as the law leads the sinner indirectly to Christ. The law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ so that we might be taught our absolute need of him; the gospel presents Christ as the end of the old covenant of works whereby man sought to keep the law, offering us accountability for an imputed righteousness, never achievable before Christ’s redemption (Galatians 2:21; Hebrews 7:19; Romans 10:4).

The law magnifies the grace of the gospel by showing the sinner his need for justification and salvation by that grace, and the grace of the gospel establishes and magnifies the law. While the precepts and penalties of the law serve as a guard to the gospel, the doctrines, promises, and offers of the gospel serve to support the authority and honourable respect of the law (Romans 8:4).

The threatening of the law and the mercy revealed in the promises of the gospel meet and are bound together in Him. The righteousness manifested in the law and the peace proclaimed in the gospel, offering the righteousness of Christ, do in him embrace each other. “Mercy and judgment kiss each other” (Psalm 85:10).

While the law is an infallible witness, sinners acknowledge that they indeed have no righteousness of their own, under which the offers and calls of the gospel are addressed to them (John 14:6; 6:37). The gospel exhibits in the wonderful person and work of Christ, the highest proofs of the infinite authority, and perpetual stability of the law whose demands Christ met on the cross. (John 19:30).

The righteousness of Christ offered believers the fulfilment of the law: the glory of the gospel on behalf of sinners, offering a proprietary surety of righteousness commanded in the law (1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10; Romans 3:25; Romans 8:4).

We are invited in the gospel to accept the gift of it and to present it by the hand of faith to be freed from the curse of the law, which is eternal death. In answer to its high demand, Christ’s infinite satisfaction for sin and His perfect obedience as the condition of eternal life is now presented to the Father as our righteousness, which he imputes (or covers us with). Thus, the law as it is the covenant of works is fulfilled in Christ in harmony with the gospel. Christ’s atonement on our behalf is advocated on our behalf before the Father. Christ, as our High Priest in heaven before God, ministers on our behalf (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 6:19; 7:25).

When the law as a covenant presses a man forward or shuts him up to the faith of the gospel, the gospel urges and draws him back to the law as a rule. The law is his schoolmaster to teach him his need for the gospel’s grace; this grace will have his heart and his life regulated by no rule but the law (Romans 7:7-13; 1 John 2:1).

If the law commands believers, the grace of the gospel gently teaches them to love and to practice universal holiness. What the law, as a rule of life, binds us to perform, the grace of the gospel constrains and enables us to do via the Spirit in obedience (1 Peter 1:3- 5).

The commands of the law reprove believers for going wrong (Hebrews 12:10), and the promises of the gospel, so far as they are embraced, secure their walking in the right way (Ephesians 4:13, 24). The former shows them the extreme folly of backsliding; the latter is the means of healing their backslidings and restoring their souls.

The gospel or word of Christ, dwells only in those who have the law of Christ, put into their minds, and written in their hearts (1 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16,19; Psalm 51:10). The law cannot be inscribed on the heart, without the gospel, nor the gospel, without the law. Just as they are found together in the same Divine revelation, they dwell together harmoniously in the same believing soul. So great is the harmony between them that they can reside nowhere separate from each other.

While the precepts of the law show the redeemed how very grateful and thankful they should be for redeeming grace, the grace of Christ in the gospel produces praise with adoring gratitude. The law enjoins and encourages believers to receive daily by faith more and more of the grace of the gospel, qualifying them for more spiritual and lively obedience to its principles. The gospel supplies them with every motive preparative to seek this assistance, encouragement unto obedience.

The law reveals the believer’s duty, while the gospel is the focus of duty. It is by the almighty influence of the gospel, in the hand of the Holy Spirit, that the law is inscribed on the hearts of believers, and it is in consequence of having the law written on their hearts that they desire and trust in Christ for the blessings promised in the gospel.

The law enjoins the habit and exercise of faith; the gospel presents Christ, the glorious object of faith.

The law requires believers to love God with all their hearts, but it is the gospel only that presents God in such a view as to become an object of love to a sinner, namely, as the Father is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

The law enjoins mourning for sin: the gospel presents Christ as wounded for our transgressions, who, when believers view with the eye of faith, mourn for him as for an only son and are in bitterness for him as for a firstborn.

The law commands them to worship Yahweh – the Father- as their God; the gospel discloses to them both the object and the way of acceptable worship of Him through Christ.

The law is a transcript of all God’s moral perfections representative of His character, and so likewise is the gospel and the representative man, Jesus Christ, the express image of the Father. The law is the image of Yahweh’s holiness, justice, and mercy, as revealed by Christ in the gospel, and, as such, is “holy, just, and good.”

All who are renewed after Christ’s image, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, do evidence this renovation of heart by delighting in his law and by loving and admiring his gospel; by rejoicing greatly in the imputed righteousness, which, the demands of his law as a covenant are all answered, and in salvation by sovereign grace, in which, the promises of his gospel, are all performed.

If a man has attained a saving and experimental knowledge of the gospel, he will undoubtedly evidence it by obedience of heart and life to the law in the hand of Christ as a rule of duty. A man can never perform holy obedience to the law so long as he remains ignorant of the gospel, but when he begins spiritually to discern the truth of the doctrine of redeeming grace, he will then move to begin to perform spiritual and sincere obedience, to the law of Christ as a rule as led by the Spirit of Christ.

The legalist expects happiness for his duties, but the true believer enjoys it in them, and the less he expects for them, the more he enjoys in them. The more he believes the gospel with application and trusts cordially in the Lord Jesus for salvation, the more his “faith works by love,” and the more he appreciates communion with Christ.

Because the law and the gospel harmoniously agree, believers need to be cautious so that they do not set the two in hostile opposition to one another. The opposite is true; one believer ought not to accuse another of being an Antinomian (the displacement of the law with the gospel) simply because he expounds the grace of the gospel’s purpose to be elevated in the means of obeying the gospel via revealing the empowerment of the Holy Spirit’s application of loving God and his neighbour as a fine summary of the law, as revealed by Christ to Moses at Sinai and later to us.

Clear and just views, especially of the agreement between the law and the gospel, under the influences of the Spirit of truth, promote a holy and cheerful frame of mind. Under such a view, you will be able to guard against setting the law in opposition to the gospel.

1 Colquhoun, John. A Treatise on the Law and Gospel,1890.

Uncategorized

The Law of the Harvest – You reap what you sow in life.

God gave to sinful man some of the most essential truths in the Ten Commandments through Moses whilst coming down to him on the mountain of Sinai.

We may view these as outdated laws. However, God gave mankind the fundamental secrets of the universe — a blueprint for living.

The primary secret of the universe is that the entire universe is run by law, some proven and equated by physicists, others by chemists, and still others by mathematicians — all atomically generated, created and managed by a loving God — not by presumption or circumstance.

On the spiritual plane, it makes sense that the person who moves and lives and has their being in unison with God’s relational laws of mind, of love, and compassion will survive as long as his universe survives. On this basis, Jesus taught in John 8:51 NLT: I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never {spiritually] die!

Jesus knows all about the importance of these universal laws because he co-created the universe with his Father in the Spirit as taught by the apostle Paul: Colossians 1:16-17 NKJV: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

The apostle John wrote this concerning Jesus: John 1: 1-2 ESV: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Christ revealed that the person who obeys his laws will endure for as long as the universe endures.

This is the apex of the teaching of Jesus Christ while on earth. The whole universe is run by law, not atheistic chance. He enlightened man to realize that law has nothing to do with chance. Life is not random — not casual — it’s causal. Each of us can review our life, myself included, to find our condition today and tomorrow is related to our obedience or disobedience to both natural and spiritual law.

This cause-and-effect relationship in life is referred to as the law of the harvest: to a sowing and a reaping consequence, and happiness depends on obedience to God’s laws. Spiritual pain and sorrow come through transgressing the blessed divine law, whether we yet know the law or not.

When the Apostle Paul says: Galatians 6:7-9 KJV: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

This means that life is run by law. Look at a few examples from scripture:

The Egyptian Pharaoh caused the boys among the Israelites to be drowned. Later when Moses led the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt, Pharaoh chased them into the parted Red Sea, and he drowned when the Red Sea rolled back on those chariots pursuing the Israelites. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. Exodus 14:28 (see context Exodus 14:21-29)

Jacob deceived his father about his father’s favourite son. As years rolled by, Jacob was deceived about his favourite son Joseph by his boys. Further, Jacob showed a deceptive spirit when he conspired to get the birthright, but in time his deceptive uncle Laban pulled the wool over his eyes – giving him Leah, not Rachel to initially marry. How did Jacob deceive his father? By putting on the skins of a goat; he, in turn, was deceived by his boys, who took the coat of his son Joseph, and dipped it in the blood of a goat.  (story in Genesis chapters 25 to 29)

In the story of Ester, Haman prepared a gallows for Mordecai, but he swung from it himself. Esther 7:9-10: And the king said, “Hang him on that.”So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated. So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

King Asa put the prophet Hanani in stocks, but Asa died of a disease in his feet. Sowing and reaping, cause and effect — listen, the breaking of the law brings a reaction in our lives.  (see 2 Chronicles 16: 10; 12-13: Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. …In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors.

This is the teaching of Scripture revealed in life. It is such a universal law of God that many simply refer to this as Karma — what goes around comes around. When this dawns on a man or woman of reason, it becomes evident that everyone ought to be concerned about two things: (1) to find out the laws of God, and (2) to obey them and to be happy for time and eternity..

The Ten Commandments as given to Moses on Sinai

Exodus 20: 1-17 NIV:  And God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

What did He say first at Sinai: “I am the Lord your God.” What commandments did He give first? The ones that pertain to Him. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

““Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.” What did God put first? Worship–relationship to Himself.

The Bible begins with God: “In the beginning God.” The Lord’s Prayer begins this way: “Our Father.” God is trying to teach us to put first first–not first things first, but to put God first. He comes before things. Most people turn the tables around. They put things first, and then if there is a little time left over, that is for God.

And Jesus taught the same thing — put God’s kingdom first. Matthew 6:33 NIV: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Authority of the Bible, Uncategorized

Honest Bible teachers do not evade the Truth

“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your Word, which is truth” (John 17:17 NLT)

Jesus is referred to as the express character of God, revealing His father’s love and His maxims expressed in His Word to mankind. He said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV) He came to reveal a new way of thinking about love, about grace, mercy, and forgiveness – a way of freedom from guilt and the eternal consequences of sin. Apostle John says that the Word of God is truth and is a standard to rely on.

Jesus also told His disciples to adhere to and seek truth from the Holy Spirit: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:3 NIV) The Bible’s view of the truth of our Lord, in our focal verse is to make men holy, separate from the world, aside from those knowingly contradicting or evading truth made intelligible via scripture alone.

Jesus quoted Jeremiah when He taught that many have ears but cannot hear, many have eyes, but they cannot see (Jeremiah 5:21). He sought to teach the blind who were misled by the blind guides — the leaders of Israel — who did not follow scripture accurately but rather twisted it for their own ends.

I have thought a great deal about why a man or a woman might not align with any truth when clearly presented, whether in life or scriptural discretion. I get that atheists could care less as they live by a determined ungodly philosophy. Christians, on the other hand, seeking to be more like Christ, to my mind, should desire truth. To evade truth revealed in scripture, they would need to go against conscience, and evade the facts of “it is written” clearly presented.

Why church leadership is culpable where biblical error persists Generally, church goers are passive concerning theologically based scriptural study. Most congregations rely on their pastoral leadership. There is a distinction between dependence and dishonesty. A Christian who has accepted Christ’s work on the cross and is fully justified by faith may be passive regarding weighing scriptural evidence concerning truth versus blatant error. Believing something he or she has merely gone along with in a denomination — the social consensus of accepting a prevalent view – though it is not academically admirable, it is not necessarily dishonest, nor does it necessarily involve deliberate evasion of truth to sustain a specific misunderstood view. Even pastors who focus on preaching Christ crucified, and express the love and mercy of God, might prefer a slogan to avoid controversy in their tenure such as “I don’t get into theology”.

Sadly, many scriptural errors can be found promulgated in many active churches that do preach Christ crucified. Let me illustrate. Say a leader in the limelight taught something wacko, and all the pastoral leaders that you know agreed. What if an acclaimed regional or national leader stood up and taught the laity that the plan of salvation was made after the fall of man as follows: “The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race”? And let’s say that you know this can’t be true because the Bible is decisive on this point – it says the opposite about God’s foreknowledge about Yahweh’s son working with Him to reconcile mankind: “who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus”. (2 Timothy 1:9-10 ESV) And collectively, what if you found over fifty such scriptural errors published and distributed worldwide as an ongoing commentary to “enlighten the Word of God” in your own church?

The key to knowing if a leading elder or pastor is evading the truth If a man of God, as a senior leader called to teach the Word accurately, sees the need to think about an issue which contradicts scripture, and has some idea of how to go about dealing with it, and then fails to do independent and interdependent query, fails to study or assess the concern, and fails to demand an open forum — if he fails to lead his flock into the solid ground of scriptural truth — then he’s dishonest, because he’s evading biblical facts that he discerns oppose a false reality. Regardless if it’s a motive of laziness, parasitism, or he’s afraid he’ll be defrocked or lose his pension, or he just wants to be popular or desires more power — he just shuts his mind down to the Spirit’s leading and goes along with the error.

This is individually immoral before the Lord, especially regarding the man who has a high degree of reasoning powers in the sense that he’s deliberately rejecting his conscience – the Spirit’s revelation to his mind to now correctively share with his laity. Doing that requires sustained blindness to a call to review truth, terrifying evasion, ongoing evil, side-stepping reformative action, and therefore it is degradingly dishonest before the judgement seat of God. It is a moral tragedy within the church body when a leader inflicts self-deception. It is reverse mutiny turned on his flock. Leaders are often politically fearful of crossing sword points with the brethren. Yet their cowardly conduct is observed in heaven by the higher counsel, by the 24 elders who hear the prayers of God’s elect (see Revelation 5:8).

Ask, is the flock led astray? Laity often goes along with others for a different kind of reason — through helplessness — the flock without a true shepherd is spiritually harmed in the sight of our Lord. And that’s particularly true regarding the need to exposit scriptural truth. Not everyone has the capability to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Most people absorb doctrine from others, without considering that they might be absorbing controversial error, or that any alternative interpretation is supported by scripture.

They may have a view that doctrine is a subject that can’t be dealt with, it’s all a matter of opinion, or decreed by pre-established authority figures, or there are no answers, it’s irrelevant to church life — none of which you can blame them for having, given the way its advocates present the subject often through repeated indoctrination, church culture or lingo, or demonization for facing the truth of scripture.

Some people within a denomination’s laity may accept that a doctrinal subject is important, yet have no theological method to go about comparing scripture or weighing the evidence presented in the Bible. Without the cognitive capacity to unpack or compare a viewpoint, they cannot think about it and defer to their leadership. In this context when leadership chooses to evade scriptural truth revealing contradicting error, that leadership is culpable for hiding revealed truth.

Does God not refer to shepherding the flock as a holy responsibility? It is not a sin for the laity to end up conforming, accepting what they’re taught, fitting in, not so much out of laziness or fear or non-partisanship as out of ignorance, helplessness, and not even knowing that there is a real issue to think about or how to begin the process, because it is hidden from them! They’re caught in the position of officially being influenced to believe or half-believe that these issues of truth are insignificant — or of zero consequence before the Lord. The “helpless dependent” may be a good man who is baffled – albeit purposely stupified by the irresponsible leadership.

The responsibility of the intelligent laity with theological insight Now laity does include individuals who are intelligent and have a high capacity to reason. Some can teach, some can preach, some administer as elders or deacons. Some are intelligent fanatics who flaunt error to acquire a following. Insofar as they are dishonest conformists these leaders align with the evaders of truth.

All intelligent leadership is then responsible if their decided collaborate evasion creates inner chaos and confusion for any people within a congregation honestly seeking God’s truth. Such active, deliberate dishonesty would deny the Holy Spirit’s guidance into all truth as Jesus indicated He would relay to His disciples: “He will take of mine and reveal it to you” (see John 16:13-15)

Balanced compassion is a must How do you socially treat your comrades in the church despite doctrinal errors? In the case where the laity is innocent of promulgating deception, the proper policy regarding the weak dependents is to delimit your advocacy for specific truth or pedagogical efforts of teaching them directly about evasions that may affect your role as a thought leader in the church. You must deal with them in the realms where they’re innocent — praising the Lord together as mutually forgiven Christians. The difficult balance is found if you try to lead those who feel that they are already well-led into all truth. I believe that rocking their faith-boat may cause it to capsize. You do not want to fracture otherwise honest, beloved relationships whom you can guide in union with Jesus.

The weak dependent may be much like the misled flock when Jesus metaphorically taught them that you cannot put new wine into old wineskins, or you ruin the skins, i.e. the prominent religious view; and spill the wine — meaning, that hearers would lose the value of the truthful doctrine. Though the misled laity may be wrong, they are not Luther-like heroes of independent thought. Like Jesus you must have compassion – you cannot say the innocent laity is dishonest.

However, like Jesus, beware of the dishonest advocate, the deceptively misleading intelligent believer, the legalist, the populist, the religious politician, the puppet who is not just going along with others but is actively evading and ganging up —  going about-face in the back room to backstab truth, to choke it, to pull it down — working to sustain erroneous unreformed doctrine. He or she is essentially wicked, corrupt down to the roots. This distinction is important.

Ethical Summary Again, the typical leaders, the instigators, the theologians who are out promoting blatant scriptural error, those who decry honest eldership and theologians, yet tell their converts that they believe sola scriptura are downright two-faced — they are demonstrably dishonest and unfit for eldership. But as far as the laity are followers, and not leaders, on the whole, I won’t make that judgement. The distinction is that the followers go along with what they’re told, and they may indiscriminately veto their own mind to avow 13, or 24 doctrines come hell or high water — many relinquish scriptural management to their church leadership — they don’t dig for answers or cannot cognitively understand even if they did study the facts. Many who are loyal to a traditional view may be confounded by media-driven liars who continue to teach error and breed confusion.

Scriptural doctrinal errors can only be allowed to persist by culpable leadership, more so if in high places, which if their consciences perceive allowed error, are dishonest or cowardly if silent. It is wickedness — an evil affront to the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If our consciences are not yet affected by grace, let us defer to scripture: “we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”. (Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV)