“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1:17

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

As mentioned previously, everyone who comes to salvation in Christ comes in the same likeness, and that is as a guilty sinner condemned to the wrath of God against sin. This is not the opinion of any man, but of God, for He gave His Law that everyone should stand guilty before Him, leading all who believe to the saving grace of Christ crucified (Rom 3:19 , Gal 3:24).

What is more, as guilty sinners before a Holy, Righteous and Unchanging God, we must be totally aware of His attitude towards man in His fallen, wicked and unrepentantly sinful state.

God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.
Psalms 7:11

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
Psalms 5:4-6

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

These references to Scripture are not intended to beat up sinners with, nor is the descriptive list in the verse above an exhaustive one, intended to point self righteous fingers at some particular sin or another. Rather these passages have been included to show that, regardless of how righteous we may be in our own eyes, we are sinners before God, and have no right to enter His presence and Kingdom whatsoever. If we are to do so at all, it is solely by His hand, by His choice, and by His provision. For He is a Just and Righteous Judge who cannot overlook our sinfulness, for to do so would be to deny the very Justice He promises.

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

From this place of accepting the true character of God Almighty revealed through His Word, and understanding that He is not the One who is ever going to change, the whole Gospel message begins to make sense. For it is only when we begin to understand these things, that we can begin to see the reason God had to do something to save us, rather than just change His mind towards us, which in itself would mean that He is no longer unchanging, which in turn would bring His Eternal Perfection into question.

The amazing thing about the Gospel is that through Jesus Christ the Messiah, we have revealed to us Almighty God who so loved those He has created, He sent His own Son directly into creation to bridge the gap between the perfection of God and sinful man. By His own will, and through His own blood, Jesus Christ paid the price acceptable by God, that would clear the penalty of sin for all who would choose to accept this sacrifice, and put their trust in Him.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:16-18

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:23-26

Therefore through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross, a divinely planned exchange takes place, wherby the penalty for sin that is rightfully ours is placed upon the shoulders of Christ instead, and the Righteousness of Christ is imparted to us as if it were our own. This is the miracle of the Gospel message, and is found absolutely nowhere else!

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

To even begin to understand our salvation in Christ then, we must come to terms with the true nature and character of the Unchanging One we dare to call Father. For we cannot truly claim to come into an intimate and personal relationship with God the Father without recognising Who He actually is. Nor can we claim to stand in His presence without acknowledging the enormous price that was paid upon the Cross by His own Son, in order to cleanse us from our sin and declare us to be justified before God in the first place.

I have become increasingly aware of late, just how so much that has been taught to me by churches I’ve attended over the years, are really far away from what the Bible actually teaches us. So often the instruction in Scripture that is as clear as crystal gets overlooked, whilst the more questionable teachings, heavily reliant upon personal interpretation of unclear text, is clung to with all our might.

This may at first appear not too big a deal, and often this may well be the case, but not always. In fact, I will take this opportunity to highlight a few things that are beyond questioning in much of the charismatic church, and will show how the Bible simply does not offer much support for these doctrines at all, especially not as clear as many would like to imagine. The reason I find these particular things concerning, is that I have personally been strongly affected by these teachings for much of my Christian life, and only recently have I found the courage to deal with these things in the Light of the Word.

Although this is not usually the case, the opening Scripture should strike fear into our heart, and demand our attention as though our very life depends on our understanding. We are instructed that Christ will not return before the “falling away” takes place, from the Greek word “apostasia”, meaning to defect from the truth. That truth not being some vague, undistinguishable entity, but the Truth that is alone the Word of God. We are warned openly that there will be a falling away from the truth in this way, in order that the man of sin may rise to power, and deceive many with his lying signs and wonders.

Our instruction to combat this attack is quite simple; that we cleave to the teachings of the apostles given through the pages of the New Testament. These were the only ones in Church history who were chosen and commanded to instruct the Body of Christ, for they were the very ones who were witnesses to Christ Himself, chosen, instructed, and sent to make disciples of all nations for His name sake.

Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  17  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  18  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  19  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Regardless of how skillful an orator, or how clever a theologian church leaders may consider themselves, they only have authority to pass on undiluted what Christ Himself passed onto the apostles for the building up of the Body of Christ. To offer personal opinions about the Scriptures, or about God Himself, no matter how uplifting, is nothing more than preaching from the flesh. And whilst the general encouragement and uplifting of others is of much worth, it cannot be made out to be one and the same as the preaching of God’s Word, as He has inspired the writers of the Scriptures to convey His message to us.

So from the outset of this message, I would just like to make one point perfectly clear. If those who teach you can be charged first and foremost with preaching solely the Word of God alone, nothing more and nothing less, then fantastic, they are faithfully serving the Body. However if the majority you hear from their lips are, slick comments, joking around, personal opinions and insights, with only the faintest drawing from Scripture. Then they are doing little more than tickling your ears with fancy talk, and most definitely not renewing your mind with the washing of God’s Word.

With regard to pointing out some of the strayings away from Scriptural truth that concerns me, I will try and keep it as concise as possible. However it is my strongest desire to urge everyone reading this message to challenge every area of accepted doctrine in their lives, by shining the Word of God upon it. At whatever point you find a defection from its truth, you must reject it for the lie and deceipt that it is.

Receiving Christ as Saviour:

The most common way to receive Christ as Saviour in the charismatic church goes a little like this: Firstly a call is made for anyone feeling conviction in their heart to pray a prayer, often called the sinners prayer. Sometimes they are called to the alter, other times they may be told it’s okay to pray quietly where they are, sometimes even through the TV set. Then a few lines of prayer are repeated, upon which the person is usually told something like, “if you prayed that prayer from your heart, then you are now a child of God.” This will probably be accompanied with encouragement to come along to regular meetings, and purchase a Bible etc., and that’s about it.

A period of weeks or even months may pass before the subject of baptism comes up. Also there will usually be much emphasis on being baptized in the Spirit, much emphasis upon God’s plan and purpose for their life, much emphasis on spiritual manifestations etc., but little or virtually no emphasis upon conviction of sin, or the need to die to the flesh alongside Christ. What’s more, there is often a great emphasis placed upon assurance of salvation, but the focus of that assurance being the point at which the prayer was prayed inviting Jesus into their heart.

On the contrary, the teachings of the New Testament show us a completely different perspective. Firstly there is no mention of a “sinners prayer” ,or an assurance of our best life now, but the focus is rather upon repentance and baptism. Or in other words, a turning away from sin and back to the Righteousness of God, through the humble acceptance of His Word as Truth, and embracing our own death to self, in order that the life of Christ may flow through us. There is a sense of constantly growing in the knowledge of Christ through the revelation of the Scriptures, a sense of constant self examination in the light of the revelation the Scriptures bring us, and a willingness to die to oneself and our desires on a daily basis.

For the sake of space I will simply note a few Scripture references that you may see for yourself that this is true:

Acts 2:37-39, Col 3:1-6, 2 Cor 13:5, Philippians 3:1-7, Luke 9:23-24.

Spiritual Manifestations:

Throughout the charismatic church there is an immense amount of emphasis put upon spiritual manifestations, signs and wonders etc., almost as evidence itself of God’s presence. From the beginning of ones walk with Christ, the believer is often encouraged to throw caution to the wind and dive headlong into whatever manifestations are taking place. There is a tendency of anyone and everyone laying hands on others, that the manifestation may be imparted through them to others willing to receive it, always with the assurance to those needing assurance, that it is the Holy Spirit at work. This often leads to manifestations such as hysterical laughter, uncontrollable shaking, falling onto the floor sometimes into a trance like state, and other times writhing like a snake. Also there are often animal noises being made, or intense babbling in unknown tongues. Also at times like this, there may be prophetic words of knowledge given, that often those who receive them, cling to with gusto.

I have spent many years in the charismatic church, and know intimately many of the above manifestations, even to the point that I have experienced them myself. For this reason, although I’m not denying that sometimes it may be psychosomatic in nature, many times the manifestation is most definitely a genuine spiritual manifestation. The problem I have however, is that the source of these manifestations are rarely tested, even though Scripture makes a clear warning for us to do so. What I’ve found greatly disturbing personally, is though I have found little evidence in Scripture to back up these manifestations as that of the Holy Spirit, there is vast evidence to suggest the manifestations are closely identified with manifestations of eastern mysticism, known as the “Kundalini” spirit. However the attitude in much of the church is to immediately rule out the possiblity of these manifestations being anything other than that of the Holy Spirit, without any Scriptural testing whatsoever.

These facts should raise alarm bells in the spirit of any devout believer in Christ, especially when we consider the opening Scripture, that the coming of the lawless one, would be with “all power, signs and lying wonders.” Should we not be testing these spirits with all diligence? And should we not be holding accountable those false prophets we so often choose to revere, who make prophetic statements, one after another, that come to nothing?

Jeremiah 14:13-16 “Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’ “  14  And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.  15  Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—’By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!  16  And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; they will have no one to bury them—them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters—for I will pour their wickedness on them.’”

The Return of Christ:

There is a strictly adhered to doctrine within the charismatic church known as the “pre-tribulation rapture” doctrine. To even suggest anything to the contrary of this doctrine is considered nothing less than blasphemous by some, and yet the Scriptural revelation this doctrine is built upon is shaky to say the least. I am not suggesting everyone consider this timing is incorrect, but I challenge anyone to find Scriptural evidence to confirm this theory without doubt, and therefore severely question the profit of pursuing this doctrine to any great degree. In fact, to my own undoing, I have found to do so leads to chasing the wind for a very long time, only to end up in the same place you started!

Forget trying to twist the Scriptures to say what you want them to say, and listen to what they clearly say concerning this matter. Only then will you find a true sense of peace over the whole subject, especially when your faith is challenged upon such matters. Which will hopefully be sooner rather than later.

Mark 13:31-33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  32  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  33  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”

Firstly, if the Son of God professed at that time not to know the timing of His return, is it not pride that drives us to think we should know better?

Matthew 25:6-12 ” “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’  7  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  8  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  9  But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  11  “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  12  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.‘”

Is it not truly the instruction of the Bible to make ourselves ready for His return, whenever that may be? Whether we dwell on the notion that the Lord will return and save us from the Great Tribulation, or consider at great length that we may be called to persevere even through the midst of the greatest suffering the world has ever known, we waste our time and efforts in either circumstance. For Jesus Himself says, ” Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

If there is one thing worthy of consideration carefully whenever looking towards the return of Christ for His Bride, is the matter of our own diligence in examining ourselves by the light of His Word. For regardless of the popular teaching within the church, that suggests that everyone who confesses Christ as Lord will enter into eternal glory, the truth is quite different indeed. So different in fact, that it should cause any God fearing believer to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

Matthew 7:21-23 “”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  22  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  23  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’“

I could continue, but there really would be little point, for if you decide to turn away from this warning and others like it, you do so at your own peril. Needless to say, without looking too closely you can see a falling away from the truth happening even as I write this message. It is with tears that I witness daily a growing hardness in the hearts of those who confess Christ as Saviour, and a growing desire within the church to embrace many strange winds of doctrine that blow to and fro. How long it will be until the grace and favour of the Lord is removed from this world, in order that the sins of the world shall be judged according to His Righteousness, to be quite frank, I believe is painfully short.

Originally posted 2009-07-01 11:12:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Success in God’s eyes is being totally fulfilled in ministering to him. Such servants aren’t striving to “make it” or seeking earthly security. They only want to know their Lord and to minister to Him.

Think about the 100 prophets hidden by Obadiah (1 Kings 18:4). They lived an isolated existence in caves for at least three to four years, during a severe famine. These men had no outside ministry. They were completely out of the public’s view, forgotten by most people. They couldn’t even share in Elijah’s victory on Mount Carmel. No doubt, the world would call them failures, insignificant men who hadn’t accomplished anything.

Yet God had given these devoted servants the precious gift of time. They had days, weeks, even years to pray, study, grow and minister to the Lord. You see, God was preparing them for the day when he would release them to minister to his people. Indeed, these same men would shepherd those who returned to God under Elijah’s ministry.

Years ago, the Lord blessed me with this gift of time. Before I ever pastored a church, I went into the woods and preached to the birds and trees. I had no plans, no agenda, no dreams. I only wanted to get to know God’s heart. So I prayed daily, seeking the Lord and ministering to him. And I marked my Bible from cover to cover. I was hidden, not seen by anyone. But God knew my address all along.

My advice is, “Quit looking for ministry. Spend your time seeking God instead. He knows where to find you. He’ll summon you when he sees you are ready. Forget what others are doing. Strive to be a success at God’s throne. If you’re ministering to the Lord and praying for others, you are already a success in his eyes!”

Originally posted 2009-08-22 13:14:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

For those who would consider themselves to be a Christian, and yet display very little fear of God in their lives, and do not acknowledge what He is able and willing to do to those who mock Him, I suggest you listen to these words very carefully:

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”  ———

——But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

(Romans 11:5-8 & Romans 11:17-22)

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

(Romans 11:5-8)

The sorrow of the worldly is directed in a selfish manner, usually producing an attitude of self pity that tends to blame others for the predicament that our own sinful desires place us. However Godly sorrow is of an entirely different nature. The believer is convicted of their own sinfulness and selfish ways, and made completely aware how this attitude has grieved the Lord and Saviour they so love and desire to follow. It is from this place of harsh realisation, that the true believer will desire to put away all that offends the Lord, and instead seek to replace their own ways with His ways, by the power of His Spirit. This attitude of repentance and faith towards the Lord is both the beginning of conversion, and the process by which the believer is transformed from glory to glory into the likeness of Christ Himself.

Ironically what those who cling to this mentality seem to miss, is the very thing they seem to be searching for! In a well meant desire to tell everyone of the love and freedom to be found in God, they display their own ignorance of God and His ways, by attempting to find a more effective, relevant and convenient way to share the good news of salvation. In choosing to ignore the truth of God’s demand for holiness, and the sheer magnificence of His Righteousness, and the utter dreadedness and certainty of His Wrath one day being poured out upon the ungodly of this world; a warped gospel is presented to the lost, that in reality, is no gospel at all.

The true Gospel of Christ will have a magnificent and saving effect on those who hear and believe, for it will drive the proud to their knees before the Cross of Christ, causing them to experience the reality of their own sinfulness and wretchedness. At the same time, it will take those who are already broken and willingly casting themselves upon His mercy, and lift up their heads that they may cast their eyes upon the One who is their Deliverer. Through a legal application of God’s Law, and a liberal measure of the Grace and Mercy of God, all who will believe are brought to the place of justification through His blood. This will go on to a transformed life, being lived out for His glory alone, and will lead to an ongoing sanctification of the believer, as they are conformed day by day into the image of their Saviour. The truth is, this is the place of freedom, for it is the place, and the only place, where we experience death and rebirth in a real and tangible way. We are as far removed from the struggle of self justification under a harsh and unmerciful law, as a dead man is removed from his duties on this earth.

In contrast, the modern or emergent church, leads those who listen to its message, not into freedom and liberty of justification in Christ, but simply a place of ignorance. The place they are led to may well seem different, even refreshing, but it is not salvation in Christ. Rather it is a place where the Law of God is willingly ignored, and the ungodly mass together in defiance of God’s truth, but feeling strength in numbers they preach messages that scratch one anothers ears, and put their consciences back to sleep.

For those who profess Christ as Saviour I urge you to consider something. Whilst we live and breath the air of this world, we await a city to come, and whilst we do so, we share in the reproach of our Saviour until He returns and receives us eternally unto Himself. Although we share the blessedness of knowing Him, and though spiritually we are perfect in Him, in the flesh we are as evil and wretched as we always were. The instrument that connects our spiritual nature to that of our flesh is our mind, and that is now where the spiritual battle between good and evil rages. When we are in a position of understanding this truth, we will begin to take every thought captive to Christ and submit it to His Word. We will be so aware that our mind can be used for both the glory of Christ, and the wickedness of our own sinful flesh, we will eagerly and willingly surrender it back to the Lord at every point we can.

The proud, lofty and self righteous will always attempt to take the moral high ground in order to impose their proud and legalistic thoughts upon others, even to the extent of trying to impose them upon God Himself if that were possible. Whereas those who have looked upon the perfect Law of God full in the face, and felt the stab of pain as their wretchedness is exposed for what it is, the reality of God’s grace and mercy toward them is beyond measure. As a result, instead of attempting to take any high ground at all, instead you will find their lives laid down at the feet of their Saviour in total and utter submission to all that He is, and all that He has said and done on their behalf. This is the true place of freedom in Christ, and where the fullness of His love is expressed, for it is a place of complete death to oneself, and being made alive in Him as a new creature. What’s more, it is a place that will never be found when one follows the path of the false gospel preached by those who deny the truth of His Word in even the smallest part.

Originally posted 2009-11-13 21:17:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Sourced from: The Sacred Sandwich

Originally posted 2009-11-10 19:07:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

These words are striking in themselves; but they are much more striking if we observe when and by whom they were spoken. They were spoken by a poor and friendless Christian, in the midst of a persecuting Jewish Council. It was a grand confession of Christ.

They were spoken by the lips of the Apostle Peter. This is the man who, a few weeks before, forsook Jesus and fled: this is the very man who three times over denied his Lord. There is another spirit in him now! He stands up boldly before priests and Sadducees, and tells them the truth to their face: “This is the stone that was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

First, let me explain the doctrine laid down by St. Peter.

Let us make sure that we rightly understand what the Apostle means. He says of Christ, “Neither is there salvation in any other.” Now what does this mean? On our clearly seeing this very much depends.

He means that no one can be saved from sin – its guilt, its power, and its consequences – excepting by Jesus Christ. He means that no one can have peace with God the Father – obtain pardon in this world, and escape wrath to come in the next – excepting through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ.

In Christ alone God’s rich provision of salvation for sinners is treasured up: by Christ alone God’s abundant mercies come down from Heaven to Earth. Christ’s blood alone can cleanse us; Christ’s righteousness alone can clothe us; Christ’s merit alone can give us a title to Heaven. Jews and Gentiles, learned and unlearned, kings and poor men – all alike must either be saved by the Lord Jesus, or lost forever.

And the Apostle adds emphatically, “There is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” There is no other person commissioned, sealed, and appointed by God the Father to be the Saviour of sinners, excepting Christ. The keys of life and death are committed to His hand, and all who would be saved must go to Him.

There was but one place of safety in the day when the flood came upon the Earth: that place was Noah’s ark. All other places and devices – mountains, towers, trees, rafts, boats – all were alike useless. So also there is but one hiding-place for the sinner who would escape the storm of God’s anger; he must venture his soul on Christ.

There was but one man to whom the Egyptians could go in time of famine, when they wanted food: They must go to Joseph; it was a waste of time to go to anyone else. So also there is but One to whom hungering souls must go, if they would not perish forever: they must go to Christ. There was but one word that could save the lives of the Ephraimites in the day when the Gileadites contended with them, and took the fords of Jordan (Judges 12): They must say “Shibboleth,” or die. Just so there is but one Name that will avail us when we stand at the gate of Heaven: we must name the Name of Jesus as our only hope, or be cast away everlastingly.

Such is the doctrine of the text. “No salvation but by Jesus Christ; in Him plenty of salvation – salvation to the uttermost, salvation for the very chief of sinners; out of Him no salvation at all.” It is in perfect harmony with our Lord’s own words in St. John’s Gospel – “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). It is the same thing that Paul tells the Corinthians: “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). And it is the same that St. John tells us in his first Epistle: “God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12). All these texts come to one and the same point – no salvation but by Jesus Christ.

Let us make sure that we understand this before we pass on. Men are apt to think, “This is all old news; these are ancient things: who knoweth not such truths as these? Of course, we believe there is no salvation but by Christ.” But I ask my readers to mark well what I say. Make sure that you understand this doctrine, or else by and by you will stumble, and be offended at the statements I have yet to make in this paper.

We are to venture the whole salvation of our souls on Christ, and on Christ only. We are to cast loose completely and entirely from all other hopes and trusts. We are not to rest partly on Christ, partly on doing all we can, partly on keeping our church, partly on receiving the sacrament. In the matter of our justification Christ is to be all. This is the doctrine of the text.

Heaven is before us, and Christ the only door into it; Hell beneath us, and Christ alone able to deliver us from it; the devil behind us, and Christ the only refuge from his wrath and accusations; the law against us, and Christ alone able to redeem us; sin weighing us down, and Christ alone able to put it away. This is the doctrine of the text.

Now do we see it? I hope we do. But I fear many think so who may find, before laying down this paper that they do not….

Truth and Love

There are few parts of the subject which seem to me to be more important than this. The truth I have been trying to set before my readers bears so strongly on the condition of a great proportion of mankind, that I consider it would be mere affectation on my part not to say something about it. If Christ is the only way of salvation, what are we to feel about many people in the world? This is the point I am now going to take up.

I believe that many persons would go with me so far as I have gone, and would go no further. They will allow my premises: They will have nothing to say to my conclusions. They think it uncharitable to say anything which appears to condemn others. For my part I cannot understand such charity. It seems to me the kind of charity which would see a neighbour drinking slow poison, but never interfere to stop him; which would allow emigrants to embark in a leaky, ill-found vessel, and not interfere to prevent them; which would see a blind man walking near a precipice, and think it wrong to cry out, and tell him there was danger.

The greatest charity is to tell the greatest quantity of truth. It is no charity to hide the legitimate consequences of such a saying of St. Peter as we are now considering, or to shut our eyes against them. And I solemnly call on every one who really believes there is no salvation in any but Christ – and none other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved – I solemnly call on that person to give me his attention, while I set before him some of the tremendous consequences which the doctrine we are considering involves….

Uselessness of Religion

One mighty consequence, then, which seems to be learned from the text which forms the keynote of this paper, is the utter uselessness of any religion without Christ.

There are many to be found in Christendom at this day who have a religion of this kind. They would not like to be called Deists, but Deists they are. That there is a God, that there is what they are pleased to call Providence, that God is merciful, that there will be a state after death – this is about the sum and substance of their creed; and as to the distinguishing tenets of Christianity, they do not seem to recognize them at all. Now I denounce such a system as a baseless fabric – its seeming foundation man’s fancy – its hopes an utter delusion. The god of such people is an idol of their own invention, and not the glorious God of the Scriptures – a miserably imperfect being, even on their own showing, without holiness, without justice, without any attribute but that of vague, indiscriminate mercy. Such a religion may possibly do as a toy to live with: It is far too unreal to die with. It utterly fails to meet the wants of man’s conscience: It offers no remedy; it affords no rest for the soles of our feet; it cannot comfort, for it cannot save. Let us beware of it, if we love life. Let us beware of a religion without Christ.

Another consequence to be learned from the text is, the folly of any religion in which Christ has not the first place. I need not remind my readers how many hold a system of this kind. The Socinian tells us that Christ was a mere man; that His blood had no more efficacy than that of another; that His death on the cross was not a real atonement and propitiation of man’s sins; and that, after all, doing is the way to Heaven, and not believing. I solemnly declare that I believe such a system is ruinous to men’s souls. It seems to me to strike at the root of the whole plan of salvation which God has revealed in the Bible, and practically to nullify the greater part of the Scriptures. It overthrows the priesthood of the Lord Jesus, and strips Him of His office. It converts the whole system of the law of Moses, touching sacrifices and ordinances, into a meaningless form. It seems to say that the sacrifice of Cain was just as good as the sacrifice of Abel. It turns man adrift on a sea of uncertainty, by plucking from under him the finished work of a divine Mediator. Let us beware of it, no less than of Deism, if we love life. Let us beware of the least attempt to depreciate and undervalue Christ’s Person, offices or work. The name whereby alone we can be saved, is a name above every name, and the slightest contempt poured upon it is an insult to the King of kings. The salvation of our souls has been laid by God the Father on Christ, and no other. If He were not very God of very God, He never could accomplish it, and there could be no salvation at all.

Another consequence to be learned from our text is the great error committed by those who add anything to Christ as necessary to salvation. It is an easy thing to profess belief in the Trinity, and reverence for our Lord Jesus Christ, and yet to make some addition to Christ as the ground of hope, and so to overthrow the doctrine of the text as really and completely as by denying it altogether.

The Church of Rome does this systematically. She adds things to Christianity over and above the requirements of the Gospel, of her own invention. She speaks as if Christ’s finished work was not a sufficient foundation for a sinner’s soul, and as if it were not enough to say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” She sends men to priests and confessors, to penances and absolution, to masses and extreme unction, to fasting and bodily mortification, to the Virgin Mary and the saints – as if these things could add to the safety there is in Christ Jesus. And in doing this she sins against the doctrine of God’s Word with a high hand. Let us beware of any Romish hankering after additions to the simple way of the Gospel, from whatever quarter it may come….

Sincerity

The last consequence which seems to me to be learned from our text is the utter absurdity of supposing that we ought to be satisfied with a man’s state of soul, if he is only earnest and sincere.

This is a very common heresy indeed, and one against which we all need to be on our guard. There are thousands who say in the present day, “We have nothing to do with the opinions of others. They may perhaps be mistaken, though it is possible they are right and we wrong: but, if they are sincere and earnest, we hope they will be saved, even as we.” And all this sounds liberal and charitable, and people like to fancy their own views are so! To such an extreme length has this erroneous idea run, that many are content to describe a Christian as “an earnest man,” and seem to think this vague definition is quite sufficient!

Now I believe such notions are entirely contradictory to the Bible, whatever else they may be. I cannot find in Scripture that any one ever got to Heaven merely by sincerity, or was accepted with God if he was only earnest in maintaining his own views. The priests of Baal were earnest and sincere when they cut themselves with knives and lancets till the blood gushed out; but that did not prevent Elijah from commanding them to be treated as wicked idolaters. Manasseh, King of Judah, was doubtless earnest and sincere when he burned his children in the fire to Moloch; but who does not know that he brought on himself great guilt by so doing? The Apostle Paul, when a Pharisee, was earnest and sincere while he made havoc of the Church, but when his eyes were opened he mourned over this special wickedness. Let us beware of allowing for a moment that sincerity is everything, and that we have no right to speak ill of a man’s spiritual state because of the opinions he holds, if he is only earnest in holding them. On such principles, the Druidical sacrifices, the car of Juggernaut, the Indian suttees, the systematic murders of the Thugs, the fires of Smithfield might each and all be defended. It will not stand: It will not bear the test of Scripture. Once allow such notions to be true, and we may as well throw our Bibles aside altogether. Sincerity is not Christ, and therefore sincerity cannot put away sin.

I dare be sure these consequences sound very unpleasant to the minds of some who may read them. But I say, calmly and advisedly, that a religion without Christ, a religion that takes away from Christ, a religion that adds anything to Christ, a religion that puts sincerity in the place of Christ – all are dangerous: All are to be avoided, because all are alike contrary to the doctrine of Scripture.

Some readers may not like this. I am sorry for it. They think me uncharitable, illiberal, narrow-minded, bigoted, and so forth. Be it so. But they will not tell me my doctrine is not that of the Word of God and of the Church of England, whose minister I am. That doctrine is, salvation in Christ to the very uttermost – but out of Christ no salvation at all.

Relativism

I feel it a duty to bear my solemn testimony against the spirit of the day we live in, to warn men against its infection. It is not Atheism I fear so much, in the present times, as Pantheism. It is not the system which says nothing is true, so much as the system which says everything is true. It is not the system which says there is no Saviour, so much as the system which says there are many saviours, and many ways to peace! – It is the system which is so liberal, that it dares not say anything is false. It is the system which is so charitable, that it will allow everything to be true. It is the system which seems ready to honour others as well as our Lord Jesus Christ, to class them all together, and to think well of all. Confucius and Zoroaster, Socrates and Mahomet, the Indian Brahmins and the African devil-worshippers, Arius and Pelagius, Ignatius Loyola and Socinus – all are to be treated respectfully; none is to be condemned. It is the system which bids us smile complacently on all creeds and systems of religion. The Bible and the Koran, the Hindu Vedas and the Persian Zendavesta, the old wives’ fables of Rabbinical writers and the rubbish of Patristic traditions, the Racovian catechism and the Thirty-nine Articles, the revelations of Emanuel Swedenborg and the Book of Mormon of Joseph Smith – all, all are to be listened to: None is to be denounced as lies. It is the system which is so scrupulous about the feelings of others, that we are never to say they are wrong. It is the system which is so liberal that it calls a man a bigot, if he dares to say, “I know my views are right.” This is the system, this is the tone of feeling which I fear in this day, and this is the system which I desire emphatically to testify against and denounce.

What is it all but a bowing down before a great idol, speciously called liberality? What is it all but a sacrificing of truth upon the altar of a caricature of charity? What is it all but the worship of a shadow, a phantom, and an unreality? What can be more absurd than to profess ourselves content with “earnestness,” when we do not know what we are earnest about? Let us take heed lest we are carried away by the delusion. Has the Lord God spoken to us in the Bible, or has He not? Has He shown us the way of salvation plainly and distinctly in that Bible, or has He not? Has He declared to us the dangerous state of all out of that way, or has He not? Let us gird up the loins of our minds, and look these questions fairly in the face, and give them an honest answer. Tell us that there is some other inspired book beside the Bible, and then we shall know what you mean. Tell us that the whole Bible is not inspired, and then we shall know where to meet you. But grant for a moment that the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible is God’s truth, and then I know not in what way we can escape the doctrine of the text. From the liberality which says everybody is right, from the charity which forbids us to say anybody is wrong, from the peace which is bought at the expense of truth – may the good Lord deliver us!

For my own part, I frankly confess, I find no resting-place between downright distinct Evangelical Christianity and downright infidelity, whatever others may find. I see no half-way house between them; or else I see the houses that are roofless and cannot shelter my weary soul. I can see consistency in an infidel, however much I may pity him. I can see consistency in the full maintenance of Evangelical truth. But as to a middle course between the two – I cannot see it; and I say so plainly. Let it be called illiberal and uncharitable. I can hear God’s voice nowhere except in the Bible, and I can see no salvation for sinners in the Bible excepting through Jesus Christ. In Him I see abundance; out of Him I see none. And as for those who hold religions in which Christ is not all, whoever they may be, I have a most uncomfortable feeling about their safety. I do not for a moment say that none of them will be saved; but I say that those who are saved will be saved by their disagreement with their own principles, and in spite of their own systems. The man who wrote the famous line, “He can’t be wrong whose life is in the right,” was a great poet undoubtedly, but he was a wretched divine….

No Other Name

If there is no salvation excepting in Christ, let us try to do good to the souls of all who do not know Him as a Saviour. There are millions in this miserable condition – millions in foreign lands, millions in our own country, millions who are not trusting in Christ. We ought to feel for them if we are true Christians; we ought to pray for them; we ought to work for them, while there is yet time. Do we really believe that Christ is the only way to Heaven? Then let us live as if we believed it.

Let us look round the circle of our own relatives and friends, count them up one by one, and think how many of them are not yet in Christ. Let us try to do good to them in some way or other, and act as a man should act who believes his friends to be in danger. Let us not be content with their being kind and amiable, gentle and good-tempered, moral and courteous. Let us rather be miserable about them till they come to Christ, and trust in Him. I know all this may sound like enthusiasm and fanaticism. I wish there were more of it in the world. Anything, I am sure, is better than a quiet indifference about the souls of others, as if everybody was on the way to Heaven. Nothing, to my mind, so proves our little faith, as our little feeling about the spiritual condition of those around us….

This is the true charity, to believe all things and hope all things, so long as we see Bible doctrines maintained and Christ exalted. Christ must be the single standard by which all opinions must be measured. Let us honour all who honour Him; but let us never forget that the same apostle Paul who wrote about charity, says also, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema.” If our charity and liberality are wider than that of the Bible, they are worth nothing at all. Indiscriminate love is no love at all, and indiscriminate approbation of all religious opinions, is only a new name for infidelity. Let us hold out the right hand to all who love the Lord Jesus, but let us beware how we go beyond this.

Lastly, if there is no salvation excepting by Christ, we must not be surprised if ministers of the Gospel preach much about Him. They cannot tell us too much about the Name which is above every name. We cannot hear of Him too often. We may hear too much about controversy in sermons; we may hear too much of works and duties, of forms, of ceremonies, of sacraments and ordinances; but there is one subject which we never hear too much of: We can never hear too much of Christ.

When ministers are wearied of preaching Him, they are false ministers. When people are wearied of hearing of Him, their souls are in an unhealthy state. When ministers have preached Him in all their lives, the half of His excellence will remain untold. When hearers see Him face to face in the day of His appearing, they will find there was more in Him than their hearts ever conceived.

John Charles Ryle (1816 – 1900)

Sourced from: Faith Defenders

Originally posted 2009-11-20 12:09:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Whilst it is my hope that the Spirit of God will suddenly open my eyes to see something that I need to repent of, and then suddenly it will all be over. But thanks to His great mercy and kindness, I have found the strength and confidence to fix my hope upon that which is to come when I see Him face to face, and willingly face this predicament for as long as He sees fit.

Upon watching the following video, it sickened me to think how long I had suffered this ludicrous and unbiblical teaching, and came to breaking point because of the reproach, shame, and hopelessness it puts upon those who so desperately need answers. These men are on the same level as drug pushers, and pimps in my opinion, but at least the pushers and pimps don’t lead so many astray from the Lord as these wolves in sheep’s clothing.

I will keep this message very short, as I am providing a youTube video of a sermon preached by Paul Washer, entitled “The Idolatry of Decisional Evangelism”. In this message Mr. Washer makes a strong case against the common way in which unbelievers are invited to make a decision for Jesus, and invite Him into their heart through the sinners prayer. I know from personal experience that it was so in my own conversion, and as a result, much of what is discussed in this video was very true in my own life too. Not particularly that it is wrong to be led in a prayer of repentance, but that the source of ones assurance of salvation is anchored often on the sincerity of the decision we make, rather than the work that the Holy Spirit has begun within our heart.

One thing we must remember is that the power to save lies solely in the Hands of God, and must be a work solely carried out by the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 2:8,9 we are told that it is “by grace we are saved, through faith; and that not of ourselves, but it is a gift from God, not of works that anyone should boast.” We are also told in John 6:44 that “no-one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws (from root word meaning – to drag), and I will raise him up at the last day.”

As Christians responding to the Great Commission of Christ made to all of us to preach the Gospel, we must learn to preach it correctly, and learn promptly how to administer it correctly too, when people respond in faith. We must take extreme care to maintain the attitude of Jesus, and say and do that which we have seen our Father do, and the prime way of doing this is by labouring in His Word, that we may rightly divide and discern the truth from all that we hear.

I pray earnestly that all who read this message will find the time to listen to this video, for as hard hitting and uncomfortable that it may be to some, it is a message I believe all Christians must take heed to. For if we continue to attempt to preach the Gospel in our own power, dampening down the words of the bible to make them more palatable to men, and sharing only part of the message, we are in danger of nullifying its power. Not only that, but we are also in severe danger of finding ourselves making promises on behalf of God that He has never made, having the blood on our own heads of those we failed to warn of His judgement of sin; and becoming guilty of preaching a different gospel than that which we have been given through the bible.

Galatians 1:8-12
8  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9  As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10  For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
11  But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12  For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxQcczYuAA]

Source of video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxQcczYuAA

Originally posted 2009-04-22 09:02:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter