An Unshakable Othodoxy: A Theology of the Cross (pt. 5)...the righteousness of God (Romans 3:25b-26a)

“This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time” (Romans 3:25b-26a).


6. The Cross Demonstrates the Righteousness of God
- substitution/imputation

This is the great and magnificent theme of the book of Romans: the righteousness of God. From the prophet Jeremiah where he says, "...the Lord our righteousness" (Jer. 23:6); to that which is punctuated by Paul himself in 1 Cor. 1:30, "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." The full orb of Scripture represents the One Triune God as being righteous--free from sin and its stain. He is perfect, holy, righteous and true.

And the miracle of miracles is this: that perfect righteousness; HIS righteousness; the righteousness of Jesus is imputed, or credited, to us. It is not an infused righteousness as the Romanists teach; but an imputed righteousness, given to us by faith in Jesus Christ the Lord that is essential in our justification.

My Own Righteousness... Nothing But Filthy Rags
Contrarily, the prophet Isaiah describes mans' own righteousness by these vivid words: "...And all our righteous deeds are like dirty, filthy rags." Man's inherent righteousness is worth the status of dirty menstrual rags.

As stated in a previous post, man is totally depraved; unable to save himself; merit anything as being holy before a righteous God in and of his own good works; is conceived in sin; and by nature a child of wrath. Seeing that man's condition cannot be changed or altered by his own philanthropic religious works, the eternal question then surfaces: if no sinful creature can find acceptance in the presence of a holy God, then what kind of righteousness does God accept to allow sinful people into His presence?

The answer? A perfect righteousness.

It alone must be accomplished and applied to man in order for man to enter heaven and have eternal communion with an infinitely holy God. As even David has said, "How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity," (Psalm 32:1-2). Here is the beatitude of forgiveness and salvation. Transgressions forgiven; sins atoned for; iniquity not imputed. This is the triumvirate of spiritual blessing we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And how is this spiritual blessing obtained? By grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Look briefly at our text above:

"This was to demonstrate" or to declare. God made His eternal declaration of redemption through Christ Jesus. As Barnes's so rightly says, "The meaning is, that the plan was adopted; the Saviour was given; he suffered and died; and the scheme is proposed to men, for the purpose of making a full manifestation of his plan, in contradistinction from all the plans of men."

"His righteousness," - justification. This is the gospel. God through Christ saved us from Himself (His wrath, His justice and the just do for violating His holy law). Here, His saving righteousness is made available to sinners.

"because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;" - the sins of the elect that is. God did not ignore their sins, but passed over them - patiently, for that glorious day, the day 'in due time' where He provided forgiveness of sins through His Son--the Son of His love (cp, Col. 1:12-14). This righteousness here is not being referred to as an attribute of God, but of His plan of justifying sinners. He has adopted and proposed a plan by which men may become just by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by their own works.

"for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time," - This is the declaration for the first time under the gospel. This is the joy of deliverance. God had appointed a day in eternity past in which Jesus was manifested in the flesh to satisfy God and redeem His elect. No wonder Paul may boldly say, "who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" (2 Tim. 1:9).

God put on public display His perfect righteousness. God showed forbearance in order for us to be given His grace in salvation. Do you want to behold the perfect righteousness of God? Do you want to have a glimpse of the holy standard that God requires of all in order to have eternal life and to stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy? Then look unto Jesus (Heb. 12:2) on the cross--for HE is our righteousness; HE is God incarnate: HE is our perfection; HE is the spotless Lamb of God, the sinless High Priest, the perfect Son of Man. And in God the Son alone, plus or minus nothing, we have obtained a righteousness that pleases God the Father alone.

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less...
Many of us have sung several times these embonpoint theological words from the great hymn, The Solid Rock: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness…” and, again from that fourth stanza: “dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before His throne. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand…”

How glorious and true are those words.

The quintessential verse in all the NT on this important truth is found in 2 Cor. 5:21, “He who knew no sin, became sin for us; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus Christ became our sin-bearer, though without sin and sinless, so that we might become the righteousness of God IN HIM. All of our righteousness is imputed to us. It is the perfect, complete, lack nothing - righteousness of Christ. Can we grasp this reality today beloved? We only have a right standing before God, because Jesus as our Divine Substitute stood before God in our place. And therefore, all who are IN Christ are clothed with His perfect righteousness for eternity.

This righteousness of God in Christ is comprised of two very important things: the active and passive obedience of Christ. His active obedience in fulfilling the demands of the Law through His sinless life; and His passive obedience through satisfying the penalty of the Law through His perfect, once for all sacrifice on the cross for our sins. In life and in death, Jesus Christ perfectly as our merciful and faithful High Priest has completely fulfilled all righteousness and by faith, imputes that righteousness to every believer so that we may forever have a just standing before God.

For if by the transgression of the one,
death reigned through the one,
much more those who receive the abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
-Romans 5:17

The great Puritan divine, John Owens, so profoundly says,

"That which we plead is, that the Lord Christ fulfilled the whole law for us; he did not only undergo the penalty of it due unto our sins, but also yielded that perfect obedience which it did require. And herein I shall not immix myself in the debate of the distinction between the active and passive obedience of Christ; for he exercised the highest active obedience in his suffering, when he offered himself to God through the eternal Spirit. And all his obedience, considering his person, was mixed with suffering, as a part of his exinanition and humiliation; whence it is said, that "though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered."

And however doing and suffering are in various categories of things, yet Scripture testimonies are not to be regulated by philosophical artifices and terms. And it must needs be said, that the sufferings of Christ, as they were purely penal, are imperfectly called his passive righteousness; for all righteousness is either in habit or in action, whereof suffering is neither; nor is any man righteous, or so esteemed, from what he suffers. Neither do sufferings give satisfaction unto the commands of the law, which require only obedience. And hence it will unavoidably follow, that we have need of more than the mere sufferings of Christ, whereby we may be justified before God, if so be that any righteousness be required thereunto; but the whole of what I intend is, that Christ's fulfilling of the law, in obedience unto its commands, is no less imputed unto us for our justification than his undergoing the penalty of it is."

As a Reformed Baptist, I affirm on this blog, the biblically rich 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith which says on this issue of justification, substitution and imputation of the complete righteousness of Christ:

Chapter 11: Of Justification
1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God. (Romans 3:24; Romans 8:30; Romans 4:5-8; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31; Romans 5:17-19; Philippians 3:8, 9; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Romans 5:17 )

2. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. (Romans 3:28; Galatians 5:6; James 2:17, 22, 26 )

3. Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf; yet, inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for anything in them, their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. (Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; Isaiah 53:5, 6; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:26; Ephesians 1:6,7; Ephesians 2:7 ) (emphasis mine)

Could it be any more clear beloved?

that, as sin reigned in death,
even so grace might reign through righteousness
to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
-Romans 5:21

Based on the requirements of the Law, it is not enough that Christ dies for the sins of His people. To die and cleanse sinners from their sin is to set them at ground zero. At that point redeemed sinners still continue to sin. As Luther said, "they are piles of dung covered in gold." The remnants of remaining sin and the filthiness of the flesh still war with the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). They must also have a covering that continues to infinitely expiate their sin before the holy justice of God; otherwise, justification becomes analytic and not synthetic.

Dr. C. Matthew McMahon helps tremendously in defining these biblical truths for us:

Analytic justification is the Roman Catholic belief where God looks both at the sinner and the Savior and justifies them based on what Christ did and what the sinner continues to do.

Synthetic justification is the biblical formulation where God recognizes Christ’s work, both the obedentia activa and obedentia passiva, and declares the sinner just as a result of them both. The sinner, in the ordo salutis, has been regenerated, acts with a fides reflexa (a reflex act of faith) springing from regeneration, is declared righteous by God on account of Christ’s iustitia imputata, but is then continued to be viewed in this credited manner because of the perfect obedentia of Christ’s work.

Jesus perfectly fulfilled the iustitia Dei where men cannot. It is this active obedience that continues to justify them, and it is passive obedience that continues to save them before the wrath of God’s justice. Kline rightly comments, “For Christ himself enters upon the inheritance as the forerunner, surety, and head of the many only when by his active and passive obedience he has fulfilled the constant Hauptgebot of the covenant and submitted to the demand of the curse sanction voiced in the covenant from the beginning.”

and may be 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

The Belgic Confession states that understanding the justification of the sinner, “embraces Jesus Christ with all His merits…imputing to us all His merits, and so many holy works which He has done for us and in our stead.”

The Heidelberg Catechism defines this righteousness which Christians receive, “as if I had never committed nor had any sins, and had myself accomplished all the obedience which Christ has fulfilled for me.”

The Second Helvetic Confession echoes this, “Therefore, solely on account of Christ's sufferings and resurrection God is propitious with respect to our sins and does not impute them to us, but imputes Christ's righteousness to us as our own (2 Cor. 5:19 ff.; Rom. 4:25), so that now we are not only cleansed and purged from sins or are holy, but also, granted the righteousness of Christ, and so absolved from sin, death and condemnation, are at last righteous and heirs of eternal life. Properly speaking, therefore, God alone justifies us, and justifies only on account of Christ, not imputing sins to us but imputing his righteousness to us.”

Simon Peter, a bond-servant
and apostle of Jesus Christ,
to those who have received a faith
of the same kind as ours,
by the righteousness of our
God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
-2 Peter 1:1

John Calvin states the same, “the obedience of Jesus Christ, which is imputed to us saves sinners."

The Westminster Confession makes this distinction when it says that justification is through “imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ” to elect sinners.

John Gill states “not only the active obedience of Christ, with his sufferings and death, but also that the holiness of his human nature is imputed to us for justification.”

John Owen speaks thoroughly about this throughout His works:

“First, By the obedience of the life of Christ you see what is intended, —his willing submission unto, and perfect, complete fulfilling of, every law of God, that any of the saints of God were obliged unto. It is true, every act almost of Christ’s obedience, from the blood of his circumcision to the blood of his cross, was attended with suffering, so that his whole life might, in that regard, be called a death; but yet, looking upon his willingness and obedience in it, it is distinguished from his sufferings peculiarly so called, and termed his active righteousness. This is, then, I say, as was showed, that complete, absolutely perfect accomplishment of the whole law of God by Christ, our mediator; whereby he not only “did no sin, neither was there guile fold in his mouth,” but also most perfectly fulfilled all righteousness, as he affirmed it became him to do. Secondly, That this obedience was performed by Christ not for himself, but for us, and in our stead.”

“with respect unto the imputation of the active obedience or righteousness of Christ unto us [is] an essential part of that righteousness whereon we are justified before God... That which Christ, the mediator and surety of the covenant, did do in obedience unto God, in the discharge and performance of his office, that he did for us; and that is imputed unto us.”

I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if righteousness comes through the Law,
then Christ died needlessly.
-Galatians 2:21

Charles Hodge states, “The righteousness of Christ is commonly represented as including his active and passive obedience. This distinction is, as to the idea, Scriptural.”

According to William Ames, in differentiation from the works of Adam which brought condemnation, Christ’s works, all of them, are imputed to the Christian for justification, “The obedience of Christ is that righteousness (Romans 5:16) in the name of which the grace of God justifies us, just as the disobedience of Adam was that offense (Romans 5:16) for which God’s justice condemns us. Therefore the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers in justification.”

Francis Turretin explains the difference between the active and passive righteousness of Christ and its importance,

“the two things are not to be separated from each other. We are not to say as some do that the “satisfaction” is by the passive work of Christ alone and the “merit” is by the active work alone. The satisfaction and the merit are not to be thus viewed in isolation, each by itself, because the benefit in each depends upon the total work of Christ. For sin cannot be expiated until the law as precept has been perfectly fulfilled; nor can a title to eternal life be merited before the guilt of sin has been atoned for.”

He continues, “the obedience of Christ rendered in our name to God the Father is so given to us by God that it is reckoned to be truly ours and that it is the sole and only righteousness on account of and by the merit of which we are absolved from the guilt of our sins and obtain a right to life; and that there is in us no righteousness or good works by which we can deserve such great benefits which can bear the server examination of the divine court, if God willed to deal with us according to the rigor of his law."

Jonathan Edwards explains why Christ’s active obedience is so vital in respect to covenant work and fulfillment:

"The first distribution of the acts of Christ’s righteousness is with respect to the laws which Christ obeyed in that righteousness which he performed. But here it must be observed in general, that all the precepts which Christ obeyed may be reduced to one law, and that is that which the apostle calls the law of works, Rom. 3:27. Every command that Christ obeyed may be reduced to that great and everlasting law of God that is contained in the covenant of works, that eternal rule of right which God had established between himself and mankind. Christ came into the world to fulfill and answer the covenant of works, that is, the covenant that is to stand forever as a rule of judgment. And that is the covenant that we had broken, and that was the covenant that must be fulfilled."

W.G.T. Shedd says the same more succinctly, “Christ’s active obedience is his perfect performance of the requirements of the moral law.”

having been filled with
the fruit of righteousness
which comes through Jesus Christ,
to the glory and praise of God.
-Philippians 1:11

Jesus Christ - our Yom Kippur
Christ is our righteousness beloved; and without His active and passive obedience in satisfying the requirements and the demands of the Law, the fullness of that righteousness would be incomplete. It would be a righteousness of our own doing--not His. But the good news of the gospel is, by grace through faith in Christ alone He has imputed to sinful man His perfect righteousess so that we as His elect may have a right standing before a holy God. We can never be justified in the sight of God and obtain a true righteousness that does not fail by ourselves.

Today is Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar. It is the one day out of the year that the high priest could go into the holy of holies and offer a sacrifice for the sins of himself and for the sins of the people. It was a shadow of things to come. BUT NOW, the substance has come and the shadow has been done away with. Jesus Christ is our High Priest who once for all, for all time, for every time entered the Holy of Holies on the cross (Heb. 2:17; 7:26; 9:14ff; 6:19f); shed His own blood as a sacrifice for the sins of His chosen ones, redeemed us and has brought us into intimacy with God forever. The Apostle Paul even says that "He was raised for our justification" (Roms. 4:25).

May you rejoice today beloved that all has been accomplished in and through the sinless life and perfect death and bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ that is needed for our salvation. Do you know Him as your Lord today? Then take hope in this: you are clothed with the perfect rightouesness of Christ and therefore you will never face judgment or eternal wrath. What confidence we may have to approach the throne of grace to find help in time of need.

Amen?
Solus Christos

LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO!...rekindling the fires of biblical evangelism

"But I do not account my life of any value

nor as precious to myself,

if only I may finish my course and the ministry

that I received from the Lord Jesus,

to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

-Acts 20:24

Do we have a passion for lost souls? Do we go "where Christ is not yet named" to proclaim the life giving truth of sola fide to people who need the Savior? Do we identify with the profound self-condemning burden of the Apostle Paul for others to know the Lord when he says, "For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh... to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises" -Romans 9:3-4. Or has apathy about the things for eternity numbed our hearts to the cries of those dying without Jesus Christ? Though God has chosen His elect in Christ before the foundations of the world (Eph. 1:3-5), He still commands us to go into all the world and preach the gospel; to call all men everywhere to repentance; and to be ambassadors for Christ (cp, Rom. 1:16, Acts 17, Phil. 1:29). "Hell is burning while the church sleeps" beloved. When will we wake up from the slumber of our souls, loosen our tongues and proclaim the cross of Christ without apology, without hesitation, and without fear?

In most gospel calls today, there is little talk about sin; repentance; justification by faith; the Law; Lordship; propitiation; loving Him more than all other loves; denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him, etc. One might legitimately wonder in the absence of those things, what do people actually respond to when we see public calls to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? No where in the gospels did the Lord ever invite someone to simply accept Him and pray a sinners prayer. The gospel is not just an offer of salvation; the gospel is a call to follow the Lord; a command to repent of our sin; and a compelling to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:14-21). Amen?

Correct Theology Should Not Make us Silent
As one who believes passionately in the doctrines of grace; the five solas; historic reformed biblical Christianity; and God's sovereign election of His own from all eternity in Christ; I deeply fear that "correct sound theology" has made some of us silent, proud, lax rather than bold, dispassionate, and to abandon the proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in the marketplace. Where are the Whitefields, the Edwards, the Baxters, the Watsons today; in short, where are the sovereign-grace evangelists of our day willing to do "all things for the sake of the elect?" (2 Tim. 2:10).

We need to come out from under the safety of our comfort zone and step away from the ease of our carefully, crafted, cultivated world, and go "where Christ is not yet named" (Roms. 15:20). Whether across the street or around the world; we all need to be faithful witnesses for Christ Jesus our Lord (Acts 1:8).

It is good news we have to proclaim beloved (Rom. 1:16): how can a sinful man or woman have peace with a holy God for eternity? (Rom. 5:1-2). We must come to the cross where the perfect "righteousness of God was put on display as a propitiation for our sins." Let's live it, defend it, proclaim it, and share it; and "not loving our lives as unto death." (Acts 20:24).

I hope these two biblical and practical lists below of "The Gospel Proclaimed: and "The Gospel Obeyed" will encourage you and strengthen you to go into all world and preach the gospel. Evangelism is not just for a few professionals in the body of Christ--we are all to be witnesses of His transforming grace right where the Lord has placed each of us in the world.

THE GOSPEL PROCLAIMED:
Any clear presentation of the gospel of grace would include the following in some measure:

1. The Law - Romans 3-4; Galatians 3-4

2. Man's Inability to Save himself - Total Depravity - Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 2:1-3

3. Justification by Faith Alone (the heart and soul of the gospel) - Romans 3-5; Galatians 3-4

4. Unmerited, Undeserved Grace - Ephesians 1-2

5. The Incarnation and Sinless Life of the Lord Jesus Christ - John 1:1-14; Hebrews 2:9, 14-17

6. The once for all Vicarious Penal Substitutionary Death of Christ on the Cross - Hebrews 2:9, 17-18; 9:14

7. Atonement, Expiation, and Propitiation in Christ - Romans 3:24-26; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 2:17

8. The Triumphant Bodily Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead - Philippians 2:5-12

9. Jesus Christ proclaimed as Lord - Romans 10:9-10; Phil. 2:11

10. The Call of the ungodly to Repentance from Sin - Luke 24:46-49; Acts 2:36-42; 17:24-31; Romans 1-2

11. The Prayer for God to grant Saving Faith to the Unregenerate - Ephesians 2:8-9;

12. The Call to Follow Christ as Lord - Matthew 7:21-23; 16:24-28; Luke 14:24:25-35; Romans 10; 2 Cor. 5:14-21

THE GOSPEL OBEYED:
What must one do to be saved? Man cannot do anything to be saved--he is hopelessly dead in trespass and sin. Man is completely impotent to save himself--there is no hope for him apart from Christ (Eph. 2:1-3; Roms. 3:10-18). Salvation is all of grace; all of faith; all of Christ; all of the kindness of God; all of the sanctifying and regenerative work of the Holy Spirit; and all based upon the Word of God--the gospel (Titus 3:4-7; Eph. 1:3-14). However, in saying that, the visible fruit of repentance by the internal work of grace will bear the following:

1. Conviction, contrition and confession of sin

2. Forsaking of all idols, loves, and all others--even self to follow Christ

3. Forsaking of all other means of salvation except through Christ alone - Jesus Christ plus or minus nothing

4. Forsaking of all religious practices, ceremonies, sacraments, and/or works righteousness

5. Repentance from sin

6. To deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him

7. Confession of Christ as Lord and belief in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead

8. To trust solely in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved: that He is Lord-Sovereign over all; the only Savior; and the complete, once for all sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin

9. In short: Turn to God; Trust in Christ; Take the Gift of the Holy Spirit

Nothing is more important than the preservation and proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a very pragmatic time where what works has taken precedence over what is true, holy, reverent and what pleases God. May we never water-down the life giving truth of the gospel of grace for the sake of numbers, comfort of the sinner over conviction of sin, or to pave a more smoother path for ourselves, rather than preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 6:14).

And as we go into all the world, may we not charge people to hear the gospel message. Let us not demand a single penny for proclaiming its truth. It is His gospel; and we have no right to make money a prerequisite for ministry when that ministry is about the heralding of the Good News. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could go to any Christian concert, conference, evangelistic or worship gathering for whatever you could afford to give and never have to pay a ticket price again? Could you imagine the Apostle Paul charging tickets for people to hear him preach? Could you imagine the Lord demanding a fee before He gave the Sermon on the Mount? Could you imagine Peter asking for royalties to be paid before circulating one of his epistles?

"Freely we have received; freely we must give." Years ago, the Lord convicted me of this very thing and is why I stopped charging for my concerts, seminars, CD's... anything to do with the ministry. God broke my heart and I needed it to be crushed. I needed to repent of making money a precondition in providing ministry. Think about this beloved, I used to charge people to come to a church to worship the Lord. I used to charge people to have them hear about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. O wretched man am I. I am so grateful that the Lord, in any small measure, by His sanctifying grace alone, allows me to continue in ministry--for I certainly don't deserve to.

I thank the Lord for the faithful men and women that shared the whole gospel and not a watered-down substitute when I was young. How thankful I am the Lord in His sovereignty saved this wretched man from his sin and brought me into eternal life by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, on the Word alone, to the glory of God alone. In the words of A.W. Tozer, "The cross is a radical thing."

His Unworthy Servant in His Unfailing Love,
Steve

Titus 3:4-7

YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF GOSPEL...beware of the subtlety of spiritual treason

Updated

"I sought to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." -1 Cor. 2:2

"We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord; and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." -2 Cor. 4:5

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -Phil. 2:5-11

Keeping the Lord Jesus Christ preeminent in ministry is at great tension today. Pragmatism seems to be the official plumb-line that most use to measure and govern the efficaciousness of their local church and/or public ministry.

Tragically, politics marks the day as well. I'm referring to ER2 (Elephant Room 2) where under the undiscerning eye of some key nationally respected pastors, the doctrine of the Trinity was casually abandoned and bartered away for lessor concerns. The culmination being, the one propagating doctrines of demons was confirmed by the new evangelical stamp of a "fist pump." Though I appreciate and love some of the men and ministries associated with this event, I am saddened by their skewed actions and lack of discernment which trumped the Word of God and their loyalty to the Lord of the church.

Here's the concern: organizations like The Gospel of Coalition and Band of Bloggers (though not sponsoring ER2) were publicly silent on this travesty due to their political alliance with those who were involved. They exhibited nothing less than a cowardly demeanor on an essential doctrinal issue - the doctrine of the Trinity. Unfortunately, two evangelical leaders, Pastors James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll (who participated at ER2), foolishly affirmed Modalist, Word/Faith heretic, Bishop T.D. Jakes, as being orthodox. This was done even though to date Wolf-Jakes denies the biblical doctrine of the Trinity vehemently and has never repented of his beliefs. This has profound impact, for it means that he worships another god than the One Triune God of the Bible. Which means he is not saved, but a false teacher, making his converts twice the sons of hell as he is. To add insult to injury, if you dare challenge any of those listed above on this issue as to their theological folly, you will be quickly blocked, unfriended, etc.  Mark it down beloved, error never wants to be challenged, but truth will always invite scrutiny (Acts 17:9-11).

With their tacit approval of Bishop T.D. Jakes as being now orthodox on Trinitarian doctrine, they have redefined successful ministry to three things: 1. influence of public platform  2. numbers and 3. financial benefits. Therefore, to be clear, ON THIS ISSUE, I find these men complicit to heresy, compromised, self-protective, unable to defend essential gospel truth biblically, political, willing to accommodate false teachers, doctrinally facile and theologically timid. Civility it seems (not truth, sound doctrine, biblical theological or loyalty to the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel) defines their actions. In short, they are milksop, cream of wheat, milquetoast poltroons seemingly more sold out to their religious agendas and alliances, then to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Language of that spoken by the Apostle Paul is foreign from their current narrative when he says,

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24

Consider this:

Some emerging churches justify their scatological and irreverent techniques due to the number of people they claim to add to their fold under a neoreformed banner. Their acceptance by blinded evangelical leaders to their popularity is their stamp of approval - not the Word of God.  Christian bookstores will knowingly carry everything from faulty translations of the Bible, to unsound doctrinal authors, plus Christian-trinkets; and will justify doing so for pragmatic and bottom line considerations. It is the same reasoning used by the CCM companies and Christian book publishers for selling their entities to nonbelievers. They have become "unequally yoked" in a spiritual ministry or enterprise with unsaved people; but will do cartwheels to justify surrendering their spiritual autonomy for the sake of widening their distribution to increase revenue... though Scripture forbids it (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1)..

Such is the time we live in; what works in the marketplace, not what is true, rules the day in today's commerce-driven evangelicalism.  Even Christian bloggers are now selling advertising space on their blogs to generate some kick-back revenue from those they advertise.  Making retail of the truth is done with the blink of an eye these days beloved.  And here I was naive enough to think that the blogosphere was actually going to be the last pure commercial free arena for the proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and doctrinal discussion.  The evangelical pragmatists seem to win every time.  

This faulty methodology has now given way to the acceptance of unsound theology; because the audience (not the Savior nor the Scriptures) is the new "sovereign" in Christian ministry (I.e. consider the embracing of an anti-Trinitarians like T.D. Jakes and Phillips, Craig and Dean. Their market influence has trumped biblical truth even among those who know them to be in error.)

This sea-change was inevitable.

Postmodern Procrustean Beds

In Greek mythology there is portrayed a villainous son named Procrustes, of his father Poseidon, who would arbitrarily prescribe ruthless, torturous phenomenon for patrons of his hostel. He would force his travelers to fit into his "procrustean bed" by stretching his victims or severing off their limbs.

In much the same way, there have been men throughout the ages, many who also today, are passing abhorrent doctrine and skewed theology off as authentic Christianity, that have abandoned the truth of God's Word (1 Tim. 4:1), having laid it upon the "procrustean bed" of deceived, depraved minds (1 Tim. 6:5; Titus 1:15) stretching its truth or lopping it off to suit itching ears (2 Tim. 4:3), wayward hearts (2 Pt. 2:2), and perverted religious systems, creeds, rituals and ceremonies (Col. 2:6-18). This is spiritual treason at its core!

The Apostle Paul warns of such treason and pronounces sentence on those who promulgate this distortion of doctrine and desertion of Christ for a different gospel when he says:

"I AM AMAZED THAT YOU ARE SO QUICKLY DESERTING HIM
WHO CALLED YOU BY THE GRACE OF CHRIST,
FOR A DIFFERENT GOSPEL; WHICH IS REALLY NOT ANOTHER;
ONLY THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE DISTURBING YOU,
AND WANT TO DISTORT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
BUT EVEN THOUGH WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN,
SHOULD PREACH TO YOU A GOSPEL CONTRARY
TO THAT WHICH WE HAVE PREACHED TO YOU, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.
AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, SO I SAY AGAIN NOW,
IF ANY MAN IS PREACHING TO YOU A GOSPEL CONTRARY
TO THAT WHICH YOU RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED."
-GALATIANS 1:6-9

Spiritual Treason
Doctrines of demons abounded in the Apostles day (1 Tim. 4:1). Endless genealogies (Ibid 1:4), myths (Ibid), strange doctrines (Ibid 1:3), worldly fables (Ibid 4:7f), and hucksters peddling the Word of God for profit (2 Cor. 2:17) - but Paul was called for the defense of the gospel (Phil. 1:16) and he would not shrink from the duty of "declaring the whole council of God" (Acts 20:27). Though some were out to make retail of the truth and sell it for whatever worldly prominence, power or paragon they might obtain, truth was a non-negotiable to this great saint as it was to Polycarp, Ireneaus, Ignatius, Athanasius, Augustine, Basil, Ambrose, Tertullian, Chrysostom and other great church fathers. These men sacrificed their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel. They took there stand firmly on the Word of God without compromise and without regret.

Athanasius knew this cost when he said,

"The calumniating Greek ridicule us and set up a broad laugh at us, because we regard nothing so much as the cross of Christ."

IOW, they guarded the trust! (1 Tim. 6:20)

The church should not be the place where sin is entertained, scandals abound and disobedience is tolerated, but the church should be what Paul had declared that it is, "the pillar and support of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15) This is the purpose of all theology, of all ecclesiology, of all music and of all history to preserve, promote, protect and preach the Word! But since Lucifer is a subtle and twisted foe, he will try to pervert all sound doctrine into damning apostasy. "[He, the devil] ...does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him" (John 8:44).

All false systems throughout church history will have an appearance of orthodoxy, but are in reality "white-washed" tombs of abhorrent prevarication. Whether it be the additional revelations of the Montanists; the dualistic and demiurgic mediatorial intellectualism of the Gnostics; the subordinationist Trinitarian theology of the Arians; the kenotic iconoclasm of the Ebionites and Socinians; or the debauched sacradotalism of the greatest of all "angel of lights" (2 Cor. 11:14) - the Roman Catholic Church; the genuine gospel was always blended with the leaven of error to produce heresy. As Louis Berkhof notes when commenting on this syncretism, he so profoundly says,

"Gnosticism...is a stealing of some Christian rags to cover heathen nakedness!"

A Workman Unashamed
Paul declared, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[a] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." This is the duty of every faithful pastor--to rightly divide God's Word--to cut it straight. If he does so, he will be a workman unashamed and approved unto God. This should produce godly fear in every under-shepherd of the flock of God. Wrongly dividing the Word will bring judgment upon you (James 3:1) and cause the body of Christ to suffer. Think of Paul's exhortation to young Timothy; warning the church of two men who failed in this task and their skewed sermons were nothing but cancerous to the body of Christ. ”But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. (2 Tim. 2:16-18a) When one is injured and gangrene sets in, the only hope to stop the gangrene from spreading further and protect the health of the rest of the body is to amputate the diseased limb. In the same way, when gangrenous teaching finds its way within the church that can damage and disease the entire body, the only remedy for this disorder of doctrine is the amputation of aberrancy so that its poison will not effect the rest of the body of Christ!

As Tertullian so insightfully says, "truth is just as much opposed by an adulteration of its meaning as it is by a corruption of its text."

This, however, presupposes an authoritative "rule and standard" that could be "adulterated... and corrupted." Schaff writes penetratingly when saying,

"The heretical canon of the Gnostic Marcion, of the middle of the second century, consisting of a mutilated Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's epistles, certainly implies the existence of an orthodox canon at that time, as heresy always presupposes truth, of which it is a caricature."

Heresy always has an element of truth to it and that is why the Councils and Synods, the development of the Creeds had to not only unmask the impostor of the genuine faith but also contend for and reaffirm the truth of authentic faith (Jude 3).

Contend for THE Faith
These were not casual intellectual ping pong matches these men engaged in as though they were the next target on "Firing Line" with William Buckley, Jr. The preservation of truth, the development of the canon, the stance for sound doctrine (uncorrupted and unadulterated) cost many of the early Fathers (from the time of the ascension of Christ to the time of Constantine- and in some cases beyond) their reputations, separation from their families, exile and banishment, torture, persecution and ultimately their lives. The pages of church history cannot be studied dispassionately when the very pages of that history are written with the blood of the saints that held fast the faithful word and did not recant! The Bible is the most sacred thing we will ever hold in our hands in this life. The early church leaders did not shrink from declaring the whole council of God (Acts 20:27) and rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). May we not dishonor them nor our Lord by taking lightly the task of preserving orthodox historical biblical Christianity.

To develop a biblical perspective of history a few considerations are necessary: a proper view of God; a proper view of man; and a proper view of truth. History can be and is didactic, political, sociological, biographical, economic, geographic and synthetic. But most importantly history is first and foremost theological. Newman says, "the Christian scholar rejoices in all that is Christlike and heroic, laments the corruptions and perversions of the past, and is most deeply concerned for the honor and purity of Christianity of the present and future.”

Our faith is not built upon the opinions of the early church fathers, their traditions or councils, letters or debates apart from the attestation of Scripture. Though we today owe “the fathers—the divines” a tremendous debt for the faithful warrant and witness preserved on biblical truth; but we must be careful to fathom that our faith is built solely upon the authority, sufficiency and exhaustiveness of Holy Scripture. Truth must always take precedence over tradition - and tradition must always be examined in light of truth! If not, then we are in danger of turning the wonderful recognized traditions of these divines into what I call, "Protestant Popery!" God forbid!

No Creed but Christ
Samuel Davies, that tremendous 18th century divine said,

"I may indeed believe the same things which Luther or Calvin believed: but I do not believe them on the authority of Luther or Calvin, but upon the sole authority of Jesus Christ, and therefore I should not call myself by their name, as one of their disciples, but by the name of Christ, whom alone I acknowledge as the Author of my religion, and my only Master and Lord."

"Follow me as I follow Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1) is the echoing call of redemptive history.

As the early church fathers followed Christ, we follow them. As they affirmed the Scriptures we accept them and their teaching. As the councils affirmed and upheld biblical truth in the creeds, without addition and without deletion, we receive them. As the Puritan divines held fast the faith without compromise, we embrace them. But remove the standard and rule for all conduct of God’s Word and depart from the heavenly plumbline (Amos 7:8), which governs our souls' security and surety for eternity and insures our daily duty and ecclesiastical obligations to elders and laity, from the essence of their dogma; then we must jettison their teachings in obedience to Scripture.

Amen?

Read carefully the words of Luther that follow and heed the warning of the Apostle Paul to not defect to another gospel. Truth, foundationally, should always trump all other concerns in ministry. These are serious times, needing serious answers, by serious men, who remain uncompromised in the Word of God and in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

by Martin Luther
from his Galatians Commentary
"Galatians 1:6-9"

Galatians 1:6. "I marvel."
How patiently Paul deals with his seduced Galatians! He does not pounce on them but, like a father, he fairly excuses their error. With motherly affection he talks to them yet he does it in a way that at the same time he also reproves them. On the other hand, he is highly indignant at the seducers whom he blames for the apostasy of the Galatians. His anger bursts forth in elemental fury at the beginning of his epistle. "If any may," he cries, "preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Later on, in the fifth chapter, he threatens the false apostles with damnation. "He that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be." He pronounces a curse upon them. "I would they were even cut off which trouble you."

He might have addressed the Galatians after this fashion: "I am ashamed of you. Your ingratitude grieves me. I am angry with you." But his purpose was to call them back to the Gospel. With this purpose in his mind he speaks very gently to them. He could not have chosen a milder expression than this, "I marvel." It indicates his sorrow and his displeasure.

Paul minds the rule which he himself lays down in a later chapter where he says: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Toward those who have been misled we are to show ourselves parentally affectionate, so that they may perceive that we seek not their destruction but their salvation. Over against the devil and his missionaries, the authors of false doctrines and sects, we ought to be like the Apostle, impatient, and rigorously condemnatory, as parents are with the dog that bites their little one, but the weeping child itself they soothe.

The right spirit in Paul supplies him with an extraordinary facility in handling the afflicted consciences of the fallen. The Pope and his bishops, inspired by the desire to lord it over men's souls, crack out thunders and curses upon miserable consciences. They have no care for the saving of men's souls. They are interested only in maintaining their position.

Galatians 1:6. "That ye are so soon."
Paul deplores the fact that it is difficult for the mind to retain a sound and steadfast faith. A man labors for a decade before he succeeds in training his little church into orderly religion, and then some ignorant and vicious poltroon comes along to overthrow in a minute the patient labor of years. By the grace of God we have effected here in Wittenberg the form of a Christian church. The Word of God is taught as it should be, the Sacraments are administered, and everything is prosperous. This happy condition, secured by many years of arduous labors, some lunatic might spoil in a moment. This happened in the churches of Galatia which Paul had brought into life in spiritual travail. Soon after his departure, however, these Galatian churches were thrown into confusion by the false apostles.

The church is a tender plant. It must be watched. People hear a couple of sermons, scan a few pages of Holy Writ, and think they know it all. They are bold because they have never gone through any trials of faith. Void of the Holy Spirit, they teach what they please as long as it sounds good to the common people who are ever ready to join something new.

We have to watch out for the devil lest he sow tares among the wheat while we sleep. No sooner had Paul turned his back on the churches of Galatia, than the false apostles went to work. Therefore, let us watch over ourselves and over the whole church.

Galatians 1:6. "I marvel that ye are so soon removed."
Again the Apostle puts in a gentle word. He does not berate the Galatians, "I marvel that ye are so unsteady, unfaithful." He says, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed." He does not address them as evildoers. He speaks to them as people who have suffered great loss. He condemns those who removed them rather than the Galatians. At the same time he gently reproves them for rather themselves to be removed. The criticism is implied that they should have been permitting a little more settled in their beliefs. If they had taken better hold of the Word they could not have been removed so easily.

Jerome thinks that Paul is playing upon the name Galatians, deriving it from the Hebrew word Galath, which means fallen or carried away, as though Paul wanted to say, "You are true Galatians, i.e., fallen away in name and in fact." Some believe that the Germans are descended from the Galatians. There may be something to that. For the Germans are not unlike the Galatians in their lack of constancy. At first we Germans are very enthusiastic, but presently our emotions cool and we become slack. When the light of the Gospel first came to us many were zealous, heard sermons greedily, and held the ministry of God's Word in high esteem. But now that religion has been reformed, many who formerly were such earnest disciples have discarded the Word of God, have become sow-bellies like the foolish and inconsistent Galatians.

Galatians 1:6. "From him that called you into the grace of Christ."
The reading is a little doubtful. The sentence may be construed to read: "From that Christ that called you into grace"; or it may be construed to read: "From God that called you into the grace of Christ." I prefer the former for it seems to me that Paul's purpose is to impress upon us the benefits of Christ. This reading also preserves the implied criticism that the Galatians withdrew themselves from that Christ who had called them not unto the law, but unto grace. With Paul we decry the blindness and perverseness of men in that they will not receive the message of grace and salvation, or having received it they quickly let go of it, in spite of the fact that the Gospel bestows all good things spiritual: forgiveness of sins, true righteousness, peace of conscience, everlasting life; and all good things temporal: good judgment, good government and peace.

Why does the world abhor the glad tidings of the Gospel and the blessings that go with it? Because the world is the devil's. Under his direction the world persecutes the Gospel and would if it could nail again Christ, the Son of God, to the Cross although He gave Himself into death for the sins of the world. The world dwells in darkness. The world is darkness.
Paul accentuates the point that the Galatians had been called by Christ unto grace. "I taught you the doctrine of grace and of liberty from the Law, from sin and wrath, that you should be free in Christ, and not slaves to the hard laws of Moses. Will you allow yourselves to be carried away so easily from the living fountain of grace and life?"

Galatians 1:6. "Unto another gospel."
Note the resourcefulness of the devil. Heretics do not advertise their errors. Murderers, adulterers, thieves disguise themselves. So the devil masquerades all his devices and activities. He puts on white to make himself look like an angel of light. He is astoundingly clever to sell his patent poison for the Gospel of Christ. Knowing Satan's guile, Paul sardonically calls the doctrine of the false apostles "another gospel," as if he would say, "You Galatians have now another gospel, while my Gospel is no longer esteemed by you."

We infer from this that the false apostles had depreciated the Gospel of Paul among the Galatians on the plea that it was incomplete. Their objection to Paul's Gospel is identical to that recorded in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts to the effect that it was not enough for the Galatians to believe in Christ, or to be baptized, but that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses, for "except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." As though Christ were a workman who had begun a building and left it for Moses to finish.

Today the Anabaptists and others, finding it difficult to condemn us, accuse us Lutherans of timidity in professing the whole truth. They grant that we have laid the foundation in Christ, but claim that we have failed to go through with the building. In this way these perverse fanatics parade their cursed doctrine as the Word of God, and, flying the flag of God's name, they deceive many. The devil knows better than to appear ugly and black. He prefers to carry on his nefarious activities in the name of God. Hence the German proverb: "All mischief begins in the name of God."

When the devil sees that he cannot hurt the cause of the Gospel by destructive methods, he does it under the guise of correcting and advancing the cause of the Gospel. He would like best of all to persecute us with fire and sword, but this method has availed him little because through the blood of martyrs the church has been watered. Unable to prevail by force, he engages wicked and ungodly teachers who at first make common cause with us, then claim that they are particularly called to teach the hidden mysteries of the Scriptures to superimpose upon the first principles of Christian doctrine that we teach. This sort of thing brings the Gospel into trouble. May we all cling to the Word of Christ against the wiles of the devil, "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Galatians 1:7. "Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you."
Here again the apostle excuses the Galatians, while he blames the false apostles for disturbing their consciences and for stealing them out of his hand. How angry he gets at these deceivers! He calls them troublemakers, seducers of poor consciences.

This passage adduces further evidence that the false apostles defamed Paul as an imperfect apostle and a weak and erroneous preacher. They condemn Paul, Paul condemns them. Such warfare of condemnation is always going on in the church. The papists and the fanatics hate us, condemn our doctrine, and want to kill us. We in turn hate and condemn their cursed doctrine. In the meanwhile the people are uncertain whom to follow and which way to turn, for it is not given to everybody to judge these matters. But the truth will win out. So much is certain, we persecute no man, neither does our doctrine trouble men. On the contrary, we have the testimony of many good men who thank God on their knees for the consolation that our doctrine has brought them. Like Paul, we are not to blame that the churches have trouble. The fault lies with the Anabaptists and other fanatics.

Every teacher of work-righteousness is a trouble-maker. Has it never occurred to you that the pope, cardinals, bishops, monks, and that the whole synagogue of Satan are trouble-makers? The truth is, they are worse than false apostles. The files apostles taught that in addition to faith in Christ the works of the Law of God were necessary unto salvation. But the papists omit faith altogether and teach self-devised traditions and works that are not commanded of God, indeed are contrary to the Word of God, and for these traditions they demand preferred attention and obedience.

Paul calls the false apostles troublers of the church because they taught circumcision and the keeping of the Law as needful unto salvation. They insisted that the Law must be observed in every detail. They were supporters in this contention by the Jews, with the result that those who were not firmly established in faith were easily persuaded that Paul was not a sincere teacher of God because he ignored the Law. The Jews were offended at the idea that the Law of God should be entirely ignored by Paul and that the Gentiles, former idol-worshippers, should gratuitously attain to the station of God's people without circumcision, without the penitentiary performance of the law, by grace alone through faith in Christ Jesus.

These criticisms were amplified by the false apostles. They accused Paul of designs to abolish the law of God and the Jewish dispensation, contrary to the law of God, contrary to their Jewish heritage, contrary to apostolic example, contrary to Paul's own example. They demanded that Paul be shunned as a blasphemer and a rebel, while they were to be heard as true teachers of the Gospel and authentic disciples of the apostles. Thus Paul stood defamed among the Galatians. He was forced to attack the false apostles. He did so without hesitation.

Galatians 1:7. "And would pervert the gospel of Christ."
To paraphrase this sentence: "These false apostles do not merely trouble you, they abolish Christ's Gospel. They act as if they were the only true Gospel-preachers. For all that they muddle Law and Gospel. As a result they pervert the Gospel. Either Christ must live and the Law perish, or the Law remains and Christ must perish; Christ and the Law cannot dwell side by side in the conscience. It is either grace or law. To muddle the two is to eliminate the Gospel of Christ entirely."

It seems a small matter to mingle the Law and Gospel, faith and works, but it creates more mischief than man's brain can conceive. To mix Law and Gospel not only clouds the knowledge of grace, it cuts out Christ altogether.

The words of Paul, "and would pervert the gospel of Christ," also indicate how arrogant these false apostles were. They were shameless boasters. Paul simply had to exalt his own ministry and Gospel.

Galatians 1:8. "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
Paul's zeal for the Gospel becomes so fervent that it almost leads him to curse angels. "I would rather that I, my brethren, yes, the angels of heaven be anathematized than that my gospel be overthrown."

The Greek word anathema, Hebrew herem, means to a curse, execrate, to damn. Paul first (hypothetically) curses himself. Knowing persons first find fault with themselves in order that they may all the more earnestly reprove others.

Paul maintains that there is no other gospel besides the one he had preached to the Galatians. He preached, not a gospel of his own invention, but the very same Gospel God had long ago prescribed in the Sacred Scriptures. No wonder Paul pronounces curses upon himself and upon others, upon the angels of heaven, if anyone should dare to preach any other gospel than Christ's own.

Galatians 1:9. "As we said before, so say I now again. If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
Paul repeats the curse, directing it now upon other persons. Before, he cursed himself, his brethren, and an angel from heaven. "Now," he says, "if there are any others who preach a gospel different from that you have received from us, let them also be accursed." Paul herewith curses and excommunicates all false teachers including his opponents. He is so worked up that he dares to curse all who pervert his Gospel. Would to God that this terrible pronouncement of the Apostle might strike fear into the hearts of all who pervert the Gospel of Paul.
The Galatians might say: "Paul, we do not pervert the Gospel you have brought unto us. We did not quite understand it. That is all. Now these teachers who came after you have explained everything so beautifully."

This explanation the Apostle refuses to accept. They must add nothing; they must correct nothing. "What you received from me is the genuine Gospel of God. Let it stand. If any man brings any other gospel than the one I brought you, or promises to deliver better things than you have received from me, let him be accursed."

In spite of this emphatic denunciation so many accept the pope as the supreme judge of the Scriptures. "The Church," they say, "chose only four gospels. The Church might have chosen more. Ergo the Church is above the Gospel." With equal force one might argue: "I approve the Scriptures. Ergo I am above the Scriptures. John the Baptist confessed Christ. Hence he is above Christ." Paul subordinates himself, all preachers, all the angels of heaven, everybody to the Sacred Scriptures. We are not the masters, judges, or arbiters, but witnesses, disciples, and confessors of the Scriptures, whether we be pope, Luther, Augustine, Paul, or an angel from heaven.

THE OLD GOSPEL COMPARED WITH THE NEW...discerning what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ

Adapted from J. I. Packer - on the gospel according to John Owen

Introduction:
by S.J. Camp

I have been in a debate of late on the content of the gospel and the call of the gospel. Some want to make the assertion that any kind of "gospel" presented is acceptable no matter how lacking in substance of message their gospel presentation may lack. Their reasoning? God will use anything in bringing salvation to lost people - even an incomplete gospel (by incomplete I mean there is no talk of repentance from sin, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, justification by faith alone, the law of God, etc.).

One writer claims that a beloved evangelical leader was converted by one obscure verse from the book of Ecclesiastes. Listen, no man is converted by such whimsical, romantic notions or casual verse reading that have nothing to do with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says, "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation..." It must be the gospel proclaimed -unadulterated and unfettered - to bring Christ to men. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ..." (cf, Roms. 1:16; 10:17)

We have a charge beloved to proclaim the gospel by the whole council of God and that we must. Fear no man; pay homage to no man, be swayed by no man; but let your conscience and heart be governed by the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Let not your tongue be muzzled by those who seek to control you, rather than serve you. The Word of God is like a fire to purify and burn away the chaff in our lives. And also, as Jeremiah says, the Word of God is also a hammer used to pound our transgressed lives upon the anvil of His holiness conforming us to the image of His Son.

The gospel of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ humbles itself to no one. The issue of the gospel is not how do we get sinful men to a holy God; the issue of the gospel is how does a holy God come to sinful men without violating His holiness and His justice? And the answer is the cross! Here mercy and justice kiss; here saving grace triumphs over wrath; here His electing love conquers our emnity; here holy God is satisfied and depraved man is justified.

Do not be impressed with surfboards, sentiment, scenary, and style. Be humbled at the love of God come through the propitiatory work of the Son. Be awed at the regenerating ministry of the Holy Spirit. Be rejoicing because we serve a risen, reigning, glorious Lord Jesus whose name is above every name. And be confident in the power of the Word of God to pierce and convict men's hearts, to bring them to their knees in repentance which God alone can grant. Be offended by those who seek to picture God as a lover begging on one knee for any sinner to take His engagement ring proposing as a nervous man to his girlfriend; and then waiting as an impotent Divine who can only observe what man may accept and decide.

Implore sinful men to be reconciled to God, to bow the knee before the holy dread Sovereign of Glory; to tremble at His Word; to repent of their sin crying out for forgiveness that God may grant them saving faith and take away their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Warn them of the wrath to come. Plead with them to not harden their hearts while today is still called today. God is not asking for decisions or looking for converts; God is seeking for true worshippers--disciples that will deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. He is seeking to save that which is lost. The Hound of Heaven is on the move--think not your little inventions add one thing to the soul in need of redemption. It is His gospel alone which transforms lives--we are but its stewards. And may we be found faithful!

"Let goods and kindred go
This mortal life also
The body they may kill
His truth abideth still
His kingdom is forever."

To that end, let us begin.

The Free Offer of Salvation:
The old gospel of Owen, first of all, contains no less full and free an offer of salvation than its modern counterpart. It presents ample grounds of faith (the sufficiency of Christ, and the promise of God), and cogent motives to faith (the sinner's need, and the Creator's command, which is also the Redeemer's invitation). The new gospel gains nothing here by asserting universal redemption. The old gospel, certainly, has no room for the cheap sentimentalizing which turns God's free mercy to sinners into a constitutional softheartedness on His part which we can take for granted; nor will it countenance the degrading presentation of Christ as the baffled Saviour, balked in what he hoped to do by human unbelief; nor will it indulge in maudlin appeals to the unconverted to let Christ save them out of pity for His disappointment. The pitiable Saviour and the pathetic God of modern pulpits are unknown to the old gospel.

The old gospel tells men that they need God, but not that God needs them (a modern falsehood); it does not exhort them to pity Christ, but announces that Christ has pitied them, though pity was the last thing they deserved. It never loses sight of the Divine majesty and sovereign power of the Christ whom it proclaims, but rejects flatly all representations of Him which would obscure His free omnipotence.

Electing Love to Sinners:
Does this mean, however, that the preacher of the old gospel is inhibited or confined in offering Christ to men and inviting them to receive Him? Not at all. In actual fact, just because he recognizes that Divine mercy is sovereign and free, he is in a position to make far more of the offer of Christ in his preaching than is the expositor of the new gospel; for this offer is itself a far more wonderful thing on his principles than it can ever be in the eyes of those who regard love to all sinners as a necessity of God's nature, and therefore a matter of course. To think that the holy Creator, who never needed man for His happiness and might justly have banished our fallen race for ever without mercy, should actually have chosen to redeem some of them! and that His own Son was willing to undergo death and descend into hell to save them! and that now from His throne He should speak to ungodly men as He does in the words of the gospel, urging upon them the command to repent and believe in the form of a compassionate invitation to pity themselves and choose life! These thoughts are the focal points round which the preaching of the old gospel revolves. It is all wonderful, just because none of it can be taken for granted. But perhaps the most wonderful thing of all - the holiest spot in all the holy ground of gospel truth - is the free invitation which "the Lord Christ " (as Owen loves to call Him) issues repeatedly to guilty sinners to come to Him and find rest for their souls. It is the glory of these invitations that it is an omnipotent King who gives them, just as it is a chief part of the glory of the enthroned Christ that He condescends still to utter them. And it is the glory of the gospel ministry that the preacher goes to men as Christ's ambassador, charged to deliver the King's invitation personally to every sinner present and to summon them all to turn and live. Owen himself enlarges on this in a passage addressed to the unconverted.

"Consider the infinite condescension and love of Christ, in his invitations and calls of you to come unto him for life, deliverance, mercy, grace, peace and eternal salvation. Multitudes of these invitations and calls are recorded in the Scripture, and they are all of them filled up with those blessed encouragements which divine wisdom knows to be suited unto lost, convinced sinners.... In the declaration and preaching of them, Jesus Christ yet stands before sinners, calling, inviting, encouraging them to come unto him.

Passionate Appeal - Warning and Invitation:
"This is somewhat of the word which he now speaks unto you: Why will ye die? why will ye perish? why will ye not have compassion on your own souls? Can your hearts endure, or can your hands be strong, in the day of wrath that is approaching?... Look unto me, and be saved; come unto me, and I will ease you of all sins, sorrows, fears, burdens, and give rest unto your souls. Come, I entreat you; lay aside all procrastinations, all delays; put me off no more; eternity lies at the door... do not so hate me as that you will rather perish than accept of deliverance by me.

"These and the like things doth the Lord Christ continually declare, proclaim, plead and urge upon the souls of sinners.... He doth it in the preaching of the word, as if he were present with you, stood amongst you, and spake personally to every one of you. He hath appointed the ministers of the gospel to appear before you, and to deal with you in his stead, avowing as his own the invitations which are given you in his name, 2 Cor. v.19,20,"

These invitations are universal; Christ addresses them to sinners, as such, and every man, as he believes God to be true, is bound to treat them as God's words to him personally and to accept the universal assurance which accompanies them, that all who come to Christ will be received. Again, these invitations are real; Christ genuinely offers Himself to all who hear the gospel, and is in truth a perfect Saviour to all who trust Him. The question of the extent of the atonement does not arise in evangelistic preaching; the message to be delivered is simply this - that Christ Jesus, the sovereign Lord, who died for sinners, now invites sinners freely to Himself. God commands all to repent and believe; Christ promises life and peace to all who do so.

Furthermore, these invitations are marvelously gracious; men despise and reject them, and are never in any case worthy of them, and yet Christ still issues them. He need not, but He does. "Come unto me… and I will give you rest" remains His word to the world, never cancelled, always to be preached. He whose death has ensured the salvation of all His people is to be proclaimed everywhere as a perfect Saviour, and all men invited and urged to believe on Him, whoever they are, whatever they have been. Upon these three insights the evangelism of the old gospel is based.

It is a very ill-informed supposition that evangelistic preaching which proceeds on these principles must be anemic and half-hearted by comparison with what Arminians can do. Those who study the printed sermons of worthy expositors of the old gospel, such as Bunyan (whose preaching Owen himself much admired), or Whitefield, or Spurgeon, will find that in fact they hold forth the Saviour and summon sinners to Him with a fullness, warmth, intensity and moving force unmatched in Protestant pulpit literature. And it will be found on analysis that the very thing which gave their preaching its unique power to overwhelm their audiences with broken-hearted joy at the riches of God's grace - and still gives it that power, let it be said, even with hard-boiled modem readers - was their insistence on the fact that grace is free. They knew that the dimensions of Divine love are not half understood till one realizes that God need not have chosen to save nor given his Son to die; nor need Christ have taken upon him vicarious damnation to redeem men, nor need He invite sinners indiscriminately to Himself as He does; but that all God's gracious dealings spring entirely from His own free purpose.

Biblical Gospel Evangelistic Preaching - No Surfboards Allowed:
Knowing this, they stressed it, and it is this stress that sets their evangelistic preaching in a class by itself. Other Evangelicals, possessed of a more superficial and less adequate theology of grace, have laid the main emphasis in their gospel preaching on the sinner's need of forgiveness, or peace, or power, and of the way to get them by "deciding for Christ." It is not to be denied that their preaching has done good (for God will use His truth, even when imperfectly held and mixed with error), although this type of evangelism is always open to the criticism of being too man-centered and pietistic; but it has been left (necessarily) to Calvinists and those who, like the Wesleys, fall into Calvinistic ways of thought as soon as they begin a sermon to the unconverted, to preach the gospel in a way which highlights above - everything else the free love, willing condescension, patient long-suffering and infinite kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Without doubt, this is the most Scriptural and edifying way to preach it; for gospel invitations to sinners never honour God and exalt Christ more, nor are more powerful to awaken and confirm faith, than when full weight is laid on the free omnipotence of the mercy from which they flow. It looks, indeed, as if the preachers of the old gospel are the only people whose position allows them to do justice to the revelation of Divine goodness in the free offer of Christ to sinners.

Then, in the second place, the old gospel safeguards values which the new gospel loses. We saw before that the new gospel, by asserting universal redemption and a universal Divine saving purpose, compels itself to cheapen grace and the Cross by denying that the Father and the Son are sovereign in salvation; for it assures us that, after God and Christ have done all that they can, or will, it depends finally on each man's own choice whether God's purpose to save him is realized or not. This position has two unhappy results.

The first is that it compels us to misunderstand the significance of the gracious invitations of Christ in the gospel of which we have been speaking; for we now have to read them, not as expressions of the tender patience of a mighty sovereign, but as the pathetic pleadings of impotent desire; and so the enthroned Lord is suddenly metamorphosed into a weak, futile figure tapping forlornly at the door of the human heart, which He is powerless to open. This is a shameful dishonour to the Christ of the New Testament.

The second implication is equally serious: for this view in effect denies our dependence on God when it comes to vital decisions, takes us out of His hand, tells us that we are, after all, what sin taught us to think we were-masters of our fate, captain of our souls-and so undermines the very foundation of man's religious relationship with his Maker. It can hardly be wondered at that the converts of the new gospel are so often both irreverent and irreligious, for such is the natural tendency of this teaching. The old gospel, however, speaks very differently and has a very different tendency. On the one hand, in expounding man's need of Christ, it stresses something which the new gospel effectively ignores - that sinners cannot obey the gospel, any more than the law, without renewal of heart. On the other hand, in declaring Christ's power to save, it proclaims Him as the author and chief agent of conversion, coming by His Spirit as the gospel goes forth to renew men's hearts and draw them to Himself.

God Must Give What God Commands:
Accordingly, in applying the message, the old gospel, while stressing that faith is man's duty, stresses also that faith is not in man's power, but that God must give what He commands. It announces, not merely that men must come to Christ for salvation, but also that they cannot come unless Christ Himself draws them. Thus it labours to overthrow self-confidence, to convince sinners that their salvation is altogether out of their hands, and to shut them up to a self-despairing dependence on the glorious grace of a sovereign Saviour, not only for their righteousness but for their faith too.

It is not likely, therefore, that a preacher of the old gospel will be happy to express the application of it in the form of a demand to "decide for Christ," as the current phrase is. For, on the one hand, this phrase carries the wrong associations. It suggests voting a person into office - an act in which the candidate plays no part beyond offering himself for election, and everything then being settled by the voter's independent choice. But we do not vote God's Son into office as our Saviour, nor does He remain passive while preachers campaign on His behalf, whipping up support for His cause. We ought not to think of evangelism as a kind of electioneering. And then, on the other hand, this phrase obscures the very thing that is essential in repentance and faith - the denying of self in a personal approach to Christ. It is not at all obvious that deciding for Christ is the same as coming to Him and resting On Him and turning from sin and self-effort; it sounds like something much less, and is accordingly calculated to instill defective notions of what the gospel really requires of sinners. It is not a very apt phrase from any point of view.

To the question: what must I do to be saved? the old gospel replies: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. To the further question: what does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? its reply is: it means knowing oneself to be a sinner, and Christ to have died for sinners, [and who was resurrected bodily from the grave for our justification]; abandoning all self-righteousness and self-confidence, and casting oneself wholly upon Him for pardon arid peace; and exchanging one's natural enmity and rebellion against God for a spirit of grateful submission to the will of Christ through the renewing of one's heart by the Holy Ghost.

And to the further question still: how am I to go about believing on Christ and repenting, if I have no natural ability to do these things? it answers: look to Christ, speak to Christ, cry to Christ, just as you are; confess your sin, your impenitence, your unbelief, and cast yourself on His mercy; ask Him to give you a new heart, working in you true repentance and firm faith; ask Him to take away your evil heart of unbelief and to write His law within you, that you may never henceforth stray from Him. Turn to Him and trust Him as best you can, and pray for grace to turn and trust more thoroughly; use the means of grace expectantly, looking to Christ to draw near to you as you seek to draw near to Him; watch, pray, read and hear God's Word, worship and commune with God's people, and so continue till you know in yourself beyond doubt that you are indeed a changed being, a penitent believer, and the new heart which you desired has been put within you. The emphasis in this advice is on the need to call upon Christ directly, as the very first step.

"Let not conscience make you linger,
 Nor of fitness fondly dream;

All the fitness He requireth
 Is to feel your need of Him"

So do not postpone action till you think you are better, but honestly confess your badness and give yourself up here and now to the Christ who alone can make you better; and wait on Him till His light rises in your soul, as Scripture promises that it shall do. Anything less than this direct dealing with Christ is disobedience of the gospel. Such is the exercise of spirit to which the old evangel summons its hearers. "I believe-help thou mine unbelief": this must become their cry.

Bringing Christ to Men:
And the old gospel is proclaimed in the sure confidence that the Christ of whom it testifies, the Christ who is the real speaker when the Scriptural invitations to trust Him are expounded and applied, is not passively waiting for man's decision as the word goes forth, but is omnipotently active, working with and through the word to bring His people to faith in Himself. The preaching of the new gospel is often described as the task of "bringing men to Christ " - as if only men move, while Christ stands still. But the task of preaching the old gospel could more properly be described as bringing Christ to men, for those who preach it know that as they do their work of setting Christ before men's eyes, the mighty Saviour whom they proclaim is busy doing His work through their words, visiting sinners with salvation, awakening them to faith, drawing them in mercy to Himself.

It is this older gospel, which Owen will teach us to preach: the gospel of the sovereign grace of God in Christ as the author and finisher of faith and salvation. It is the only gospel, which can be preached on Owen's principles, but those who have tasted its sweetness will not in any case be found looking for another. In the matter of believing and preaching the gospel, as in other things, Jeremiah's words still have their application:

"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." To find ourselves debarred, as Owen would debar us, from taking up with the fashionable modern substitute gospel may not, after all, be a bad thing, either for us, or for the Church. More might be said, but to go farther would be to exceed the limits of an introductory essay. The foregoing remarks are made simply to show how important it is at the present time that we should attend most carefully to… what the Bible says about the saving work of Christ.