Spurgeon’s False Gospel
Meme Post #4 Where to start in all the ways that this meme contradicts Scripture and denies the new birth and true gospel? Let’s start with a few blatant contradictions. Our faith does NOT re…
Source: Spurgeon’s False Gospel
I’m a Special Kind of Worm
Originally published April 16, 2015
Suffice it to say that I have many Facebook “friends” who are unabashedly reformed in their theology. As a result I am constantly bombarded with status updates in my newsfeed like this one:
Blech! This is so dripping with syruppy arrogance it makes me sick.
See, there are two things about posts like this that just irritate me to no end. Aside from the tacit tip of the the hat to the false doctrine of total depravity, it is just outright self-promotion under a very poorly-executed pretense of self-deprecation.
And Christians wonder why the unsaved find Christians so offensive…
Andy
The Truth About the Gospel Project Part 3
Link: Listen to program or download audio file.
To the Ruling Elders of Southwood:
On September 4, 2011, our daughter and her family from Atlanta were here and we attended the Sunday worship at Southwood. After the service, our 13 year old granddaughter, who is well grounded in scripture, stated that she was very confused by the message. She had come away hearing that every good thing she does is wrong. Why would she believe that? We have gone back and listened again to that message, entitled “Duh,” and here is what we found:
The message is from Galatians 3:1-6. Paul is chastening the church for falling prey to the persuasion of the Judaizers, exhorting them again that God’s love for them was not by any of their own works but through the miraculous work of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jean seems to take the written word beyond its intent. He subtly changes ‘God’s love’ to ‘God’s favor.’ He changes legalism to performance. He takes Jewish law and extends it to almost any action one does. Here are some paraphrased quotes from the sermon. “To keep God’s favor, the Galatians were believing they needed Christ and a dash of obedience which looks like those things called Christian disciplines. Christian walk Christianity is from the Devil. Faithfulness is feeling condemned for work you haven’t finished (as contrasted with faith: resting completely in Christ). Faith is a litmus test for teachers and leaders; the difference between faith in Christ alone and faithfulness is like the difference between truth and falsehood, between Heaven and Hell. Faith alone is all we will teach.” (Here Jean says this is what Paul is teaching but he gives no supporting scriptures to support his interpretation.) “Discern as false any book, sermon, or Bible study where you hear a dash of self justifying obedience. Self justifying obedience is from Satan.
Jean’s statements, combined with the tone and inflections in his delivery, imply that he is scornful of Christian disciplines, preachers, Christian writers, the Christian walk, obedience, faithfulness, good works, and an individual’s efforts. This message can lead to the conclusion that everything we do is evil and, by extension, that God and the Holy Spirit can do nothing through us. The message lacks balance and leaves sanctification out of the equation. A new believer under this teaching would be moribund after accepting Christ, hidebound in fear that he can do nothing right. While it is true none of us have all pure motives, it is also true that God commands us to go forward and that the Holy Spirit will be with us. God says we are His instruments for spreading the Truth. We cannot do this if we are strapped by guilt; we can do this if we seek partnership with the Holy Spirit.
From here Jean goes back to Paul saying “…since you were 100% depraved when you were brought into the Kingdom by the Holy spirit and by no works of your own, why are you trying to be perfected by your own human efforts? You are being deceived by the Devil.” I believe Jean is paralleling Paul in this. Jean then goes on to “We are like alcoholics ; we use Bible study, prayers, small groups, etc. as a crutch and the church rewards our ‘addiction’ with its approval. How would you know if you were addicted? Stop everything. If you feel anxiety, then you are afraid of leaving your ‘fix.’” So we ask: what does God have us do? Jean’s answer is “rest totally in Jesus.” So in turn we ask, what does Scripture say about resting totally in Jesus? But we hear no clear answer from the pulpit.
The Truth About the Gospel Project Bible Study: Part 3
Part 3: Today at 1:00 pm. Live Link: Today 10/3/2016 at 1pm. Call-in Number: (347) 855-8317 (This is the same number for listening on your phone!).
Video will be available after the program.
This program will focus on an insidious program that targets children with a false gospel. We will explain why this gospel is false, and how it distorts God’s purpose for His word. We will also explain how this gospel will transform our children into people characterized by the last days.
Ecumenicalism: It’s Driving Force
One of the most perplexing things observed by people who function on objective truth is ecumenicalism. Now, remember, TANC Ministries deems itself as a research organization that stands on some basic objective fundamentals that should get the ball rolling, but it will take the collective effort of God’s family to significantly mine the wisdom of God’s word. Protestantism is really just another Dark Age.
One of those basic fundamentals follows: every action is driven by core logic. People do things for a reason. Always ask, “why?”
My church life was a collection of perplexing experiences. One was ecumenicalism. If what church A believes is efficacious to eternal life, but church B has it wrong, why would church A do anything to validate church B? As a former Baptist, the National Day of Prayer drove me nuts in that regard, but it was just one perplexing event among a litany.
Let me suggest what might be driving ecumenicalism; what I call the gospel of humbleness. What is it? It’s this whole idea that you show yourself approved of God via a willingness to “submit to godly authority” and thereby showing yourself, “humble.” Ah yes, you have “given up your so-called right to be right.” You see, it has nothing to do with your love for the truth because you are totally depraved and can’t really love truth; your real motive, supposedly, is to prove yourself right. In other words, and we hear it constantly, “you are arrogant.”
Being interpreted: you think you actually know something other than, “Christ and Him crucified.”
By the way, this is the exact same verbiage that was socially vogue during the rise of Nazism in the 30s and 40s. The whole “knowledge puffs up but faith is a matter of the heart” motif. Folks, come now, let’s be honest, we hear this constantly in Christian venues.
I would also suggest that it is predicated on an additional idea that truth can’t really be known, and society’s only hope is to be led by those who know we can’t know. And by the way, since they are so special, they should get lots of goodies from the labor of those “enslaved to the material world.” Since they work so hard to save the totally depraved zombie sheep from themselves, the zombie sheep should be more than happy to buy them lots of respite goodies. Stop and think for a moment in regard to your overall church experience over the years; does any of this sound familiar?
Also notice that the followers of various church leaders can only stand and watch while their hard-earned money is used for these guys to get together and stroke each other’s egos. Despite all of the moaning, groaning, and whining, these guys are going to get together and be puffy which is the cardinal sin for everyone but them.
In the end, if these knowers can only get on the same page, ah, “unity” will usher in utopia. What the “believers” believe is completely irrelevant—they are only required to humbly submit to a “godly authority.”
Herein is the word “believe” redefined as belief in man’s authority, not THE truth.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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