Jesus Christ Lives Forevermore

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. - The Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 15:1-22)

The Gospel is outstandingly good news. Especially in the light of a proper grasp of our falleness and unworthiness. It is worth remembering during the dark hours of our earthly sojourn that if we are in Christ we should rejoice because our names are written in the "Book of Life" (Luke 10:20). I sometimes ponder the depressing thought of going through life only hoping in temporal things and without eternal hope. That grieves me beyond measure and should compel us to preach in season and out of season. Charles Spurgeon said that "every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter". Do not offend God with your silence concerning His gift of salvation this Easter. Set aside the debate over whether Christ's death and resurrection actually happened at this time of year and seize the opportunity to preach Christ - the resurrection hope!

It is wonderful to have the legacy of the resurrection hope while we live in our terminally ill flesh that is but a moment on the scale of eterntiy.

When all around is sinking sand on Christ the solid Rock I stand Hallelujah!



Christ was raised bodily, glorified so that His human frame was perfectly suited for both heaven and earth. His body could be seen, and touched (Luke 24:39; John 20:27; 1 John 1:1). He ate food (Luke 24:42-43) and walked and talked as He had before the crucifixion. At this very moment, he sits on the Father's right hand in that same body—making intercession for the saints, including me.

More amazing than all of that, I will one day have a body like His: able to traverse heaven and earth, immortal, yet familiar in its physical form. In fact, it will be this very body, thoroughly healed of all its infirmities and imperfections. That amazes me and thrills me - Phil Johnson.

Till He returns or calls me home . . .

Charles Spurgeon Movie

We are now in that strange week between Christmas and new year where many of us find ourselves together with family enjoying some much needed R & R. With so many options that are either expensive or worldly or both I am very excited to solve the conundrum with a great movie for the whole family free of charge. Charles Spurgeon's life is worth remembering, learning from, being inspired by, and comparing with the current state of modern evangelicalism. The Bottom Line proudly presents this wonderful movie on the man they called "The Prince of Preachers"!

Christopher Hitchens Now Knows That God Is Great

My friend, Joshua Williamson, recently alerted me to the sad news that the famous staunch atheist Christopher Hitchens has died from cancer. What Josh said is worth repeating and a good reflection of the Christian worldview:

Sad news. Leading atheist Christopher Hitchens has died aged 62. He was the author of the book, "God is not great". Mr. Hitchen's now knows that God is indeed great. I hope that Christopher placed his trust in Christ before he died.

It is true that Christopher now knows that God is great beyond his comprehension. Christians led the way during Hitchens' battle with cancer praying for him and writing to him in pleading calls for repentance. Christopher was clearly taken aback by the compassion of Christians who had been the subject of his vitriolic scorn for many years. Hitchens wrote in Vanity Fair in September 2010:

These are my first raw reactions to being stricken. I am quietly resolved to resist bodily as best I can, even if only passively, and to seek the most advanced advice. My heart and blood pressure and many other registers are now strong again: indeed, it occurs to me that if I didn’t have such a stout constitution I might have led a much healthier life thus far. Against me is the blind, emotionless alien, cheered on by some who have long wished me ill. But on the side of my continued life is a group of brilliant and selfless physicians plus an astonishing number of prayer groups. On both of these I hope to write next time if — as my father invariably said — I am spared.

Ultimately none of us are spared from the ultimate statistic - that one out of one people die. I cannot take any moral high ground over Hitchens for all his years of fist shaking at God. I was no better - God's grace to me was unmerited favor so why should I pontificate? Like Josh, in the wake of Hitchens' death we can do nothing else but fly the flag of hope that God can save the worst of sinners at the latest of moments. Death bed conversions should not be treated as normative, nor should we plan on seeking God later in life after we have sown our wild oats. Romans 1 serves as a stern warning against those who persist in sin to the point of God "giving them over" to hearts so hardened that they, like Esau, cannot find repentance.

Spurgeon once preached to his congregation on why he believed the Bible contains only one death bed conversion - that being the thief on the cross. Spurgeon suggested that God only included one of these stories in the Bible to remind the complacent that it is very rare, and remind the hopeless that we are never without hope.

I do hope to see Christopher in heaven. God derives great glory from saving the worst of sinners. How do I know this? Because He saved me!

Oh The Pain Rob Bell Feels

We can add this one to Foxe's Book Of Emergents With Hurt Feelings. Also, can you feel the love Rob Bell has for the people who point out his blatant heresies:



Here is a fairly accurate interpretation of what Rob Bell was really saying:



Dear Rob, if you want to call yourself a Christian minister, and then produce material that teaches heresy, and then sell it publicly at a good profit, and ridicule central Christian doctrines like the atonement, and slander the many faithful open air preachers out there, then you are fair game. The only surprise is that it took so long for you to exposed for what you are - an enemy of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who set their mind on earthly things. (Philippians 3:17-20)

Beloved, I would rather have a thousand devils out of the church, than have one in it. I do not care about all the adversaries outside; our greatest cause of fear is from the crafty "wolves in sheep's clothing," that devour the flock. It is against such that we would denounce in holy wrath the solemn sentence of divine indignation, and for such we would shed our bitterest tears of sorrow. They are "the enemies of the cross of Christ" - C.H. Spurgeon

I hope that Rob Bell repents and puts his trust in the One True Christ of Scripture (not the one of his imagination) and then disappears from the public spotlight.

Just Added - Till He Come

Spurgeon's timeless collection of communion sermons has just been added to the resource directory.

TILL HE COME
Charles Spurgeon
Category: Heroes, Puritans, And Reformers
Click Here To Order
Spurgeon is most famous for his pastorship at London's Metropolitan Tabernacle, where he regularly preached to huge crowds. In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to over 10,000,000 people and published over 55 books, sermons, and meditations which have been translated into 34 languages. Till He Come is a collection of addresses centered on the Lord's Supper. Some were preached to the congregation at Metropolitan, while others were spoken to small groups of Christians Spurgeon hosted on Sundays to celebrate communion. The collection addresses a diverse range of scriptures, but all stick to the common theme of Jesus' symbolic last meal. It will prove helpful to anyone looking for further insight on this interdenominational practice and will encourage believers to "do this in remembrance of me."

I Found A Good Church In Australia!

Last Sunday was a great experience. I attended a great church service with excellent preaching and saw many friends I hadn't seen in more than four years. But when I got in the car to drive home the reality really hit me. It felt like an oven and the steering wheel burnt my fingers - welcome to Brisbane in autumn. I'm not complaining about the heat mind you - I'm absolutely loving it! Admittedly, the summers are beautiful in Denmark, but I really struggle with the other eleven months. So to come and sweat in Brisbane is pure defrosting joy for my body!

Those of you who have read my highly critical posts about Hillsong may be led to wonder if "there is anything good that can come out of Australia". Well, today I can tell you about something really great in Australia - a biblical church!!!! There are no words to express my joy at finding so many of my friends who have abandoned the world of "kookiness and spookiness" for a body of true believers with true shepherds. It is so great to phone them from Denmark and and hear them say, after two years of attendance, that they absolutely love their local church.

Grace Bible Church in Brisbane (Holland Park if you're a local) is a fellowship led by a team of elders which includes two men who shoulder the preaching workload and also happen to be graduates of John Macarthur's Masters' Seminary - Dave D'Amor and Craig Lloyd. One could be forgiven in 2011 for thinking that Spurgeon's Down-grade controversy bottomed out a long time ago. But it is great to find a place in Australia with fidelity to the Gospel and a passion for biblical evangelism. They even practice - gasp - church discipline!

So to all my Brisbane friends - if you're looking for a church or attending one where the major focus is "40 days of your best prayer of Jabez now", then go and check out Grace Bible Church where you'll get a warm welcome of genuine Christian fellowship. After church you can even have conversations about biblical topics without having it shut down on you by someone with exceeding cultural relevance. So if you find yourself screaming "no more" and running for the door at Hillsong's Brisbane franchise - just keep running for another three blocks and you'll end up at a real church!


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Just Added - Spurgeon Gold

Ray Comfort's compilation of golden nuggets from the preaching of Charles Spurgeon, has just been added to the resource directory!

SPURGEON GOLD
Ray Comfort (Editor), Charles Spurgeon
Category: Heroes, Puritans, And Reformers
Click Here To Order
Books about the life and ministry of “The Prince of Preachers” are not uncommon. However, Spurgeon Gold takes a unique approach. It has isolated the great preacher’s deep passion for the lost, many of his powerful gospel proclimations, and his convincing exhortations to Christians to share their faith. Spurgeon was an immense and prolific writer and this book will whet the appetite for much more of his writings. Furthermore, Spurgeon Gold is a literal goldmine of riveting, theologically profound, accessible, and inspiring treasures from the deep well of Charles Spurgeon's deep well of material - bound to wear out any highlighter pen!

Recovering Abused Bible Verses (Part 6) - Luke 18:25

5. When Jesus talks about a camel going through the eye of a needle He is actually talking about the gate to an ancient city.

This is a very popular idea among the Word Faith teachers. I have heard it taught in Australia, the US and Europe. The most frightening thing about this teaching is not the teaching itself (as bad as that is) but what it says about how little teachers and church members in these churches know their Bibles.

Here's an example of this teaching:



The motive behind the teaching seems quite clear. They want to say that it is good to be rich, you just have to be like the camel that has to bow down as it enters the narrow gate of the city. Likewise the rich man only has to bow down in humility to enter heaven’s gate.

Just a very quick glance at this passage of Scripture shows this teaching to be wrong. But, equally tragically, it ignores a truth that is way more exciting than anything this world has to offer. Let’s pick this up at Luke 18:22 near the end of Jesus’ conversation with the “rich young ruler”:

22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 23But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 26Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" 27But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:22-27)

Is the eye of the needle the gate of a city? We can be certain it is not because in verse 26 the disciples understood it as something impossible “who can be saved” and in verse 27 Jesus confirms that he is describing something physically impossible. But Jesus is explaining that salvation is impossible unless God works a miracle. I found it the greatest irony that the people who teach that the eye of the needle is the gate to a city also invite people to make a decision to become a Christian. Even though the text says that “with man this is impossible”.

Here is the great truth we learn from Luke 18:

Conclusion 5: Man is utterly incapable of saving himself. But God is fully able to save sinners – conversion is a miracle!

It is a miracle made possible by the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Once again, it all points to Christ's redemptive work. Those who abuse Scriptuire continually point away from the cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross is where we must begin and end our theology. We need to preach the Cross again and again. It needs to take center stage in our preaching. The older preachers knew this. Spurgeon was once told that his sermons all sounded alike. His response:

That may be so. I can take any verse in the Bible and make a bee-line for the Cross.

As we have gone through this series I have wanted to make these two major points. In all of the five abused Bible verses i have discussed, each can be clearly understood by reading the surrounding text. It is true in fact that most interpretive problems are readily solved by a plain reading of the surrounding text. My other major point has been that sound teachers always take the text they preach and show how it ultimately points to the cross of Jesus Christ - as we will now see as we conclude by reviewing this series.

In Part 2 (John 3:17) we learned that :

Jesus did not come to condemn because this world is already condemned under the wrath of God.

In Part 3 (Romans 2:4) we learned that:

The kindness of God that leads to repentance is shown in that He delays His wrath giving sinners time to repent.

In Part 4 (Matthew 18:20) we learned that:

Two or more of us gathering in God's Name for the purposes of church discipline gives those of us in the church confidence that we have Divine authority to deal with unrepentant sin within our camp.

In Part 5 (Jeremiah 29:11) we learned that:

Jeremiah 29:11 was a promise of blessing to a particular future generation of the Israelites in Babylonian slavery - it is not a verse that we can apply as a personal promise from God to us. If that were the case then we would also have to apply the verses personally that concern God cursing certain people. The major message to 21st century Christians from Jeremiah 29:11 is that God does not abandon His people!

And in Part 6 (Luke 18:25) we learned that:

The eye of the needle Jesus spoke about was not the gate to a city. The following two verses clearly refute this bogus teaching. Jesus' major point here is that man is utterly incapable of saving himself. But God is fully able to save sinners – conversion is a miracle!

Coming Soon - Popular Myths Embraced By Popular Teachers.

Go Back To Part 5
Go Back To Part 1

A Biblical Defence Of The 5 Pillars (Part 3)

In my previous series, "The Anatomy of the Gospel", I broke down the Gospel message into five basic components (as an attempt at constructing a helpful witnessing framework) and called them the "Five Pillars of the Gospel". This is the third part of a series of posts in which I will biblically defend each of the "five pillars" I laid out as the fundamental elements necessary to faithfully proclaim the Gospel (a good friend just contacted me to inform me that Islam has five pillars and I am sorry if this has caused any confusion. I could change the name but then I would have to go back and correct all my previous posts. So I will persevere with this name and hope it inadvertently ministers to some Muslims).

DEFENDING PILLAR 3 – THE NECESSITY OF JUDGMENT

Why did Christ die for our sins according to the Scriptures?

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life (Romans 5:10).

That we might be saved. Saved from what?

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).

The truth of pillars 1 and 2 create the situation of pillar 3. If God is Holy and man is sinful then God must pass judgment because of Who He is and because of who we are and what we do as a result of that.

And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

The concepts of grace, mercy, and salvation are robbed of meaning without explaining God's wrath for their very definition depends on this truth.

The necessity of God's judgment must be preached in order to proclaim why Christ died for our sins because salvation is from God's judgment, wrath, and hell. Many people avoid the subjects of judgment, God's wrath, and eternal damnation under the guise of love. But is it really loving never to warn damned men i=of their impending fate?

But, in hell, there is no hope. They don't even have the hope of dying or the hope of being annihilated. They are forever--forever--forever--lost! On every link of the chains in hell are written the word "forever." In the fires, the flames spell out the word "forever." Up above their heads, they read the words "forever." Their eyes are irritated, and their hearts are in anguish with the thought that it is "forever." Oh! if I could tell you tonight that hell would one day be burned out, and that those who were lost might be saved, there would be a jubilee in hell at the very thought of it. But it cannot be--it is "forever." They are "thrown outside, into the darkness."

Now shut your Bible. Who wants to say any more about it? I have warned you solemnly. I have told you of the wrath to come. The evening darkens and the sun is setting. Ah! and the evening of life darkens for some of you. I can see gray-headed men here. Are your gray hairs a crown of glory, or a fool's cap to you? Are you on the very verge of heaven, or are you staggering on the edge of your grave, and sinking down to hell?

Let me warn you, gray-headed men; your evening is coming. O, poor, staggering gray-head, will you take the last step into the pit? Let a young child step in front of you and beg you to reconsider. Think tonight of your past seventy years worth of sin. Let your past life march before your eyes. What will you do with seventy wasted years to answer for--with seventy years of criminality to bring before God? God give you grace this night to repent and to put your trust in Jesus.

And you, middle-aged men, are not safe either; the evening lowers on you too; you may die soon. A few mornings ago, I was awakened early from my bed, and asked that I would hurry and go to see a dying man. I hurried as fast as I could to see this poor dying creature; but, when I reached the house, he was dead--a corpse. As I stood in the room, I thought, "That man gave little thought that he would die so soon." There were his wife and children, and friends--they also gave little thought that he would die, for he was robust, strong, and healthy just a few days earlier. None of you have a signed guarantee on the length of the days of your lives. Go and see if you have such a contract anywhere in your house. No! you may die tomorrow. Therefore, let me warn you by the mercy of God; let me speak to you as a brother; for I love you, you know I do, and would press the matter home to your hearts. Oh, to be among the many who shall be accepted in Christ--how blessed that will be! And God has said that whoever will call on His name will be saved: He throws none out that come to Him through Christ.

And now, you young men and women, one word with you. Perhaps you think that religion is not for you. "Let us be happy," you say: "let us be cheerful and content." How long, young man, how long? "Till I am twenty-one." Are you sure that you will live till then? Let me tell you one thing. If you do live till that time, if you have no heart for God now, you will have none then. Men do not get better if left alone. They are just like a garden: if you leave it alone, and allow weeds to grow, you will not expect to find it better in six months--but worse. Men talk as if they could repent whenever they like. It is the work of God to give us repentance. Some even say, "I will turn to God someday." But if you truly had the right heart, you would say, "I must run to God, and ask Him to given me repentance now, lest I should die before I have found Jesus Christ, my Savior." (this is a part of an open air sermon Charles Spurgeon delivered to a crowd of 12000 people on September the 4th, 1855)

On Wednesday I will continue with a biblical defence of PILLAR 4 – THE WORK OF CHRIST.

Go On To Part 4
Go Back To Part 2
Go Back To Part 1
Go To "The Anatomy Of The Gospel" Series

A Brief History of the Emergent Church (Part 4)

Continued from Monday

The first emergent church died out in the Sinai desert after 40 years on a journey never getting anywhere with a 40 year "conversation" full of questions and devoid of answers. The subsequent generation did a post mortem on post modern and decided that doing what God says could be a good idea after all. As the new generation crossed the Jordan into the land of milk and honey the rotting carcass of postmodern thought lay in the Sinai desert. The emergent movement was down but not out and by the time of the Messiah's arrival there was a "new kind of emergent" waiting to reveal himself.

When Jesus Christ arrived on the scene the tyranny of the Roman empire was well and truly entrenched. Post modern thought had seemingly died out in the Sinai. Israel had abandoned the idea of God being conformed to man's ideas. But a Roman governor by the name of Pontius Pilate was only too willing to embrace the theological suicide of post modern thinking.

As the climax of redemptive history drew near Pilate would utter words that would ultimately become a core doctrine of the doctrineless emergent movement in the 21st century. Pontius Pilate presided over the criminal proceedings as the spotless and perfect Lamb of God awaited His sentence. The Roman Governor was oblivious to the sovereign ordained plan that was transpiring before his eyes. Pilate gazed on the God-man Jesus Christ and asked the question "what is truth?". Pilate never realised that the Truth was standing directly in front of him. Jesus Christ Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life was marching to Calvary to endure far more than a Roman army could inflict on Him - God's just and Holy wrath.

So here we are in the 21st century. Beards have given way to soul patches, sandals have given way to Birkinstocks, and colliseums have given way to coffee. But beneath this nothing much has changed. As the Brian McLarens and Rob Bells of this world clutch in the dark as they search for "truth", Scripture stands before them plainly stating the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

So what is the point of this satire? It is here to serve as a reminder that the "new truths" being served up by the post modern gurus are nothing more than old lies. As Spurgeon once said:

"We ought not, as men in Christ Jesus, to be carried away by a childish love of novelty, for we worship a God who is ever the same, and of whose years there is no end. In some matters "the old is better." There are certain things which are already so truly new, that to change them for anything else would be to lose old gold for new dross. The old, old gospel is the newest thing in the world; in its very essence it is for ever good news. In the things of God the old is ever new, and if any man brings forward that which seems to be new doctrine and new truth, it is soon perceived that the new dogma is only worn-out heresy dexterously repaired, and the discovery in theology is the digging up of a carcass of error which had better have been left to rot in oblivion. In the great matter of truth and godliness, we may safely say, "There is nothing new under the sun."

Go Back To Part 3
Go Back To Part 1

The Long Arm of the Law

In the build up to tonights interview on Revelation TV www.revelationtv.com concerning open air preaching I'd like to take a look at an issue that is one of the greatest bones of contention concerning preaching of the Gospel in the modern era.

One of the great stumblingblocks in modern evangelicalism is a correct biblical understanding of the function of God's Moral Law in evangelism. Mere mention of the word "Law" is likely to evoke responses such as "legalism", "works righteousness", "we are on the other side of the cross", and "we are now in the age of grace".

This is simply not the case. In fact correct expounding of the law reveals our utter hopelessness to meet the requirements of the law and hence our need for alien righteousness found only in Christ. It is true that salvation is by grace but it is impossible to explain grace without explaining the impossible requirements of God's law. Grace is, by definition, unmerited favor. How can we possibly see it is something we don't merit until we see our transgressions against God. How can we preach love without the law when God showed us His love in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). In order to comprehend God's love we must comprehend our sinfulness. In order to comprehend our sinfulness we must grasp the requirements of God's justice system found in the law.

In fact the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5) magnifies the law to the point where Christ points out that

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire." (verses 20-22)

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (verses 27-28)

"You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (verse 48)

The Law serves as the schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.

Here is what some great preachers through history had to say about preaching the law of God.

A. W. Pink "Just as the world was not ready for the New Testament before it received the Old, just as the Jews were not prepared for the ministry of Christ until John the Baptist had gone before Him with his claimant call to repentance, so the unsaved are in no condition today for the Gospel till the Law be applied to their hearts, for 'by the Law is the knowledge of sin.' It is a waste of time to sow seed on ground which has never been ploughed or spaded! To present the vicarious sacrifice of Christ to those whose dominant passion is to take fill of sin, is to give that which is holy to the dogs."

A. W. Tozer "No one can know the true grace of God who has not first known the fear of God."

Augustine "The Law is not in fault, but our evil and wicked nature; even as a heap of lime is still and quiet until water be poured thereon, but then it begins to smoke and burn, not from the fault of the water, but from the nature and kind of the lime which will not endure it."

C. S. Lewis "When we merely say that we are bad, the 'wrath' of God seems a barbarous doctrine; as soon as we perceive our bad-ness, it appears inevitable, a mere corollary from God's goodness..."

Charles Spurgeon "I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law." Then he warns, "Lower the Law and you dim the light by which man perceives his guilt; this is a very serious loss to the sinner rather than a gain; for it lessens the likelihood of his conviction and conversion. I say you have deprived the gospel of its ablest auxiliary [its most powerful weapon] when you have set aside the Law. You have taken away from it the schoolmaster that is to bring men to Christ . . . They will never accept grace till they tremble before a just and holy Law. Therefore the Law serves a most necessary purpose, and it must not be removed from its place."

D. L. Moody “It is a great mistake to give a man who has not been convicted of sin certain passages that were never meant for him. The Law is what he needs … Do not offer the consolation of the gospel until he sees and knows he is guilty before God. We must give enough of the Law to take away all self-righteousness. I pity the man who preaches only one side of the truth, always the gospel and never the Law.” EB - Jos 1:7

Dr. Martin Loyd-Jones "A gospel which merely says, 'Come to Jesus,' and offers Him as a friend, and offers a marvelous new life, without convincing of sin, is not New Testament evangelism. (The essence of evangelism is to start by preaching the Law; and it is because the Law has not been preached that we have had so much superficial evangelism.) True evangelism... must always start by preaching the law."
"The trouble with people who are not seeking for a Savior, and for salvation, is that they do not understand the nature of sin. It is the peculiar function of the Law to bring such an understanding to a man's mind and conscience. That is why great evangelical preachers 300 years ago in the time of the puritans, and 200 years ago in the time of Whitefield and others, always engaged in what they called a preliminary law work."

George Whitefield "First, then, before you can speak peace to your hearts, you must be made to see, made to feel, made to weep over, made to bewail, your actual transgressions against the Law of God."

J. C. Ryle "People will never set their faces decidedly towards heaven, and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of hell ... Let us expound and beat out the Ten Commandments, and show the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of their requirements. This is the way of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. We cannot do better than follow His plan. We may depend on it, men will never come to Jesus, and stay with Jesus, and live for Jesus, unless they really know why they are to come, and what is their need. Those whom the Spirit draws to Jesus are those who the Spirit has convinced of sin. Without thorough conviction of sin, men may seem to come to Jesus and follow Him for a season, but they will soon fall away and return to the world."

J. I. Packer "Unless we see our shortcomings in the light of the Law and holiness of God, we do not see them as sin at all."

John Bunyan "The man who does not know the nature of the Law, cannot know the nature of sin."

John MacArthur "God's grace cannot be faithfully preached to unbelievers until the Law is preached and man's corrupt nature is exposed. It is impossible for a person to fully realize his need for God's grace until he sees how terribly he has failed the standards of God's Law."

John Newton "Ignorance of the nature and design of the Law is at the bottom of most religious mistakes."

John R. Stott "We cannot come to Christ to be justified until we have first been to Moses, to be condemned. But once we have gone to Moses, and acknowledged our sin, guilt and condemnation, we must not stay there. We must let Moses send us to Christ."

John Wesley "While he cries out, O what love have I to thy Law! all the day long is my study in it. He sees daily, in that divine mirror, more and more of his own sinfulness. He sees more and more clearly, that he is fullness a sinner in all things -- that neither his heart nor his ways are right before God, and that every moment sends him to Christ. Therefore I cannot spare the Law one moment, no more than I can spare Christ, seeing I now want it as much to keep me to Christ, as I ever wanted it to bring me to Him. Otherwise this 'evil heart of unbelief' would immediately 'depart from the living God.' Indeed each is continually sending me to the other--the Law to Christ, and Christ to the Law."

Jonathan Edwards "The only way we can know whether we are sinning is by knowing His Moral Law."

Martin Luther "Satan, the god of all dissension stirs up daily new sects. And last of all which of all others I should never have foreseen or once suspected, he has raised up a sect such as teach that men should not be terrified by the law, but gently exhorted by the preaching of the grace of Christ."

Matthew Henry "Herein is the Law of God above all other laws, that it is a spiritual law. Other laws may forbid compassing and imagining, which are treason in the heart, but cannot take cognizance thereof, unless there be some overt act; but the Law of God takes notice of the iniquity regarded in the heart, though it go no further."

Do You Actively Witness? If Not Why Not?

I hear all sorts of excuses about why people won't witness. The ugliest of all is when "devout people" try and give a "spiritual excuse" like "I wasn't led" or "that's not my gifting". Here is the reality - the Great Commission was issued to all (in the greek that means "all") Christians. When Paul talks about the gift of evangelism in his letter to the Ephesians what does he say the gift is for - "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12). The gift of evangelism is for the church, obviously to equip them to share the gospel.

Honesty here is what helps. I think it is good if we humbly come to the table and confess to being scared, not knowing how to, and not caring enough. This was the reality of where I was at when I heard the message "Hell's Best Kept Secret".

Charles Spurgeon said "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." He continued, "The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others. He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for."

There are, in reality, only two times we should preach - In season and out of season.

Faithful Are the Wounds of a Friend

I recently copped some criticism from one of my very closest friends over my post concerning Tony Campolo. He felt that a stern response was warranted but was fearful (probably due to prior experiences of bitter response) about doing so because of the friction he didn't want to generate. We really need to question our friendships if they can't withstand loving correction. I assured my friend that I always want him to feel at liberty to rebuke me when necessary and within the bounds of Scripture.

Brothers and Sisters, I fear that this is symptomatic of the therapeutic age we live in. We live in a day where an individual's self esteem has become sacred and scape goats abound for our own sinful actions. Shepherds fear confrontation because even the smallest rebuke seems to generate long term ill feeling and it is not uncommon for church members to feel hostility from their pastor in response to being biblically critiqued. People may say that they have a high view of Scripture but only so long as they can maintain diplomatic immunity.

Why are we so surprised that we need rebuke in the light of our inherent sinful nature. Spurgeon said that if someone rebukes you for something you haven't done, receive it anyway because the day will come when the shoe will fit.

Proverbs 27:6 says this "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy." I contend that one of the strongest measures of a person's godliness is the way they take rebuke. One who longs to be conformed to Christ embraces the rebuke of a genuine brother because he fears offending God more than being offended personally. And beware those commendations from the enemy. I've seen more than one Christian leader taken down by his inner circle of yes men. I've also heard plenty of sermons against negativity (chapter and verse please). If by negativity they mean people who dare to disagree with them then it is a suicidal philosophy for they become isolated from the precious wounds that help us conform to Christ.

In closing I want to throw one other thought out there. Jesus laid down His life and went as a sheep to the slaughter - how are you doing in the area of dying to self. Jesus went ballistic when His Father's house became a den of thieves - are you more offended when people insult you or when they blaspheme God. I contend this is a good test of one's meekness.

I will not comment on the Tony Campolo post here - I'll do that later. I don't want to distract from the point I'm trying to make here because Pastors have a hard enough job to do without having to tread on the egotistical egg shells of an insecure congregation. Please - embrace the wounds that a true Christian brother or sister delivers so that we can become more like Christ.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS - CHARLES SPURGEON

Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) was a British Baptist preacher who remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the "Prince of Preachers." This despite the fact that he was a strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition, defending the Church in agreement with the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith understanding, against liberalism and pragmatic theological tendencies even in his day. In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to around 10,000,000 people, often up to 10 times each week at different places. His sermons have been translated into many languages. Spurgeon was the pastor of the congregation of the New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for 38 years. Spurgeon was a prolific author of many types of works including sermons, an autobiography, a commentary, books on prayer, a devotional, a magazine, poetry, hymnist, and more. Many sermons were transcribed as he spoke and were translated into many languages during his lifetime. Arguably, no other author, Christian or otherwise, has more material in print than C.H. Spurgeon.


ALL OF GRACE
Charles Spurgeon
Category: Heroes, Puritans, And Reformers
Click Here To Order
"To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Spurgeon's masterpiece on grace from Romans 4:5 is an outstanding description of God's love and unmerited grace to those whom He saves. It is one of the clearest examples of salvation by grace ever written. Spurgeon's masterpiece is one the finest expositions ever penned on faith, repentance, and regeneration. Believers and unbelievers alike can learn from this classic presentation on faith and grace. In twenty short and clear chapters, powerful preacher Charles Spurgeon reveals the true meaning of being saved.


SPURGEON GOLD
Ray Comfort (Editor), Charles Spurgeon
Category: Heroes, Puritans, And Reformers
Click Here To Order
Books about the life and ministry of “The Prince of Preachers” are not uncommon. However, Spurgeon Gold takes a unique approach. It has isolated the great preacher’s deep passion for the lost, many of his powerful gospel proclimations, and his convincing exhortations to Christians to share their faith. Spurgeon was an immense and prolific writer and this book will whet the appetite for much more of his writings. Furthermore, Spurgeon Gold is a literal goldmine of riveting, theologically profound, accessible, and inspiring treasures from the deep well of Charles Spurgeon's deep well of material - bound to wear out any highlighter pen!


TILL HE COME
Charles Spurgeon
Category: Heroes, Puritans, And Reformers
Click Here To Order
Spurgeon is most famous for his pastorship at London's Metropolitan Tabernacle, where he regularly preached to huge crowds. In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to over 10,000,000 people and published over 55 books, sermons, and meditations which have been translated into 34 languages. Till He Come is a collection of addresses centered on the Lord's Supper. Some were preached to the congregation at Metropolitan, while others were spoken to small groups of Christians Spurgeon hosted on Sundays to celebrate communion. The collection addresses a diverse range of scriptures, but all stick to the common theme of Jesus' symbolic last meal. It will prove helpful to anyone looking for further insight on this interdenominational practice and will encourage believers to "do this in remembrance of me."