Laodicean and the Modern-Day Church

This past Sunday, June 19, 2022, our pastor, Eric Robinson, preached on the Laodicean church of Revelation 3:14-22. He compared what happened with the first century Laodicean church to the modern-day church. He shared about the seeker-sensitive, attractional, consumer-driven church of our day and how the modern day church is so self-sufficient and is quite satisfied in its compromises with worldliness in so many ways. He also referenced some items that recently transpired at the SBC convention. We highly recommend you check out the sermon linked below!

If you live in the North Central Ohio area or are ever visiting, we would invite you to Ripley Church of Greenwich, Ohio. Here is the church website for more information.

Blessings!
The Sheldon’s

Isaiah 50

Who is among you that fears the LORD,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with firebrands,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the brands you have set ablaze
This you will have from My hand:
You will lie down in torment.
Isaiah 50:10-11 NASB

This is a passage that most of us probably read over quickly when we read the Bible. But let’s break it down a little at a time and try to make sense of it.

The first two thoughts are describing a true believer. True believers fear the Lord. Not “hide your eyes from a horror movie” fear. Or “scream your lungs out on a roller coaster” fear. But rather a holy fear – a reverence toward the Lord. True believers likewise obey the teaching of the Lord. At the time of Isaiah, Scripture was not complete and prophets spoke with the authority of God Himself. The equivalent today would be to obey the Word of God as recorded in Scripture.

So we’ve established that believers are being addressed here. Now – how then do we make sense of walking in darkness and not having light? I believe this reference to darkness is referring to times of struggle, frustration, persecution or confusion. There are times in any believer’s walk with the Lord where they will struggle to see the light of God’s guidance. Where we may struggle is to see how this current obstacle can possibly fulfill the wonderful promise given to us in Romans 8:28. (cf. Job 2:3, 2 Timothy 3:12, John 9:1-3, 15:20; I Peter 4:12-19)

If you are a believer who is struggling; a believer who is being persecuted or is confused; a believer who is wondering where God is in times of trials – God has two simple instructions for you in this passage. First, trust in His name. In Scripture, references to the Lord’s name can be viewed as references to the whole of who God is. His righteousness; His love; His holiness; His omnipresence and omnipotence; His mercy; His perfect balance of all of His attributes. When you are struggling and looking for answers you should trust Him.

Second, we’re told to rely on God. The King James translation uses the phrase “stay upon his God.” I love this image. “Stay” means don’t leave, even if it’s dark. Even if you’ve prayed for light and not seen it, don’t leave. Wait on the Lord.

Now as we look at the rest of this passage we see a promise from God. This is not a promise that you’ll find in one of those little gift books you can find at your local Christian bookstore. They supposedly list all of the promises of God. Read on and you’ll find out why this one is probably not there. While we just heard encouragement for those who believe to continue to trust and wait on the Lord, we now see the alternative. “Behold” is a word that should get our attention. It usually signifies a big truth from God (cf. John 1:29), and I believe it does so in this case.

If you are in the dark you can be tempted to kindle a fire…and perhaps surround yourself with fires. Or – you could be prompted to join in the “fire” or “light” of another person, perhaps even a preacher. I have an image of someone lighting a bunch of tiki-torches out in a dark field. Once there is this light, there is temptation to go ahead and move towards it. What is the problem with this? After all, isn’t it ok to desire light? If you’re stuck in the dark, isn’t it okay to create your own light?

No! Not according to this passage in Isaiah. The light is to come from the Lord and not from ourselves or from other men.

Perhaps you’ve read this far and can understand how God provides “light” through answered prayers, Scripture, or encouragement from a friend. But you are wondering how man can “kindle a fire” of his own making? This would be letting anything that is not of God’s Word take the place of God’s Word in your life.

What are some contemporary examples? How about turning to psychology and self-help instead of Scripture to address the results of sin in your life? False teachers and false religions are also examples of man’s attempts to make their own light. Sometimes we turn to the guidance of the world – popular opinion. Some may reason: if so many others are doing it, what could be wrong? (Romans 12:2). Some will even turn to illegal drugs for their “light” or even prescription drugs in some cases? Yes – some people – rather than face the consequences of their sin and deal with that sin – may opt to medicate themselves.

What about from Scripture – are there any examples? Yes. The following are a handful.

Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-7)

God gave Adam and Eve just a few simple instructions, the best known of which was not to eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden (3:3). Eve herself knew this command as she is the one that is quoted in verse 3.

What was the “darkness” in this passage? Eve was facing a time of temptation perhaps for the very first time. What was her temptation? The temptation initially would seem to be whether to eat the fruit or not. But that temptation is really based on whether to rely on God’s Word or her own judgment. While she was influenced by the serpent, she put her own judgment over the Word of God. She kindled her own fire in response to the darkness she was facing.

Adam, of course, did not fare any better at all. He also knew of God’s command but still he accepted the fruit from his wife and ate. He put his wife’s judgment over the Word of God. He was following and responding to a man-made, serpent inspired, “light” which was no light at all.

Was there a fulfillment of God’s promise in Isaiah 50:9-10 in response? Genesis 3:8-24 gives details of both immediate and long-lasting consequences of following man-made light instead of God’s Word. No other sin has ever had the consequences of this one! All other sins are because of this first – primal one. We are all born sinful and in need of a Savior as a result of Adam’s fall. And in fact, we all sinned in Adam.

Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-6, 16:1-12, 17:15-21)

We only need to flip forward in Genesis a few pages to find another example. Let me be quick to point out that Abraham is one of the great examples of faith in Scripture (Genesis 15:16, Romans 4:1-4). I do not mean to imply in any of these comments that Abraham is unworthy of our admiration. However, Abraham, even though he was a man of faith, still sinned – just as we do today (Romans 7).

In Abraham’s case the Lord clearly promises him that he would become a father. In fact Scripture teaches us in Genesis 15:16 that Abraham believes this promise. God has provided His Word.

The darkness comes as Abraham and Sarah are awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promise. As the years go by Sarah becomes convinced that she will not bear any children. And she convinces Abraham to take Hagar as his wife so she can bear him children (Genesis 16:1-12). Rather than waiting for God and relying on His promises (which we just saw that Abraham believed!), Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands. Abraham helped to light his own fire as he did not “stay upon his God”.

What are the consequences? Ishmael was born first. And when Isaac was born, there was so much strife between Sarah and Hagar that Abraham had to send Hagar and Ishmael away (Genesis 21:9-21). Many scholars have actually traced the modern conflict between the Jewish people (descendents of Isaac) and the Muslim people (descendents of Ishmael) back to this conflict. In fact the Muslims do claim descent from Abraham through Ishmael.

Moses (Exodus 2:11-15, Acts 7:20-36)

Moses is also a wonderful example of faith. He is revered by many as one of the greatest men to ever live. However, similar to both Abraham and us he committed sin. And his sin included trying to kindle his own fire.

Moses intervened when he saw the problems his own people were having. The darkness he faced was in wanting to deliver his people, but he chose to attempt to do so his way. It is interesting to note that when Moses tried to deliver the Israelites by his own hand, he personally killed a man. When Moses actually helped to deliver the Israelites, he was a tool in God’s hands. While the Lord caused the deaths of many Egyptians, Moses did not slay a single one as he was being used by the Lord.

So what was the consequence of this sin of Moses? We know that God did deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. But not until after Moses was in the desert for 40 years. God did not talk to Moses until 40 years after his sin.

Conclusion

Scripture gives us plenty of warnings about man-made lights. They can be very appealing (2 Timothy 4:1-5). They can appear in such a way that they seem like they are actually from God (2 Corinthians 11:12-15). They could even use some Scripture like many cults. We even have the example of Satan misusing Scripture in Matthew 4:1-11 to tempt the Lord Himself.

Don’t miss the fact that man-made lights are compared to fire! This “strange fire” or “false light” is never to be exchanged for the true and pure light…God’s light – His Word. And yet mankind has a history of doing this! Recall my analogy of lighting tiki-torches? Is there any comparison between the quality of light from the sun (God provides pure light) and the light from a tiki-torch? Why would we want to accept the tiki-torch when we are promised the sun? Deciding to turn to the tiki-torch is reminiscent of Romans 1:18-25. Why would we want to make such a poor exchange?

Don’t forget God’s promise here, you’ll find it in the second verse of our primary text:

Who is among you that fears the LORD,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with firebrands,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the brands you have set ablaze
This you will have from My hand:
You will lie down in torment.
Isaiah 50:10-11 NASB

This is how God says He will treat those who turn to man-made lights instead of trusting and waiting on Him in times of darkness. They will reap the personal consequences of torment (sorrow). We have evidence in Scripture that God holds true to this promise. Let’s “trust in the name of the Lord and rely on our God” in times of darkness. Let us never give up on waiting for the pure light of God’s Word and settle for the tiki-torches of man-made light.

Copyright, Craig Redmond, all rights reserved.
Can be copied in its entirety for personal use or to be distributed, but not for profit.

It should go without saying that you should not believe everything you hear. This has been especially apparent the past two years with political leaders, doctors, organizations, etc. all saying different things about covid-19 for one reason or another. Who are you going to listen to? What are you going to believe?

Why We Should Test the Spirits

The same goes for Christians in our daily walk with the Lord. We are not to be gullible, but we are to evaluate everything. The Apostle John basically says we are to filter anything before we accept it as true. Why? Because there are many false prophets/teachers.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 (NASB)

Now, notice something. John says we are to test the spirits because there are many false prophets. Evidently, there may be a correlation between the spirits and the false prophets. What exactly? Let’s look at 1 Timothy 4:1.

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1 (NASB)

You see, the false prophet teaches lies, but he might also be under the influence of deceiving spirits that are not of God. This goes for the false prophets John is referring to also. These false prophets may likely be under the influence of demons! This should be enough for us to want to test everything. If we routinely trust, without first testing, we may believe something that is from demons.

John MacArthur said it well in his sermon How to Test the Spirits, “You have to know whatever information is coming to you by its source….It is either that word which is sent and energized by the Holy Spirit, or it is that which comes from seducing spirits….The truth gives life; error kills.”

Did you catch that? The source. Whatever you hear, read, sing, share, forward, anything, you should look into the source behind it. Why? Something could sound good on the surface, but there may be more to it than that. The source could be false, from demons. And false claims are not labeled “False Spirit Here.” No, we must identify them for ourselves!

We should even be careful in relying on a “good reference.” What if the good reference did not do the proper testing? Each of us, for ourselves, is commanded to do the testing.

How to Test the Spirits

The wonderful thing is that we can know which spirits are not from God. False prophets – though they may present themselves as if they are prophets of God – can be proven false  – when the conditions of truth are not met and the conditions of error are met.

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. 2 John 1:7-11 (NASB)

Ultimately, the actual teaching is what will confirm or expose them for what they really are. Those that do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh are immediately defined as those who go too far and do not abide in the teaching of Christ. This also indicates when a person is from God.

True teachers have a true and faithful confession regarding Jesus Christ and they abide in His truth. They eat, live, breathe and sleep Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures! They do not go “beyond” or out of bounds in regard to teaching God’s Word. They do not add to it or take away from it. They stick with the truth of the Scripture. Deceivers do not. They may appear to have fidelity for a while, but in due time, they can be proven false by what they teach.

Please know the Apostle John is overjoyed when people walk in the truth (2 John 1:4) and there are evidences when that is happening (1 John 1). We should want teachers to pass the test and rejoice when they do! But true saints need to realize not everyone is like them. Again, there are many deceivers out there.

MacArthur says, “I’m saying it again, that those who believe the truth are a small part of the population of the world. The vast majority of the world is swept away in false teaching, because the world believes false teachers because they’re of the same ilk….Sinners have affinities for demons, seducing spirits, hypocritical lies ‘cause they have no apparatus for the truth.” (From How to Test the Spirits)

Believers, however, have the truth! And that is the very test we should perform: truth vs. error.

 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore, they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:4-6 (NASB)

So, false prophets are not of God, but they are of the world. In fact, they hate God. They haven’t and won’t receive the apostolic truth concerning Christ – His person and work of salvation (John 15:18-27). Therefore, they do not listen to His Word. They do not obey God.

Recognizing False Prophets

So, false prophets preach as if they are from God when they are not, mishandle God’s Word by teaching false doctrine, and do not obey truth. Just where can such false teachers be found?

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:18-22 (NASB)

Did you catch what John said? “They went out from us.” The antichrists first made their presence known in the visible church. In Greek, the word “anti” can mean against or in the place of, in the stead of. These false teachers were against Jesus Christ even though they were in the church and among the brethren. They were called “antichrists” because they preached and taught of a different “Jesus” and “another gospel” proving that they had a “different spirit.” (See Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4)  Evidently some of their teaching may have seemed sound, but ultimately, they did not truly confess the Lord Jesus Christ of the Scriptures!

This can be shocking! Teachers whom we sit under and love listening to and learn much from – could be against Christ? That is what Scripture tells us. We may not be able to identify them immediately, but eventually they will not pass the “test of the spirits.” False teachers can be as blatant as saying that Jesus is not God in the flesh. Or they can be as subtle as saying   a particular issue, such as social justice, is a “gospel” issue.

Once a teacher can be identified as false, they should be utterly avoided. To rub elbows with them is to participate in their wickedness. The growing willingness of many in the church to associate with men and women who can be categorized as false teachers or “antichrists” is staggering. (Read What Does Loyalty to Jesus Look Like?)

So, we are commanded and persuaded by John, an “apostle whom Jesus loved,” that we are to test the spirits. We are commanded to hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ and never lose grip of it in our individual lives as well as in corporate settings. So, by being obedient to this command we are remaining true and faithful witnesses to Christ. What about you? Are you being a true and faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ?

*Here is a great little devotional by A.W. Tozer on Testing the Spirits.

Christian Community vs Worldly Community

“Community” has become a buzzword, both in the church and in the world. In Christendom, you will find many churches with “community” in their name such as Community Bible Church. You also hear of Community Groups in many churches, referring to smaller groups that meet to have a bible study or gathering of some kind. As for the world, there are television shows titled Community, many colleges are named ______ Community College, and movies titled Community.

The worldly perspective on community can be described with words such as support, encouragement, connection, fellow-feeling, etc. Those are the felt needs of people – as social creatures. Their community is simply in relation to themselves and others. God is not in the equation.

The church’s perspective on community should be quite different! Christians should have community for the sake of godliness with the goal to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1). We should want community not simply for connecting, but for the purpose of glorifying our Father who is in heaven. The Bible calls it fellowship.

Christians must not let the world’s view on community determine how we “do” community (or have fellowship) in the church. In order for community/fellowship to truly be Christian, it must be based in: 1) a relationship with God, 2) truth, and 3) obedience. We will discuss each of these in a little more detail.

Based in a Relationship with God

In order for there to be true Christian community, each person must have a focus on God, a reconciled relationship with Him. We see this concept most vividly in 1 John 1:1-10 where we read of the Apostle John’s eyewitness account of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ! The people in the church received that witness, and the Spirit of God made real in their lives the salvation they had in Jesus Christ. This resulted in fellowship with both the Father and the Son!

John moves on from the reality of the new vertical relationship with God to that same fellowship being shared with other believers. This happens as they walk in truth – together! But it can only happen after they have a relationship with God. So, fellowship happens when two or more people, who know God, walk in the truth of Scripture together.

Based in Truth

The call of community (or unity) should always fall on the heels of a call to truth. New Testament books are riddled with warnings regarding doctrinal error. It is not a matter of being loving vs unloving, nice vs not nice, nor unity vs discord. It is a matter of truth vs error! And so, issues of truth are non-negotiable when it comes to having true community.

The perfect example of this is Jesus’ high priestly prayer. Notice the order of truth and fellowship.

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17 (NASB)
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one” John 17:22 (NASB)

Jesus did not pray simply that Christians are one, but that they are one as He and the Father are one. First truth from God (Scripture), then fellowship with other believers. This can also be seen in Ephesians 4:1-16 where the command for oneness in spirit is clearly based in the unity of the one faith, one Lord, one baptism.

Very early in the life of the church, the Apostles had to deal with false doctrine and false teachers. These false teachers came disguised (Galatians 2:4), and so John tells the believers something very important.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:1-6 NASB

John says the deceivers are to be “overcome.” They are not to be received into fellowship! The deceivers “speak from the world” and so there cannot be any real fellowship with them in the Biblical sense. Community can only be Christian when it has truth as its basis.

Based in Obedience

The final thing needed for true Christian community to take place is a mindset of obedience. This means we maintain our attention on Christ and His truth in order to obey His Word. We always keep Christ the focus and help others always keep Christ the focus.

“Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 8-9 (NASB)

In our current culture, just about everything is made to be spiritual. But not all that is spiritual is of the Holy Spirit. (Read Do Not Believe Every Spirit, But Test the Spirits) We must have diligence and fortitude to differentiate the two. The devil’s seductiveness may be as simple as getting people to “participate” with false teachers. Scripture tells us of people who go beyond the teaching of Christ. They do not stay within the boundary of the truths of Scripture. What are we to do if such persons are in our midst? John tells us.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” 2 John 10-11 (NASB)

We are not to receive them into our houses nor give them a greeting. This means supporting them. If we help those people who go beyond the teaching of Christ, we participate in their wickedness.

Now, let’s get practical. Obeying this command takes conscious and investigative effort. There are numerous books, videos, music, and conferences within Christendom stained with unorthodoxy and falsehoods. It is quite possible we are “graciously” furthering the ministry and influence of those with false doctrine. We could potentially be sinning by:

1. 1. Reading/studying or recommending a book written by a heretic because it has “other good stuff” in it.
   2. Singing/purchasing music we like of someone who teaches false doctrine; or even paying licensing rights to use in our churches.
   3. Reposting things on social media that seem okay on the surface without investigating the “who” of the post.

And there are many more, but you get the idea. We really need to take inventory and ask ourselves if we are maintaining an obedient and pure witness to Jesus Christ in all that we do.

True saints remain loyal to only the Lord Jesus Christ. Which category do you fall under?

In conclusion, we must be diligent that our churches/communities uphold these three crucial things – a relationship with God, a foundation of truth, and an obedient mindset. Otherwise, we may just have another worldly form of community that is labeled “Christian” in which God has no part.
 

For More on Christian Community/Fellowship

What is the Importance of Christian Fellowship? Got Questions

Loyalty to Christ

It is not unusual to have loyalties. We all have loyalties to things such as jobs, family, school, sports teams, hobbies, etc. Some loyalties may be serious and demanding, while others may be pleasant and enjoyable. More often than not, we choose that to which we will be loyal.

Scripture speaks of a loyalty that should far exceed any other. It is a loyalty, not to something, but to a person – the Lord Jesus Christ.

The standard of loyalty was set by Jesus Himself. When He walked the earth, He demanded absolute loyalty to Himself.

“Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:25-27 (NASB)

Christ’s Call

Christ’s call to Himself was so demanding that it involved leaving everything. As God incarnate, Christ had (and still has) the right to demand such sold-out loyalty. For He bought His followers with a price – His very own life. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

At times, Christ’s own apostles would falter in their desires to follow Him. Thus, we should make sure we know from the Word what loyalty to Christ actually is and choose wisely to follow. It will be worth it because, as a devoted follower of Christ, we will inherit eternal life.

“Then Peter said to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.’” Matthew 19:27-30 (NASB)

This single-minded devotion to Christ involved death to friendship with this world. That price was too high for many people and so they would stop following Christ. At the end of this age, loyalty to Christ will also cost people dearly.

“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.” Matthew 24:9-10 (NASB)

“You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Matthew 10:22 (NASB)

Many preachers today want to slightly alter the call to follow Christ, to make it more appealing, more user friendly. They suggest that Jesus is something you can “add” to your already comfortable life to make it even better. In light of what we just read in Scripture, did Jesus ever give the sense that someone could “add Him” onto their life? Is it all about us and what we need or want? How can we change Jesus’ very own words and say it is the same message?!

To close, let us remember Jesus’ words in Luke and ask ourselves if we are sold out enough to obey Him and bear witness to His gospel even if it requires suffering.

He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters. Luke 11:23 (NASB)

*For further study on this topic, read What Does the Bible Say About Loyalty?

A More Appealing Call?

Many preachers today want to slightly alter the call to follow Christ, to make it more appealing, more user friendly. They suggest that Jesus is something you can “add” to your already comfortable life to make it even better. In light of what we just read in Scripture, did Jesus ever give the sense that someone could “add Him” onto their life? Is it all about us and what we need or want? How can we change Jesus’ very own words and say it is the same message?!

To close, let us remember Jesus’ words in Luke and ask ourselves if we are sold out enough to obey Him and bear witness to His gospel even if it requires suffering.

He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters. Luke 11:23 (NASB)

For Further Study on Loyalty in the Bible

What Does the Bible Say About Loyalty? Got Questions

God Will Judge Each of Us

As Christians, we are God’s beloved children in the gospel of Jesus Christ! He has graciously and mercifully saved us from the wrath of God and the penalty of sin. This, however, does not exempt us from God’s final judgment seat where we will give account for how we lived our lives unto the glory of God. When was the last time you thought about the reality of that moment?

“And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 (NASB)

You may be wondering what God judges since Christ has already paid the penalty for sin. The Apostle Paul said:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB)

God judges our every deed, whether good or bad, and will reward us accordingly. And as believers, we should already have a desire to please, honor, and glorify Him in all things (Col. 3:22).

The Basis of God’s Judgment

What is the basis of God’s judgment? Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes.

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NASB)

God will judge each of us based on actual fidelity to His Word. Do we dare say at the judgment: “Well I thought that…” or “I didn’t think it was my responsibility…” or “I assumed my pastor was right about…” or “I didn’t look into it…” or “my brother seemed to know…”

No, those explanations aren’t going to be enough when we stand before the One True God, the Creator of the universe. God is the judge – according to what His Word says. Good feelings are not the judge. What you assumed and guessed are not the judge. Niceness is not the judge. How others in the church think is not the judge. Whether you are liked or not liked is not the judge. God’s Word is the only opinion that matters! In this you can have great assurance!

So, we must fully submit ourselves to God’s Word. We must take the time to read and study Scripture, and then live according to that Word. This is a life-long process, but we have the Holy Spirit to help, guide, and comfort us! Like the Psalmist said:

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11 (NKJV).

The Result

Having submitted ourselves to God’s standard, we can have godly confidence. This is because we are now able to discern teachings. We are less likely to be led astray. The Apostle Paul gave us a solemn warning when he said:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8

There are lots of opinions out there; lots of philosophies and empty deceptions. We even see this within the confines of many churches where some believe and act as if truth is subjective. (Read The Church’s New Agenda) But Jesus said:

“Sanctify them in truth. Your Word is truth.” John 17:17

The only way we can avoid being subject to falsehood and doublemindedness is to love, embrace, and grow in the truth that we find in God’s Word!

So, are you living according to God’s standard – the basis for your judgment? Is your confidence earthly or heavenly? Do not fear what your answer will be someday! Instead, right now, fear God who told us to love, fear, enjoy, suffer for and obey Him according to His Word. Believing and obeying Him brings us confidence toward that day!

For More on Confidence in Christ

What Does the Bible Teach About Confidence?

How We Discern

The word discernment often gets a bad rap. Whether because it is regarded as critical or judgmental, most people want to run at the thought of the word. This is most unfortunate because the Apostle Paul says our love should abound in real knowledge and all discernment (Philippians 1:9). What is “all discernment?” It is a love for God based in truth, as well as a rejection of all false notions about God. (Psalm 119:104)

The truth is we all discern on a daily basis. Discern means “to separate” or “to distinguish between” and comes from Latin meaning “to sift apart.” Do we not regularly separate and distinguish between things? We may do it subconsciously, but we are always discerning.

Anytime we discern, we are weighing between things according to some criteria such as scientific evidence, acquired knowledge, or even just personal preference. For instance, we sift the different foods we eat into categories. It either tastes good or not so good based upon our personal preferences. We separate which stores to shop based on location, pricing, selection, etc. We distinguish whether we are morning or night people depending on when we are most productive. But we are always discerning/evaluating based upon something else.

Christian Discernment

When it comes to the Christian life, we also discern on a regular basis. We discern what church we will attend, how we will be obedient to God in our particular situation, what Bible teachers we will listen to and what authors we will read. It is good for us to distinguish these things.

In fact, God wants us to be discerning! And He wants us to excel at it! Paul says in Philippians, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.” Philippians 1:9 (NASB)

So, how do we as Christians discern and discern well? What should our discernment be based on? Hear this, it should not be based upon our individual preferences. Rather, it should be based upon God’s truth.

God has standards for our Christian discernment! He tells us in His Word how He is to be honored, approached, and obeyed. We must base our decisions and actions upon those standards. They are not simply options for us to choose from if we prefer. This means we must know His Word for ourselves. We cannot merely rely on someone else’s thoughts/claims of God’s truth.

We must remember that God takes His standards very seriously. Consider this very sobering text of Scripture in Leviticus:

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,
‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will be honored.’”
So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. Leviticus 10:1-3 (NASB)

Aaron’s sons decided how they thought God should be approached and obeyed. They offered God something He had not commanded. The result? They were consumed by fire before God’s holy presence!

It isn’t simply that God should be treated as Holy. As we just read, God demanded holiness from those who were set apart as His leaders! And He demands it from us as well.

The main reason God demands our discernment is for His Holy Name! We cannot have “personal” or “uninformed” preferences as to God’s Name. God alone determines what is holy and unholy in regards to Him. If we go through the Christian life making decisions based simply on a “lack of discernment,” we could end up defaming His Holy name.

We read in Ezekiel about this very thing happening:

“Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths and I am profaned among them.” Ezekiel 22:26 (NASB)

The priests paid no attention to God’s law and refused to distinguish as God had commanded. They profaned God when they did not distinguish and therefore acted inappropriately! They refused to live discerningly and consequently treated God’s name with irreverence and disrespect – publicly.

When we don’t discern properly, we could end up defaming God’s holy name or bearing a false public witness – in the world or even in the church.

But God chose us in order to proclaim His excellencies! We are to declare His name, to set apart His name as Holy. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” 1 Peter 2:9 (NASB)

In a real sense, discernment is a by-product of knowing and loving God. And when exercised properly, it displays itself in a greater love for God’s people.

In conclusion, the question is not will we discern, but upon what will we base our discernment. Biblical truth should be the only criteria. We should rest upon Scripture and Scripture alone! To do otherwise, would be setting ourselves up as judge over God. A true and faithful witness to Him should be our top priority!

4 Truth Ministry is committed to the truth of Scripture and the encouragement of the saints into that truth. Discernment is important because much of the visible church is committed to a consumer minded mentality of what it means to be part of that church.  “For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:17 (NASB)

For More on Spiritual Discernment

What is Biblical Discernment and Why is it Important? – By John MacArthur

The Importance of Discernment – A Guide – By David Sheldon

Just yesterday, I went for my annual physical. Anticipating the usual long wait, I took along something to read. It just happened to be an exposé of IHOP. Finally, Doctor Johnson came into the room and asked me what I was reading. He is a very active and well read laymen in a very conservative church. His son has just graduated from a college with a long evangelical heritage of which Dr. Billy Graham served as president. His son is looking for ministry, so I replied to the doctor’s question that I was reading about IHOP saying this is not the International House of Pancakes.

He replied confidently that he knew of IHOP in Kansas City in that his son had recently spent a long weekend there at the recommendation of an elder at their traditional evangelical congregation. I then offered in as low-key fashion as I could that the paper was an expose of IHOP. The doctor then asked why would anyone do an expose of IHOP? I diplomatically offered that Mike Bickle’s whole ministry is predicated on prophetic words of Paul Cain, Bob Jones, and John Paul Jackson, and that Cain is a longtime homosexual and Jones is an admitted sex offender. I then added that the bible is our sole source of doctrine and practice, and the canon is closed isn’t it. To this the doctor grunted, suggesting yes! of course, I know about the closed canon. But his reply was to the effect that our young people desperately need to know the real presence of the Holy Spirit, sort of suggesting that this is more important than scripture.

Suddenly, I realized my doctor was exhibit A of a sincere evangelical, who is now unknowingly carrying the Postmodern virus. Postmodern pluralism is for many not a mentally defined position but a mood. In a nutshell postmodernism asserts that truth is not absolute but different for everyone. Unfortunately, if everything is true to some then nothing is true to anyone.

Evangelicalism has become a mélange of mushy spiritual feelings. Years of seeker-sensitive pragmatism has set the church up for a host of extra-biblical spiritual and mystical experiences. Externally within the wider culture Postmodern Emergents are pouring into City Evangelical. They, however, come in disguised as evangelicals and the biblically compromised city dwellers of City Evangelical welcome them through the city gates especially when Christianity Today writes positively about them. A handful of watchmen sound the alarm only to be pushed to the side.

Right behind the Emergents are the Contemplatives whose meditation procedures often lead to altered states of consciousness. They also appear in evangelical outer garments with endorsements from famous and influential evangelicals. The contemplative are promoted by Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, etc. A missionary friend of mine who came under great pressure turned to the writings of former priest Henri Nouwen, whose eastern altered state mysticism eventually took him to the east where he died in a Buddhist monastery. How could a seminary trained evangelical missionary look to a Christian form of mantra meditation?

There are thankfully, a few often maligned Online Discernment Ministries (ODM’s) that have followed the very move of the contemplatives including Brennan Manning author of “Ragmuffin Gospel” and Leonard Sweet, et. al. But all of this has distracted many discernment ministries from another internal false teaching.

The church is being invaded by another aberrant teaching. Virtually none of the ODM’s have given much attention to another false teaching right in front of us – a fast moving departure from the gospel. The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and its apostles and prophets with their dominion mandate have been able to ride the “Save America, Tea Party” train into total acceptance broadly among the Christian Right Activists and celebrity Evangelical leaders. “The Seven Mountains of Culture,” the agenda of the Apostolic/Prophetic Dominionists, has been bought by the Dobson’s and Franklin Graham’s. The National Day of Prayer used the 7 spheres (the NAR’s seven mountains) in the printed program. Peter Wagner was listed as on the advisory board. In fact the 7 Mountains Dominionist mandate is now already set to become part of the political agenda of the whole upcoming conservative Christian Right political campaign. Jim Garlow speaker at many Dominionists conferences has been tapped by Newt Gingrich as his religion advisor. The apostles/prophets now have their agenda ready to go politically. The political fix is in. Dobson and NAR apostle Lou Engle have pieced together the Manhattan Declaration, a product of the old “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” people. It is headed up by the Roman Catholic leaning ministry of Charles Colson with the 7 mountain dominion scheme of the apostles and prophets as a joint political/theological effort. Readers will be aware that the Apostles and Prophets of the NAR have identified seven spheres of culture and named them the 7 mountains of culture. They propose that radical spiritual warfare techniques will place Apostles into governmental rule world-wide.

So, on the one hand, the Postmodern Emergents are coming through the gates. And, on the other, the Apostles and Prophets have gone political in order to eventually take dominion and rule the world. Indeed the evangelical patient, who really is sick, emaciated and down to 92 pounds is nevertheless, flexing its’ muscles like a puny strong man that boasts they are about to create the third great awakening. The Postmodern Emergents see the dawning of a new age in the form of an ecumenical ancient future pluralistic church. The New Monastics are parading their new altered states of intimacy with God ala eastern mysticism. The Apostles are being wined and dined by the political evangelicals of the Christian Right. They see this as the step toward a Christian empire with false apostles and prophets perched on the 7 mountains of culture in absolute political dominion. Today only these current flavors are being advertised. Evidently, the gospel of Jesus, Paul and the real apostles have been put on the back of the menu – along with the over 50 crowd.

I just received my monthly books from IVF Book Club. The book I received is called “Breaking the Rules” by Fil Anderson. The sub-title is “Trading Performance for Intimacy with God.” The forward is by Brennan Manning. Manning is not even an evangelical but a defrocked Roman Catholic priest. He clearly teaches the “centering prayer” of contemplation in which a chosen mantra word is repeated endlessly until an altered-state of consciousness with God is achieved. IVF is a historic evangelical publishing house. Yes! they still carry biblical titles but they are rarely featured and relegated to the last pages of the catalogue. With these conflicting new recipes of the Gospel there comes confusion and competing spiritual roadmaps. The result is that the Gospel becomes something like modeling clay – people create their own gospel and it becomes a matter of personal preference and good advertising. There are at least two essential ingredients that are most often neglected in this current gospel mix. They are: man is exceedingly sinful and God is exceedingly holy and righteous. How does a holy God accept sinful man and still retain His essential character of holiness?

Man is Exceedingly Sinful and God is Exceedingly Holy

The Gospel was designed by God to allow Him to retain His holiness – unsullied – and at the same time exact punishment for the sinful disobedience of all men. This was in order that sinful man could be accepted into relationship with God. This plan of salvation is His creation and it centers in the Sinless Son of God paying the penalty of sin to God by a substitutionary death. This was the core of the Pauline Gospel and which was restored in the Reformation. It is called the Penal Subsitutionary Atonement. But increasingly evangelicals are denying that this is a needed part of the gospel. It is not new to deny PSA. Charles Finney, evangelist of the 19th century, denied this more than a century ago. But in recent times more and more evangelicals reject this central feature of the gospel. Joel Green of Fuller Seminary and Mark D. Baker with a misleading title “Recovering the Scandal of the Cross” suggested that PSA was based on a mistaken view of the concept of the wrath of God. They suggested it would promote a child abuse model of the Atonement.

So the total depravity of man is no longer the primary view of evangelicals. Some are rejecting it outright – and publicly. For others, it is simply being ignored or filed away as old business. The reason for and necessity of the Gospel was because of the total sinfulness of mankind. The current scene is like a medical doctor making a misdiagnosis. We all know that medically the diagnosis is absolutely critical. For without a correct diagnosis a successful solution is impossible. So in preaching the gospel the diagnosis of the sinfulness of man is absolutely crucial. Get the spiritual diagnosis wrong and you get the gospel wrong. It is the starting point of the gospel. If man is not a sinner he really doesn’t need a savior. If man can deal with his own deficiencies by law keeping and short cut mystical spiritualities, he can save himself with a little assistance from God.

Conversely, many current new evangelical gospels and spiritualities have diminished the absolute Holiness of God. He is a kindly old gentleman that enjoys to give sinful mankind a pass without any consideration of His holiness. Man’s sin isn’t really that much of a hindrance for God. He is bigger and more loving than to allow man’s sin to be any kind of obstacle to a loving relationship. In the end sinful man and a holy God can have a negotiated settlement. God apparently accepts the creative new spiritualities of sinful man and man is allowed to make spiritual shortcuts and end runs around the wrath of God and His holiness.

The Contemplatives simply disregard sin as a problem at all. For contemplatives every man is after all a part of the divine essence. Every human actually contains a part of divinity in his inner being. The reason humans have problems and feel separated from God is because the inner man has become cluttered and plugged up with all kinds of distractions. These distractions have to be taken away so the inner divine flame of God can be accessed and heard. So the mind has to be silenced because it is the repository of all the things that cover and hide the inner divinity. Consequently, techniques are produced to silence the mind. But the mind doesn’t easily go silent. So a mind clearing procedure is used. A chosen word (mantra) must be repeated again and again…(sometimes 20 minutes) until the mind becomes silent and a different and altered-state of consciousness is attained. Into the silence the inner divinity can easily relate and to the all pervasive divine mind. Now voices purported to be God are easily heard and accepted. It is this altered-state that is called “intimacy” with God. Two terms are code words for the contemplative experience: “Spiritual Formation” and “Intimacy.” In this plan Jesus is an unnecessary savior but an eastern guru of peace and existential false joy.

The New Apostolic Reformation offers a salvation from the surrounding culture of sin and evil. Sin is somehow picked up from all the evil rampant in the culture. They suggest that governmental dominion over evil can cure it. Their solution is to eliminate the sinful culture that surrounds us by extra-biblical spiritual warfare techniques. The Cross’s answer to sin is seen as preparatory but not finally effective. Surrounding sin in the culture must be eliminated and newly anointed false apostles must become cultural rulers. The culture will become more or less holy and Christians can live the good life until Jesus returns to observe the elimination of evil by his apostles/prophets and spiritual warriors. The catch is that Jesus said it was not the things (from outside) that defile us, but rather the evil within that gives rise to all forms of evil.Sinful man has three spiritual realities:

1. We deserve to die as the penalty of sin.

2. We deserve to bear God’s wrath.

3. We are separated from a Holy God by our sins.Jesus who was a perfect and holy man took upon Himself the guilt and penalty of our sin. Jesus perfect life is credited to the sinners account and sinful man is acceptable to a Holy God. Believers are reconciled to God and have been given the promise of Eternal Life.

The Truth of False Teachings

For more about the “whistle blowing” ministry of 4 Truth Ministry, please see our About page as well as our False Movements page which lays out several false teachings/teachers found within evangelicalism.

Another great “whistle blowing” ministry is Christian Research Network.

“For if someone comes and proclaim another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the am you accepted you put up with it readily enough ” (2 Cor. 11:4 ESV)

In Galatians 1:7-9 Paul speaks in more severe tones to those who would change the Gospel:“not that there is another one [gospel], but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, ‘let him be accursed.”‘ The word metastrepsai, here translated as “distort,” could actually be translated as “reverse.” The Judaizers, who did believe in the death and resurrection of Christ, were adding the act of circumcision to that belief, thus distorting, even reversing, the gospel itself.

God is ever concerned about the purity of His word.  In Deuteronomy 4:2 He warns the Israelites through Moses, “You shall not add to the word which I command you nor take from it.”  (ESV) The utter seriousness of either adding to or subtracting from Scripture is stated dramatically at the end of the book of Revelation:

“I warn everyone who hears the words of this prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of this book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book ” (Rev. 22:18-19 ESV)

Christ’s Church, though it is not to be “of the world,” does exist within a particular culture.  The Church, in every age, tries to present the Gospel in a culturally relevant manner: styles of teaching, preaching, and worship may flex with the changing culture as old and new methods and media are tried and kept or discarded. For instance, keyboards replace organs and pianos in the worship service, typewriters and mimeograph machines are supplanted by computers and laser printers.  Overhead projectors give way to video projection screens and power point presentations.  These are just part of living in our particular culture–using them is not necessarily or inherently good or bad.  The Church is free to use the tools of the culture, but must be careful, as always, regarding the content of what is presented.

Presenting the Gospel in a culturally relevant manner is one thing, but often preachers and teachers are tempted to make the Gospel itself more “attractive” to the people at large–always a very tricky enterprise.  There is danger in integrating the ideas of reigning popular culture into the Gospel.  Within our culture, change may be a good thing, but within the Gospel, change is never a good thing. The difficulty lies in discerning the changes, in spotting the tampering.

Paul was concerned about this very thing:

“Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, … By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. … and last of all he appeared to me also…” (I Cor. 15:1-8 NIV)

Back in the 1970’s, a teaching called “measuring the mixture,” was an attempt to identify the works of the flesh that were mixed with the work and gifts of the Spirit.  The phrase is apt and the idea may be applied to the Scriptures and the Gospel.  The Church must be very careful how it handles the Gospel “recipe.” It can ruin the recipe by additions or deletions or by changing proportions.  For example, adding sugar to a gas tank will not sweeten a car’s engine.  Adding heroin to sugar is a potentially deadly proposition.  Protein is necessary for a healthy diet, but snake venom, which may be 85% protein, is a toxic source of protein that should be avoided. Even adding an inert “filler” a substance dilutes its effectiveness.  Not long ago we heard of a pharmacist who did just that with chemotherapy drugs.  Cancer patients who assumed they were taking the full dosage received a weakened amount of the drug, and several died because of it.

As they handle Scripture, and especially the Gospel, Christians must be like the Bereans who were constantly checking teachings against Scripture.  They were commended for constantly searching out truth (Acts 17:11)– they were carefully “measuring the mixture.”

Unfortunately, I think it is safe to say that there are not many people testing the content of the Gospel these days.  Blending the Gospel with cultural additives has become the institutionalized method of evangelism.  There is rarely even an attempt to disguise the various additives!  It seems to be assumed that the gospel can be laced with just about any substance that might make it more attractive to the spiritual consumer.

Recently in Minneapolis, authorities tested the water of Lake Harriet, a popular swimming venue, finding dangerous levels of E. coli bacteria.  Warning signs were posted.  Nevertheless, many people walked right past the posted signs and entered the water.  Could they not read?  Did they not see the signs?  Did they think they were immune because they couldn’t see E. coli?  Did they assume they’d be safe because they knew about the danger?

Many preachers and teachers within the church promote non-biblical ideas and teachings.  There are a few in the Church who are posting warning signs at the edge of a contaminated Gospel.  Why do many Christians walk right past those signs?

Too often culturally-accepted ideas and messages are papered over with biblical sounding words and surface references to isolated scriptures–the result appears acceptable, safe.  Add some tolerance here, some diversity there, remove original sin, substitute self-esteem and the Gospel is reversed.  Add a requirement from Old Testament Law, add any kind of work to faith, and the Gospel is reversed. Paul would say that it is no Gospel at all A dab of Freud or a smidgen of Jung, both God-denying psychologists, invalidates the Gospel, no matter how “helpful” it appears to be.  Naive believers begin trusting foreign ideas for their salvation and/or sanctification.  The Bible’s God-breathed teaching, which is more than adequate for the believer’s life, is diluted, distorted, and made to seem inadequate.

Posting warning signs against these mixed, blended “gospels” is derided for being out-of-touch with ecumenism’s tolerance and diversity.  Post-modernism resists absolute truth claims.  Individual preference reigns–go ahead, enjoy your own gospel-blend–don’t pass judgment on mine.  By current standards, Paul is seen as arrogant legalistic, and authoritarian for saying that adding anything to the gospel he preached was anathema, even if it was preached by “an angel from heaven.”(Gal. 1:8)

Paint stores have one or several base paints, to which hundreds of color variations can be added. The Gospel is not a “base paint,” meant to be tinted or shaded according to the whim of a customer.  Any variation distorts the Gospel message.

The Gospel is the core of the Church’s message; the Church is to proclaim the true, pure Gospel recipe with no additives, no deletions, no distortion, no reversal.  Each individual Christian (together, the Church) must “measure the mixture.” That means each Christian must know the Gospel–know it well enough to realize when something is not right.  Even if it is unpopular and viewed as arrogant presumption, we must post the warning signs of clear biblical teaching.  We must, in loving and humble obedience to Christ, always be measuring the mixture!

The Truth of False Teachings

For more about the “whistle blowing” ministry of 4 Truth Ministry, please see our About page as well as our False Movements page which lays out several false teachings/teachers found within evangelicalism.

Another great “whistle blowing” ministry is Christian Research Network.