Category Archives: Truth

Recognizing Counterfeits

Posted by Dan C. on

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” – Acts 20:29-30

Here we find Paul warning some Ephesian brethren what was going to happen when he left them. False teachers (fierce wolves) would attack from outside the church and false teachers would arise from within. Paul didn’t tell them it “might” happen, he said it “will” happen. Both types of false teachers have the same goal, to draw away disciples after themselves.

Their chief tactic is scripture twisting; “speaking perverse things; concerning God, and Christ, and the Gospel; distorted things, wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction, and that of others; things that are disagreeable to the word of God, and pernicious to the souls of men.” (John Gill 1697-1771)

Countless books have been written about false religions, dangerous cults, and spiritual ‘snake-oil’ salesmen, sometimes by the counterfeiters themselves (about other counterfeits and Christs true church).

How do you tell the genuine article from the counterfeit? You can try and read the countless books, but how do you know which ones to read, which author to trust?

I have a suggestion – why not start with the infallible book by the infallible author – the Bible. After all, the chief tactic used by false teachers everywhere is to distort the written word of God. When you know the real deal, and a ‘poser’ enters the room, spiritual ‘flags’ pop up, warning bells sound.

The more scripture you know, the easier it gets to spot ’em. You listen to what they say (they always have a lot to say) and something doesn’t ring true. Examine their words under the light of scripture and if they’re ‘playing Twister’, you’ll know. The deeper the written word is ‘hidden in your heart’, the sooner you will spot them. The sooner they are spotted and dealt with, the less damage they inflict. The less damage then inflict, the easier it becomes to restore believers who have been deceived.

Knowledge of the written word of God is key to the gift of discernment.

Truth, Lies and Horseback Riding

Posted by Dan C. on

You are probably thinking that’s a rather silly title for a blog post. Maybe, maybe not. If it stimulated your curiosity to the point you are actually reading this, it accomplished the desired goal of the author. Therefore, it makes at least a little bit of sense. Agreed? No on to the point. . .

Months ago, maybe even years ago in some cases, while studying various aspects of Christianity in light of scripture (a favorite pastime of mine), I began to see beliefs in Christendom that had little or no scriptural support, and that some of those questionable beliefs had achieved the status of ‘doctrine’, and to disagree with them was labeled minimally as growth hindering misunderstanding of scripture, and blasphemy deserving of Hell at the other end of the ‘error spectrum’.  I had then, and then still have now, a soul deep conviction that God wrote the Book and therefore what was taught as truth, but didn’t agree with the context of scripture, was wrong or false in some measure and in some cases, was an outright lie.

The unavoidable question brought to this inquiring mind was, “How did these falsehoods and lies end up so widely believed by professing Christians? The answer arrived at after a considerable amount of studying scripture, researching a range of historical resources, and comparing them both to widely held beliefs of professing believers was. and IS, precisely this:

The ‘accepted’ lie always rides in on the back of truth. Without an element of scriptural truth upon which to hitch a ride, the lie never survives.

A prime example from the early church would be the Pelagian heresy that denied any adverse effect of Adam’s sin on the rest of mankind that was birthed after the Fall. That lie didn’t get very far and was condemned as heresy. the ‘Semi-Pelagianism that followed acknowledged that Adam’s sin affected of us, but man is still able in and of himself to cooperate with God in the salvation of his soul . That was also condemned as heresy (at the Council of Orange), but is in fact alive and well in both major camps of Christianity. No segment of Christianity has ever admitted to being Semi-Pelagian, although a synergistic Gospel is by nature, exactly that.

There you have one man’s explanation of the connection between truth, lies, and horseback riding. The initial lie, without an element of truth, failed. The second lie, while admitting ‘some’ truth, made a modified version of the first lie perfectly acceptable, and even pleasing to human sensibilities.

There have been other examples of lies riding in on the back of truth, some with a longer history of ‘acceptance’ than others. The two most damaging to both the cause of Christ and the souls of men are 1) that Christ established a single religious organization as the only true church with an ‘infallible’ human as head of that church and 2) that God ‘accepts’ us unconditionally, WITH our sin.

Both have a segment of truth. Christ did declare he would establish His church on earth. God does LOVE unconditionally – it’s His nature and one of His divine attributes.

The church that Christ established is made up of those persons for whom he died, from every tongue and tribe and nation – those whom He purchased with his own blood. We weren’t put on layaway!

If God could ‘accept’ us into His Kingdom WITH our sin, His Son died in vain. The first point of the Gospel is that Christ DIED for our sin!

"A Spoonful of sugar. . .

Posted by Dan C. on

. . .helps the medicine go down”

Sugar with medicine is intended to prevent the recipient of the medicine from spitting out that which he/she needs.

Too much sugar might counteract some of the healing benefits contained in the medicine.

All sugar and no medicine is nothing more than a placebo without the ability to assist in healing the body.

Think about that axiom again in the context of speaking truth with love . Compare ‘sugar’ with love and ‘medicine’ with the truth of scripture.

I know, pretty sophomoric comparison, but maybe it makes a point.  I can’t get it out of my head. Maybe it’s the Reader’s Digest version of the Al Mohler article I read recently.

Scripture on Passing Judgment

Posted by Dan C. on

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24)

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 17:15). 

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).

No Truth Without Love, No Love Without Truth

Posted by Dan C. on

This is a short excerpt from an Al Mohler commentary found here.

“Courage is far too rare in many Christian circles. This explains the surrender of so many denominations, seminaries, and churches to the homosexual agenda. But no surrender on this issue would have been possible, if the authority of Scripture had not already been undermined.

Liberal churches have redefined compassion to mean that the church changes its message to meet modern demands. They argue that to tell a homosexual he is a sinner is uncompassionate and intolerant. This is like arguing that a physician is intolerant because he tells a patient she has cancer. But, in the culture of political correctness, this argument holds a powerful attraction.

Biblical Christians know that compassion requires telling the truth, and refusing to call sin something sinless. To hide or deny the sinfulness of sin is to lie, and there is no compassion in such a deadly deception. True compassion demands speaking the truth in love–and there is the problem. Far too often, our courage is more evident than our compassion.”

Again, the the complete article is here. 

Christians and pastors of Christian churches have been accused of spending too much time talking about homosexuality, and not giving ‘equal time’ to other issues they (Christians and Christian pastors) consider sinful. There is probably a measure of truth in that, but what that measure is – who knows? One could also argue that to the degree that homosexual agenda is thrust upon us (crammed down the throats of all Americans) such an imbalance is completely and logically warranted.

As believers we would do well to adopt, as a principle for discussion, the mantra “No Truth Without Love, No Love Without Truth”.

Answering tough questions. . .

Posted by Dan C. on

“I think it’s a serious mistake to evaluate answers to difficult questions by imagining whether a non-believer is likely to respond positively or not. Jesus never did that. He simply proclaimed the truth. That’s the same approach we need to take. If unbelievers reject the answer anyway (and some always will, regardless of the cleverness of our strategies), then that’s not necessarily an indication of failure on the ambassador’s part.” – Phil Johnson

Read more here. . .

Evangelical Golden Calves

Posted by Dan C. on

There is a bit of a buzz in Blogland these days that seems to have begun over a post that took issue with discernment/apologetics Web sites. Amidst the discussion, Phil Johnson over at Pyromaniacs had this to say:

“The overwhelming majority of today’s evangelical sophisticates would clearly prefer it if no one ever criticized evangelical Golden Calves. Rampant error doesn’t unsettle them in the least. They are quite happy to live with it and even actively make peace with it.”

This post is not continuing that particular discussion, but it addresses “evangelical Golden Calves”, of which there are many. Be that as it may, on this day, celebrated as Good Friday, the day Christ died for our sins, of chief concern is the unscriptural notion that God “accepts” us “just as we are”.

The reason God sent His Son to earth with the specific mission to die for OUR sins is because a Holy, Perfect and Just God CANNOT and WILL NOT “accept” us “just as we are”! It’s the theme of the entire Canon of Scripture! If God could, or would, accept us “with” our sin, Christ died in vain!

Somewhere in the history of evangelicalism, the very scriptural idea that Christ bids us “come as you are” to the Cross of Calvary, believe in and receive Christ as Savior and confess Him as Lord, morphed into God “accepts” you just as you are.

The result of that notion might be auditoriums with stadium seats filled with the legions of the falsely converted (and thus unconverted), with a few scattered genuine believers who confronted the Cross of Christ and their sin, realized their desperate condition, and dealt with their sin by repenting and believing in the One God sentenced to death because He could NOT “accept” them WITH their sin.

We hate con-artists who prey on the unsuspecting, who offer false promises and steal their hard earned savings, yet many of us (evangelicals) flock to the spiritual con-artists “selling” a false gospel!

Yes, “come” as you are to the Cross of Calvary; and standing, kneeling, or prostrate at the foot of the Cross, face your sin, and heed the words of Your Savior: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

In the words of the time honored hymn:

“Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”

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God ‘is’ Love!

Posted by Dan C. on

What is God Like ?- Part 7

“There are three things told us in Scripture concerning the nature of God. First, ‘God is spirit’ (John 4:24). In the Greek there is no indefinite article, and to say ‘God is a spirit’ is most objectionable, for it places Him in a class with others. God is ‘spirit’ in the highest sense. Because He is ‘spirit’ He is incorporeal, having no visible substance. Had God a tangible body, He would not be omni-present, He would be limited to one place; because He is ‘spirit’ He fills heaven and earth. Secondly, ‘God is light’ (1 John 1:5), which is the opposite of darkness. In Scripture ‘darkness’ stands for sin, evil, death, and ‘light’ for holiness, goodness, life. ‘God is light’ means that He is the sum of all excellency. Thirdly, ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). It is not simply that God ‘loves,’ but that He is Love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature.” (Arthur Pink)

That God ‘is’ love, not merely that it is ‘in’ His nature to love, defies human comprehension. Our attempts to define God’s love are framed by our own conceptions of what ‘love’ means, and what it should look like. Sadly, the tendency to define God’s love in human terms has also invaded His Bride, the church, to the extent that characteristics and attributes of God clearly set forth in scripture that contradict our definitions, are rarely mentioned from the pulpit, are explained away, or are simply tossed out. Our ‘Christian’ minds have been so well-conditioned by man-centered humanistic psychology, that we can no longer conceive of a God who ‘is’ love displaying wrath and judgment. So what does scripture tells us about God’s love?

1. The love of God is not influenced by anything we do or don’t do. “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.  But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deut 7:7-8). The reason any of us loves God is because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19).

2. God’s love is eternal. Since God is eternal, and because He ‘is’ love, His love is also eternal. In Jeremiah 31:3, God declared His everlasting love for His people even though they were in exile, while promised deliverance from bondage. “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” While the prophet Jeremiah spoke directly to God’s Old Testament covenant people, the Apostle Paul expressed the same eternal truth to believers in Ephesus, whether they were Jews or Gentiles: “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—” (Ephesians 1:4-5). 

3. God’s live is sovereign. Since God is sovereign, and since He is love, His love is sovereign. This truth also follows from the eternal nature of God’s love. Our Ephesians passage (Ephesians 1:4-5) tells us that God, because in His love it pleased Him to do so, predetermined to have a people unto Himself that He would present as a love gift to His Son (John 6:37-40). Once again, the Apostle Paul, drawing upon God’s  words to Moses, reminded New testament believers of the sovereign nature of God’s love:  “Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” (Romans 9:13-16).

4. God’s love is infinite and unchangeable. For God SO loved. . .(John 3:16). “Everything about God is infinite. His essence fills heaven and earth. His wisdom is illimitable, for He knows everything of the past, present, and future. His power is unbounded, for there is nothing too hard for Him. So His love is without limit. There is a depth to it which none can fathom; there is a height to it which none can scale; there is a length and breadth to it which defies measurement, by any creature standard.” (Arthur Pink). 

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17). All of God’s attributes are forever, as is the character of His beloved Son: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).

5. God’s love is infinitely gracious. For God SO LOVED that He gave His Son to die for OUR sin! Because the wages of sin is death, by His own unchangeable decree, and because since the Fall of man every human being has been born spiritually dead and separated from God for eternity, God sentenced His own beloved Son to die so that all who would come to believe in the Son would be reconciled to Himself and find eternal life.

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:1-9)

Not only did God send His own Son to die on our behalf, when we would not even seek Him on our own (Romans 3:10-18), God Himself draws us to the Cross of Calvary (John 6:44). Without a supernatural work of God in the human heart, no one would choose Christ! Can a dead man see? Can a dead man hear? Can a dead man choose? When God exposes a man to the true nature of his sin and lost condition, and presents to that man His Son and Savior, that man will run to the Cross!   That, dear friends, is the irresistible grace of God who ‘is’ Love!  

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6