End of the Year

In this episode, Brother Jonathan closes out the year talking about an e-mail he received, changes to the Podcast format, the most listened to episodes of 2017, and episodes coming up in 2018.

 

Here are the show notes:

 

End of the Year

S1 EP47

Remnant Bible Fellowship

 

1. Introduction
   1. We’re just going over stuff for the end of the year. No lesson in this episode.
2. Email from Stuart
   1. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Stuart. Here is what he asked:
      1. “I have listened to a couple of your podcasts and found them, as far as I can tell, biblical. My question is with all the comments around the heresy/cultish leanings of Gwen shambling. Are you affiliated with her? If so how do I know you are on the level? I grow weary of all the stuff with NAR, IHOP, Bethel, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and the hoard of others that a fellow has to sort through in order to not go down the broad path. Thanks for your time, Stuart.”
   2. I replied to Stuart and I thanked him for making me aware of something. Apparently there is a woman by the name of Gwen Shamblin who has a group by the name of “Remnant Fellowship Church”. They deal with weight loss and stuff like that, because she wrote a book that was popular…I guess. To make it clear: we have nothing to do with her or her church. It is just coincidence that our name and hers is so similar. They’re not identical though. The difference is that we have the Bible in the center of what we do.
   3. Stuart made a comment also about all stuff with NAR, IHOP, Bethel, Benny Hinn, and ole Kenny Copeland. I will be very emphatic in emphasizing that I have nothing to do with any of these groups or people. I will plainly state that they’re heretical. That may bother some people, but it is easy to prove by examining what they do and teach by the scriptures. Stuart is also right in his comment about how there are SO many false teachers today that you have to “sort through”. I’ve said that multiple times before. This is why it is so important to be consistently reading and studying the Bible yourself. It’s like the old illustration: how can a cashier spot counterfeit bills so easily? It’s because he knows the real thing so well.
   4. You don’t have to understand every doctrine in the Bible. You don’t have to be a Ph.D. theologian. If you know the Bible well then it will protect you from deception. When someone says, “The Bible says this.” Then you can immediately call to mind a scripture reference that plainly says that’s not true. The best protection you have against deception is knowing the text of the Bible.
   5. Also, on a side note, most of these ministries that a deceptive will not want to discuss these things. Any group that has a “follow the leader” mindset is generally wrong. Any group that has a “don’t question” or “don’t touch the Lord’s anointed” mindset is almost assuredly wrong. Christians, and pastors/preachers/teachers are supposed to be Christians, are commanded to be humble and to be ready to receive correction and examination about their doctrine and conduct. We are commanded to be likeminded and all speaking the same thing and teaching the same thing. We are supposed to come together and pray and reason from the scriptures about all things that there can be biblical unity. Biblical unity is just that…biblical. It is centered around the scriptures as the true objective authority that it is. Your pastor and teachers are subject to the scriptures. Even prophets in the Bible are said to be examined and proved. Don’t continue with any church or group that will not examine themselves or that will not discuss such things as doctrine. It’s very popular today to not care about those “divisive” things. The thing you have to remember is that Christianity at its very core is divisive. Christ Himself told us that: but it divides truth from error, light from darkness, sheep from goats.
   6. So, thank you Stuart for your email. If anyone ever has a question or comment, feel free to email me at Brotherjon@remnantbiblefellowship.com. You can also message me through the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RBFellowship.

• The Baptism of the Spirit thing
  1. I had mentioned a couple of months ago that I was going to be doing an episode, or series of episodes, on the issue of the Baptism of the Spirit. Certain things came up and I believed that they were more important. I have not yet ruled out going over that totally, but there are several things that are really on my mind to take care of first. I will probably revisit that in the future. If it’s particularly on your mind you can always request that I focus on that. Really guys, asking and requesting certain topics does take priority. If you have a question I want to be able to help you to get a sound Biblical answer. If I don’t know, or don’t have the particular knowledge necessary to answer your question, I will say so and try to point out where you can get an answer.

1. Changes in the Podcast
   1. So, as we finish out 2017 there are some things changing with the podcast. We have some new equipment which may make it sound different. The recording process is changing slightly. If you were able to tell on the last episode, my wife’s testimony sounded a little thin. That’s because that was the first thing recorded using the new process. It’s not going to continue to sound that way. I am still working with my friend Jeff Holbrook, from the Weekly Catch Up podcast over on the Relatecasts network, to make sure the audio quality does not go down at all. I’m not used to recording through a mixer and using an XLR connection so I’m still figuring out how to EQ things well. So if you notice a difference in tone that’s what it is. Any questions or comments, email me or comment on the Facebook page.
   2. Another thing, we’re in the process of getting new artwork made up through 99designs.com. It’s an awesome company that sets up contests with tons of graphic designers and artists to compete for your purpose. They are currently working on a new logo and artwork for us. It should, according to the Lord’s will, be up for the first episode of 2018. These sorts of things do help make the appeal of the podcast go up I guess. I don’t particularly like focusing so much on appeal in a business type way because this is a ministry, but if it helps people to find the podcast more easily without compromising any scriptural mandate then I guess it can fall under the category of using the world but not abusing it like Paul said.
   3. Also, in iTunes, where the podcast is listed, Apple has requested that podcasters use certain tags in their information before publishing to iTunes. It’s not a big deal for us. For some other podcasts it’s creating a lot of headache. But you may notice if you listen to the podcast though there that the info on the episodes is slightly different. Whereas before I listed only the topical episodes as “episodes”, like on the webpage on the buttons to the right, now they will all be listed as episodes—at least in iTunes. They are also starting to be categorized by “season” too. So everything up to the end of 2017 will fall under season 1, and with the start of 2018 we’ll begin season 2. Again, at least that’s how it will be described in iTunes.
2. Format
   1. Now, in the past the format of the show has been quite simple. Sometimes I will answer a question and that’s the whole episode. It may only be 15 minutes long. A lot of people have liked that. Starting with 2018, season 2, the formatting will be different. We’re trying to make the formatting of the podcast be a little more consistent. So I’m probably going to start answering a question, if there is one, at the beginning of each episode. Then, after that, if there are any announcements or news I’ll go over it. Finally, after those things, we’ll do a lesson or play a sermon. That is where we’re headed formatting-wise.
3. Most Popular episodes
   1. So, as it is the end of the year, I thought it would be good to mention what were the most popular episodes this past year.
   2. In 2017, the most listened to episode was “Bible Versions Part 3: Textual Criticism and Manuscript Evidence.” The next most listened to episode was “Bible Versions: A look at James White’s book The King James Only Controversy.” If you plan to go listen to those episodes, just note that you should listen to the whole series if you want it to make sense. I especially like the Introduction episode myself. I think there are a lot of practical things in it that most people don’t think about. After those two, the most listened to episode is “On Bible Reading.” I’m a little surprised by that too. But just a week or two ago our podcast was made available through Spotify, and that really seems to be where a lot of people are now listening through. So, maybe it’s because the podcast is being found more easily now.

• Coming in 2018
  1. Okay, now coming up in 2018, we have a lot planned. There has really been a lot on my mind this past year about how there is very little effective teaching about the practical Christian life. People learn –isms and not how to overcome sin or how to seek God. There is this big gap between what is said in the Bible and the young believer today’s experience; and there are few that can give practical answers. I was just talking to a young man the other day that had become disillusioned with Christianity because he was not able to get any answers to his questions. He apostasized because of it. He thought that there were none because no one could give him any. It’s really evident when going over the stats for this past year what people are really wanting. Our most listened to episode number-wise might have been released back in January of 2017, but the one released on Bible reading is only 5 downloads behind it…even though it was released in mid-November. That shows you how much people are wanting practical instruction to fill the gap in what is being said and done in churches and what is needed in their lives. They want to know how to overcome sin. They want to know how to seek God. They might not care so much about their denomination’s form of baptism and why it’s so important. Baptism is important, of course. But knowing how to overcome sin moreso.
  2. It’s for reasons like that, which are exactly what I went through as a young Christian, that the Lord has impressed upon me, I believe, to focus on practical things for a while. So this coming year, according to the Lord’s will, we’ll be going over the following things:
     1. The Atonement
     2. Repentance and Faith

• Assurance of Salvation

1. Counting the Cost
2. The Will of God
3. Seeking God

• The Importance of the Word
• The Importance of Prayer

1. Abiding in Christ
2. Temptation and Overcoming Sin
3. What is it to be “Spiritual”?

• The Hope of the Resurrection
• The Coming Delusion
• Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

1. That’s the list of what we’ve got planned. The Lord could change something, but so far this is what’s coming up. I’ve been working on the stuff for the Atonement for two weeks now, and it should be the first episode of the New Year.
2. There will be a 30 second promo released first. That is kind of a “trailer” for the podcast in general. It’s going to be listed as episode 00 of season 2. If you share it on social media or something, when it comes out, it will help us out.

• Plug for Social Media and Ratings
  1. Speaking of that, some of you may not be aware that podcasts can be rated in most apps, and also on Youtube. Yes, we release through Youtube also—though it’s our least listened to destination. I’m not someone who likes self-promotion, especially when it comes to ministry, but it helps out our Podcast when you rate and share it. Commenting helps also. Places like iTunes allow you to rate us, and even Google allows you to rate the webpage, and you can even like the Facebook page. It really helps the Podcast to get more exposure so other people are likely to find us. For example, we’re making the podcast episodes be more consistent for the same reason. Certain apps make podcasts “featured” as it were if your artwork looks good, you have good consistent content, and good ratings from listeners. All this helps us to reach more people. So, if you listen regularly, please consider rating the podcast somewhere like iTunes, Google, or even Facebook.
  2. Any questions or comments can be sent to the email provided or the Facebook page. I try to make sure that I keep up with them daily as best as I can. Thanks for listening. I look forward to starting on the Atonement in about a week and a half.

 

Here's our new episode:

Are spirits bothering you? How to get rid of them...for good.

In this episode, Brother Jonathan tells how to stop spirits from harassing you or bothering you. There is only one answer to this problem.

________________________________________

Are spirits bothering you? How to get rid of them…for good.

Episode 26

Remnant Bible Fellowship

 

1. Introduction
   1. This is not going to be a bait and switch thing where I talk a lot about how wonderful something is and convince you to do it and then don’t give it to you. If you listen, and truly take it to heart, I guarantee that whatever spiritual oppression you are going through will end; and you can make certain it does not return. You don’t have to buy anything, and you don’t need any special equipment. Just listen.
2. How doors are opened
   1. When spirits, or whatever you want to call them, start causing trouble—sometimes in very frightening ways—it usually has one thing in common in everyone’s own testimony: you opened the door to them. You can’t look into spiritual things and not expect a spiritual response. It just doesn’t work that way.
   2. Now, it’s not every case that someone went looking for spiritual things that opened a door. Sometimes there is a generational influence. If you had someone in your family who was heavily involved in spiritual things (mother/father, grandmother/grandfather, etc.) then you may just by your relationship to them have been brought under certain influence. It’s usually perceived, especially when you’re young, as a “sensitivity”, or an ability sometimes, think Anne of Green Gables. These people see things as children and generally just come to the conclusion that they are “special”. I was talking to a young woman at work one time about these things and she just broke down crying and told me that she used to see this man in her home when she was a child. The man would get angry at her, even hitting and bruising her, and her parents would just think that it was her imagination. You know, and “imaginary friend”. Then they would ask where she got her bruises and scrapes from.
   3. Other times you can just come under the oppression and influence of these spirits by happenstance. You buy a new home, and it starts. Sometimes that’s the case.
   4. A lot of times though it begins after someone gets curious about something, a practice or craft, and they start looking into it—something like ghost-hunting or paranormal investigation. When they start practicing it or trying it themselves, maybe even skeptically, they find that there is something really to it. Supernatural things begin to happen, and it is curiosity and fascination that keep them into it. Eventually though, it can devolve into a bondage, and quite frightening.
   5. If you have ever been involved with any of the following, you have reason to be concerned:
      1. Astrology, Satanism-Black Mass, drinking blood, dowsing, fortune-telling, ANY kind of magic, ANY kind of witchcraft or sorcery, channeling/medium, tarot cards, Santeria, psychic readings, Hypnotism (whether by a magician or a psychologist), Ouija boards, Séances, parapsychology, psychic surgery, rosicrucianism, spiritism/necromancy, paganism (whether some ancient form or neo-paganism), ANYTHING involving sacrifices or offerings (blood or animal), Kabbalah, Eastern Mysticism, New Age Movement, UFOs, “alien” abduction, goddess worship, Wicca, Mormon baptism, meditation, yoga, ANY altered states of consciousness, Ghost hunting, paranormal investigation, charms, crystals, talismans, ankhs, idols/statues of a spiritual nature (e.g. fertility goddess, Isis/Horus, etc.), praying or communicating with spirits, the dead, or “the universe”, hallucinogenic drugs, ESP, telepathy, astral projection, reiki, or anything of the like. Even games like Dungeons and Dragons or Magic the Gathering are able to open doors to these things. While it may not always happen, the exception is not the rule.
      2. It is through these sorts of practices that people penetrate and get involved with powerful spiritual things from which they have no real protection. They become their playthings.

• Signs and Symptoms
  1. So let’s consider some signs of spiritual oppression.
     1. Any paranormal phenomena that includes, but is not limited to: strange lights in the room, taps or banging on walls, nightmares, strange voices or visible presence (a person or thing), cold spots and/or strange smells, even physical attacks on the body such as choking, waking up levitating over your bed, scratching, pushing, and hitting. I’ve heard testimonies of all these things.
     2. There is another issue to consider: possession. Many occultic activities encourage the person to ask or invite a spirit into them. Sometimes the fact that a person is willfully participating in these practices gives the spirit “permission” to enter them. When this is the case the person may see some of these manifestations: indwelling of the spirit in the person, unusual strength, personality changes, perceivable conflict within the person (wanting help but also recoiling in fear or anger from what may help them), clairvoyance (the person may show knowledge that is not possible for them to know), speaking with previously unknown foreign languages, multiple voices, or a distorted voice (a low and guttural voice for instance), transference (an unclean or evil spirit can move in and out of people who are unprotected), and intense opposition to traditional religion. Those are all normal signs of possession.

• There is one more thing that is a sign or symptom of this kind of spiritual opposition: they can be delivered almost instantaneously from it. These spiritual beings are very intelligent, they are very powerful, they are very frightening (they want you to fear them), and very, very deceitful; and that is provable too. I’ll tell you how later. They will come to you under a banner of peace, love, and light, and will offer you all sorts of things, but it is only to draw you under their influence.

1. Common advice that is wrong
   1. If you came under the power of these things by the New Age Movement, or Eastern Mysticism, then you were lied to about there being no real evil. There are truly evil and unclean spirits out there that want to hurt you. The NAM tells people to “send light and love to the person” because they are taught that these things are only a projection of their own fears and whatnot. That’s completely false, and if you’re listening to this you may have found that out already.
   2. If you came under the power of these things by Satanism, Wicca, or any form of craft and magick then you have been taught to just use charms, or spells, offerings, or circles and pentagrams on the floor. You know, “if you’re in the circle you’re fine.” These things will not protect you. They are usually told to you to draw you in and give you a sense of power and security over these powerful spiritual beings. Dwell long enough in these things and you may find out how helpless you really are.
   3. Do NOT call for a Catholic priest to come and bless your house. It may make you feel better, but it has no intrinsic power at all to have a man come to your house, sprinkle so-called holy water, wave around some incense, and leave. The ceremony might make you feel better, but it will not really help.
   4. There is only one way to be delivered completely and continually from these things.
2. What the real issue is
   1. Before I go over some testimonies from people who have proven what I’m going to tell you, I want you to consider the implications of what’s really going on. If you are being spiritually oppressed, how much do you want it to go away? Usually, people who live with these things live in fear. It really is frightening what some people go through. People wake up being choked by an unseen hand, people wake up levitating off their beds, they see people in their house that aren’t physically there, they hear footsteps up and down their stairs and running up and down the hall when they are home alone, some people truly know that there is some evil spirit that is indwelling them, influencing them, and sometimes controlling them, and others know what it is like to have something continuously push them towards self-mutilation, cutting, and suicide—and I know from experience what that is like. How much is it worth it to you for it all to stop for good?
   2. The real issue is that you have been deceived. You’ve been lied to about the whole paradigm of how the spiritual world really works. I’m not talking about an “it’s all in your head” thing. I mean that you truly have been lied to if you’ve been involved in any of those practices and followed them. Why is it that people think that they should just believe other people or spirits? Because they tell you some things that might be right sometimes about events or people? You have no objective reason to believe that they ARE telling you the truth. Especially if it benefits them.
   3. The real issue is that the Bible really is the Word of God, and you’ve been living on the wrong side of it. This is something that I challenge you to prove. Don’t take my word for it. If you’ve been dealing with any form of spiritual oppression or opposition like these things then you have the perfect opportunity to prove it. Let me give you some testimonies to this fact.
3. Testimonies
   1. Johanna Michaelsen was a young woman who had all her life seen manifestations of spirits and even communed with some of them. She saw nothing wrong with them, though at times she became quite frightened by what they did. She became a New Age follower and eventually came under the apprenticeship of a psychic surgeon in Mexico City. The psychic would channel a spirit and that would guide her in diagnosing and treating things. There were supernatural healings. Johanna herself would meditate and descend into her “laboratory” (altered state of consciousness) and commune with her spirit guides. One of them professed himself to be Jesus. Certain things came to pass that made her question what she was into, and after taking a leave of absence from her work there in Mexico City came to believe that she was being deceived about what she was into. She confronted her spirit guides thus:
      1. “You are not the Jesus in the Bible, are you,” I challenged the figure of “Jesus” which stood before me in the shadows. There was no reply. His eyes were closed. Mamacita [her other spirit guide] stood close by him. “Then I command you, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, tell me: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God uniquely incarnate in human flesh?” A violent flash—as though from a powerful bomb, brought the walls of my amethyst and gold laboratory down all around me. When I looked up, my counselors had vanished. (Johanna Michaelsen, The Beautiful Side of Evil (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1982), p. 154)
   2. A couple of years after Johanna Michaelsen published her book giving her testimony of these things, a man named Warren Smith found her book in a New Age bookstore. Warren had been involved with the NAM himself for many years, and his girlfriend Joy had been involved too. When an evil spirit began oppressing his girlfriend they exhausted everything that they knew and could find trying to rid themselves of its presence to no avail. Nothing would help them. Then Warren Smith found Johanna Michaelsen’s testimony and it struck him because they had the same background. He began taking notes out of the book on the floor of the bookstore. A random man came into the store and began angrily harassing him asking why he was looking at that book. The man didn’t even work at the store! Why did he care? Here’s Warren’s testimony:
      1. It took me a minute or two to pull myself together. It was as if the evil I had been reading about had suddenly walked into the store. And although it seemed weird, I had to ask myself if it was possible that “evil” was being exposed in the book. And was it possible that “evil” knew I was reading about it? Most frightening of all, was it possible that “evil” could pull a disturbed man off the street and into the bookstore to try to keep me from reading this book?
      2. When I finally finished the book, I put all my notes in my day pack and left the store with new resolve. We now had an entirely new approach to our problem. It was an approach I didn’t fully understand, but it had worked for Johanna. And though I didn’t know why, I believed her. As wild as her account was, I somehow knew it was true. I was anxious to try her suggestion.

• I didn’t say anything to Joy about my new findings. But the next morning when she became oppressed, I saw my opportunity to apply what I had learned. I asked Joy if we could go out to her mom’s backyard. I told her that I wanted to try dealing with the problem in a different way.

1. As we sat in the yard, I could see from Joy’s face that the presence was particularly strong. I spoke to her as gently and reassuringly as I could and told her not to be afraid. What I was going to try was new, and I thought it would help.
2. Reading from my notes the exact words that I had taken from Johanna’s book, I firmly addressed the presence. “Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I command you to be gone! I forbid your presence here. I claim the protection of the blood of Jesus upon us. Go where Jesus sends you!”
3. Woooosh! Joy’s face cleared immediately. The oppression was gone. Joy felt the man’s presence leave instantly—as if he had no choice. We were both amazed and deeply impressed.

• “What was that?” Joy asked in wonder.
• “I’m not sure,” was I could say. “But it has something to do with Jesus and a victory He won over evil on the cross of Calvary. Satan seems to represent the sum of all evil, and that evil was somehow mysteriously defeated when Christ died on the cross. I don’t pretend to understand, but it’s all written in the Bible, I guess.”

1. Whatever the case, we realized we had just come to a sudden and dramatic understanding that there is something incredibly powerful about calling on the name of Jesus. (Warren Smith, The Light that was Dark (Magalia, CA: Mountain Stream Press, 2nd ed. 3rd printing, August 2011), pp. 120-121)

1. Next, here is a testimony that my wife has from when she was in college that shows the difference of those without Jesus Christ and those with Jesus Christ.
   1. Audio clip

• Scriptures
  1. The solution to these problems is found in the authority and power of Jesus Christ. The Bible is filled with eyewitness testimony of Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry dealing with demons and exercising absolute authority over them. In the show notes is a list of references in the Gospels to this:
     1. Matt. 8:28-9:1; 9:32-34; 10:8; 12:22-30, 43-45; 17:14-21; Mark 7:24-30; 1:23-28, 32-34, 39; 3:13-19; 5:1-20; 6:12-13; Luke 9:49-50; 4:31-37, 40-41; 8:1-3, 26-39; 9:1-2, 37-45)
  2. There was a woman that my wife worked with who was dealing with these things in her home. She was not a Christian. A demonic spirit was oppressing her in her home. There were full bodied manifestations of people, and then one particularly grotesque one that was very frightening. She went to a church and got some counsel from a couple to pray in the name of Jesus. When one of the things appeared she commanded it to leave in the name of Jesus, and it did. She prayed for God to purge her house of those things, relying on God’s authority to do so, and the lights were going on and off, things were tapping or banging, and they left. There is authority over ALL these things in the name of Jesus Christ. You can prove it yourself.
• The Gospel
  1. You see, the name of Jesus has authority because of who He is, and what He accomplished on the cross. God is not some impersonal force. He is not “the Source” or the universal consciousness. He is a being. Man has sinned against Him in disobeying His commandments and is in rebellion against God. We want to live our own way, and we want to do our own thing. We want the authority over our own lives. That’s wickedness. God made you, and gave you life. He is the one with the authority. He has to punish all wickedness, evil, and sin in the universe because He is holy and righteous. But He wants mankind to be reconciled to Him. God sent His Son Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, to live a sinless life and die on the cross to make a sacrifice for sin. Then, on the third day after His burial He rose from the dead to testify that it was He who had power over death. The Bible says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18) In the book of Hebrews we’re told, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb 2:14-15)
  2. Christ came the first time to destroy the works and darkness and to overcome the powers of darkness. They are subject to HIS authority. The early Christians knew this and applied it regularly, in Acts we read, “There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” (Acts 5:16)
  3. In order to be reconciled to God, and to come under His protection, you repent (confess and turn from your sins), and believe on Jesus Christ as the Son of God. You look to Jesus, and what He accomplished in His death and resurrection, as your means of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God.

1. How
   1. Now, some people who are dealing with very real manifestations in their homes, or even themselves, may need to make sure of some other things also.
      1. Every object of occult influence should be destroyed: idols, charms/jewelry, posters/pictures, books, statues, even clothing with occultic themes, movies, music (heavy metal and rock music), anything and everything like it in your house destroy it. If it can burn, burn it. This is an outward show that you are repenting and renouncing these things in the name of Jesus.
      2. Pray very specifically to God in the name of Jesus Christ. Ask forgiveness for these things and renounce them emphatically. “I renounce these things and turn from them to serve Jesus Christ.” You have to be sincere in your intentions to put these things away, and it’s because God has said that these things are wicked. You cannot mix serving God and rebelling against Him. The Bible tells us that there is no fellowship between light and darkness.

• If there are visible or physical manifestations in a person or in your home, such as in Warren Smith’s testimony, then you may need to command the demon to leave. You need to do it relying on the authority that Jesus Christ has. He is the Son of God, and all of these demonic spirits KNOW it, and they tremble before Him we’re told. In the Bible we’re told, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:” (1Jn. 4:1-3) You can challenge them just as Johanna Michaelsen did, and many others have. They fear Jesus Christ. Why would they unless He was exactly who He said He was, and is. He is the unique Son of God. He is God manifest in a human body. Test them, and they will fail. I don’t care if they seem very peaceful. If you have something like a spirit guide, a spirit that you talk to and get advice or counsel from, test them and you will see their countenance change.

1. If you need to, say something to the effect of this from the book of Acts: “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:.. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.” (Acts 16:16, 18)
2. So, something to that effect if there is a visible manifestation in your home, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God, to leave!”
3. If there are just some things happening in your home, like the one woman that my wife worked with, then you need to pray in your home. I would recommend purging your house of everything occultic first, and then submit yourself to the authority of God by believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, just get on your knees somewhere in your house where these things are manifesting and pray (praying is simply speaking to God—just remember that you’re talking to God and not your buddy), and ask God in the name of Jesus Christ to send away every unclean spirit from your home. Claim the protection that comes from submitting to the name of Jesus Christ and His shed blood. Ask Him to send His Holy Spirit to protect you and your home.

• Remember, God is not some angry kid on an ant hill with a magnifying glass just waiting to smite someone. He is a loving heavenly Father, but our sinful works and wicked practices separate us from Him. We invite these things upon us when we rebel against Him. He is Holy, and He cannot (because of His holiness) dwell with wickedness. But if you submit to His rightful authority then He will quickly enter your life and protect and guide you by His Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of God is there is no power of darkness strong enough to touch you.

1. Close-Warning
   1. I hope that those of you who truly need deliverance from these things will speedily accept His deliverance and salvation. There is nothing you have done that God has not already forgiven someone else of. He is ready and willing to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He can change your very desires and give you a new heart and a new spirit: but you must accept the Gospel and submit the rightful authority of Jesus Christ.
   2. The one woman whom my wife worked with that proved the authority of the name of Jesus herself, she didn’t submit to God. God showed His authority in Jesus Christ’s name to her and she refused the gospel. Do you know what happened? The things came back. She moved to a new house, and they came back even after that.
   3. Here is a final warning from scripture: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 2:3-4; 10:26-31)
   4. But the same God has invited us to come to Him, saying, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isa. 55:6-7)
   5. If anyone has any questions you can email me at Brotherjon@remnantbiblefellowship.com.

Here's our new episode:

Remember Robert Wilson

Professor Robert Wilson was a man who learned 45 languages and dialects in order to defend the Old Testament of the Bible as being truly reliable. It took 45 years of his life. When he was old, a younger man expressed amazement at the range of his linguistic explorations. Wilson replied, "As a man is interested in his roses, and doesn’t think of the thorns." By this he meant that if a man is truly seeking after that in which he has pleasure he doesn't regard the difficulties or hardships of it. It's after reading things like this that I find myself wondering about all those people who profess to be followers of Christ who have never read His Word. Remember Robert Wilson, who said it thus: "I used my spare time. When I went out for a walk I would take a grammar with me, and when I sat down to rest, I would take out the book, study it a little, and learn what I could...I would read a grammar through, look up the examples, making notes as I went along, and I wouldn’t pass by anything until I could explain it...So I learned Greek, Latin, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Biblical Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, and so on."

How much do you regard the difficulties in seeking and following Christ?

Here's our new episode:

Worldviews and Presuppositions within Christianity

In this episode Brother Jonathan defines presuppositions and worldviews, how presuppositions are formed incorrectly in Christianity, Biblical unity, and how this affects the body of Christ.

_____________________________________________

Worldviews and Presuppositions within Christianity

Episode 25

Remnant Bible Fellowship

 

1. Introduction
   1. The Red Ball Illustration
      1. If I approach you and hold up a ball, and say, “Is this ball black, or white?” How would you respond?
      2. Now, if I approach you, hand you a ball, and tell you, “The ball is red,” and you accept that, then how does that affect your interpretation of the colors around you?
   2. These two illustrations should help you to understand a problem in Christianity. Consider illustration 1.
      1. The first illustration is based on the idea of people being pressured to make a decision before they have any true knowledge. How are you to know what color the ball is if you don’t have some standard of color yet? If you KNOW that you don’t have a personal knowledge of color, then why try to answer until after you have studied?
      2. Why does this matter to a Christian? Consider this question: Do you hold to supralapsarianism? Or how about this: Do you hold to monergism or synergism? Have you ever even heard the terms? Probably not. But they are ideas that you have almost certainly heard taught before.
      3. If someone was to come up to you and ask you, “Do you hold to monergism or synergism?” Don’t ever feel pressured to answer that question until you know what those words mean for yourself. You don’t have to! You don’t have to accept the terms and definitions of these armchair-theologians who philosophize about everything under the sun but don’t seek God. Most of them don’t truly know the Word of God, they only know terms and doctrines that were taught to them. And they ran after it because they confused learning something (anything at all) with spiritual growth. Ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
      4. In your Christian life people, churches, ministers, or teachers are going to be pulling at you sometimes—sometimes unintentionally—for you to accept some false dilemma like this. For example: “Are you a Calvinist or an Arminian?” Why do you have to be either? Neither school of thought existed until over 1400 years after the Word of God was completed? Why are these two terms used to define almost every church on some level?
      5. Simply study, and state a Biblically defined position.
   3. Consider illustration 2.
      1. The second illustration is based on false knowledge. We’ll be looking more at this in this episode.
2. Presuppositions
   1. So, the second illustration uses the example of someone handing you a ball and telling you it is red. What you should have noticed was the fact that it was accepted that the ball was red without you examining it first.
   2. Let me ask you: How do you know that your understanding of the atonement is correct? Most people still hold to certain ideas that they heard or were told before they were converted.
   3. Think about it. In order for an Unbeliever to become a Believer then they must be told what to believe. What they were told to believe is doctrine. They were taught doctrine before they were converted! In a certain sense, this is necessary. How can they believe if they don’t hear the gospel? The question to ask is: How do they know that they were told correctly? The answer: they should study for themselves AFTER initially receiving.
   4. The great majority of people who are converted stay within the same church or denomination or school of thought they first heard. Why is that a problem? Because they are so many different ones, and only one can be correct.
   5. God does not make His Word ambiguous. There is only one possible interpretation that is correct. There is no “middle ground” that makes all interpretations possible—especially ones that are contradictory.
   6. The Word of God is self-consistent. All truth is self-consistent. God cannot deny Himself. He is truth (John 14:6), His Word is truth (John 17:17), the Spirit of Truth guides believers into all truth (John 16:13), the church of God is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15), and if your heart is set to do His will then He will reveal the nature of whether or not doctrine is right or wrong (John 7:17): Now why is there no real unity? Not the false unity of ecumenicism (which compromises truth in order to keep people together), but the Biblical unity of the Spirit and Truth; for they that worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24).
   7. Now, I acknowledge that a lot of people simply don’t care about the truth. Christians are those who should plead for truth. You can listen to me talk about that on other episodes—such as the one titled “Pleading for Truth”.
   8. There is something wrong with what they believe on a fundamental level. They are being told some things that are affecting the way that they look at the scriptures. Anyone who is familiar with apologetics knows exactly what I mean. Why do evolutionists looks at the same evidence that creationists do and are so incapable of seeing that it confirms the Bible? The answer is that they have different presuppositions.
   9. Dr. Jason Lisle, in his excellent book The Ultimate Proof of Creation had this to say:
      1. “The beliefs that we hold to most strongly are called ‘presuppositions.’ People are very reluctant to give up their presuppositions. Presuppositions are assumed at the outset, before any investigation of evidence; they are pre-supposed and control our interpretation of evidence. We are often not aware of our presuppositions, but they are always present. Just as we are always breathing, even though we are not often conscious of it until we stop and think about it, likewise, our presuppositions are constantly guiding our understanding of our experience.” (Lisle, The Ultimate Proof of Creation, p.76)
   10. There are things that believers are bringing to the table, that they assume to be true, that are coloring the way they see and interpret the scriptures. Things such as the person and work of Christ, the effects of the atonement, what a Christian is, how to become a Christian, and therefore, by necessity, eternal security or not eternal security.
   11. I have personally seen people given ideas about all of these things before they ever even heard the word “repent” once. As I said before, people must hear the gospel in order to be saved. I understand that. But are they being encouraged to critically examine EVERYTHING that they were initially told by the scriptures. The answer to that is an emphatic NO!
   12. People are taught to be immovable stones for their church, their pastor, their teachers, their denomination, a school of thought, a seminary, etc.
   13. Within each of these circles is an accepted form of interpretation—if there’s any doctrine at all—and if you even question it they will cast you out. I know, my wife knows, my in-laws know, a brother in Chicago who just emailed me a few weeks ago through the podcast knows, brother Warren Smith knows: it’s everywhere.
   14. I’ve seen people with doctorates refuse to even talk about doctrine, though that’s what they teach. They are afraid of being challenged…even in a brotherly manner. They’re afraid to change their presuppositions. But that’s the only way to biblical unity. Someone is right—and because it’s biblical not because they’re something special—and everyone else is wrong. All believers should be willing to receive correction, be examined, examine themselves, and humble themselves if they are in error. Why? Because they love God, and tremble at His Word.
3. Define “worldview”
   1. Now, presuppositions together make up a worldview.
   2. A worldview is a network of our most basic beliefs about reality in light of which all observations are interpreted. (Lisle, The Ultimate Proof of Creation, p.25)
   3. I firmly believe that if people were truly given the full truth of the gospel according to the scriptures at the outset then there would be LESS people professing to be Christians. Most people came under false pretenses. The majority of people who are in churches are not Christians. Their ideas about Christianity are completely wrong.
   4. Most professing Christians believe that God doesn’t require them to obey Him. That is demonstrably false. But they were told that before they were converted. Most professing Christians believe that their future sins are already forgiven before they repent and confess them to God, and this is easily shown to be unbiblical from the scriptures: but they were told it before they were converted. I’ve seen it happen personally.
   5. These same people have no knowledge of the Bible. In fact, if you try to talk to them about the Bible and God they get hot and bothered and call you a legalist. They accuse you of being a heretic, or un-Christlike (I’ve had that happen), because you want to speak of Jesus and His commandments. Their worldview, how they interpret things, is completely unbiblical. They have been lied to and they love it. Why then should they examine it when it allows them to “sit back, relax, and enjoy their salvation” as one very famous Bible teacher said?
4. The Ultimate Standard
   1. A person’s ultimate standard of truth is what they will always revert back to in explaining their beliefs when questioned enough. For a Christian, it always comes back to “because the Bible says…” Their beliefs will always be finalized by God’s Word.
   2. The problem is that professing Christians have attached certain conditions to that standard. If you could sum up their ultimate standard of truth it would be something like “The Bible is the truth, and Calvinism is it.” Or, “The Bible is the truth, and evolution is true also.” They attach some other thing to it, and therefore, do not believe it to be contradictory to scripture.
   3. No matter what evidence or scriptural argument you give them they simply will not see any problem. It’s accepted before investigation. So you have to show them that that’s the case.
   4. A good question to ask is, “Are you willing for it to be wrong if I could show you that it contradicts the Bible?” Emphasize the willing part. Force them to see that this specific thing is not equivalent to Biblical authority. It may be something taught by it, or not, but it is not supposed to be believed without examination BY the scriptures. You have to show it to them that that’s the case.
   5. Just the other day, maybe two or more weeks ago, I had someone who used to be a close friend. He has a doctorate, masters, and bachelor’s degree in Biblical studies. I believe he also has a bachelor’s degree in Divinity. But in trying to get him and his wife to sit down with my wife and I and have a discussion about eternal security he said, “We WILL not believe as you do”. Then, he shut the door, and handled things very unbiblically. It hurt my wife and I quite a lot. There were false accusations and all sorts of things toward us. Nothing handled the way scripture tells us to handle these things in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5—even if the slanders were true.
   6. The ultimate standard must be the Bible alone. If someone ever argues that they WILL not believe something, then it simply shows that their WILL is their ultimate standard. It’s not the Bible. They want what they want, they don’t want truth.
5. Illustration
   1. So, let’s look at another take on the red ball illustration real quick. Here is an excerpt from something that I am working on writing:
      1. “It is this simple statement then, “God is true, and His Word is true,” that should be the summary of a Christian’s ultimate standard of truth. It should be their plumb-line conviction. Whenever a believer is confronted with new information, or a new argument that is seeking to persuade them of something it is this premise that they should examine it by. If the information or argument presented to them is in any way contradictory to this plumb-line then it must be rejected. For example, imagine that God said, “The ball is red.” A believer would then have confidence that that ball is indeed red. It would be their firm conviction that it is so, because God is true and He said it. Even if they had never seen the ball themselves, they would believe it on the basis of God’s trustworthiness. Men may come and say: “The ball is blue.” “The ball is actually a square.” “There is no ball!” But if God said it is red, then it is red.
      2. Imagine though, if a believer unintentionally changed their premise slightly by adding to it. What if a believer, maybe by some form of persuasion or deception from someone else, changed their premise from “God is true and His Word is true” to “God is true, His Word is true, and the color red doesn’t exist”? Because their premise has changed, how they interpret the things presented to them would be skewed. How would the person then interpret it if God said, “The ball is red”? Well, they could redefine what “red” meant. “‘Red’ here is used in a symbolic sense, meaning, ‘non-existent’, and the ball therefore is non-existent because it is ‘red’ according to this meaning.” They could set aside the statement totally. “This statement is not applying to believers currently because it contradicts what we know the rest of scripture says: red doesn’t exist, therefore, this passage can’t be applying to us today.” Perhaps some ministers could write books on the “doctrine of the non-existent red.” What if another believer then told them that the ball is actually red because they had not changed their premise from that which scripture truly says it is? They had never added the part that said, “The color red doesn’t exist.” What would most likely result is a debate about what “red” means, or whether or not the statement applies to believers today at all. As far as our believer with the skewed premise is concerned, this other believer has completely missed the point.
      3. Does it sound silly? Let me frame it in a different light. Is your “ultimate standard” that “God is true and His Word is true”, or is it “God is true, His Word is true, and my denomination is true”? Could it possibly be “God is true, His Word is true, and my favorite teacher is true”? Does this illustrate the point a little clearer? May I ask you, what is your actual plumb-line? When new information or a new argument is presented to you, what exactly are you measuring it by? Do you think, “Okay, this and this isn’t what my Pastor said…so it must be false”? It is possible to deceive yourself in something like this. Perhaps you think, “This and that is false because the Bible doesn’t teach that,” but in your mind you equate “what the Bible teaches” with “what I believe”. It is more common than you think. Never presuppose that you’ve gotten a corner on the market of truth. God knows all things, the believer knows that God knows all things, and this is where the believer’s confidence rests: in God’s infallibility and not our own.”

Here's our new episode:

On Bible Reading

Brother Jonathan discusses some tips on Bible reading and study.

Here's our new episode:

You Must Read This Article If You Have Children!

Brother Jonathan talks briefly about the article, and the importance for parent's to know what their children are reading.

Here's our new episode:

Are churches full of hypocrites?

Brother Jonathan answers the question, "Are churches full of hypocrites?"

__________________________________________

Are Churches full of hypocrites?

Question 11      

Remnant Bible Fellowship

 

1. Are Churches full of hypocrites?
   1. This question is usually in the form of a statement, “Churches are full of hypocrites!” Or, in some cases, it is just intended to discredit the promises and claims of Christianity. But is it valid?
2. What is a “hypocrite”?
   1. The word “hypocrite” is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as, “One who feigns to be what he is not; one who has the form of godliness without the power, or who assumes an appearance of piety and virtue, when he is destitute of true religion.” Or, “A dissembler; one who assumes a false appearance.”
   2. The word “hypocrite” or “hypocrites” appears 31 times in the KJV, and it comes from the Greek word, “hupokrites”. In “A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature”, which is generally abbreviated as BDAG, it is stated that the word “hupokrites” used in the sense of an actor, pretender, or dissembler. One who pretends to be something that he is not.
   3. This is the actually meaning of the word “hypocrite”. Our English word is nothing more than a carry-over from the Greek word. In fact, the definition exposes the problem with the question.
3. What is the “church” of God?
   1. Depending on how you define this you’ll get two different answers.
   2. People think that a “church” is a building. But how does God define the “church”?
   3. The word “church” is defined in Webster’s Dictionary both ways. It’s said to be a building set apart by Christians for the worship and service of God.
   4. In the scriptures the word is used differently though. In the Bible, God defines the “church” using the Greek word “ekklesia”. This word is used in the sense of, “a regularly summoned legislative body, assembly; a casual gathering of people; people with shared belief, community, congregation; the global community of Christians.”
   5. So, when considering the biblical meaning of the word “church” we see that it is directly tied in to the question, “what is a Christian?” We’ve answered that question before on this podcast. If you want a more detailed answer then I suggest that you listen to that brief episode also; but, in short, a “Christian” is a person who follows Jesus Christ. The word “follow” being defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “to walk after, practice, or act in conformity to, to obey.” So, a Christian is one who follows and obeys Jesus Christ. They live by His doctrine and Word. This is the only true definition of a Christian.
4. The real question
   1. You see, you have to get to the real question. When we define the words hypocrite, church, and Christian, in their proper context the answer is made pretty clear.
   2. So, let’s restate the question using the proper definitions: “In the global community of people who follow and obey Jesus Christ, are there people who pretend to follow and obey Jesus Christ but who do not actually follow and obey Jesus Christ?”
   3. The answer is pretty obvious isn’t it? Of course there are people who say they are Christians but don’t follow and obey Jesus Christ; but, by definition, when someone does not follow and obey Jesus Christ they are not a real Christian. They are lying, or at best, deceived as to what a Christian is. It’s more common than you think.
   4. If you define the word “church” as a building then yes, there are hypocrites in it. But if you define the word “church” as God defines it, then no. There are no hypocrites in the church of God. When someone says “I am a follower of Jesus,” a Christian, and they don’t obey Him, which means that they are a hypocrite and pretending to be a Christian, then it is obvious that they are not actually a Christian. They don’t meet the conditions in the definition of the word Christian to call themselves by that name.
   5. Jesus Christ Himself said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?” (Luke 6:46) He went on further to say, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Mat. 7:21-23)
   6. The Apostle John made it clear that Christians do live righteously. In Biblical Christianity there is no such thing as a perpetually “carnal” Christian. It’s an oxymoron. Listen to what the Apostle John said:
      1. “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” (1Jn. 2:29)
      2. “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” (1 Jn. 3:7)
      3. “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1Jn. 3:10)
   7. Jesus warned that when all men are called to the judgment of God to give an account for every idle word that they have spoken (Mat. 12:36) that there will be many people who are deceived into thinking that they know God and serve Him. He will correct them though.
   8. This should not happen. We have God’s Word written literally in black and white to tell us objectively what He tells us to do and how to live, and it all begins with the Gospel. God is a King. You are under His jurisdiction as the Creator of the universe and all things in it. As a King and Judge, He has a moral law. You have sinned against the righteous law of the King, and you are a criminal in His sight. This is what the Bible refers to as sin (or the breaking of God’s law), and being a sinner (a violator of God’s law). The penalty for violating God’s law is death. You have earned it by willfully breaking God’s commandments. There is coming a day of judgment when all of your crimes are laid out before you and you are sentenced to your death. In eternity, this state is called the second death. It is eternal death. But the King and Judge is merciful and says that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but He wants the criminal to turn from His wickedness to serve Him faithfully. He has Himself made a way for you to be pardoned. This is called the Gospel, it means “good news”. You are in a hopeless situation on your own, but God offers you good news. He Himself has made an offering to pay for your sins if you would acknowledge your crimes to Him (your sins) embrace your Savior, the one who has made a way for you to be reconciled to the King—Jesus Christ. God became a man to live a righteous life, die a terrible death that He didn’t deserve, be buried in a tomb, and God raised Him from the dead as a testimony to you He says that He is not only able to forgive you but that He is willing. Your part is to acknowledge your sins to Him, ask forgiveness, embrace your only hope of salvation from eternal death at the hands of a holy and righteous Judge and King, Jesus Christ.
5. If you are willing, and that’s what you want to do, call upon God and do just that. Believe the truth of the Gospel, embrace Jesus Christ as your Savior, and live as though He is your Lord. Nothing less than that is Christianity. If you would call Jesus Lord, then live as though He is.
6. For a deeper discussion about the gospel or salvation, listen to our episodes, “What is the Gospel”, “The Gospel is reasonable”, and “What is a Christian”.
7. You can always sends questions or comments via our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RBFellowship, or you can email me directly through the email at the end of every episode.

Here's our new episode:

A Sermon Nobody Wanted To Hear

The title says it all. This is a sermon that Brother Jonathan preached.

 

E-mail Brother Jonathan for notes at: Brotherjon@remnantbiblefellowship.com

 

Here's our new episode:

Truth and Deception

In this episode, Brother Jonathan talks about the nature of truth, how it relates to God's nature, the process of reprobation, does reprobation mean that God "deceives" men, some thoughts on Calvinism, "rescuing device theology", and holding the truth in unrighteousness.

 

Here are the notes for this episode:

_________________________________________________

Truth and Deception

Episode 22

Remnant Bible Fellowship

 

1. Introduction
   1. Last episode we talked about pleading for truth. (Why it’s so important, why is it so hard)
   2. This episode we’re going to talk about truth and deception; namely, what happens when we reject the truth.
2. The Nature of Truth
   1. I believe I’ve talked a little bit about this in the past, but it bears repeating.
   2. Truth, by its definition is exclusive. In fact, any time you define something, by necessity you exclude what it is not. If I was to define a “ball” for instance, as “a three-dimensionally round object”, then I exclude the notion that the concept of a “ball” includes a square. Many people try to think of “truth” in an undefined or abstract way. They define truth to be whatever they believe, even unconsciously sometimes. You can talk to people in evangelism and usually you end up hearing people say things like: “That just doesn’t resonate with me” “I just can’t believe that a loving God would send people to Hell” or “I believe…” They presuppose that they are somehow the reference point for reality. There is no objective reference point for them to examine their own beliefs by. It’s just feelings or comfort.
   3. In essence, people suppose reality to be built around them and that it is somehow contingent upon them or their perception or approval of it in some way. They want themselves to be God. They want it to be that what they approve is true, what they desire is true, and that no one has any say so in the matter. They want there to be no allowance for correction. “My will be done.” This notion is easily discernible when you go to witness to someone, and they rebuttal with “Well, I believe…” or “I don’t believe…” as though truth has something to do with what they believe.
   4. One of the basic laws of thought in logic is the principle of identity, which states that if a statement is true then it is true. What’s true for me IS true for you, or it’s not true at all. Something does not change its truth value by being moved to some other place or person. The only exception would be if a contingent characteristic or situation changed, such as the statement “Persia is an empire.” After the Persian Empire was conquered it would then be untrue because what it was describing changed states.
   5. At the heart of this matter is the fact that man is in a state of rebellion against God’s authority. It’s all about God’s authority. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” (Isa. 53:6) No, it is HIS will be done. It is this concept of God’s absolute authority and right over everything that men rebel against. It’s about submission. Truth, for the same reason, is about submission. You must either accept the truth, or you reject it. That is all that can be done with the truth by mankind. If a ball is red, for example, it’s red whether you like it or not. Accept it, or rebel against the truth and try to come up with a falsely so-called scientific reason why it is not so; or possibly just redefine the terms “ball” and “red” to convince yourself otherwise. All that men are doing is trying to justify a refusal to submit to God. “We will not have this man to rule over us.”
   6. Webster’s dictionary defines truth as, “Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be.” So “truth”, as a concept, is what is. It is reality. If you say that something is true you are saying that it is so. Think about it. If someone tells you that your paycheck is wrong, you automatically think, “Is that true?” You are thinking about whether or not what they just told you is the reality of the situation. You don’t think, “Well, I don’t like that as a possibility—it hurts my self-image or feelings—and I choose to believe it is not so and reality will align itself accordingly with my choice.” You would double-check your pay to make sure that you don’t get shorted. The problem is that people don’t examine their views about God and the Bible as deeply as they examine their paycheck; which is interesting because they lose far more if they are wrong about God and the Bible than if their paycheck is wrong.
   7. Since truth is reality—that which is—it must be objective. That means that it has nothing to do with your mind, or your perception of it. Truth’s nature is not changed or altered by your own perception of it, and neither can it be altered by your own will or desire for it to be different. If you look outside tomorrow morning and find that someone has stolen your car, then no matter how much “thinking” or “visualizing” you do it is not going to make it magically appear again. Things are not true because you believe them, nor are things untrue because you do not believe them. Truth is unalterable. It is, or it is not.
   8. It’s this objectivity of the truth, its inability to be affected, which makes knowledge possible. What is a sincere scientist trying to prove? He has a theory, a hypothesis, and he is seeking to prove that it is true. He seeks to prove that his hypothesis is actually describing reality—what is. When he successfully does so he is not creating something or even starting something: he is discovering something that is already there. For example, gravity existed long before scientists thought of putting words down describing it.
3. God’s Nature
   1. Now, what you must take away from all of that is this: God has ascribed to Himself the truth. Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) God’s Word is described as truth (John 17:17). The Spirit of God is said to be the “spirit of truth” who guides believers to all truth (John 16:13). We are told even that God Himself cannot lie (Tit. 1:2; Heb. 6:18; Num. 23:19).
   2. Now, since God created all things, is all-powerful, upholds all things, knows all things, and is unchanging—He said “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal. 3:6)—then reality, or truth, is absolutely defined by Him. He is the authority, and He is the reference point. All things are subject to His will, desire, and purpose.
   3. In fact, it’s for this reason that the Biblical worldview is the only possible one. No other worldview accounts for why there is order in the universe that is consistent. Why are there laws of physics that are consistent in the universe? In a universe of chaos and chance statistical anomalies order and, in actuality, scientific study would be impossible. There would be no consistency in the universe that would allow for prediction. Evolution for example cannot make any accurate predictions because it is built on the concept of chance.
   4. An atheist, or an evolutionist, must account for the order. What they usually end up doing is then ascribing a characteristic of deity to some concept. Think about it. They say things like “nature made a way” or “evolution devised a means”. “Nature” and “evolution” are words that describe concepts. They have no mind, and therefore they have no ability to do anything. This is called the fallacy of reification. It is attributing a concrete characteristic to an abstraction, like an idea or concept. But they must account for order and the actual design of the universe. They therefore attribute the true characteristics of God, power and intelligence, to a concept. They change the idea of what brought it all about, and reject the true source—God.
   5. In some cases the universe itself is deified. This is what the New Age Movement does. The universe, or creation, becomes the collective consciousness that birthed itself. The image of God, the source of creation and the designer of it, is changed to be something else to account for the order and design of the universe while simultaneously taking away the idea of accountability to a higher and transcendent being who has authority over all. They want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to acknowledge the order and design while denying the source of the order and design. But God’s fingerprint is everywhere in the universe. Man perceives it, and tries to smear it essentially.
4. Changing of the concept of God
   1. Now, how did we get from discussing truth and reality to discussing the character of God, to how atheists, evolutionists, and New Agers change the image of God? Those of you who know the scriptures know how: it’s the process and result that God Himself has told us of.
   2. Let’s read Romans 1:21-32:
      1. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:21-32)
   3. Now let’s consider some things from this passage that are very important.
      1. It is describing men in general. This is shown from 1:18 where “men” are referred to, and in v. 19 men are referred to as “them”, and in v. 20 as “they”. It is describing men in general, and not a specific generation of men.
      2. It states very clearly that mankind, on some level, knows that God is exactly as He says He is. We’re told “when they knew God” (1:21), and “that which may be known of God is manifest IN THEM; for God hath showed it unto them.” (1:19) In fact, we are told that “they are without excuse” (1:20). What is it that they are without excuse for? Men are without excuse for not acknowledging God’s “eternal power and Godhead” (1:20). God’s very existence, power, and thereby His authority, are “clearly seen”. Some people may have a problem accepting this, but when God’s Word says that He “hath showed it unto them” (1:19), that these things are “clearly seen” (1:20), and that men are “without excuse” for not acknowledging His “eternal power and Godhead”…you had better just accept it. Otherwise, you’re also denying plain truth.
      3. What is next described by the Apostle Paul is a process. There are some key phrases that illustrate the nature of this process between God and men.
         1. It begins in 1:18 where we are told that men “hold the truth in unrighteousness”. The word “hold” is used here in the sense of “hold down” or “suppress”. Men are resisting the truth and trying to deny it.
         2. Verses 19-20 talk about why this suppression of the truth is inexcusable. Then, in 1:21 we’re told that they refused to glorify God and refused to acknowledge Him in what He does for them (unthankful). The result is that they became “vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” So we see then that when men willfully choose to resist and suppress the truth of God that they become vain in their imaginations, their hearts. The very reasoning of their minds becomes foolish. This is necessary, as we’ll see later.
         3. In v. 23 we’re told that because men resisted the truth, the result was that they began to make things up. They “changed” the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man…” They changed what they did not like about God, and made Him out to be someone like them, or like some animal. The vanity of their imaginations was to think that the truth was changeable, and they convinced themselves of this.
         4. Next, in v. 24 we see a very important phrase. “Wherefore God also gave them up…” God reacts to man’s refusal of the truth. This is emphasized throughout the rest of the passage. “God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.” (1:24) Paul continues in v. 25, re-emphasizing the reason that God would do this, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie…” God’s truth, the truth about His “eternal power and Godhead”, is shown by God unto men. It is “clearly seen” He says, and He says that they are “without excuse” before Him. And when men “hold the truth”, or they “suppress the truth”, God responds because it is an emphatic refusal of His authority and person.
         5. Next, in v.26, Paul continues to emphasize this cause and effect process, saying, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections…” The process is summed up pretty well in v. 28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind…” It’s interesting when you study the language used here in v. 28. In a sense, what is said here is that because man disapproves of what the truth is God will deliver their minds and hearts over to that which He disapproves of. In essence, God says, “Have it your way.” It’s reminiscent of what the Psalmist wrote, “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” (Psa. 106:15)
         6. We see at the end of this passage, in v. 32, the true wickedness behind the motives of the people. We’re told, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” These men know that God has judged certain things to be wicked, and they don’t care. They intentionally delight themselves in that which God hates.
5. Is this “process” sustained by the rest of scripture?
   1. Turn to Psalms 81:8-16:
      1. “Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.” (Psa. 81:8-16)
      2. First, God sets forth the condition of obedience in v.8-9. Saying, “Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.”
      3. The Lord then promises on this condition in v.10, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
      4. Next, the people refuse to meet this condition, v.11, “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.”
      5. As a result of them refusing to obey Him, God gives them over to their desires, v.12, “So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”
      6. Finally, God restates His intention to uphold the promise that they refused, v.13-16, “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.” (Psa. 81:13-16) Now, this is very important to take into account. God is saying that “if they had obeyed I would have done all of this.” That is very profound because God is stating that they had a choice. God gave them the choice, and they refused. God then deals with them according to their choice.
      7. God is certainly sovereign. There is no question of God being the one in control. But some people have redefined the sovereignty of God to mean that God cannot allow men to make choices. The scriptures declare emphatically that men have a choice. “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Rom. 6:16) God knows all things we are told. He knows men’s hearts, and He knows our thoughts afar off; but He gives us choice in things pertaining to salvation.
      8. I will go off on a tangent here, because it’s simply unbiblical for people to teach that man has no choice between good and evil, or between obedience and disobedience. God made man. God made man with an intellectual capacity to choose things. This is clear because God Himself speaks cover to cover in the Bible as though man has an ability to choose. He says, “Do this…and don’t do this, because if you do this or that I will punish you.” God Himself tells men that they should abstain from some things and do other things. To teach that man has no ability to choose between obedience and disobedience is to teach a lie in the name of God. It also defers responsibility for sin and changes the image of God into an arbitrary tyrant who doesn’t love man at all, but has intentionally made billions of men the way that they are and sends them to Hell having had no choice about their existence, birth, life, death, sin, salvation, heaven, hell, and then at the end of it all speaks as though they did.
      9. The only true aspect of man’s inability is that he cannot choose to do any works that enable him to save himself. The only thing that he can do is choose the salvation that God has provided through Jesus Christ. God does not drag people kicking and screaming to salvation—though many teach that. I don’t care how many Calvinists will talk about someone that they heard of who says that’s how they got saved. Perhaps they should decide their theological practice on scripture instead of C.S. Lewis or one of their buddies. Two prominent examples of this misconstruing is given as the supposed conversion of C.S. Lewis as recorded, I believe, in his book Mere Christianity, and Saul of Tarsus. If they were honest, though I’m sure some just repeat what they’re told, they would acknowledge that C.S. Lewis later said that that was an intellectual conversion and not his true conversion. As for Saul, who would become Paul, there is no indication at all that God forced his conversion. Saul was an ardent follower of the God of Israel already, just not according to the new covenant. He was already doing what he believed was God’s will, and God merely corrected him. On top of that, who can honestly say that Saul could not have rejected Christ even though he manifested himself to him? We have such examples in the OT already. Jonah was a prophet of God who turned to flee from God and ignore his commandment. Solomon was a man to whom God had appeared twice, it is specifically said in the scriptures, and he still turned away from God. The only way someone can teach a forced conversion is by eisegesis—believing it’s in the scriptures and making sure that you find it there.
      10. If God made man with an intellectual capacity to choose, then God can offer man a choice and then treat Him justly for His choice. God placed Adam in a garden where there were many trees, but there were two in particular. There was “the tree of life” and the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Now, let me ask you: did you ever notice where they were? I mean, what the Bible specifically says. In Genesis 2:9 we are told that “the tree of life [is] also in the midst of the garden.” Now, why is that significant to me? It’s significant to me because it also says in Genesis 3:3, when Eve was speaking with the serpent, “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” She was referencing the “tree of knowledge of good and evil”. Both trees were in the midst of the garden, and that means that both trees were accessible to Adam and Eve. They chose which one to eat from.
      11. I am afraid that Calvinism has done a great deal to disillusion people away from the God of the Bible. I won’t go any deeper into it now. Consider the fact though, from the scriptures, that Cain was still told by God, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” How could God make that promise if Cain did not have a choice? It is a conditional promise, “If ye…then I will accept you.” Cain’s choice is made clear when the very next verse has him choosing to kill his brother instead of submitting to God. According to God’s promise to Cain though, if Cain had simply done that which is good in God’s sight—offering a sin offering like Abel—then he would have been accepted by God. We’re told later in the NT that Cain killed Abel because his own works were evil. Cain refused to repent, and change his works.
      12. These Calvinistic conjectures that are so popular today greatly trouble me. I cannot in good conscience support Calvinistic ministries. My father-in-law told me some months ago that systems of thought—especially doctrinal ones—that are born out of a carnal mind will flourish. This new Calvinism that is spreading amongst young people today, like an STD, is flourishing. Perhaps some are just not willing to endure sound doctrine like the Bible warned us of. But I need to get back on track.
   2. Let’s look at 2 Thessalonians 2:8-14:
      1. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2The. 2:8-14)
      2. In v.8-9, Paul tells us of the revealing of the Antichrist. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
      3. Next, we’re told in v.10 that men will perish because they refused to embrace the truth. “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
      4. Again, it is stated that God reacts to their refusal of the truth, in v.11, notice that here Paul uses the same phrase as he did in the book of Romans, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”
      5. In v.12 we have what reads with almost the same meaning as the last couple verses of Romans 2. We’re told that their fates are sealed because they reject the truth, “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
      6. Next, in v.13-14 we have Paul setting this in contrast to the faithful brethren at Thessalonica. He says, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
      7. The phrase “from the beginning chosen you” does not mean the Calvinistic idea of predestination. There is a biblical idea of predestination, but it is contrary to Calvinism. Paul is simply reiterating that God had ordained the means by which men would be saved before the world began. This is in agreement with scripture elsewhere, where it is stated that Christ was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). The means of salvation was chosen by God before it all began. God essentially said, “All those who choose my Son as their salvation will be saved.” This is taught in scripture when it says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” (Eph 1:4) We are accepted “in Christ” we are told. This is why it is continuously commanded us to “abide in Him” “continue in Him” and so forth. God knows the end from the beginning, but man is temporal. God must interact with man in the present. This is why God speaks to man presently while acknowledging the future as a certainty to Himself. God ordained the means of salvation, God knows who is going to “endure to the end”, but He presently allows man to make his own choice to maintain His own justice and righteous judgment.
      8. I love 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 because I believe it says all of that in a nutshell. God ordained the means of salvation, “Through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth.” We know from elsewhere in scripture that it is the belief of the truth the enables the Spirit of God to come into a believer. In Ephesians 1:13, it says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” So here Paul says it is that men hear the gospel, they believe the gospel and avail themselves of the promise it holds, and then the Spirit of God comes into them. Notice that it is upon the condition of their believing the “word of truth”. Peter also acknowledges this when on the day of Pentecost he tells men, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Act 2:38) Belief of the truth leads to repentance and faith, and after repentance and faith comes the believer being born of the Spirit.
      9. Paul states the same thing in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, when he says, “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Men are called by the gospel, and they either choose to yield to it or harden their hearts. So, this “process” of deception is in agreement with the whole context of scripture. It’s just not in agreement with certain people’s philosophies that they impose upon the scriptures. I like how Adam Clarke summed up this process in his comments on this verse:

1. “Let us observe the order of Divine grace in this business:
   1. They were to hear the truth - the doctrines of the Gospel.
   2. They were to believe this truth when they heard it preached.
   3. They were to receive the Spirit of God in believing the truth.
   4. That Spirit was to sanctify their souls-produce an inward holiness, which was to lead to all outward conformity to God.
   5. All this constituted their salvation - their being fitted for the inheritance among the saints in light.
   6. They were to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ - that state of felicity for which they were fitted, by being saved here from their sins, and by being sanctified by the Spirit of God.” (Adam Clarke)

1. Is this “giving over” a form of God deceiving?
   1. Some have said that this constitutes God deceiving people. This is obviously false. Since God is the truth, and all that proceeds from Him is true, whenever someone rejects Him they reject the truth also. Since there is no mixing of truth with error—there are no half-truths—whoever rejects the truth of the gospel must by necessity believe a lie.
   2. John the Apostle said, “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” (1Jn 2:21)
   3. He says also, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” (1Jn 2:27)
   4. So here we see John acknowledge that there is no mixing of truth with lie. Whatsoever is not conformable to truth is not the truth. Think about it like this: Whatever is not X, is non-X. Whatever is not truth, is non-truth. It’s therefore a lie. We’re dealing with exclusivity.
   5. There is God’s truth, and then there is everything else. If you reject God’s truth you are forcing yourself to believe a lie. God is not the one deceiving these people. God simply allows you to believe and embrace what you have chosen.
   6. It’s important to remember though, that as men we don’t necessarily know when someone has been “given over” to this deception. It’s only going to be visible in the great Tribulation when such people are visibly identifiable by the mark of the Beast. So we cannot allow the fact that this happens to keep us from being evangelistic.
2. “Rescuing Devices Theology”
   1. Now at this point, I would like to mention a habit that I think most of us have done at some point. It’s what I have kind of nicknamed in my head a “rescuing device theology”. Dr. Jason Lisle in lecturing about logic refers to a certain kind of habit by people as “rescuing devices”. I think there is an application to doctrinal issues on this matter.
   2. Some doctrinal systems are growing in popularity because people believe them to be logically consistent. What is usually the case though is that it is a system built around a single premise that has been defended for so long that its proponents have an answer for everything. It’s important to remember that just because you have an answer for everything that does not mean you’re correct.
   3. Even in studying logic, which is getting very popular in apologetics, people can sometimes forget that even though they have a logically valid argument that that doesn’t make it sound. The difference being that even though your chain of reasoning is logical and consistent, it doesn’t mean that the premise you are basing that argument on is true.
   4. I esteem Calvinism to fall into this camp. It is based on a false notion of God’s sovereignty; they redefine sovereignty to disallow any choice on man’s part—generally. There are some that redefine man’s inability to allow choice, but then they redefine choice also. When you look at enough theological systems, it seems to fall into only a few basic ideas of who’s to blame for man’s sin: (1) Adam, because he sinned we all sinned in him; (2) Satan, who has made all men sinners by influence or something, “the devil made me do it”; (3) God, who made men by nature sinners and arbitrarily selecting only a few to be made saints by His own will, this is Calvinism; (4) and this one is rarely found, Man, who makes his own choice to sin though he had the choice of obedience and must pay the consequences. That really is all you find generally. It’s interesting that only one of those actually is consistent with how God Himself speaks to men, and it’s that last one that shows that man has a choice and ability to do either good or bad. The only good he can do being that he has the ability to choose to yield to God’s salvation.
   5. But what happens is that people are told a few things when they are very young in the Lord that they hold on to for the rest of their lives and never question. I talked about this in our episodes “Pleading for truth” and “How can I examine my doctrine without compromising my faith?”
   6. But when this is the case, people will use what are called by some people “rescuing devices”. It’s when you don’t actually examine the truthfulness of your premise, but you conjecture a way or means that it could still be true. It just shows that you want your premise, and not necessarily the truth. There is a funny illustration of this used by Jason Lisle. When Galileo had made a telescope that could look at the surface of the moon which showed that the surface of the moon was not a perfect sphere, he upset a lot of people because this was the commonly held view. So Galileo allows some of the so-called experts to look through his telescope, which they did, and he feels that they would truly see now that they are wrong. Instead, they come up with a rescuing device. They say, “Ah…yes, but you see, over all the mountains, valleys, and craters on the moon is an invisible glass coating that is truly perfectly smooth.” Galileo realizing that there was no way to disprove them without being able to go to the moon physically simply answers them according to their folly. He says, “Ah…yes, but over that layer there is another invisible layer that has mountains, valleys, and craters!”
   7. Does it sound silly? Yes, but it’s what a majority of theological and doctrinal conversations are like. I’m sick of reading books and articles on the Calvinism versus Arminianism debate. There are few who plead for truth. People are just unwilling to question their viewpoint. They come up with rescuing devices, and most people’s entire history of doctrinal teaching is nothing more than coming up with rescuing devices that defend a premise that no one in their camp wants to examine. Usually, it’s the most creative “rescuing device” makers that are esteemed to be the brilliant teachers.
   8. The whole thing is a grief of mind to me. I’ve been there, and I’ve done the same thing; but when God showed me what I was doing and pricked me in my heart I chose to examine things. The results were that He showed me just how wrong I was.
3. Holding the Truth in unrighteousness
   • Now I hope that you’re not someone who just wants to defend your position. Giving a defense of the faith requires that you constantly examine yourself as to whether or not you are in the faith—according to the only infallible source: God’s Word.
   • Let’s look at John 3:19-21 real quick:
     1. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)
   • Those that do evil are the ones who are said to not want to come to the light. The reason being that they are afraid to be corrected. They do not value the truth, they value something else. It’s for this reason that they are condemned in the sight of God, because in order to come to God you must come to the light of His truth to be corrected. These hold the truth in unrighteousness. They suppress it and resist it.
   • In contrast we have those that do the truth, that is, they are practicing the truth. We’re told that they come to the light. They are continually coming to the light of God to make manifest their deeds, practice, and doctrines. This is the believer, the Christian. He wants to make sure that he is in agreement with God so that there will be no separation of fellowship. He doesn’t suppress the truth, he intentionally presses towards it.
   • The scriptures tell us that anyone can begin to do this. In Acts 7, Stephen rebukes the Sanhedrin for resisting the Holy Ghost. They reacted by stoning him. In 1 Thessalonians 5 we’re told by Paul to not “quench the spirit”, and again in Ephesians 4:30 where we’re told that we can “grieve” the Spirit of God. Be careful, because you can go from walking in the light and pressing toward the mark to resisting God and quenching His Spirit to your own destruction. Some are like Jacob. They go about in simplicity of faith and God is with them and they perceived it not. Others are like Sampson, and God has departed from them and they perceived it not.
   • I do wonder which it is that you are. Let me ask you, what is it that you examine things by? When someone who believes differently than you gives you an argument, do you examine it by your beliefs or by God’s Word? Or, do you examine it by your beliefs about God’s Word? You should be examining by God’s Word in and of itself. Remember Paul’s admonition, and let it be your premise: “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Rom. 3:4) I don’t care who it aligns me with, I don’t care what people think, I don’t care if it upsets my family, I don’t care if it contradicts my church or denomination—I want God’s truth. I want to be approved in His sight. If you do, it will always put you against the majority in this world.
   • In closing, God has attributed the truth to Himself, and to those things that proceed from Him. He doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, the truth doesn’t change. The world is increasing in its hostility to God’s authority and its wickedness; but the truth which makes men free has not changed. Always remember, when the truth is rejected all this is left to believe is lies. The only way that you’re going to keep yourself from being deceived is to continually be coming to the light of God’s Word and examining all things by it.
   • Christ said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Mat. 7:21-23) Christ has said that there are many people that are going to appear before Him at the judgment who are deceived about their true state. I do wonder at what point they start to deceive themselves.

 

Here's our new episode: