Christians who don't really care for the Faith

One of the in-house scholars at Pyromaniacs was lecturing me that Christians aren't prophets. He cited his verses and accused me of not bowing to the Word of God and so on. I explained to him that to be a prophet, priest, and king is of the very nature of having the image of God. He didn't grasp this. I explained to him how his verses weren't saying what he claimed they were. He wasn't having any of it. I cited verses he didn't know existed. He ignored them. (No, I'm not a genius, I just read the whole and pure Word of God.) So lately I've been looking through my four-volume edition of Wilhelmus à Brakel's Christian's Reasonable Service and came across section titles such as:

The Christian's Sacred Duty to be a Prophet

and

The Prophetical Obligations of the Christian

In the chapter on the Prophetical Office of Jesus Christ.

And it turns out à Brakel was on the same page as me (or vice versa) regarding just what it means for a Christian to be a prophet: knowing the mysteries of the Gospel, and making them known to others. Also, I would throw in having direct access - and communication - with God Himself via prayer, made possible by our High Priest Jesus Christ and his work on the cross. But I said all this to the in-house scholar at the time, and it was typical brick wall response.

It reminded me of the time another of the in-house scholars at Pyromaniacs challenged me when I stated that when you fear God you don't fear man. He wanted to salvage some good old-fashioned fear of man, Roman Catholic style (all these church Christians these days are Roman Catholic just beneath the surface). So I attempted to disabuse him of his beliefs, but couldn't, and only later came across this passage from à Brakel on the subject.

Why am I so on the same page with a Dutch Second Reformation theologian, and why are modern day church Christians so not on the same page with a Dutch Second Reformation theologian? Because à Brakel, being part of that Dutch Second Reformation (the Nadere Reformatie) was, like the English Puritans, very much aware that the Faith involves the practice of godliness (practical piety), and that exercising oneself unto godliness is, in fact, one of the very pillars of the faith. And not divorced from the pure doctrine (like German - Lutheran - pietists of that day). Pure doctrine being five solas, doctrines of grace, Federal Theology Calvinism for the record.

3 PILLARS OF THE FAITH
Word of God...the engrafted Word (as authority)
Pure, apostolic biblical doctrine
Practical piety (or godliness, or exercising oneself unto godliness)

Modern day church Christians disdain the first and third above (the ones that do effect to value the pure doctrine). They mock you if you value the Word of God by actually reading it complete (which is a regeneration issue, by the way); or if you expose their corrupt manuscripts their modern versions are based on and hence if you hold to things like supernatural preservation of God's Word and not dictating to God's Word, pridefully, what it is and will be. And they mock any notion of practicing the faith at the practical level. They have a dead faith, and they are energetic in preaching it and enforcing it (to the extent that they can; they of course can't when it comes to God's elect).

Some comments from another battlefront...

[The comments below may need more context, but basically they refer to typical claims made by certain types who have been ostensibly burned by charismatic churches and now espouse absolute positions on such things as how God communicates with believers and so on. They exhibit a real kind of dead faith. That they self-identify as Calvinist is ironic (or disingenuous) because Calvin and Calvinism has never been any of that. There is a deep and widespread (continuing on for centuries) effort to keep what Calvin and the Puritans believed and practiced away from Christians. It's because Calvin and the Puritans had the truth, and the truth is always attacked by the world...]

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Everything always gravitates towards Rome, or towards Geneva. But it has to be remembered that at Geneva the guy there was dubbed by history “the theologian of the Holy Spirit”…

Like by this rather famous gentleman:

“…Calvin pre-eminently the theologian of the Holy Spirit.”

“Previously, men had looked to the Church for all the trustworthy knowledge of God obtainable, and as well for all the communications of grace accessible. Calvin taught them that neither function has been committed to the Church, but God the Holy Spirit has retained both in His own hands and confers both knowledge of God and communion with God on whom He will.” - B. B. Warfield

Read the whole thing. There is a deep corruption of what Calvin taught (and what Calvinism is) going on today not only by the obvious bad-theology groups (FV, etc.), but more subtly by those who assert themselves as champions and defenders of Calvinism against those groups… It’s all ultimately Romish and dead.

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It's also, again, a regeneration issue. As is everything regarding the faith and debates within (and outside) the faith. Stand your ground against the Romanish dead faith 'teachers' and clerics. They want you where they are. Pure and simple. And, yes: that is evil intent.

Dabney on the Two Kingdoms

Scriptures Induce Over Whole Bible History the Form of the Two Rival Kingdoms.

There is no subject on which we may more properly remember that "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy."

It is evidently the design of the Scriptures to make much of Satan and his work. From first to last, the favorite representation of the world’s history is, that it is the arena for a struggle between two kingdoms—Christ’s and Satan’s. Christ leads the kingdom of the good, Satan that of the evil; though with different authorities and powers. The headship of Satan over his demons is implied where they are called "his angels." He is also called Prince of Devils (Eph. 2:2; Matt. 25:41, 9:34). Prince of the powers of the air, and Prince of darkness (Eph. 6:12). This pre-eminence he doubtless acquired partly by seducing them at first, and probably confirmed by his superior powers. His dominion is compacted by fear and hatred of God, and common purposes of malice. It is by their concert of action that they seem to approach so near to ubiquity in their influences. That Satan is also the tyrant and head of sinful men is equally plain. This prevalent Bible picture of the two kingdoms may be seen carried out in these particulars. (a) Satan originated sin (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9, to; 20:2, 10; 1 John 3:8; John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:3). (b) Satan remains the leader of the human and angelic hosts which he seduced into hostility, and employs them in desperate resistance to Christ and His Father. He is the " God of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4). "The Spirit that worketh in the children of this world." Eph. 2:2. Wicked men are his captives. See above, and 2 Timothy 2:26. He is "the Adversary " (Satan,) "the Accuser," (Diabolo" ) "the Destroyer," (Apolluwn ) (c) The progress of Christ to the final overthrow of this kingdom is the one great business of all time; the history of the conflict is the history of man and redemption (Gen. 3:15; John 12:31; 1 John 3:8-10; 1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 6:11; John 8:44; Mark. 3:23-27; Rom. 16:20; Acts 26:18; Luke 10:18). The single fact that ungodly men, until the end of the world, compose Satan’s kingdom, proves that he has, and will have some power or influence over their souls.

From here.

Impudence and insolence

A passage from Calvin's Commentaries:

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 2 Tim. 3:13.

It is the worst of trials that godless men wax great and strong with their sacrilegious audacity, and the blasphemies and errors they perpetrate. Paul says elsewhere that Isaac was troubled not by the sword of Ishmael but by his taunting (Gal. 4:29). We may gather from this verse that the writer did not point to one particular kind of persecution, but spoke in general of trials which the children of God must endure when they contend for the glory of their Father.

I spoke, a little before, of how evil men shall grow worse and worse. The apostle predicts not only that they will offer obstinate resistance, but also that they shall succeed in harming and corrupting others. One good-for-nothing fellow can always tear down more than ten faithful teachers can build, no matter how hard they try. There is no scarcity of the tares sown by Satan and infesting the good earth. No sooner are some false prophets put down than others pop up in all directions.

Now, wickedness has this power not because lies are by nature more effective than truth, or because the devices of the devil are superior to the power of God’s Spirit, but because men have a spontaneous inclination toward vanity and error, and will embrace much too readily whatever suits their fancy. Therefore by a just retribution of God, they become blinded and captive slaves to the pleasure of the devil. This is the principal reason for the effectiveness of the pestilence of ungodly teachings. And considering the ingratitude of men, it is right that this should be so. Therefore, godly teachers should take to heart the warning to be prepared for constant warfare, not to break down because it is long and drawn out, or succumb before the impudence and insolence of their adversaries.

Elsewhere Calvin speaks of the "rage and insolence" of the antichrist forces. Here he uses "impudence" and insolence. Look up that word insolence. You may of course already know what it means, but in getting the full definition you will see how it describes so well the current character of the very active antichrist forces called allah worshipers. One of them had a sign at a recent rally in England saying: "Jesus is Allah's Slave"... Then he walked over to the British welfare office to get his life support... Also notice where Calvin points out that Ishmael "taunted" Isaac. Insolent antichrist types are supreme chain-yankers and taunters...

8 Golden Passages

Acts 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

Matthew 22:37-39 "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Philippians 1:29 & 2:5-8 "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant."

1 John 5:1 & 5:4-5 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Philippians 4:6-7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 26:3-4 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

Matthew 6:14-15 "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Psalm 118:6 "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"

Good song... War - Dougie Maclean

OK, it's vaguely pacifist (but only vaguely, and maybe not at all), but it's a great song. Beautiful open tuning accoustic guitar... The link should take you to a television set...

With the current bad doctrine (FV/NPP/etc.) regeneration is the issue, not justification/sanctification

I said it in the beginning, and I continue to say it: all this bad doctrine being pushed within the Reformed camp (Federal Vision, New Perspective on Paul, Auburn Avenue, etc.) is being pushed by people who havn't yet been regenerated by the Word and the Spirit, and instead of reacting to that fact in a humble way, by going to the Word - humbly - they react in a prideful way, by dictating to God what regeneration is and how it occurs.

Regeneration is the tricky first step. You can't do it. Yet God states several times, in several ways, that if you move towards Him He will move towards you. The Word of God - the Holy Bible - is the wildcard in the process. (You had to encounter what I just wrote from the Bible itself.)

Regeneration is effected, when it is, by the Word and the Spirit, not by ritual or clerics or church buildings and other physical, carnal trappings. Humble yourself and take in the Word of God. The Word of God is the environment where regeneration will potentially happen. Not if you are filtering it constantly through vanity, worldly pride, and self-will though. You have to take it in humbly. With a contrite heart.

And you have to actually read the Word of God complete. No screwing around with just 'saying' or 'thinking' you've done it. Actually do it. Dedicated, complete efforts that form real arcs in time, day after day until complete. Genesis 1 through Revelation 22. Once, three times, seven times. It has to be a goal or you will just be desultory about it and never get around to actually doing it.

On the one hand one can feel sympathy for Christians - nominal or not - who struggle with this foundational subject and experience of being born again (regenerated); yet once they embark on their prideful missions to redefine biblical doctrine to suit their condition rather than comforming themselves to God's teaching one's sympathy rightfully goes out the window. Rebellion against God's teaching is the trait of those who want to be in hell (and who usually want to attempt to drag as many others as they can along with them). Once they've been confronted and given the truth (at least a few times) it is time to leave them to themselves...

Messianic songs #2

Another Messianic song (could go right past you):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC-t7XWxoG0

- C.

ps- It was a long wait for the first Advent (Abraham
longed to see this day...), it is a long wait for the
second Advent... Both just as miraculous...