Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The Modern Church in Apostasy

I write my own "stuff"! Yes, it's commentary, but I don't use commentary of others unless it precedes 1900. That's just a random date, but around the time of Teddy Roosevelt and his "Bull Moose Party", America became contaminated by progressive thought. Actually it happened gradually before that with Universalism.  I just don't trust those who don't trust the Bible! If a theologian doesn't believe it's God's Word inspired and revealed to the prophets, and that it's infallible and free of error, I don't trust him. Furthermore, most of those who write commentary are biased toward some particular doctrine. I am too, but I state mine very clearly! I have no use for Calvinism nor churches which teach "social justice".

Briefly, for I've covered it before, Calvinism is deterministic. It propagates the notion that man has no part in his own destiny and was elected at the beginning of time to be saved or damned and there is nothing the person can do about it! That means that all missionary work is futile and a waste of time. Although I credit them for spreading the gospel of grace, they took it too far! Grace coupled with choice was the notion at the time of Adam and Eve, was the reason Christ came and is still effectual today.

"Social justice" is liberal theology propagated by progressives. Equality, solidarity and human rights are the aspects of social justice. None of these are bad; it's the emphasis and methods which are! Jesus did make it plain that heaven is for all and he came to save the sins of all mankind. However, he didn't come to make humans equal. He said nothing about slavery and said that the poor would always be with us. 

Neither did Jesus teach solidarity. He did teach unity. However, the unity taught through Paul was unity in believing who Christ is and what he did; saved those who accept Him as Savior! He never mentioned civil cohesion nor any type of militant action. Although the Jews believed that Christ came as a warrior king to defeat the Romans and would lead the people, Jesus led through love, not through civil unrest! 

The last point, human rights, was of no issue to him. Jesus commanded that we are to love him and to love others. That is true "human rights". However, Jesus taught obedience, not toleration; obedience is righteousness. The modern human rights movement has little to do with obedience, but solely of toleration.  Jesus was no respecter of persons, but he loved us all so  much that he provided the Way for all to be saved, but it wasn't through a civil human rights activity. It was being remorseful because we are humans and that we're fallible.

Those denominations which focus on "social justice" have good intentions, but as they say "The road to hell is paved with good intentions!" Just as Jesus said to give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars, it's better said to "forget Caesar and care for others out of love"!  The modern "social justice" theme of liberal churches are by nature Caesars. If we love one another as Jesus commanded, "social justice" isn't necessary! "Godly justice" is already scriptural. It's called "righteousness"!

The Methodist Church, the Nazarenes and the Salvation Army had "helping the poor" as a foundational theme. That's noble and putting charity in action. However, the sect which enables "abortion rights" and acceptance of alternate lifestyles is heretical!

Here's a quick synopsis of how Wikipedia explains those denominations which focus on social justice:


"Mainline churches include the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, the American Baptist Churches, the United Church of Christ (Congregationalist), the Disciples of Christ, Reformed Church in America, and Hicksite Quakers, among others.
Mainline churches share a common approach to social issues that often leads to collaboration in organizations such as the National Council of Churches. Because of their involvement with the ecumenical movement, mainline churches are sometimes given the alternative label of ecumenical Protestantism. These churches played a leading role in the Social Gospel movement and were active in social causes such as civil rights and equality for women. As a group, the mainline churches have maintained religious doctrine that stresses social justice and personal salvation. Politically and theologically, contemporary mainline Protestants tend to be more liberal than non-mainline Protestants."

While most of those denominations do believe in personal salvation, if it's not as Jesus taught; they have gone astray:


Revelation 3:15 "I know thy (Church of Laodicia) works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
 You see, teaching about Jesus just isn't acceptable! It's "right teaching" about Jesus. Unfortunately, these lukewarm denominations focus on social justice! I've asked some in these churches how a person gets "saved". There answer is "I don't know." or "They come to church and ask for membership." My own experience in a progressive church may be the norm. I took a catechism class, got an "A" and then was pronounced that I was saved and asked to become a church member. However, I was as lost after the catechism class as I was before and all that I was saved from was a bad grade!

Remember, because someone speaks "Christianese" doesn't make him saved! Likewise, attending church doesn't make a Christian any more than being in a garage makes a car! 

The worst of the worst of the churches which fit Revelation 3:15 is the Universalist Church now called Unitarian Universalist.  Few members even call themselves Christian and those that do, they're not what evangelicals would call them!

It's important to know what an "evangelical" is. I am one! According to The American Heritage Dictionary" the most applicable definition is "Evangelical: of, relating to, or being a Christian church believing in the sole authority and inerrancy of the Bible, in salvation only through regeneration, and in a spiritually transformed personal life."

Here we go again! The Bible first! Commentary and papal edicts are no substitute. Some United Baptists put personal inspiration over the Bible. That's wrong. Few Moses and few Paul's exist today because those were special times. Scripture is closed! Revelation tells us that.  "Bulls" are just that.  The papal bull Pastor aeternus in 1871 by Pius IX, regarding papal infallibility is what blackguards call "bull"!

Evangelical churches must be Christian and Christian only. Unitarian Universalists practice syncretism. Any and all religions are welcome on equal par. Likewise, are sinners whose lifestlye is never questioned. Reproductive rights are paramount and abortion is propagated. Surely they are cold, not even lukewarm! Evangelical churches teach that Jesus is the Way and only way because that what Jesus said about himself!

Evangelical churches teach the inerrancy of the Bible, since it's man's transcription of God's word, it is without fault. God is truth and God doesn't contradict himself or truth. Therefore, those who set aside the creation account in favor of evolution not only fail to accept the Bible, but are heretics as well. For them God is a pompous liar; claiming to have created the universe! Progressive churches teach evolution or an admixture of science and God.

I said that in a liberal church I was "saved" by a class. That's not evangelical! Evangelical churches teach regeneration. With faith and belief in the propitiating death of Christ on the Cross, the believer is regenerated. The old person is dead and the regenerated person is a new creature. Taking a class does not regenerate. Salvation is by the blood of Jesus only:

Ephesians 1:7 "(Jesus) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace..."

Simply said salvation is available to all who believe and accept because Jesus shed his blood and died so that we didn't have to. He was without sin, put our sins upon himself and disposed of them for all time. That's what Evangelical churches teach  AND PRACTICE!

An evangelical church teaches "transformation". Just as Jesus was transformed with the spirit of God and his face took on a new countenance, likewise a sinner is transformed and we are changed. If change isn't there, it's likely that regeneration didn't happen! That's why so many liberal "Christians' still live in the flesh and for the world. They were never truly regenerated and hence, were not transformed!

At the end of the age the modern church, the progressive church, the liberal church, will be the church of the Antichrist. They will accept him because he will appear to be a proponent of social justice and he will be for a time! Wars will end and people will have "human rights". People will be taken care of and clothed and fed. (These are the focus of liberal churches.) He will be a hero for just enough time to fool those within liberal churches, then his true motives will show! He will declare himself "God" and the liberal churches will accept him because they are not evangelical! They won't know any better because they consist of gullible good people.

I don't read the commentaries because many modern theologians are progressives, dogmatic, non-evangelical or misled evangelicals. I may be wrong in what I say, but if I'm wrong, it's because of my own ignorance, not because I twist scripture. The truth you shall know:

John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

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