Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Is Biblical Doctrine Optional?

2Co 11:3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

As Apprising Ministries is reporting, Reformed Blogger Adrian Warnock is fully supporting Piper in his invitation of Rick Warren to the Desiring I Don't Know What Kind Of God Conference.

What has Piper done to merrit such uncritical, unrelenting, full support of such destructive teachers and doctrine?

The rejection of the Doctrine of Separation is yet ONE MORE DOCTRINE DEEMED AS OPTIONAL.

Is there a man these Reformed bloggers and pastors would be willing to wholy and completely separate from? On what basis?

The claim of Piper having a "unique gifting and authority" is odd. I don't see anything unique here (he might as well say (or does he?) about Warren or Hinn or Graham?), except that he has a wide audience that crosses denominational lines. When someone is so widely popular without hardly any criticism, that should be a red flag. Why? Because it means that compromise is going on.

Don't believe me? Then ask yourself this:


Is Justification by faith alone an optional doctrine?

Is foul-mouth language and sexually explict talk an optional way to preach and live?

Is a different gospel an option?

Is finding common ground with those in darkness possible?

If you believe Scripture, the answer to all the above should be: NO. This is based on multitude of biblical passages throughout Scripture.

Justification can ONLY be by faith alone apart from works:

Rom 4:5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works…

Gal 2:16 yet we know that a person NOT JUSTIFIED BY WORKS of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and NOT BY WORKS of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Foul mouths and sexually charged language:

Eph. 4: 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Eph 5:3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

A different gospel isn’t optional:

Joh 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."

Gal 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to A DIFFERENT GOSPEL-- 7 NOT THAT THERE IS ANOTHER ONE, but there are some who trouble you and want to DISTORT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you A GOSPEL CONTRARY to the one we preached to you LET HIM BE ACCURSED.

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Rom 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Titus 2: 1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

False Teachers and the Doctrine of Separation:

Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Mar 13:22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Mat 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Rom 16:17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; AVOID THEM. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 

2Co 11:12 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

2Jo 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

1Co 5:11 But now I am writing to you NOT TO ASSOCIATE with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one.

Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." (1Co 15:33)

Tit 1:9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

2Jo 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

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

2Tim. 4: 14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

3 John 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.

2 Tim. 2: 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

Are you willing to say that despite all that God has said in the above passages, its still ok to strutt a false teacher in front of the sheep?

Common Ground with Those Outside Jesus Christ:

2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

3Jn 1:7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

Jesus calls for whole churches to repent of the tolerance of false teaching among their midst. He certainly did not say just to ignore the bad parts. His rebuke was widespread:

Rev 2:2 "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.

The myth of “fair and balanced” (offering truth alongside falsehood; false teachers and true teachers) as biblical is repudiated by Christ Himself.

Rev 3:14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15 "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Mat 16:6 Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

1Co 5:8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1Co 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Gal 5:7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Luk 6:46 "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?

No comments: