Saturday, March 21, 2009

“The Reformation Pulpit” March 21, 2009

The Reformation Pulpit! (email March 21, 2009)

What's wrong with the modern pulpit?

The Method & Manner of Preaching the Gospel must be thoroughly biblical!
The Content of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!
The Emphasis of every part of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!

The Biblical Right of Private Judgment!

God has ordained that preachers are to be His instruments in instructing the Church of Jesus Christ. However, that instruction must be personally and biblically-examined by each Christian!

Christians cannot ignore the God-ordained importance of their own pastors, the great Creeds and Confessions and Bible Scholars of Church History!

RC Sproul-Knowing Scripture
“Two of the great legacies of the Reformation were the principle of private interpretation and the translation of the Bible into the vernacular. . . . Private interpretation never meant that individuals have the right to distort the Scriptures. With the right of private interpretation comes the sober responsibility of accurate interpretation.”

Gal 1:,8: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

I Cor 10:15-“I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.”

I Cor 14:29-“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.”

Acts 17:11-“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

Calvin on Acts 17:11: “Therefore, let this remain as a most sure maxim, that no doctrine is worthy to be believed but that which we find to be grounded in the Scriptures. The Pope will have all that received without any more ado, whatsoever he doth blunder out at his pleasure; but shall he be preferred before Paul, concerning whose preaching it was lawful for the disciples to make inquisition?. . . . Nevertheless, we beware of the seducing subtilty of men; neither do our minds throw themselves headlong with a blind rage to believe every thing without advisement.

Matthew Henry-Acts 17:11: “They searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. Their readiness of mind to receive the word was not such as that they took things upon trust, swallowed them upon an implicit faith: no; but since Paul reasoned out of the scriptures, and referred them to the Old Testament for the proof of what he said, they had recourse to their Bibles, turned to the places to which he referred them, read the context, considered the scope and drift of them, compared them with other places of scripture, examined whether Paul's inferences from them were natural and genuine and his arguments upon them cogent, and determined accordingly.”

Martin Luther: Of the Office of Preaching
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER, VOL. III, PAGE 379, 380-SECTION IV. THE HEARERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE AND JUDGE A SERMON

“Remember well that the sheep have to pass judgment upon that which is placed before them. They should say: We have Christ as our Lord and prefer his Word to the words of any man . . . . We want to examine and judge for ourselves whether the pope, the bishops and their followers do right or not.”

J. C. Ryle: “Warning to the Churches” -p. 99: “We are far toot ready to think, that because some great minister or some learned man says a thing,-- or because our own minister, whom we love, says a thing,-- it must be right, without examining whether it is in the Scripture or not. Most men dislike the trouble of thinking for themselves.”

Charles Hodge: Syst. Theology, Vol 1, p. 184:
“What Protestants deny on this subject is, that Christ has appointed any officer, or class of officers, in His Church to whose interpretation of the Scriptures the people are bound to submit as of final authority. What they affirm is that He has made it obligatory upon every man to search the Scriptures for himself, and determine on his own discretion what they require him to believe and to do.”

AW Pink-Practical Christianity-The Right of Private Judgment-p. 181
“Those Bereans sat in judgment upon the teaching of the apostles! They are commended for doing so! Not only was it their privilege and duty, but it is recorded to their honour. But mark how they discharged this duty. They brought all that they heard from the spoken discourse to the test of the written Word. They did not judge by their own preconceptions, views, prejudices, feelings, or partialities, but by God’s Word. If what they heard was in accord therewith, they were bound to receive and submit to it; but if it was contrary thereto, they were equally bound to refuse and reject the ministry that taught it. That is recorded as an example to us! It reveals how we are to exercise this privilege of private judgment. The apostles claimed to be sent of God, but were they really preaching the Truth? The Bereans gave them a ready hearing, but took the trouble to examine and try their teaching by the Scriptures, and searched them daily whether they were so.”

Saturday, March 14, 2009

“The Reformation Pulpit”(Email) March 14, 2009

“The Reformation Pulpit” (Email) March 14, 2009

What’s wrong with the modern pulpit?

The Method & Manner of Preaching the Gospel must be thoroughly biblical!
The Content of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!
The Emphasis of every part of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical
!

Some Crucial Questions!

1-How are the unconverted described in the Bible?

Wicked=Workers of Iniquity=Unrighteous=Unsaved=Unconverted

Job 18:21: Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked And this is the place of him who does not know God.”
Job 31:3: Is it not destruction for the wicked, And disaster for the workers of iniquity? Job 34:8: Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?
Matt 7:22, 23: Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (KJV-‘workers of iniquity’)
Job 27:7,8: May my enemy be like the wicked, And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous For what is the hope of the hypocrite, Though he may gain much, If God takes away his life?
II Thess 1:7b, 8, 9: When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (I Jn 3:10-I Cor 6:9, 10)

2-How should unconverted sinners be addressed?

Psalm 50:16-21- “But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes Or take My covenant in your mouth . . . .”
Ezekiel 3:18: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

Every unconverted sinner (religious-not religious-baptized or not-morally respectable or immoral-must be warned by the preacher of the danger of hell unless they personally and truly come to know Christ!

3-Must the unconverted be strongly warned of God’s wrath so that they might repent and seek Christ?

**Acts 17:30, 31**-“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Calvin: "Because he hath appointed a day . . . .therefore they must be violently enforced unto repentance, which cannot be done better than when they be cited to appear before God’s judgment-seat, and that fearful judgment is set before them, which they may neither despise nor escape."

Luke 13:1-5-“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Jeremiah 4:4 "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire . . . .And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.”

Henry: “The danger they are threatened with, which they are concerned to avoid. Repent and reform, lest my fury come forth like fire, which it is now ready to do, as that fire which came forth from the Lord and consumed the sacrifices, and which was always kept burning upon the altar and none might quench it; such is God's wrath against impenitent sinners, because of the evil of their doings.“

Calvin: “For, before the mind of the sinner, inclines to repentance, it must be aroused by thinking of Divine judgment. . . Scripture often mentions judgment when it urges to repentance. . . (Acts 17:30, 31-Jer 4:4).”

Dr. Joel Beeke: Bringing the Gospel to Covenant Children:
"Don’t be afraid to talk to your children about hell, as that can make a deep impression upon them. . . . But that knowledge is an important evangelistic tool in your arsenal of truth —a tool that the Holy Spirit has used throughout church history to show . . . that they need to forsake sin and flee from the wrath of God to the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ."

RC Sproul: “The power of the gospel is the word of God . . . nobody needs a gospel if there’s no judgement, or law, if God is not a God of judgement. If there is no such thing as hell, what good is the gospel? The gospel tells us that we are saved from the wrath to come. . . . I can’t think of anything more politically incorrect in 21st cen. America than the wrath of God, the justice of God or the doctrine of hell.”

John MacArthur: “They cannot seek grace and salvation unless they are affected with the dread of the wrath of God that is upon them. Unless men sense they are in grave danger there’s no pressure applied to them to change."


Cornelius Van Til: "Both need to be told that they are in the way of death, that the wrath of God rests upon them and will abide upon them forever unless they repent and believe the gospel."

John Piper: "In order for the gospel to make sense, we must expect and fear the wrath of God. But for the wrath of God to be expected and feared, we must despise sin as an offence against God."

John Murray: "But hell is an unspeakable reality and, if evangelism is to march on its way, it must by God’s grace produce that sense of condemnation complexioned by the apprehension of perdition as the reward of sin. For it is the anguish of such a sense of condemnation, in the anguish of a conscience that stings with apprehension of the wrath and curse of God, that the gospel of God’s free grace becomes as cold water to a thirsty soul and as good news from a far country."

Martyn Lloyd-Jones-Romans 5: I am assuming, of course, that the Gospel is being preached truly, that it is the true evangel which starts with the wrath of God, and man’s helplessness.

JC Ryle: "Never will a man flee until he sees there is real cause to be afraid. Never will he seek heaven until be is convinced that there is risk of his falling into hell. The religion in which there is no mention of hell, is not the religion of John the Baptist, and of our Lord Jesus, and His apostles."

Do not these Scriptures (Acts 17:30, 31; Luke 13:1-5; Jeremiah 4:4) clearly teach that it is the preacher’s responsibility to warn every unsaved person sitting in the pew in front of him, that unless they personally repent and genuinely believe in Christ that they will go to hell? In addition, must not preachers strongly encourage sinners of God’s free love and grace in Christ received by faith alone?

If the above scriptural evidence is clear; why don’t you as a preacher do this; and why doesn’t your pastor do this?

Deut 12:32
“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Radio Interview: GABRIEL GROSSI: The Sovereignty of God and Preaching (Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Show)

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MP3 Available Here

GABRIEL GROSSI, Reformed Baptist preacher and author of "Preaching With Biblical Passion" and his new book "Preaching the Gospel Message" will discuss The Sovereignty of God and Preaching.

During this program we will also be promoting a Bible Conference in New Jersey this summer where Rev.Grossi will be featured speaking on this same topic. Renowned Bible scholar, apologist, debater and author Dr. James R. White, co-founder of Alpha & Omega Ministries is also a featured speaker among others to be announced. This event is the "Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals (ACE) Northern New Jersey Sovereignty of God Conference" to be held June 22-24, 2009 at Bread of Life Fellowship Church in Haledon, NJ. For details call Dr. Joe LoSardo at 1-866-38-BREAD (1-866-382-7323) or visit http://www.bolfellowship.org/.

Our guest Gabriel Grossi was born and raised in Italy as a Roman Catholic. After coming to the United States in 1958, Mr. Grossi was converted to Christ in 1969. He attended Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia, PA from 1970-1973. He has been actively engaged in lay-preaching since 1979. He was privileged to be intimately involved in a church planting work in Mid-town Manhattan in New York. He has also served in the pastorate for two years. Mr. Grossi is married with two adult sons.

Mr. Grossi is offering his book “Preaching the Gospel Message” for only $8/copy+Shipping. For those who cannot afford to pay he will send the book to them free of charge. The spiral paperback book has 233 pages with 360 footnotes. His other book, Preaching with Biblical Passion is on sale for $10 plus shipping & handling.You can contact him at (973)299-1579 or send him an email at gabegrossi@verizon.net.

Co-hosting this broadcast is Pastor Jim Capo of the Massapequa Church of God on Long Island, NY.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

“The Reformation Pulpit” Feb 7, 2009

The Reformation Pulpit! Feb 7, 2009

What’s wrong with the modern pulpit?

The Method & Manner of Preaching the Gospel must be thoroughly biblical!
The Content of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!
The Emphasis of every part of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!


WHY IS THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH AND SOME REFORMED CHURCHES NEGLECTING THE DOCTRINE OF REPENTANCE IN THEIR GOSPEL PREACHING?

The Gospel is a Message about Repentance #4
Excerpts from my book, “Preaching the Gospel Message”

The Bible speaks with great clarity that there are some professing believers who are temporary believers and who are hypocrites. These people do not have the root of the matter in them. One of the goals of ministers is to follow what Matthew Poole wrote, “It is the great work of ministers to drive hypocrites from their vain confidences.”[1]

But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away (Luke 8:13).
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31, 32).

John Newton describes some of the characteristics of hypocrites:
Many are convinced, who are not truly enlightened: are afraid of the consequences of sin, though they never saw its evil; have a seeming desire of salvation, which is not founded upon a truly spiritual discovery of their own wretchedness, and the excellency of Jesus.[2]

Now when He was in Jerusalem . . . many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all me (John 2:23-24).

John Bunyan describes the shocking reaction of those who die impenitent:
They will look to escape hell, and yet fall just into the mouth of hell. What a disappointment will be here! They will look for heaven, but the gate of heaven will be shut against them . . . they will expect that Christ should have compassion for them, but will find that he hath shut up all bowels of compassion from them. What a disappointment is here! [3]

Edwards:
When person seem for a while to be awakened and terrified, and have more or less of a sense of their sinfulness and vileness, and then afterwards seem much affected with the mercy of God, and appear to find comfort in him, and yet after all, when the novelty is over, their impression decline and pass away, so that there is no abiding change in the heart and life, then it is a sign that they have no true grace.[4]

Joel Beeke:
When John the Baptist preached convictingly, people fled from the wrath to come (Matt. 3:1-12). When Peter preached convictingly on Pentecost, at least three thousand were pricked in their hearts (Acts 2:37). When God is pleased to raise and use such men to bring others to a conviction of sin there is something distinctive about their preaching. Such preaching purposely aims to convict of sin, not just to alarm people, but to awaken them as sinners. Such preaching searches and, as Perkins put it, “rips up the consciences” of men and women, boldly calling sinners to heartfelt repentance.[5]

Some churches do not preach on the doctrine of repentance; its necessity; its nature; and its fruit. They do not explain the true evidence of repentance and its counterfeits. There is very little application to the consciences of the members to obey the biblical duty of self-examination.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. (II Cor 13:5).
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10).

In some of Reformed churches the church officers and preachers assume that ‘covenant children’ are saved until they outwardly begin to live ungodly lives. Yet the Scriptures teach that there must be the fruit of genuine repentance in the lives of ‘covenant children’ or else they are not saved. Church officers or preachers are not the ultimate standard of the true spiritual state of baptized members of the church.

John Calvin wrote of people in his own day who made a false professions of faith who would not relinquish their hypocritical professions unless they manifested an openly wicked life in turning against God:

For they persuade themselves that the reverence that they show to the Word of God is very piety itself, because they count it no impiety unless there is open and admitted reproach or contempt of his Word.[6]

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. . . . He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. (1 John 2:3, 4, 9)

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:20)

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones (Luke 3:8).

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matt 7:21, 22).

The above Scriptures clearly emphasizes that it’s not what a person says or professes that matters, but rather the evidence of spiritual fruit manifested in the life. Though we need to be sensitive to the immaturity of children; pastors must not, however, create a separate category of the biblical fruit of salvation for children.

Maurice Roberts:
After all, Nicodemus was a church child and yet he was totally unacquainted with the saving grace which the new birth alone could give him. Is not this the case with many thousands of church children like him? [7]

Spurgeon:
Now, there are some in this house this morning who are not Christians: they are not with Christ, and consequently they are against him; but still they are the nearest related to Christ of any unconverted people in the world, because from their childhood they have attended religious worship, they have joined in the songs, and prayers, and services of the Lord’s house; moreover, they are fully persuaded of the authenticity and divinity of the word of God, and they have no doubt but what the Savior was sent from God, and that he can save, and is the appointed Savior. They are not troubled with doubts, skeptical thoughts do not perplex them; they are, in fact, Agrippas, almost persuaded to be Christians. They are not Christians, but they are the nearest related to Christians of any people living upon the face of the earth. You would naturally expect that they would be the best people to preach to, but they have not proved to be so. They have not proved to be so in my case, for some such attending here are less likely to be brought to decision that those who are afar off. You know to whom I refer, for some of you, as you look me in the face, might well think, “Master, in saying so, thou rebukest us also. . . . ” You know the whole story of the Savior, and have known it ever since your childhood. More than that, the doctrines of the gospel are theoretically well understood by you. You can discuss gospel truths, and you delight to do so, for you take a deep interest in them. When you read the Scripture, it is not to you a dark, mysterious volume, which you cannot at all comprehend, but you are able to
teach others which are the first principles of the truth; and yet, for all that, how strangely sad it is, that, knowing so much, you should practice so little. I am afraid that some of you know the gospel so well, that for this very reason it has lost much of its power with you, for it is as well known as a thrice-told tale. If you heard it for the first time, its very novelty would strike you, but such interest you cannot now feel. . . . Yet here is the matter: it is sad indeed that men so nearly related to Christianity, who know so much about Christ, should yet reject the Redeemer [8].

It is the duty of every preacher of the gospel to proclaim the message of repentance (Mark 1:15). It is the preacher’s duty, because God commands that repentance is a vital part of preaching the gospel message (Luke 24:47).

Without experiencing biblical repentance there is no salvation for any sinner! Repentance does not save neither can we be saved without repentance (Luke 13:3-5). Preachers must call men to true biblical repentance or they will face eternal judgment (Acts 17:30, 31). Preachers must call church members; baptized children; church officers; and all others to experience genuine repentance. Preachers must insist with John the Baptist, that repentance must prove itself by a life of genuine fruit bearing (Phil 1:11).

First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds (NIV; Acts 26: 20).

Preachers must biblically compel men to examine themselves to see if their repentance is genuine or counterfeit. Each person in the pew needs to be made to feel that the preacher is talking to him, and him only. Nathan the prophet said to David, “You are the man” (2 Sam 12:7). “The Preacher, who aims at doing good, will endeavour above all things to insulate his hearers, to place each of them apart, and render it impossible for him to escape by losing himself in the crowd.”[9]

Preaching the gospel message means that sinners must be called to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A professed repentance and faith must be shown to be real from the biblical fruit that it produces.

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter (2 Cor 7:9-11).

John Bunyan comments on those who refuse the call to repent:
Repentance will not be found in heaven among them that come to God by Christ. No! Hell is the place of untimely repentance! It is there where the tears will be mixed with gnashing of teeth; while they consider how mad, and worse, they were, in not coming to God by Jesus Christ. Then will their hearts and mouths be full of, “Lord, Lord, open unto us!” But the answer will be, ‘Ye shut me out of doors; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: besides, you refused to come to my Father by me; wherefore now you must go from my Father by me.’ They that will not be saved by Christ, must be damned by Christ. No man can escape one of the two.[10]

It is the biblical responsibility of preachers to call all men to repentance (Acts 17:30, 31). Furthermore, it is their duty to biblically proclaim the true nature and counterfeit aspects of repentance. All of this needs to be wisely applied to the consciences of sinners and saints alike. The openly unconverted, and hypocritical church members, need to be earnestly warned of the danger in failing to repent and believe in the gospel (Luke 13:1-5). Saints need to be comforted and instructed so that they understand the difference between genuine and counterfeit repentance. Who is sufficient for these things without the need of the Spirit of God (2 Cor 2:16; 3:5, 6)?

Are Evangelical and Reformed preachers clearly and regularly proclaiming the biblical doctrine of repentance in their preaching of the Gospel Message?


Is your pastor fully preaching the Gospel Message (Acts 17:11)?
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The Reformation Pulpit Feb 14, 2009

The Reformation Pulpit! Feb 14, 2009

What’s wrong with the modern pulpit?

The Method & Manner of Preaching the Gospel must be thoroughly biblical!
The Content of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!
The Emphasis of every part of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!

The Gospel is a Message about Saving Faith in Christ!


What does it mean to Believe in Jesus Christ for Salvation?

One of the most misunderstood words in the Bible, is the word faith or believe. There is much failure by preachers to biblically define; what is faith; and what does it mean to believe in Christ? This inexcusable failure on the part of many preachers promotes deception in those who think they have faith, and weakens the assurance of true believers who think they have no faith.

J Gresham Machen: The preacher says believe. . . . But how can a man possibly act on that suggestion, unless he knows what it is to believe. . . . These preachers speak about faith, but they do not tell what faith is. . . . If the way of salvation is faith, it doe seem highly important to tell people who want to be saved . . . just what faith means.[1]

Thomas Brooks: Now how many thousands of Christians are there, that have this faith that is here described . . . who yet question whether they have true faith or no, partly from weakness, partly from temptations, and partly from the various definitions that are given of faith by Protestants, both in their in their preachings and writings; and it is and must be for a lamentation, that in a point so great the trumpet should give such an uncertain sound.[2]

Biblical Reality that all faith is not Saving Faith!

Heb 10:38, 39-“Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

Temporary Faith
Lk 8:13-“But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.”
Mk 4:17-“and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble...”

Demonic Faith
James 2:19-“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble!”
Luke 4:41-“Demons also came out of many, crying out& saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.”
Mark 1:24-“What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth...I know who You are; the Holy One of God!"

Dead Faith
James 2:17-“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Miraculous faith
Matt 7:21-“Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
Acts 8:13-“Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.”

Calvin:

We do not doubt that such persons, prompted by some taste of the Word, greedily seize upon it, and begin to feel its divine power; so that they impose a false show of faith not only upon the eyes of men but even upon their own minds. For they persuade themselves that the reverence that they show to the Word of God is very piety itself, because they count it no impiety unless there is open and admitted reproach or contempt of his Word. Whatever sort of assent that is, it does not at all penetrate to the heart itself, there to remain fixed. And although it seems sometimes to put down roots, they are not living roots. The human heart has so many crannies where vanity hides, so many holes where falsehood lurks, is so decked out with deceiving hypocrisy, that it often dupes itself.[3]

Berkhof:
The Bible does not always speak of faith in the same sense. It refers to a historical faith, consisting in an intellectual acceptance of the truth of Scripture without any real moral or spiritual response. Such a faith does not take the truth seriously and shows no real interest in it. Acts 26:27, 28; James. 2:19. It also speaks of a temporal faith, which embraces the truths of religion with some promptings of conscience and a stirring of the affections, but is not rooted in a regenerated heart. It is called temporal faith, Matt. 13:20, 21, because it has no abiding character and fails to maintain itself in days of trial and persecution. Cf. also Heb. 6:4-6; 1 Tim. 1:19, 20; I John 2:19. Moreover, it makes mention of a miraculous faith, that is a person's conviction that a miracle will be performed by him or in his behalf. Matt. 8:11-13; 17:20; Mark 16:17, 18; John 11:22, 40; Acts 14:9. This faith may or may not be accompanied with saving faith. Finally, it not only names, but stresses the necessity of, saving faith. This has its seat in the heart and is rooted in the regenerated life. Its seed is implanted in regeneration and gradually blossoms into an active faith. It may be defined as a positive conation, wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, as to the truth of the gospel, and a hearty reliance on the promises of God in Christ. [4]

***Crucial Statement by Charles Spurgeon:***

Let it not be imagined that these individuals are necessarily avowed sceptics, for many of them believe much of revealed truth. They believe the Bible to be the word of God; they believe there is a God; they believe that Jesus Christ is come into the world as a Savior; they believe most of the doctrines which cluster around the cross. Alas! they may do this, but yet the wrath of God abideth on them, if they believe not the Son of God. It may surprise you to learn that many of these persons are very much interested in orthodoxy. . . . They have read much, and they are matters of argument in the defense of what they consider to be sound doctrine. They cannot endure heresy, and yet sad is the fact, that believing what they do, and knowing so much, they have not believed the Son of God. They believe the doctrine of election, but they have not the faith of God’s elect: they swear by final perseverance, but persevere in unbelief. They confess all the five points of Calvinism, but they have not come to the one most needful point of looking unto Jesus, that they may be saved. They accept in creed the truths that are assuredly believed among us, but they have not received that faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; at any rate, they have not received it personally and practically for their souls’ salvation. It must be admitted that not a few of these persons are blameless as to their morals. You could not, with the closest observation, find either dishonesty, falsehood, uncleanness, or malice in their outward life; they are not only free from these blots, but they manifest positive excellences. Much of their character is commendable. They frequently are courteous and compassionate, generous and gentle-minded. . . . The one thing needful they are destitute of, they have not believed in Christ Jesus . . . they shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on them. [5]

1] J Gresham Machen, What is Faith ( Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., reprint 1974), p. 43.
[2] Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, reprinted 1980), Vol. 5, p. 52.
[3] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Rio, WI, Ages Digital Library, Ages Software Inc., 2002), Vol. 3, p. 20, 21.
[4] .i.e.: Berkhof, Louis, March 2008, http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Systematic-Theology/
[5] Charles Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (Rio, WI, Ages Digital Library, Ages Software, Inc.,), Vol. 17, p. 670

“The Reformation Pulpit” Feb 21, 2009

“The Reformation Pulpit” (email Feb 21, 2009)

What’s wrong with the modern pulpit?

The Method & Manner of Preaching the Gospel must be thoroughly biblical!
The Content of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!
The Emphasis of every part of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!

The Gospel is Message about Saving Faith in Christ #2!
What does it mean to Believe in Jesus Christ for Salvation?

Benjamin Warfield points out that historic Protestantism has always held to the view that Biblical Saving Faith includes the following three elements, knowledge, assent and trust. “In accordance with the nature of this faith the Protestant theologians have generally explained that includes in itself three elements notitia (knowledge-intellectual element), assensus (assent-emotional element), fiducia (trust-voluntary element).”

Faith includes Knowledge

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13. CF. Rom 10:9, 10).

AW Pink points out that a pre-requisite of certain Bible facts is necessary before one can exercise faith:

There can be no movement toward an unknown object. No man can obey a command until he is acquainted with its terms. . . . Apply it to the case in hand . . . the knowledge of Christ must of necessity precede our believing on Him or our coming to Him. “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”(Rom. 10:14). . . . None can come to Christ while they are ignorant about Him.

Saving Faith includes Assent:

To assent is to agree with something by accepting as true. We must not only know facts about God. We must believe, that is convinced and persuaded, that the facts are true.

He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true (John 3:33).

We assent to and agree with the biblical truths about the existence of God, the reality of sin, and the truth concerning Christ (John 16:8; 2:22; 4:42; 5:47; 11:27; Acts 4:12; Luke 5:31, 32; I Corinthians 15:1-11; Rom 10:9, 10). Though knowledge of biblical facts is necessary and though we must accept those facts as true, knowledge and assent alone are not enough to save anyone.

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe (Acts 26:27).

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matt 7:21).

The Zondervan Bible Dictionary warns us not to make a mistake in regard to improperly defining biblical faith, “Faith is not to be confused with a mere intellectual assent to the doctrinal teachings of Christianity, though that is obviously necessary.”

Biblical Saving Faith

What is faith? How does faith act? What are the biblical examples of men and women who manifest the “characteristics” of genuine faith? These are the kinds of questions that must be answered from the Bible. The exposing of hypocrites and the strengthening of genuine saints necessitates that we answer such questions.

According to the Scripture faith acts in a certain way. What are those ways shown in the Scriptures? The Devil is destroying men’s souls by causing them to think that faith merely involves knowledge and assent.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it (2 Cor 11:3, 4)

The Scripture commands that people are to properly engage in self- examination to see whether the root of the matter is in them:

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble (2 Pet 1:10).

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Saving Faith includes Trust

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed , you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13).

Trusting and believing in Christ means that we look away from ourselves and realize that Christ has done everything necessary to secure the salvation of all who commit themselves to Him. This is how John Murray explains it, “Faith is knowledge passing into conviction and conviction passing into confidence. . . . The specific character of faith is that it looks away from itself and finds its whole interest and object in Christ”


The same is stated by Sinclair Ferguson, “Faith gets man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others.”

Saving Faith Trusts in the Person of Christ

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink (John 7:37)

Westminster Confession of Faith: Larger Catechism

What is justifying faith? Justifying faith is a saving grace. . . not only assenteth to the truth of the promise, but also receiveth and resteth upon Christ and His righteousness.
. . . but the principle acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon Him alone for justification,sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.

The Belgic Confession: Article 23

"without presuming to trust in anything in ourselves, or in any merit of ours, relying and resting upon the obedience of Christ crucified alone,which becomes ours when we believe."

Iain Murray quotes Spurgeon when he wrote:
"I have heard it often asserted that if you believe that Jesus Christ died for you, you will be saved. . . . That is not saving faith. The man who has saving faith afterwards attains to the conviction that Christ died for him, but it is not of the essence of saving faith. . . . I pray you remember that the genuine faith that saves has for its main element--trust--absolute rest of the whole soul--on the Lord Jesus Christ to save me, whether he died in particular or in special to save me or not, and relying, as I am, wholly and alone on him, I am saved."

Dr. Wayne Mack and Pastor Joshua Mack gives a helpful illustration of the most crucial aspect of saving faith. They speak of a little boy, Jimmy, who is accidentally left behind on the top floor of a burning house. There is no way out for Jimmy but through the window. Jimmy’s father tells him to jump and assures him that he will catch him. Now I quote:
"Jimmy knows that his father is strong enough to catch him; but does that make him safe? Jimmy knows his father loves him and is willing to catch him; but does that make him safe? Jimmy not only knows that his father is willing and able to catch him but that his father is pleading with him to jump; but does that make him safe? None of these things will save him unless he trusts his father enough to jump. If Jimmy will not commit himself to his father’s arms, he will perish."

The characteristics of true saving faith in Christ is that a sinner not only has knowledge about Christ and agrees with that biblical knowledge, but he or she must personally, from the heart (Rom 10:9, 10), commit themselves to Christ to save them.
It is absolutely essential for preachers to regularly explain the nature and essence of true justifying faith. This is necessary in order to prove ourselves, in that day, as faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, (I Cor 4:1, 2). It is also necessary in order to expose and warn hypocrites that their faith is not the saving faith described in the Bible. True believers need much preaching on the subject of faith so they may be encouraged that their faith is sincere and genuine.

“The Reformation Pulpit” March 7, 2009

The Reformation Pulpit! (email March 7, 2009)

What’s wrong with the modern pulpit?

The Method & Manner of Preaching the Gospel must be thoroughly biblical!

The Content of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!

The Emphasis of every part of the Gospel Message Preached must be thoroughly biblical!

The Gospel is Message about Saving Faith in Christ #4!
True Christians may Doubt that their Faith is real!

Thomas Brooks: "Now how many thousands of Christians are there, that have this faith that is here described . . . who yet question whether they have true faith or no, partly from weakness, partly from temptations, and partly from the various definitions that are given of faith by Protestants, both in their in their preachings and writings; and it is and must be for a lamentation, that in a point so great the trumpet should give such an uncertain sound."

TRUE FAITH MAY BE VERY WEAK

MATT 12:19, 20- He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;
MATT 6:30-LITTLE FAITH
ROM 4:19 WEAK FAITH (ROM 14:1)
MATT 15:28-GREAT FAITH
II THESS 1:3//II COR 10:15--FAITH GROWS&INCREASES

William Hendriksen: “As referring to those from afar, to the weak and helpless, those of little of faith. etc”

John Owen on Hebrews 4
“Hence is he able to take care of and to encourage the least beginnings of grace in the hearts of his disciples. . . . Hence he says of himself, that he “will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax,” Matthew 12:20. Be our spiritual strength but like that which is naturally in a bruised reed, which is the next degree to none at all, he will not break it; that is, he will take care that it be not bruised, despised, or discouraged, but will cherish it, and add strength unto it. The smoking of flax also expresseth the least degree imaginable of grace; yet neither under his eye and care shall this be quenched.”

A. W. Pink: “The Lord does not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax

Matthew 12:20). He gave proof of this in the days of His flesh. He found some “smoking flax” in the nobleman who came to Him on behalf of his sick son: his faith was so weak that he supposed the Savior must come down to his house and heal him ere he died—as though the Lord Jesus could not recover him while at a distance or after he had expired (John 4:49): nevertheless He cured him.”

Thomas Brooks: “A spark of fire is but little, yet it is fire as well as the whole element of fire, a drop of water is but little, yet it is after as well as the whole ocean.”

Charles Spurgeon: “It is not declared in Scripture that you are to believe to a certain strength, but if you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed . . . surely it shall be saving faith.”

TRUE FAITH MAY HAVE STRUGGLES WITH DOUBTS

Mark 9:23, 24 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark 5:24-34

So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well. Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes? But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

John Flavel: “Indeed the strong believer receives Him with a stronger and steadier hand than the weak doth who staggers, doubts and trembles, yet receives Him.”

Charles Spurgeon: “It is possible for a man to be a very strong believer and yet question whether he has a spark of faith.”

John Calvin-Mk 9:22-24-“The first foundation of faith is, to embrace the boundless power of God. . . . It is not the Lord that prevents his benefits from flowing to us in large abundance, but it must be attributed to the narrowness of our faith, that it comes to us only in drops, and that frequently we do not feel even a drop, because unbelief shuts up our heart. . . . These two statements may appear to contradict each other, but there is none of us that does not experience both of them in himself. As our faith is never perfect, it follows that we are partly unbelievers; but God forgives us, and exercises such forbearance towards us, as to reckon us believers on account of a small portion of faith.”

Matthew Henry-Mk 9:22-24-“Even those who through grace can say, Lord, I believe, have reason to complain of their unbelief; that they cannot so readily apply themselves, and their case, the word of Christ as they should, nor so cheerfully depend upon it.”