CJ Mahaney And Pride

Some may have heard of Cj Mahaney's stepping down as head of Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) for "pride."  A former member of SGM brought forth a series of allegations of pride and manipulation by Cj Mahaney. Cj admitted to most of the charges relating to "pride" and stepped down. This whole saga is rather interesting. First, charge a leader especially with the allegation of "pride" and he's already in a lose, lose situation. That's a sure way to take his ministry off course! What human being doesn't struggle with pride? Pride is our greatest sin. It is a reason why sinners reject Christ and a reason why Christians commit sin. So, from the outset when a person trying to manipulate a church to a go in a direction it wants and may not be biblical (it is rather interesting that these charges are usually aimed at godly pastor's that preach the whole counsel of God. I'm not saying this is the case with Cj's accuser(s)) all he has to do is charge the pastor or an elder with pride. The poor soul is going to examine himself and of course see a stain of pride. What honest Christian won't!? Let me reiterate- every believer wrestles with pride. But I don't think that is the real issue. These kinds of situations stem from something else. Of course there are legitimate cases of arrogant and proud leaders that wish to always have things their way and seem to never be wrong. But large portions of these charges come because some person does not like that a pastor is preaching on wholesome doctrinal truths which they do not like. They may mistake a failure of the pastor to compromise sound doctrine as "pride." But to have someone point out "pride" in an elder is of course going to make him want to admit to it. Why? Because he is-here's the irony- humble. He's ever viewing himself in light of the most humble person ever- the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is Him he proclaims and therefore he takes the charge seriously and can see a tinge of "pride;" only to have the allegation make him view it greater than it is.

Secondly, if he denies being proud it will only make him look worse. A denial will certainly aggravate the person(s) making the accusation(s). A denial will surely put more fuel on the fire. The accuser(s) will be quick to say, "see he's so proud that he won't even admit it!" The poor guy is in a lose, lose situation. However, that is why there are biblical steps for handling these cases.

Here's a good one, "Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses" (1 Ti 5:19). An accusation against an elder is not to be considered without two or three witnesses . And this is only to take it in consideration. In other words the charges are not to be investigated unless there's two or three witnesses and then  the investigative process can begin. This only demonstrates how high God places and ordains the office of elder. That is why the qualifications are high and any accusation against God's shepherd's must be provable by credible witnesses (two or more). But of course all this get lost today.

I didn't mean for this article to turn out the way it did. I initially wanted to direct every one to Jesse Johnson of Grace Community Church and his take. So let me quote a great point he makes in all this:

In reality, this serves as an example of why churches should not be allowed to function without real elders. The NT has much to say about how to handle church leadership and sin, and this fiasco is a reminder about what happens when you deviate from that. Take out elders and replace them with an apostle, then add a board that leads a group of churches, and you officially have created something other than a New Testament church.

I encourage you to read his article here.

Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

Pulpit Dangers And Pulpit Needs

We've decided that next month's books giveaway will be addressing a much needed problem and, hopefully, equipping a shepherd in training or one seeking to grow in their current pastorate. These three books are ones in my top ten books on the subject. They are: Preaching and Preachers by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon and My Heart For Thy Cause: Albert N. Martin's Theology of Preaching by Brian Borgman. The following are random quotes from each one:

But, ultimately, my reason for being very ready to give these lectures is that to me the work of preaching is the highest and the greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called. If you want something in addition  to that I would say without any hesitation that the most urgent need in the Christian Chruch today is true preaching; and as it is the greatest and most urgent need in the Church, it is obviously the greatest need of the world also. (Preaching And Preachers p. 9).

He must know something about their background and their outlook, and what they are thinking, and what they are reading, and the influences that are being brought to bear upon them. People in their innocence and ignorance are still ready to listen to plausible speakers and to believe in anything they read in a newspaper or journal, and it is our business to protect them. We are shepherds, we are pastors, and we are to look after and care for these people who have been committed to our charge. It is our business therefore to equip ourselves for that great task. (Ibid p. 178).

A biblical theology of preaching must begin and end with God (Rom. 11:36). His glory is the great end of preaching. Cotton Mather said, 'The great design and intention of the office of a Christian preacher is to restore the throne and dominion of god in the souls of men.' The man of God must be convinced that biblical preaching is ordained by God as His appointed means of glorifying Himself through saving sinners and building up the saints (1 Cor. 1:17-2:5). 'God uses contemporary preaching to bring His salvation to people today, to build His church, to bring in his kingdom. In short, contemporary preaching biblical preaching is nothing less than a redemptive event.' (My Heart For Thy Cause p. 128).

Without a sufficient theology of preaching, the pastor's preaching ministry will lack power! He must know what he is there to do. (Ibid p.128).

 Unconverted ministry must be equally dreadful in another respect. If the man has no commission, what a very unhappy position for him to occupy! What can he see in the experience of his people to give him comfort? How must he feel when he hears the cries of penitents; or listens to their anxious doubts and solemn fears? He must be astonished to think that his words should be owned to that end! The word of an unconverted man may be blessed to the conversion of souls, since the Lord, while he disowns the man, will still honor his own truth. How perplexed such a man must be when he is consulted concerning the difficulties of mature Christians! In the pathway of experience, in which his own regenerate hearers are led, he must feel himself quite at a loss. How can he listen to their deathbed joys, or join in their rapturous fellowships around the table of their Lord? In many instances of young men put to a trade which they cannot endure, they have run away to sea sooner than follow an irksome business; but where shall that man flee who is apprenticed for life to this holy calling, and yet is a total stranger to the power of godliness? How can he daily bid men come to Christ, while he himself is a stranger to his dying love? O sirs, surely this must be perpetual slavery. Such a man must hate the sight of a pulpit as much as a galley slave hates the oar. (Lectures to My Students. Kindle Locations 159-169 Kindle Edition). 

And how unserviceable such a man must be. He has to guide travelers along a road which he has never trodden, to navigate a vessel along a coast of which he knows none of the landmarks! He is called to instruct others, being himself a fool. What can he be but a cloud without rain, a tree with leaves only. As when the caravan in the wilderness, all athirst and ready to die beneath the broiling sun, comes to the long-desired well, and, horror of horrors! finds it without a drop of water; so when souls thirsting after God come to a graceless ministry, they are ready to perish because the water of life is not to be found. Better abolish pulpits than fill them with men who have no experimental knowledge of what they teach. (Ibid. Kindle Locations 170-175). 

 Alas! the unregenerate pastor becomes terribly mischievous too, for of all the causes which create infidelity, ungodly ministers must be ranked among the first. (Ibid. Kindle Locations 176-177).

Keep your eyes out for next month's book(s) giveaway!

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Ac 20:28–32).


Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

  

Manipulacion Humana En La Converscion

(To read this in English click here)

Hay pocas cosas en la vida que me ha agradada más de ver a alguien venir a Cristo. Es algo que todos los hijos de Dios disfrutan- de conocer a una persona mas que ha experimentado el amor de Jesucristo y la alegría de tener sus pecados perdonados. Por otro lado, hay pocas cosas en la vida que me molesta más que ver a alguien siendo manipulados en el "cristianismo".

 

A la edad de dieciséis años fue manipulado en "aceptar" a Jesús (en realidad, yo todavía estaba en guerra contra él). Se me dijo que Dios tenía grandes planes para mi vida, que Él quería moldear me en un gran líder, que él me iba a llenar de amor (todo muy bonito, pero no el Evangelio).Luego fui llevado a    repetir una oración. Después de la oración, la persona me presentó al resto del grupo como un nuevo hermano en el Reino de Dios.

Ahora, esta persona tenía buenas intenciones, sin duda. Pero las buenas intenciones no salvan almas. Soy consciente de que muchos de nuestros amigos, y probablemente, los que leen esto, han utilizado técnicas similares para traer a otros a "Cristo", pero puedes estar seguro que si estas usando esto, estas haciendo daño. El intento es por lo general- llevar a una persona a un estado emocional para que sea mas probable a tomar una decisión por Cristo. Me gustaria exponer algunos de los defectos obvios en esta presentacion del evangelio (y tecnicas) que trata de manipular a la gente a tomar una decision por Cristo.

1) No es ningún presentacion del evangelio verdadero. 

Pablo nos dice lo que el evangelio es en 1 Corintios 15:1-4
¹   Además os declaro, hermanos, el evangelio que os he predicado, el cual también recibisteis, en el cual también perseveráis;

² por el cual asimismo, si retenéis la palabra que os he predicado, sois salvos, si no creísteis en vano.

³ Primeramente os he enseñado lo que asimismo recibí: Que Cristo murió por nuestros pecados, conforme a las Escrituras;

⁴ que fue sepultado y que resucitó al tercer día, conforme a las Escrituras

 

En "iglesias" modernas , cuando hay una presentación del "evangelio", no hay ningun mencion que Cristo murio por los pecados. Sin embargo, esto es exactamente lo que nos mira fijamente a la cara cuando vemos a Pablo predicando el evangelio. Sin embargo, cuando comparamos el evangelio de Pablo no tiene ninguna semejanza a lo que predicaba Pablo. Lo que encontramos es un mensaje de un Santa Clause en el cielo que to quiere bendecir economicamente si tu lo aceptas en tu corazon (o, empiezas a ir pa la iglesia). Encontranos mensajes sobre como las relaciones pasadas te han afectado, y de como Dios tiene el corazon roto por que tu no lo aceptas en tu corazon. Esto puede tener so lugar en el canal de Oprah Winfrey, pero no esta en la escrituras. 

El Evangelio responde a la pregunta más importante en lo que respecta 

a la existencia humana: Como puede un Dios santo mirar a un pecador como yo, y declarar me ser justo delante de el? No tiene nada que ver con la prosperidad economica, el corazon roto, o la falta que tiene Dios con su autoestima. 

2) Es Deshonesto

¹⁶ No dirás contra tu prójimo falso testimonio.- Exodo 20:16

P: 144. ¿Cuáles son los deberes exigidos en el nono mandamiento?

R. Los deberes exigidos en el nono mandamiento son: el preservar y promover la verdad entre hombre y hombre, i) y la buena fama tanto nuestra como la del prójimo, j) apariencia y posición a favor de la verdad, l) y de corazón, ll) con sinceridad, m) libertad, n) claridad ñ) y plenitud, o) hablar la verdad, y solamente la verdad, en cuestiones de juicio y justicia, p) así como en las demás cosas; q) una estimación caritativa hacia nuestro prójimo, r) amando, deseando y regocijándonos por su buen nombre, s) entristeciéndonos por sus debilidades, t) y ocultándolas; u) reconocer libremente sus dones y cualidades, v) defendiendo su inocencia; x) prontitud para recibir un buen informe, y) y faltos de disposición para creer un mal rumor con respecto a ellos; z) disuadiendo a los que esparcen tales rumores, a) aduladores b) y calumniadores; c) un amor y cuidado por nuestro nombre defendiéndolo siempre que sea necesario; d) guardar las promesas lícitas, e) estudiar y practicar todas las cosas que son verdaderas, honestas, amables y que den buena recomendación. f)

i) Efe. 4:25; j) 3 Juan 12; l) Prov. 31:9; ll) Sal. 15:2; m) 2 Crón. 19:9; n) Jer. 9:3; 1 Sam. 19:4, 5; ñ) Jer. 42:4; Jos. 7:19; Hch. 20:20; o) Hch. 20:27; 2 Sam. 14:18-20; p) Lev. 19:15; Prov. 14:5; q) Isa. 63:8; Col. 3:9; 2 Coro 1:17; r) Heb. 6:9; 1 Cor. 13: 4, 5; s) 3 Juan 4; Rom. 1:8; t) 2 Cor. 12:21; Sal. 119:158; u) Prov. 17:9; 1 Ped. 4:8; v) 1 Cor. 1:4, 5: 2 Tim. 1: 4,5; x) Sal. 82:3; 1 Sam. 22: 14; y) 1 Cor. 13:4, 6, 7; z) Sal. 15:3; a) Prov. 25:23; b) Prov. 26:24, 25; c) Sal. 101:5; d) 2 Cor. 11:18,23; Prov. 22:1; Hch. 24:12,13; Juan 8:49; e) Sal. 15:4; f) Fil. 4:8.

Lo he visto muchas veces- que los miembros de una iglesia inviten a los incredulos a una "fiesta". O, los invitan a un "concierto", solo para que visiten a una iglesia. Recuerdo mi amigo admitir que lo hizo una vez, solo para tener a sus amigos incredulos ir pa la iglesia con licor. 

Que encontramos cuando visitamos la iglesia modernas? Encontramos un pastor qu nos dice de un Santa Clause que nos quiere bendicir econmicamente si solo lo acepatmos en nuestro corazon. Nos encontramos con mensajes tristes de relaciones rotas.  

La dishonestiad es emitido cuando le gente esta garantizada la salud en tiempos de enfermedad. Cuando se garantiza la restauracion matrimonial. La purda verdad es que no sabemos si dicha persona sera curada. No sabemos si el matrimonio sera resturado. La pura verdad es que Dios hace lo que quiere. Y lo hace de acuerdo con "el consejo de su voluntad (Efesios 1:11). Lo que si estamos seguros es deque si una persona se arrepiente y pone su confianza en Jesus, sera salvo y perdonado de sus pecados. Debemos de ser honestos con la gente. Esto es util en la evangelizacion. No hay necesidad para trucos baratos.

3) No funciona

Ahora, por supuesto, uno no puede ser manipulado en el cristianismo. El cristianismo es una religion del corazon. Y es Dios y solo Dios que puede cambiar el corazon (Ezequiel 36:26). Incluso, sise puede intelectualizar algunos hechos acerca de quien es Jesus, esto no es la salvacion. El modo de pensar parece ser que mientras vengan a la iglesia (a traves del entretenimiento) podemos darles el evangelio mas tarde- en otro tiempo.

Hay dos problemas con esto: 

1) El evangelio nunca es dado 

2) Lo que uno utilice para llamar a gente a iglesia, eso es a lo que uno lo gana!

La gente no esta ganada a Cristo, pero a la musica, a las luzes. Y ahora, uno los tiene que seguir dando esto para que no se vallan. Hagase esta pregunta:

Si te quitamos todo el entretenimiento en tu iglesia, y solo te damos la palabra, semana tras semana, sobrevives, or te vas? A veces me pregunto cuantos cristianos tendriamos en los Estados Unidos si esta era la iglesia primitiva, le iglesia marcada por la persecucion, que no tenia todas las distracciones que tenemos hoy.

Conclusion

Historias tristes y el piano jugano durante un llamado al altar puedeser que consiga a alguien que escriba su nombre en una tarjeta pero no es la salvacion. Yo como muchos hemos tenido que que arrepentirnos de usar estos metodos. Oro para que te arrepientas de usar estos metodos, que no sirven, y compartas este mensaje con otros. Le buena noticia es que hay una manera para que las almas si se salven!

No me averguenzo del evangelio, porque es poder de Dios para salvación de todo aquel que cree, del judío primeramente, y también del griego-
Romanos 1:16 

Ninguna manipulación humana. Sólo Cristo muriendo por los pecadores
bajo la ira de Dios. Esta es la forma en que Dios ha ordenado que los

pecadores sean salvos: En la predicacion del evangelio.

La palabra de la cruz es locura a los que se pierden; pero a los que se salvan, esto es, a nosotros, es poder de Dios- 1 Corintios 1:18

So You Desire To Shepherd The Flock...

Brian Borgman's book My Heart For Thy Cause: Albert N. Martin's Theology of Preaching gives some helpful advice.

This desire is both necessary and legitimate, as Paul reminded Timothy: 'If any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires [to do]' (1 Tim. 3:1). It must be a willing desire (1 Pet. 5:2), not coerced in any way. It must be an enlistment, not a draft. It must be a strong and prevailing desire. Spurgeon notes: 'We must feel that woe unto us if we preach not the Gospel; the Word of God must be unto us fire in our bones, otherwise, if we undertake the ministry, we shall be unhappy in it, shall be unable to bear the self-denial incident to it, and shall be of little service to those among whom we minister.' This desire must also be based on a proper recognition of the work, not the romanticized notions of youth overtaken by the glory-lust of the pulpit. 

The focus desire is threefold in nature. First, there must be a longing to used in self-denying service to edify the people of God. In other words, a man must be absorbed with the end for which the ministry was instituted (Eph. 4:11; Acts 20:28 ff; 1 Pet. 5:2ff; Heb 13:17). If a man is not captured with the vision of building up the people of god, he should abandon the notion being called. God does not call men who love to preach but can't stand the people.

The second focus of the desire must be a longing to be used in a Spirit-filled ministry of calling out God's elect. The concept that God would use the preacher's voice to be as it were the voice of Christ (John 10:27), and that He would use the preacher's voice to be His voice in creating faith (Rom. 10:14-17), ought to be a great desire. If the candidate for ministry is not consumed with a longing to preach to a valley of dry bones, knowing the Word of the Lord can make them live (Ezek. 37), then he should resign his candidacy for the ministry. Spurgeon pulls no punches in his comments on this subject: ' It is a marvel to me how men continue at ease in preaching year after year without conversions... Brethren, if the Lord gives you no zeal for souls, keep to the lapstone or the trowel, but avoid the pulpit as you value your heart's peace and your future.'

The third focus of the desire is a longing to discharge a growing sense of God-given stewardship. God is the one who bestows the gifts and gives the stewardship (1 Cor. 4:1-2). there are times when the compulsion to discharge pure delight. There are other times when the compulsion to discharge comes simply from the wight of the stewardship (1 Cor. 9:16-17). Bridges (Jerry Bridges): 'This constraint rises above all difficulties, takes pleasure in sacrifices for the work's sake, and quickens to a readiness of mind, that (were it not restrained by conscious unfitness and unworthiness) would savor of presumption.'

This desire for pastoral office must not only have  proper focus, but it must be immersed in the context of a local church. Ideally, the local church should be a biblically structured, biblically healthy, biblically functioning church. This is an important factor for two fundamental reasons. First, it is within the context of a healthy, biblically functioning church that a man's fitness for the ministry can be most accurately recognized. Secondly, the potential ministerial  candidate gains a realistic and accurate view of the work of ministry in such a context.

Finally, the desire for the pastoral office has proper channels of expression. The man who begins to sense God's call must express this desire first and foremost to God in the secret place of prayer. As the man grows in his own desires, having had those desires sifted and sanctified by prayer, he may approach his overseers. The man must be in subjection to his elders (Heb. 13:17), and it is to them he must look first and foremost for wisdom, guidance and confirmation. He may also seek counsel from other trusted, mature friends and counselors, thereby following the wisdom of the Proverbs (12:15, 13:10, 19:20).*

 "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task" (1 Ti 3:1).

Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

*Borgman, Brian. My Heart For Thy Cause. Great Britian: Mentor, 2002. Print. P. 39-41 

Liberal Legalism And Martyn Lloyd- Jones

Legalism is one dastardly thing that has always plagued the Church. Man has an innate desire to always attempt to make his way to God when the glory of the Gospel says that He came to us. He stooped down to pardon sinners. He fulfilled all the righteous requirements to secure our just standing before Him. It was Christ that kept the whole Law to perfection and died as if He broke it (2 Cor. 5:21). He is the basis for our justification. His life, death and resurrection. He grants life to all that the Father has given to Him. The Holy Spirit gives life to the sinner and the sinner repents and trusts completely in Christ Jesus. Because of Jesus and through faith in Him, the sinner is forgiven and credited with the righteousness of Christ that he may stand before the thrice holy God and be called His child. It's all of grace.

The legalist hates it. He thinks he must work his own way to God. Perhaps Christ can be of assistance, but nonetheless he will get there in his own efforts. Whether his efforts mixed with a little of Jesus or his complete own striving. We saw the sheer legalism of the Pharisees and the type that mixes their efforts with Christ in the book of Galatians. But there is a type of legalism that come from liberalism. This type denies the propitiatory death of Christ and wishes to treat it more as an moral example of "love." They then turn to the red letters of the Bible (the words of Jesus) and emphasize those over any other passage in the Holy Writ. Then they employ Biblical terminology while importing their own definitions into the words. They take passages on social justice and make that the thrust of Christianity. They turn to unbelievers and present the fruit of the Gospel as the Gospel itself and tell the poor soul, dead in their trespasses and sins, that if they "be like Jesus" and live the Sermon on the Mount, that they will make themselves fine Christians. In other words they make the law the sinners hope. Of course they will not state it so bluntly. But that is the essence of their message. That is legalism. The liberal aspect comes from the denial of Christ's vicarious death, redefining biblical truths of sin, judgment, hell, salvation e.t.c. in a humanistic manner. In simple terms they are humanists.

I just received The Cross by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I'm barely one page into the book (not counting the foreword and introduction) and he's already speaking of and dealing with similar issues. Here's some quotes:

How am I so to live that I shall reap the blessing of joy and happiness and peace in this world and in the world to come for ever and for ever? That is the question, but unfortunately, as the Apostle goes on to point out, and as indeed he has been indicating in the whole of his epistle, that question, that problem, has become somewhat confused, because there are false teachers. The position had arisen in the early church, and it still remains today. There are contradictory voices going out in the name of the Christian church. They all say they are Christians, all claim to belong to the Christian church, but they are saying things diametrically opposed to another. So the first thing we have to do is discover which is the true message. How do you differentiate between the true and the false? The Apostle has answered in this epistle, as he has answered it in other epistles. As indeed the whole Bible answers it.

What then is the true message? What is the Christian gospel? What is it about? What does it proclaim? What has it got to say to us? How can a man be right with God? How can I sow to the Spirit? How can I reap everlasting life? What have I got to do in this life and in this world which will render me immune to what may happen round and about me, which would enable me me to smile in the face of death, which already assures me that I have nothing to fear when I come to the judgment of God, and which guarantees me everlasting and eternal bliss in the glory indescribable? What have I got to do? How can I get to that position?  Here, very fortunately for us, the great apostle answers the question. He puts it in this glorious and tremendous statement. 'God forbid that I should glory...' the thing is unthinkable, he says, that I should glory in anything '...save in the cross of our lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.'   This is the thing in which he glories. This is the thing which he preached. And this by the grace of God is the thing i am privileged to preach to you. It is the same answer, there is only one message.

What is it? Let us look at it like this. The preaching of the cross, the preaching of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on that cross is the very heart and centre of the Christian gospel and the Christian message... The central thing that matters above everything else, and what he picks out is the cross, the death on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the message of the Christian gospel, and of the Christian church? Now at the risk of being misunderstood I will put it like this. it is not the teaching of our Lord. I say that, of course, because there are so many today who think that is Christianity. They say: 'What we need is Jesus's teaching. He is the greatest religious genius of all times. He is above all the philosophers. Let us have a look at his teaching, at the Sermon on the Mount and so on. That is what we want. what the world needs today,' they say, 'is a dose of the Sermon on the Mount. A dose of his ethical teaching. We must preach this to the people and teach them how to live.' But according to the apostle Paul, that is not their first need. And I will go further. If you only preach the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only do you not solve the problem of mankind, in a sense you aggravate it. You are preaching nothing but utter condemnation, because nobody can carry it out.

The whole New Testament is proclaiming  the blood of Christ, the death of Christ upon the cross, on Calvary. It is the heart and centre of the Christian evangel, the good news of salvation.*

This book is from nine sermons Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached on Galatians 6:14. You can get it here.


 "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."


Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

* LLoyd-Jones, Martyn. The Cross. Illinois: Crossway, 1986. Print.

Controversy

Let's face it, controversy will always be around until our Lord returns. It is the world we live in. But we should attempt to avoid unnecessary conflict. Far too many Christians love to pick fights with other believers over secondary or even tertiary issues. Friendships have been ruined because someone takes up their doctrinal sword and goes on the prowl. Oh, you're an infralapsarian- off with your head. You say that you are not Truly Reformed (TR)- you step child. You're a Baptist- radical Anabaptist. You're believe in infant baptism- you closet Catholic. These are the folks that have lost their focus. This kind of controversy should be avoided for the sake of unity in the body of Christ. Of course, the issues are worth discussing and debating. But when that ugly pride starts to swell up because your position has been challenged, then it's time to bow out of the argument and remind your self of the Gospel and return to the argument humbled, willing to listen, learn and defend.

Now there is a point where we must engage the controversy. That is when professing Christians assault the Gospel. When they decide they are going to play the editor and go to task on the Word of God. At this point, members of the body of Christ must engage the controversy. Of course there is an appropriate manner in which to do it. But it must be done. It is a biblical mandate.

Listen to Jude the half brother of the Lord Jesus: "Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jud 3–4). How interesting. Here Jude wants to write fellow believers about their common salvation, found only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and encourage them. But he just wan't going to do it in an unenthusiastic manner. He was eager to write about the Gospel. It was on his mind and heart. He wanted to write about salvation. He was passionate and desirous to do so. But something interrupted this excitement. It was a perversion of the Gospel that deterred Jude from talking about salvation. He then turns to engage the controversy and also appeals to the believers he was writing, to contend for the faith. He admonishes them to not sit back in silent "humility" but to contend for the Gospel. One lexicon defines "contend" as "to exert intense effort on behalf of something—‘to struggle for.’"* 


When war is waged against King Jesus, His servants are to contend for His name. They grab their Bibles and refute those that are distorting the Word of God. They test the teaching of those that sparked the controversy and contend earnestly. They do so biblically, doctrinally and theologically.

It is an ironic thing that the people that start the controversy, by their departure from the Gospel, are quick to play the victim. Rob Bell and the Emergent crowd are a classic example. They "are just asking questions" about essential biblical truths while denying them in subtle and blatant ways. What is ironic is that they do so by mocking the church fathers, "fundamentalists" (in that world that is a pejorative term for biblical Christians), belittling doctrine and theology. They mock core doctrines because they believe they come from "the enlightenment period." When challenged and confronted on their errors, they feign humility and portray themselves as victims of people that shove "doctrine and dogma" down people's throats. They want people to view them as innocent, while the ones they mock as the aggressors. They are the ones sinned against and are willing to forgive those that take issue with their teaching and preaching (which is a different Gospel). I've spent close ten years in prison with inmates that play the victim card. They are all innocent and the government is out to get them and set them up. The local police department put the murder weapon in their house, car or even in their hands. I wasn't buying it then and I'm not buying it now. The issue is false teaching. The evidence is there, written and in sermons. They may act the victim as they wish. But the burden of proof is on them to demonstrate it. The have been teaching falsely and have been called on it. They can divert the attention and play the "poor me" syndrome. But the allegations have been put forth with evidence. Personal lifestyle is not the issue. False teaching is.

This is the type of controversy that others provoke. They want to teach a different Gospel but when challenged they retreat and assume the role of the innocent party. Their actions are what moves servants of Christ to contend for the faith. It is a matter of the glory of Christ and the well being of His people. When the Gospel is tampered with the people of God will respond. Not because we take delight in controversy but because we love Christ. We can say with Paul "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost"(1 Ti 1:15). We don't define sin as a "lack of trust" in God. We echo with the apostle John "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him"(1 Jn 3:4–6). That's the beauty of the Gospel. We rebelled against the holy God. We we incurred His just judgment against ourselves. We we were war with Him and while His righteous wrath was directed at sinners, in steps Christ to secure our just standing before God by His perfect law keeping life and his vicarious death. Not just any death, no, not some moral example of love type of death. But a death that bore the complete wrath of God, in full, for sinners. The cross of Christ actally accomplished something. That shedding of His blood secured the forgiveness of sinners (Heb. 9:22). What mercy, what grace! Oh, what love! Acceptance with God because of Jesus. Truly this is abundant life. That is the sinners only hope and the basis for why we call them to repentance from sin and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Tamper with that and the sinners only hope is removed and the glory of Christ is diminished. We will engage this controversy. We do not take delight in it but we recognize what's at stake.

Those that delight in controversy must not engage in it. For some it only serves to inflame their pride. But those that are timid must when the precious Gospel is assailed. Reckless aggression is not godly boldness, it is arrogance, nor is feigned humility being like Jesus, it is cowardice.

 "And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Lk 5:31–32).


Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando



*Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (495). New York: United Bible societies.

Godly Pastoral Counsel From A Godly Pastor

Nope, I'm not giving the counsel (wouldn't that be quite an arrogant statement?), I'm receiving it and sharing it with others. The following quotes are taken from Brian Borgman's book My Heart For Thy Cause: Albert Martin's Theology of Preaching.

"In an effective ministry, the relationship between the man of God and his people will be central. The man of God must have love for his people. He must be free from all fear of men, that is, he must be a man of holy boldness. He must have the respect and confidence of his people. Where these things are operative there will be a climate conducive to a fruitful ministry." (p. 81)

"Those people whom God has placed under the pastor's charge are either redeemed and precious in the sight of God, or they are lost and face an eternity of torment in hell. If the true state of men does not move him with a Christlike, pastoral love, then he ought to get out of the ministry and sell insurance or used cars. These are the truths which every pastor must spend time meditating on in order to produce this kind of love and kindle it afresh over and over again." (p. 87-88)

"If one is to have an effective pastoral ministry, he must be growing in unfeigned love towards his people. It is vital for his work among God's flock. In nurturing this unfeigned love pastoral love and affection, he must continually ask God for fresh supplies of it; he must continually meditate  on truths which are conducive to the production and kindling of this love. In manifesting this unfeigned love, he must show it in his high standard of pulpit ministry. He must take the initiative with the saints, being sensitive to their needs. he must also be warm and affectionate with the children in his congregation." (p. 89)

"If pastoral ministry is to be effective, the man of God must not only be growing in unfeigned love, but he must also be liberated from the fear of men. There is a complexity here which the Bible sets clearly before God's servants. First of all, every one of God's servant's is a social creature (Gen. 2:18), who was made for social interaction. If he is a normal human being, he wants to be liked and loved by those around him. The difficulty begins to emerge when he considers that man, by nature, squashes the truth of god (Rom. 1:18), hates the law of God (Rom. 8:7) and loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19). The difficulty comes to full bloom when one considers that the natural man attacks the messenger through whom the truth comes before he ever directly attacks the truth. Jesus reminds His disciples that since the world hated Him, it would hate them too (John 15:18-27). This is nothing new: the people fought against Jeremiah (Jer. 1:17-19; 19:14-20:2), and in the words of Amos, 'They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks with integrity' (Amos 5:10). The Apostles frequently faced this approach (e.g., Gal. 4:16)." (p. 90)

"Herein lies the conflict: The pastor loves the people, and his desire is to be loved in return, but many times his calling to be faithful will create just the opposite response. If he bends in his faithfulness to maintain his lovableness, he will undermine his effectiveness in pastoral ministry. This is not a contradiction to the first point concerning unfeigned love, it is the height of proving unfeigned love. A man who acquiesces to people's wants and desires instead of standing firm in God's truth does not have a genuine love that is looking out for their best interest." (p. 90)

Note the emphasis on unfeigned love and the proclamation of God's truth. One can identify phony love by the way the pastor preaches the word of God to them. Feigned love distorts the Gospel or neglect essential truths of it, while genuine love is demonstrated by proclaiming it- all of it. Genuine love for the flock of God will not allow soft pedaling of truth but deceptive love plays the editor of God's Word. You can tell the difference by their preaching.

This book is a must read for men in the pastorate for years, the pastor in his first church or the young man desiring to herald the Word of God. You can find it here.

Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando