Article 25
We Christians need
to face fundamental facts not being addressed by the church,
God creates man. Man
rebels against God. The second person of the Godhead comes to this earth,
takes on human flesh to save man. What does man do? Man kills God. Man
kills God. What man was it that killed God: the savage man, the criminal
man, or the atheistic man? No, it was the religious man, the leaders of
Israel, God's true church.
Sin is bad. That bad.
It has confused man, and, given time, man will confuse the truth of God.
Abraham and his father's house were called out of Ur of the Chaldees which was part of old Babylonia. Abraham was called out of Babylon, out of confusion.
In the ancient tongue, Babylon means "gate of God". In the Bible, "Babel" means confusion. Babylon is a confused gate of God, a false religion.
Israel waited 2,000 years for the One promised to Abraham to arrive. When he did come, they crucified him. They were confused.
He promised to return. Christianity has been waiting 2,000 years for his arrival.. Will he be persecuted, crucified once again in the person of his saints?
From Eastern Orthodox
to neo-Pentecostal ism, there is a lot of confusion, a lot of confusion,
a lot of confusion within the Christian Church.
In the very last days
a mighty message comes down from heaven which enlightens the earth. "Babylon
the Great is fallen, is fallen ... Come out of her my people..."
Revelation 18:1-4. Also see Revelation 14:6-10; Joel 2 and 3; Acts 2:14-21
with emphasis on "in the last days".
God calls His people out of religious confusion.
Israel has longed
for a Messiah which would restore the kingdom to Israel, make their enemies
His footstool, rule the nations with an iron rod, and bring peace to his
people. All based on scripture.
What kind of Messiah
did God give them? A suffering servant, who bore the penalty for every
wrong committed against man and God. One who was meek and lowly of heart.
Also based on scripture.
Sin has confused man, and given time, man will confuse the truth of God.
Confused man believes
that God's true church on earth will not err. Apollos, a worker in the
early church, did not know about the Holy Spirit. Peter was confused about
his relationship with Gentiles. A conference had to be called on circumcision.
Even the great apostle Paul took the Old Testament vow of a Nazarite,
thus ending his ministry.
During the Dark Ages, those who dissented and resisted the teachings and authority of the Roman Church were persecuted and put of death. Catholicism acknowledges that people within the church make mistakes, but the church itself does not err. Sound confusing?
Somehow the Medieval Church confused the gospel. It taught that man was justified, made acceptable to God by God's work of grace in man's heart. Man is made more kind, more loving, and, on this basis, becomes acceptable to God.
No, thundered the Protestant Reformers. Man is justified by God's work of grace in Jesus Christ. Our justification, our redemption, our righteousness is in Jesus, Romans 3:24-26 KJV, RSV, NRSV, ASV, New English Version, Amplified Version, Living New Testament. Emphasis on "in".
Just as we became sinners by what took place in Adam, an event outside of us, so we become righteous by what took place in Jesus, an event which took place outside of us, Romans 5:12,18, 19.
Catholic justification focuses man's attention on his own heart which is deceitful above all things according to Jeremiah 17;9. Biblical justification focuses man's attention on that perfect righteousness which man has by faith in Jesus Christ.
Few in this country understand the true issue of the Reformation. Noted theologian Paul Tillich said that, when he came to America from Germany in 1933, the theology of the Reformation was almost unknown at Union Theological Seminary in New York.
While American Protestants may theoretically acknowledge that our justification is in Jesus, in practice, in preaching, teaching and in publications, the emphasis is on man and what takes place in man's heart. They, unknowingly, present a confused Roman gospel.
Man's faith, repentance, decision for Christ, new birth, and Christian experience are fruits of the gospel and not the gospel itself which Paul tells us is about "how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
The gospel is about Christ and His experience. It is not about man, not about man's decision, and not about man's experience. Preach the gospel and it will produce fruit. Preach fruit and much of the time it will produce works not acceptable by God for salvation.
Sin has confused man
and, given time, man will confuse the truth of God,
Israel is the prime example. We Christians think those Jews surely were
dumb. Yet in condemning the Jews, we condemn ourselves. For the history
of the Jews is the history of human nature.
The early church had
some confusion. The Medieval Church confused the gospel. American Protestantism,
having before their eyes the history of their predecessors, are preaching,
teaching and publishing a confused Roman gospel. They may be the most
confused of all.
Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Come out of her my people!
In the religion of Babylon, man bowed to his own image. It was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide; 66, the number of man. Daniel 3.
Our focus must be on Jesus who is our all-in-all. He is our justification, our redemption, our righteousness, our life, the sacrificial lamb and the priest who offers it. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, he Light of the world, the Word of God, the Bread of Life, the Living Waters, the good Shepherd , the Lily of the Valley, the bright and morning star, the fairest of ten thousand. He is altogether lovely, Our Elder Brother, the Second Adam, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, ...
He is our great God and Savior. Focus on Him.