There is another matter to ponder in this debate: many people want God to talk like a lover, a physical lover, personally, privately, with whispers. I wish I did not have to write that last sentence. Of course, Jesus is the lover of our souls. Of course, Jesus loves us with an everlasting love. Of course, God’s love for us will never cease. But Jesus talks to both men and women in the same fashion. Re-read that last sentence. This is obvious because both men and women have the same 66 books of the Bible. If, however, you think that revelation still comes fast and furiously, you must have a reason. My hunch is that many ladies want a lover-Jesus to “talk to them.” READ MORE HERE! Mike Abendroth (MDiv, DMin) is Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church (West Boyleston, MA), where he has served since 1997. He is host of No Compromise Radio and author of Jesus Christ: The Prince of Preachers (2007), The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus (2011), Things that Go Bump in the Church (2014), Discovering Romans (2014), Sexual Fidelity (2015) and Evangelical White Lies (2016). He is married with with four children. When not enjoying his family he is often found on a bicycle.
Let us approach this from a different angle. Today’s charismatic has divorced the work of the Holy Spirit from the Word of God. They teach, essentially, that the Holy Spirit “talks” to them outside of and divorced from Scripture. Do not buy this “white lie.” The Spirit And The Word R. B. Kuiper’s words are not only biblical and wise, they are also pungent. R. B. would have been a perfect radio guest with this provocative section of writing: Read More Here! Mike Abendroth (MDiv, DMin) is Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church (West Boyleston, MA), where he has served since 1997. He is host of No Compromise Radio and author of Jesus Christ: The Prince of Preachers (2007), The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus (2011), Things that Go Bump in the Church (2014), Discovering Romans (2014), Sexual Fidelity (2015) and Evangelical White Lies (2016). He is married with with four children. When not enjoying his family he is often found on a bicycle.
Sadly, married couples resort to many tactics when they argue and spar verbally but on occasion I have heard that they can resort to giving each other “the silent treatment.” Instead of talking through the issues and communicating properly, they simply do not talk. The silence in this case is truly deafening. After the fall of Adam, God could have given sinful and rebellious humans the “silent treatment,” but thankfully, because he is good and gracious, he did not. God speaks to his sinful creatures. By contrast, though false idols have weight, form and mass, they are as mute as a piece of lava rock or cold marble. Silence is their mode of existence. Man-made idols, since they are nothing, can offer nothing but silence. As humans, however, we want to hear from God. “God, speak to us” should be every image bearer’s desire. Every thinking person, given one wish from God, should request, “God, please speak to me so that I can know how to be right in your sight.” Thankfully, God tells us what He thinks and how we are to think. To modify Francis Schaeffer’s 1972 book title, God is there and he is not silent. Though God silently teaches us about his power and wisdom through his creation (natural revelation), there are many things that the sun, moon, and stars cannot communicate. God must speak specially, supernaturally so that we might understand things like Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and soon return. We need a speaking God to know how to worship properly and grasp what God requires as a response to his work. We must have a “Thus says the LORD” God. Read More Here!! Mike Abendroth (MDiv, DMin) is Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church (West Boyleston, MA), where he has served since 1997. He is host of No Compromise Radio and author of Jesus Christ: The Prince of Preachers (2007), The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus (2011), Things that Go Bump in the Church (2014), Discovering Romans (2014), Sexual Fidelity (2015) and Evangelical White Lies (2016). He is married with with four children. When not enjoying his family he is often found on a bicycle.
Though the Lordship Salvation doctrine (hereafter LS) has many distinguishing characteristics, the one I want to address is its view of the gospel and the unbeliever’s response to it. What Is The “Lordship Salvation” Doctrine?In brief, LS regularly teaches that unbelievers must submit to Jesus the Lord. They call sinners to yield to Christ’s authority. “Surrender” is a key to unlocking the essence of LS. They often include the call to discipleship, “the gospel.” One popular LS Internet site states, The gospel that Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow him in submissiveobedience, not just a plea to make a decision or pray a prayer … Scripture teaches that Jesus is Lord of all, and the faith He demands involves unconditional surrender… Surrender to Jesus’ lordship is not an addendum to the biblical terms of salvation; the summons to submission is at the heart of the gospel invitation throughout Scripture. (emphasis added) Certainly, most proponents of LS have admirable desires and motives. They properly see the problem of a temporary faith and assess it rightly. They notice and call out the morass of carnal, corrupt false professors of nominal Christianity. Cultural “Christians” are legion, and they perceive the need for deceived “Christians” to truly believe Jesus. They, with John Bunyan, in The Pilgrim’s Progress, warn, “Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction!” LS teachers accurately caution people from a 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 deception. I appreciate the LS desire for false converts to truly believe and to awaken sinners to their peril. I applaud their concern over a false, spurious faith that does not save (a demonic faith--James 2:19). I agree with their call for Christians to live holy and faithful lives. I also commend LS teachers because they do teach sola gratia, repentance as a gift of divine grace, the person and work of Jesus, the need for holy living and much more. Read More Here!! Mike Abendroth (MDiv, DMin) is Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church (West Boyleston, MA), where he has served since 1997. He is host of No Compromise Radio and author of Jesus Christ: The Prince of Preachers (2007), The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus (2011), Things that Go Bump in the Church (2014), Discovering Romans (2014), Sexual Fidelity (2015) and Evangelical White Lies (2016). He is married with with four children. When not enjoying his family he is often found on a bicycle.
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