YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO!

The lives of Cain, Judas, and the Pharisees teach us lessons that are vital. They turned their back on God and His Son and taught others to do the same! They chose to reject Jesus and be slaves to their sinful nature! Cain is most infamous for being the world’s first murderer. He was a rebellious man who rejected God and ignored His warnings. He’s an example of how deadly the common sins of anger and jealousy can be. Judas is most infamous for his betrayal of Jesus. He was one of the twelve disciples who lived with and followed Jesus for three years. He witnessed Jesus’ ministry, His teaching and His miracles, first hand! Judas’ life teaches us to guard against the small, gradual failings, weaknesses, sins, that grow in strength and power in our lives that open the door to more deadly influences.

Judas reminds us that appearances can be deceiving. It’s hard to imagine how he could’ve betrayed the Lord! It should make us wonder how Christians who’ve seemingly known and followed Jesus and His Word, possibly most of their life, have fallen from faith – but it happens! The Pharisees were most infamous for rejecting the Savior! They emphasized personal godliness in their lives, their version of it, but in general they were self-righteous and self-satisfied in their delusion that they were pleasing God, all the while living in opposition to God’s will, basing their salvation on keeping the Law which they failed at miserably. They were the leaders and teachers of Israel who appeared sincere and faithful to the people! However, Jesus who can see the heart, called them hypocrites--whitewashed tombs.

The lessons we learn from Cain, Judas, and the Pharisees have a direct impact on what our Lord teaches us today. Jesus warns, not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven! We need to consider our Savior’s Words with the utmost urgency and seriousness! Those our Lord speaks of thought they had a close personal relationship with Him, they thought they were serving Him, that they were the Lord’s own! It’s certainly possible they were sincere but in truth they were sincerely deceived! We also need to examine ourselves in the Light of God’s Word to make sure our faith, hope, and love are firmly in Jesus and not divided with this world. We too can be deceived if we’re not on guard! It boils down to understanding: We Can’t have our cake and eat it too! May the Spirit bless…

We understand that It’s not possible to follow our sinful nature and our Savior because they are in direct opposition to each other. So we ask ourselves the question, are we doing the will of our Father in heaven?  To answer that we need to know what God’s will is. Ultimately, it’s trusting in His Son Jesus as our Savior and living for and serving Him. To do that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. Not half-heartedly but all out making every possible effort to get rid of anything in our life that’s contrary to His will and not make excuses for them! The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

We’re to strive to be dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  Not because we “Have to” but because we want to! Because we love our Lord Jesus because He first loved us! We’ve experienced God’s saving grace in Jesus! We’ve seen the perfect love our Lord has for us that led Him to Calvary! In true Christian faith and love for our Savior we want to live for Him and serve Him in thankfulness for His living and serving us! For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s God’s desire for us and all mankind! But there will be many who will try to justify their way of life, their actions, and their words as the Pharisees tried to do! Many will say to Jesus on that day, 'LORD, LORD, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' That Day is Judgment day and the answer is YES; they did these things in Jesus name but not as believers. Remember, Jesus’ Name means everything He has made known to us in His Word. The Word of God is living and powerful!

It doesn’t depend on the faith of a person to make it effective. Consider Judas, he was able to do wonders in Jesus Name, but he wasn’t the Lord’s. On that Day Jesus will declare to them, ‘I never knew you! Could there be a more heartrending and fatal judgment pronounced against anyone? They thought they were the Lord’s when in fact they were deceiving themselves. The danger arises for us when we think we’ve grown to the point where we know all we need to and then, rather than going all out to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we get lazy and put our faith life on cruise control which is deadly! It leads us to take matters of faith such as our Christian and congregational life and duties, for granted. It leads us away from Jesus and can lead to our Savior’s Words depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!

We understand that our Christian faith and life are about a whole lot more than just coming to church! It’s also about daily taking up our cross and following Jesus, it’s about serving Him and growing in faith and understanding, practicing what we preach, loving our neighbor as our self, in short, it’s about living our faith not putting it on cruise control! We learn ¹Judas to guard and fight against anything that could slowly take over and grow in strength in our lives and lead us away from our Lord. ²Cain shows us the deadly effects that two common sins, anger and jealousy, have on our faith. The ³Pharisees show us the certain eternal death of trusting in ourselves for salvation, an easy trap to fall into! No one is immune to these faith destroying sins, we want to always be on guard against them! We can’t have our cake and eat it too!

By God’s grace we’ve been called to faith in Jesus alone for forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is our Alpha and Omega! We have been given the Holy Spirit who dwells in us to strengthen and enable us to be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.  May He enable us to take to heart and apply the saving lessons of His Word, to continually fight against our sinful nature that we may all one day hear that glorious welcome, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Amen!

FALLEN FROM GRACE

Hebrews 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

The lives of those recorded in God’s Word have saving lessons to teach us. Whatever was written before was written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. But often those lessons are not what our sinful nature wants to hear. Consider the lives of  Samson, Solomon, and David as they have especially important lessons for us.

Samson was known for his strength. The Spirit would fill him with superhuman strength enabling him to fight against Israel’s enemy the Philistines. He was a judge  leader responsible for the welfare and protection of the people, in Israel for 20 years. He was a Nazirite, dedicated to the service of God from birth. Even so, Samson’s life was one of contradiction. He continually broke the rules of a Nazirite. He was a womanizer and a vengeful man. His life is an example of what happens when we allow our sinful nature to take over. The Spirit shows the foolishness of relying on our own judgment, instead of trusting our Lord! Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Solomon was known best for his wisdom (even though he had 700 wives and 300) concubines. Solomon loved the LORD. The Spirit worked through him to record the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs. But he too had his weaknesses, he married pagan wives, built pagan altars for them, and even participated in pagan worship himself. Through Solomon’s life the Spirit shows us that life apart from the Lord is meaningless, no matter how educated, successful, or rich! We also learn from Solomon that ultimately our Lord and His Word are all that matter. Remember, Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus words will never pass away.

David is surely the most familiar and there are many events in David’s life that serve as lessons for us both good and bad. His life was eventful, he started out as a lowly shepherd boy, the Lord enabled him to defeat Goliath, in time he became the king of Israel. He was given many military victories. He was even called a man after God’s own heart. The Spirit worked through him to record many of the Psalms but we must remember David was also a murderer, an adulterer, and a prideful man. David’s life also shows how dangerous our sinful nature’s desires are when we follow after them. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

Samson, Solomon, and David were just like us, sinners who daily fought against the world, the devil, and their own flesh. They’re examples of how the Lord works through the lives of His children to accomplish His will but above all we see in their lives - the unfailing and ever-present grace and mercy of God. His patience and endless love for mankind. Keep in mind these men were heroes of the faith but Samson, the strongest man; Solomon, the wisest man, and David, the man after God’s own heart - all fell into unbelief!

Each of them turned their back on God and followed their sinful nature! Our Lord warns; it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance! It was impossible for them to bring themselves back to faith. In each case they had grown lazy in spiritual matters! They became arrogant thinking far too highly of their own importance or ability. Rather than holding to and following their Lord in faith, they chose to follow their corrupted nature! The devil was able to drive a wedge between those heroes of faith and the Lord and they fell into unbelief! The results were devastating on themselves and their families. By God’s grace they were each brought back to faith but there was no guarantee that would happen! Are we willing to take that chance?

Our enemy’s only desire is to drag us into unbelief. The tempter never sleeps, never tires, he’s continually on the prowl, he knows our weaknesses far better than we do and he uses them against us! We need to ask ourselves, are we making it easier for him  by following our sinful nature? Remember, it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. That should send a shiver up our spine, raise the hairs on the back of our necks! It’s not possible, if we fall from faith to bring ourselves back to faith! Only the Spirit can accomplish that through the Gospel BUT the Gospel is the first thing the fallen separate themselves from.  

We don’t like to talk about it but each Christian can name someone who has fallen away or on the verge! The reasons why don’t matter, the result is the same! Like Samson, Solomon, and David, they fell into unbelief, separated themselves from the Means of Grace, and can’t bring themselves back to faith! Our Lord’s Message is clear, we must understand what’s at stake; our salvation.

Our faith life is not a sprint, but a marathon filled with (skandalizo) spiritual death traps along the way. We  cannot get lazy in our faith life, this is a very real danger for every Christian as long as we’re alive! Our Lord, because His great love, shows us how to avoid the spiritual death traps that lead to unbelief. We are to grow! grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Continue gathering with like-minded believers, make frequent use of the Lord’s Supper, and in Christian love encourage and build up one another!

Jesus knows how weak we are and encourages us to pray! Watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak! We are to immerse ourselves in His Gospel, the power of God to salvation! We’re to hear and read His Word continually. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God! Our Redeemer wants us to turn to Him alone for life and salvation; Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We're to look to Jesus for forgiveness knowing the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, purifies  (cleanses) us from all sin. In other words, we’re to live and breathe the faith. Are we making every possible effort to remain faithful to our Savior? Samson, Solomon, and David probably thought so too!                                                          

Amen!

Do We Still?

Luke 4:18-19, 21 "The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor." He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 

Because of our sinful nature we tend to take the path of least resistance at times, you know, the easier way. If we’re not careful that way of thinking can slip into our faith life and that’s a problem because it’s not taking up our cross! Jesus cautions us; whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. It’s no easy task to take up our cross day after day and follow our Lord. It’s possibly the most difficult thing we do. It can wear on us, but do we still make that effort every day? Do we still have that zeal for our Lord? Is Jesus still our hearts desire?

Jesus came to give what no one could’ve ever dreamed up - salvation by grace through faith alone. As a result, we’re justified by faith apart from the works of the law. You’d think people would be overjoyed at that Message, to be relieved of the unbearable weight of God’s Law but most react just the opposite. Even though Jesus teaches throughout Scripture that the Law only condemns, that it has no power to save, that by the law is the knowledge sin. Many still think they deserve heaven! God’s Law acts, in part, like a mirror. When we look into the Law it reflects back the fact that we’ve failed, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! For that reason, everyone is destitute, penniless of any righteousness within ourselves!

We have nothing that we can use to bargain with God. But there is Good News, in perfect love for mankind, our Savior died so that we could be forgiven and saved by His grace alone. In Jesus we have unconditional forgiveness of every wrong, no questions asked, no strings attached! as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us! He assures us that He doesn’t even remember them anymore. Through Him the spiritually poor, (you, me, and all people) are given riches beyond measure and understanding! The free riches of God’s forgiving grace in Jesus. Make no mistake, we’re all completely dependent on Jesus’ righteousness alone!

That’s why He came! to heal the brokenhearted – everyone who realizes our sin and its terrible consequences. Jesus has healed our hearts, washed away our sins; given us peace with our heavenly Father, and a new life of saving faith! Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives. To set free all who were held prisoner by the power of sin and satan. Picture a dungeon, one of our own making, where we and all mankind were imprisoned awaiting eternal death! Our jailor was evil incarnate whose hatred for us goes beyond anything we can imagine!

Now, picture yourself chained in that dark, wet, dungeon; starving, dying, with no hope and no possible way to escape! That was our fate - until Jesus opened the prison door and set us free. To those blinded by the darkness of unbelief He gives recovery of sight. The Holy Spirit replaces the absolute darkness of death with the Light of Life – the power of God to salvation! No longer are we trapped in the depths of despair. Jesus set at liberty those who are oppressed, those who were slaves of their own mind and its corrupt desires! The souls of all throughout time who were chained in darkness Jesus has set free. He shattered those chains, forever destroying our adversary’s power over us. That’s the greatest act of love in all eternity, willingly taking all mankind’s sins upon Himself and dying the death we deserved to pay the full price for our redemption. Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The time when God extends His saving grace to mankind. That time is right now and for as long as the Lord permits the world to continue! Jesus then spoke a most glorious revelation of mankind’s redemption; today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. This Message of perfect love and forgiveness, deliverance and life, is for all mankind! It’s the greatest Message of peace and love the world will ever know!

The OT faithful had waited thousands of years to hear those Words. It had been passed down from generation to generation, and now, before their very eyes, stood the fulfilment! Jesus the Messiah had come! But most had fallen into the deep and deadly sleep of spiritual indifference! Many no longer cared, they couldn’t even see why they needed to be forgiven, they thought they were good with God. It’s the same today! The saving Gospel, Jesus crucified for the sins of the world, often falls on indifferent ears.

By God’s grace we celebrate what the world despises and laughs at, our Lord’s Message of full and free salvation! Jesus has set us free from the prison of eternal death by forgiving us! He still freely gives that life and salvation to everyone who asks! He promises; ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  That’s our Savior’s boundless love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. That perfect love forever stands revealed on Calvary!  

But sadly, many are still blinded by unbelief, they ridicule and curse the Message of Life and Its Author! Their minds have been deceived by the world and its prince, they’ve turned their ears away from the truth!  They’ve grown indifferent and quite simply – just don’t care.

But, what about us? Have we grown spiritual indifferent?

Do we still trust in Jesus alone for life and salvation?

Do we still look to Jesus alone for strength and courage?

Do we still build our faith on the eternal foundation of His saving Word alone?

Do we still find joy in serving our Lord with our gifts?

Do we still have a burning zeal to share His saving Gospel with the world around us?

If not, we’re dead! We’ve fallen back into the death He saved us from! By God’s grace the Christian faith still burns brightly in this congregation. But we must always be on our guard! May the Spirit enable us to always see (through eyes of faith) what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God?

Amen

THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE

THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE

Presented to the South East Pastoral Conference

Jay Hartmann

   So called “men of God” or “theologians” have long claimed that the Scriptures are unclear and/or open to numerous interpretations, or that the interpretation of Scripture changes with the changing of times and morals; this simply is not so except to the spiritually blind and dead.

Our Lord makes that clear when He tells us; For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Colossians 2:1-10 (NKJV)

And again; And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21 (NKJV)

   That the Scriptures are clear and understandable by the “common person” is self-evident!  There is only one Spirit intended meaning of the Bible, not many as commonly held in our day. People have been fooled and satan has won a great victory by casting doubt on the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture. The doctrine of the perspicuity or clarity of Scripture is simply this; our Lord has revealed to us in a clear and understandable manner all things necessary for salvation. The Psalms abound with statements affirming the clarity of Scripture.

Psalms 19:7-8 (NKJV) The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;  The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

Psalms 94:12 (NKJV) Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law,

Psalms 119:104 (NKJV) Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Psalms 119:130 (NKJV) The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

   Only because the Word of God, the Holy Scripture, possesses clarity can it make wise, impart blessedness, move us to hate every false way, and give understanding to the simple.

Again, through the Apostle Peter we have a statement of the clarity of Scripture.

And so we have the prophetic Word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19 (NKJV)

In the following is a reminder of the certainty of the clarity of Scripture.

And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NKJV)

   The Scripture had come to Timothy; yet, by virtue of its own clarity this Scripture had imparted full wisdom unto salvation.

   Scripture clearly sets forth all that we need to know for salvation. That is why it is able to make people wise for salvation through faith in Jesus. Probably even more abundantly Scripture asserts its clarity by simply presupposing it as a self-evident fact in various situations. In the Savior’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus, Abraham counters the rich man’s plea that Lazarus be sent from beyond the grave to enlighten his five living brothers, with the statement “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29)This shows that these Old Testament Scriptures clearly presented everything that they needed to know in order to be saved.

   Jesus encourages His Jewish hearers in their searching of the Scriptures. He assured them they would indeed find life eternal thereby because the Scriptures testified of Him as their Savior. Such encouragement would be meaningless without a Scripture that is clear! You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (John 5:39 NKJV).

   The Bereans, just “ordinary” members of a Christian congregation, carefully compared everything Paul had preached to them with what they themselves found in their diligent searching of the Scriptures. They believed that the Scriptures were clear; by commending their activity and designating it as noble, Paul attested to the clarity of Scripture. 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. (Acts 17:11) (NKJV) Every admonition of Scripture to beware of false prophets “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15 NKJV), every exhortation to hold fast the sound doctrine ; Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; (2 Timothy 1:13 NKJV),  and to hold fast the faithful Word (Titus 1:9 NKJV) holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict, presupposes a Scripture which is clear!

   This clarity is also asserted in every earnest warning against adding anything to God’s verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible Word or against subtracting anything from it.

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NKJV) You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Matthew 5:19 (NKJV) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV) For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

   How could anyone know whether he was adding or subtracting to Scripture if It were not clear? Jesus states in John 8:31-32 (NKJV) 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.” This again implies explicitly that Jesus has given us a clear Word so that it is possible to know whether we are continuing in it or not.

The clarity which Scripture ascribes to itself is, first of all, an outward clarity. It consists in this, that in the words and sentences of intelligible, comprehensible human language, Scripture clearly expresses all the truths which God has been pleased to reveal to us and which we need to know for our Christian faith and life now and for our eternal salvation hereafter. Scripture clearly expresses the truths which God wishes to convey and teach!

PERSPICUITY UNDERPINS ALL OTHER DOCTRINES

   Paul tells Timothy: 2 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV) and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Scripture and Scripture alone makes us wise unto salvation and it makes us wise through faith in Jesus alone! There is only one way of salvation for sinful mankind and that is through the free gift of God’s grace, through the gift of the perfect righteousness which His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has won for us with His holy life and innocent suffering and death.  Acts 4:12 (NKJV) “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

   The one great Message of Scripture is the Message of this gift of salvation through Jesus. All that the Scriptures tell us serves the purpose of imparting this gift of salvation to us through faith and of making us blessed, rich, and fruitful in Its possession for time and eternity. Through the Gospel Message it creates faith in the sinner’s heart and in such faith comforts us with the assurance of unconditional forgiveness, life, and salvation. It constantly nourishes, strengthens, preserves the believer in faith, enables us to fight against all that is sinful, constrains and guides us in ever striving anew and more fully after all that is pleasing in God’s sight. Scripture and Scripture alone has such power to reprove, to correct, to instruct, such power to produce and sustain spiritual life.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Scripture has this power because It (the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments) is the verbally inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God from beginning to end. Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63 NKJV). That is the spiritual clarity of Holy Scripture!

   When one reads the Scriptures, hears the Scriptures, it is the same as though God Himself were standing before you in person in all His holy majesty and were addressing only to you the Words of His love. The Scriptures are not merely a record of the past revelation of God; they are also and above all His ever present and powerful revelation. The Gospel of Christ is ever filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is well that we never lose sight of this spiritual clarity of the Holy Scriptures. We should constantly remember that none of these truths or any other point of Christian faith and life can be certain and remain certain for us unless we hold firmly to the fact and doctrine of the perspicuity of the Scriptures. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes... Romans 1:16 (NKJV). We are, by the Spirit’s strength and power working in us, to hold fervently to the clarity of Scripture, by doing so we know that we are dealing with certainties and not the fallacious philosophies of men.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NKJV)

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21 (NKJV)  

   In our day many have relegated the Scriptures to “just another holy writing of men,” open to various interpretations and meanings. If the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture were lost, and has been by many, then all doctrines will fall! Is that not obvious from the troubles we see in “mainline Christianity” today?

   Ravi Zacharias in his book called; “Jesus Among Other Gods” (Nashville: Wolfe Publishing, 2000) wrote: “We are living in a time when you can believe anything, as long as you do not claim it to be true. In the name of ‘tolerance’ our post modern culture embraces everything from Eastern mysticism to new Age spirituality. But such unquestioning acceptance of all things spiritual is absurd. All religions, plainly and simply, cannot be true.”

   The Lord tells us quite simply and clearly, A little leaven leavens the whole lump Galatians 5:9 (NKJV). We have seen the deterioration of what were once commonly held doctrines; creation, virgin birth, physical resurrection, even the central teaching of Scripture-Justification by Faith, be replaced by the false and damning teachings of men! And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men Matthew 15:9 (NKJV). When the clear teaching of Scripture is called into doubt it creates a domino effect, first one doctrine and then, given time, all will fall. What you have left is a vain and foolish religion of man, for man, by man! A common example of this is the “social gospel” of which our Lord clearly says; 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 Galatians 1:8 (NKJV). Our Lord warns us again quite clearly; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV).

   How can or does this impact us when we try to engage in doctrinal discussions with other denominations? We find ourselves talking to people who have little or no spiritual or moral absolutes. For most, all things are “relative”. This makes it very difficult, from a human point of view, to converse intelligently about matters of faith with these misled souls as they are not standing on the same level ground of Scripture. It is not impossible however, as we never limit the Spirit’s ability to shatter spiritual blindness through the “simple” Gospel message shared. Keep in mind, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV). The Lord does not hold us responsible for the effect His Word has on others, but He does hold us responsible for sharing that Word! But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear! 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV) We are to continue to; Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching 2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV). Many times, it may seem as if we are beating our heads against a wall; but ours is to plant, the Lord gives the increase!

CONCLUSION

   A precious and clear passage of Scripture such as; For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16 (NKJV), is a glorious, simple, and clear proclamation of the Gospel. This passage has been called the Gospel in a nutshell, it is a passage even our children know and understand. We are reminded that God’s Word was never intended to be a “Book” that only the clergy or spiritually elite could understand. The Bible was written for you and me and all people. It is the Word of God, the way our Lord speaks to us and guides us. Our Savior tells us; “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17 (NKJV). It is that simple because the Holy Spirit who works through the Word giving us understanding and guidance and through that same Word creates, strengthens, and preserves us in the Christian faith.

   There is only one Spirit intended meaning of God’s Word, one reason why our Lord gave us His Word, to reveal to us our Savior and thereby the Way of Salvation! You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me John 5:39 (NKJV). And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3 (NKJV). That is what is revealed to us in the Word, our Savior Jesus Christ and the forgiveness and life He offers to all! Scripture is clear on all points of faith and doctrine. Scripture clearly expresses the truths which God wishes to convey and teach! The Word must ever be preserved in its truth, purity, and clarity by God’s grace and guidance. Our Lord has revealed to us in a clear and understandable manner all things necessary for salvation; to concede the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture is to concede all!

The Creation-Evolution Controversy Dr. David Menton

Dr. David Menton holds a PhD in biology from Brown University and served as an award-winning professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for 34 years. He retired as an Associate Professor Emeritus and now serves with Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher.

           "Some piously record `In the beginning God,' but I say in the beginning hydrogen." This pompous claim of crass materialism challenging the creative work of God by astronomer Harlow Shapley reflects the quandary students face today in our public and private schools. Many students, for example, have been required to watch and discuss the 13-part television series "Cosmos" featuring one of Shapley's best known students, Carl Sagan. In the first sentence of his book Cosmos (which is meant to supplement the television series), Sagan confidently declared in capital letters that "THE COSMOS IS ALL THAT IS OR EVER WAS OR EVER WILL BE." Sagan assures us that "we humans are the products of a long series of biological accidents" and concludes that all of our human traits - loves and hates, passions and despairs, tenderness and aggression are simply the result of "minor accidents in our immensely long evolutionary history." Sagan believes that "men may not be the dreams of the gods, but rather that the gods are the dreams of men." In an interview published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat (Oct. 6, 1980), Sagan was asked to comment on his view of the future of man. Sagan replied, "I feel in order to survive we someday must be able to give up our allegiance to our nation, our religion, our race and economic group and think of ourselves more as just a temporary form of life . . ."

            We hear much about that great "wall of separation" that the framers of our Constitution were supposed to have erected to protect us from state-mandated religion. But are we to also be protected from state-mandated instruction in evolutionary beliefs and speculations that threaten to undermine the religious beliefs of many of our students? Evolution is a jealous god that neither seeks nor welcomes divine intervention. Julian Huxley, one of evolution's most vocal champions, declared that "the whole of reality is evolution-a single process of self-transformation." In this view there can be nothing above or outside of evolution, and thus the origin of religion itself is merely a minor blip in the recent evolutionary history of the universe. Even so, evolutionists often argue that there is nothing incompatible between religion and evolution as long as each confines itself to its own legitimate domain. But what limits can be set for a natural process that claims to be nothing less than the whole of reality?

            Science, or more accurately "scientism," has not hesitated to wade into the domain of religion. In 1981, theologians and scientists met at Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the auspices of the World Council of Churches to discuss the topic "Science, Faith and the Future." The general premise of the conference was that modern science requires us to develop an entirely new religion for the future. One theologian proposed evolutionary theory as "an especially rich source" for this new religion. Another proposed "ecotheology" as an approach to religion that "starts with the premise that the universe is god." Not to be outdone by theologians, a scientist claimed to have localized the exact part of the brain responsible for what "traditional religion calls the intuitive perception of God." Religious experience, he claimed, is "a product of the parietal-occipital region on the nondominant side of the brain." [Long, 1981 #246] Who knows - by now he may even have found a cure!

            Although many popular spokesmen for evolutionism are self-proclaimed atheists or agnostics, this certainly does not mean that all those who accept evolution in principle are atheists or agnostics. Indeed, many leaders, teachers and clergy in most major Christian and Jewish denominations have tried to make their peace with Darwin. These theologians generally argue that the Bible tells us who created, while science (that is evolution) tells us how He "created." This perhaps explains why a large gathering of Catholic educators meeting in St. Louis a few years ago invited Carl Sagan to be their keynote speaker!

            Darwin himself received his formal education in theology, not science. His atheist father sent him to divinity school at Cambridge University after he dropped out of medical school. In his autobiography, Darwin claimed to have once believed in God and "every word of the Bible" but confessed that his growing evolutionary views gradually led him to unbelief. In the end he considered the Old Testament to be a "manifestly false history of the world" and said that he "could hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true." [Darwin, 1896 #242] Sadly, the widespread rumors of his deathbed repudiation of evolutionism and return to Christianity are unfounded.

            Today we encounter evolutionary indoctrination wherever we turn. It may be incorporated into almost any subject at any grade level in our schools, but it is especially prevalent in classes dealing with social studies, history and science. Outside the classroom, evolution is heavily promoted in our newspapers, popular magazines, television, radio, movies, national parks, museums, science centers, zoos and even on the backs of breakfast cereal boxes. Despite all this exposure, most Americans are still not convinced that evolution can explain the marvelous complexity we see all around us in nature.

            A recent Gallop poll revealed that 47% of Americans believe "God created man pretty much in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years." Only 9% believed that "man has developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life" by a purely materialistic process. Most of the remaining respondents believed in some form of divinely-guided evolution. Still, the media would have us believe that those who reject evolution in favor of special creation comprise only a tiny minority, even among the religious - a small band of ignorant fundamentalists who are "poorly educated and easily led."

            We will critically examine the scientific evidence both for and against evolution. Is the evidence for evolution so overwhelming that teachers may be justified in running rough-shod over the most cherished religious beliefs of many students and their parents? On the other hand, is there scientific evidence in support of special creation? Finally, can Bible-believing Christians safely make their peace with Darwin? We will attempt to answer these and many other questions on the relationship of science and Scripture. I think you are in for some real surprises.