HALF CHRIST OR WHOLE CHRIST? -BY W.F. BELL

SCRIPTURE MEDITATIONS
Jeremiah 13:23; John 8:25; 10:27; Romans 6:17-18

Ours is a day of religious confusion and deception, with much distortion of the biblical gospel. Someone recently asked me a prophecy question that revealed a total lack of understanding about the subject on their part (but this person had been listening to a prominent television preacher who is awfully confused himself). Then also a fellow-worker asked me about our church's doctrines, and when I gave a brief answer, he looked at me in great bewilderment, exclaiming, "What!"

Few study the Bible for themselves, thus few possess objective discernment. One main area of religious confusion is the person of Christ Himself, just as the Jews asked Him, "Who are you?" (John 8:25). Then we have this awful unbelief on the part of many about Christ's holy teachings. So, while some deny Christ was really God, others say He truly was, but reject His pointed teachings about obedience and discipleship. In other words, some gladly "accept" the message of forgiving grace (with the promise of heaven to them for "their" faith), but refuse absolute obedience to Christ as Lord in daily life. What we are confronted with here in modern evangelism is either a "half-Christ," or the "whole Christ." And we must ask (as Philip once did), "Do you understand what you are reading?" (Acts 8:30). Please consider now the following.

A missionary once told the story of how he went to Africa to preach the gospel and win souls. But when he got there he was astonished to find out that nobody "wanted to go to heaven" with him! The problem seemed to be that no one cared enough about Christ and heaven to be interested. Isn't this the sad truth about man's depravity? Though it may be popular to do so, preachers have no business asking people, "Don't you want to go to heaven when you die"? No apostle ever preached this -- not one -- never! Yet we think people want to go to heaven with us, but as the missionary learned, they are too much in love with their sins and this world to be interested in heaven. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" (Jeremiah 13:23). No, and neither can sinners "will" to do something contrary to their Adamic natures. They have no desire to go to heaven, so this proves their natural depravity. Most souls "won" with this "gospel" are converts to religious humanism.

Those who do "accept Christ" for His forgiveness (with heaven too) usually do so with no intention whatever of "obeying" Him. Challenge them about "obedience," and their cry usually is, "It does not matter how you live; we are saved by grace." "Nobody is sinless, so nobody is perfect." "That's legalism." But let's ask another question: Can a person be truly regenerate who has "accepted" Christ's forgiveness, but has "rejected" His teachings, His counsel, His wisdom, and His Lordship? If you say, "Yes," you fly right in the face of such plain Scriptures as John 10:27, Romans 6:17-18, and Hebrews 5:9, which teach the necessity of obedience. And though you would be wrong, you would indeed be popular with our modern religious humanists.

But let us remember that there are two great enemies of the biblical gospel, just as there are ditches on both sides of a highway. These two enemies (or ditches) are "legalism" and "antinomianism." One is just as deadly as the other. We are eaten up with both in the modern church. The question that remains is, "Which ditch are we in?" Are we advocates of a "half-Christ" or a "whole Christ?" Or, by the blessed Holy Spirit's power and leading, are we actually in the road itself? This is happily called in Scripture, "The Highway of Holiness" (Isaiah 35:8). May God's infinite grace find us "walking" this road.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

"Wherever sin is truly repented of, and Christ is truly trusted, and holiness is truly followed, there is a work which shall never be overthrown." J. C. Ryle

LOOKING UNTO JESUS-ADOLPHE MONOD

(Short Version)

Three words only, but in these three words is the whole secret of life.

"Looking unto Jesus" in the scriptures to learn who He is, what He has done, why He did it, and where He is now.

"Looking unto Jesus" incarnate, our representative, our federal head and surety.

"Looking unto Jesus" crucified, to find in His blood our ransom, our pardon, our peace.

"Looking unto Jesus" risen again, to find in Him the righteousness which alone justifies us and permits us, unworthy as we are, to approach with assurance in His name, Him who is his Father and our Father, His God and our God,

"Looking unto Jesus" glorified, to find in Him our High Priest, our heavenly advocate, appearing even now for us before the presence of God and supplying the imperfections of our persons and prayers by the efficacy of His holiness and His prayers, which the Father hears always.

"Looking unto Jesus" and not to our faith, for it is not of faith that strength comes, but it is from the Savior by faith. It is not looking unto our look: it is by looking unto Jesus.

"Looking unto Jesus" and not to our strength nor our weakness, not to our gifts nor our griefs, not to our meditations or lack of them, not to our brethern nor our enemies.

It is "looking unto Jesus" ALONE, unto Jesus AGAIN, unto Jesus ALWAYS, and unto Jesus UNTIL He comes again and "we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is."

(These are excerpts from Monod' s larger article on this subject. The entire article will be posted soon at our Cyber Word of Truth blog. Please watch for it later this month. cw

LOVED UNTO THE END-C.H. SPURGEON

"For the LORD will not cast off for ever" (Lamentations 3:31).

He may cast away for a season but not forever. A woman may leave off her ornaments for a few days, but she will not forget them or throw them upon the dunghill. It is not like the LORD to cast off those whom He loves, for "having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." Some talk of our being in grace and out of it, as if we were like rabbits that run in and out of their burrows; but, indeed, it is not so. The LORD's love is a far more serious and abiding matter than this. He chose us from eternity, and He will love us throughout eternity. He loved us so as to die for us, and we may therefore be sure that His love will never die. His honor is so wrapped up in the salvation of the believer that He can no more cast him of than He can cast off His own robes of office as King of glory. No, no! The LORD Jesus, as a Head, never casts off His members; as a Husband, He never casts off His bride. Did you think you were cast off? Why did you think so evil of the LORD who has betrothed you to Himself? Cast off such thoughts, and never let them lodge in your soul again. "The Lord hath not cast away his people which he foreknew" (Romans 11:2). "He hateth putting away" (Malachi 2:16).
(From Faith's Checkbook for January 12th)

FORGOTTEN THOUGHTS ON FREE WILL

BY W.F. BELL

Scattered across the countryside are scores of churches with “Free Will” in their names (or in their doctrines). It is most amusing to see this, as the emphasis seems to be, “We admire and uphold man’s choices and freedom; that which God ‘offers’ in mercy, man can reject and lose in disobedience.” But, if possible, look for just a moment at this subject objectively. Note four simple thoughts about “free will” that seemingly most people have forgotten about:

(1) If man’s will is truly free, this makes man himself a god.

No one denies God has given humans a will, and no one denies that men and women can brush their teeth when they like, go to bed when they like, work where they like, etc. But even these things have “limitations.” No one has absolutely “free will” to do everything, for that is reserved to the Almighty alone, for only He can say, “I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10-11). No one else can say this! There cannot possibly be two absolutely “free wills” in the universe. It is just impossible.

(2) If man’s will is truly free, Christ died in vain.

Think about it, please. Those who believe you must “accept Christ” of your own will, actually believe that Christ’s death secured the salvation of no one, and that, if Christ is “accepted,” still one can lose that “salvation” by backsliding. So, Christ died in vain, for no one is assured of actually being saved! Grace is only “needed,” man must “cooperate” with the Holy Spirit, and Jonah 2:9 should read, “Salvation is provided by God, but accomplished by man’s will.”

(3) If man’s will is truly free, there is no assurance that the gospel will be successful.

Think about this, for if Christ died in vain, preaching and witnessing for Him is also in vain, because “free will”may decide that no one will hold out and persevere to the end. In other words, what assurance does anyone have that there will be “believers” in Christ at all? If it is determined by man “freely deciding” and “freely persevering,” then logically no one is sure of heaven! How totally different this is, however, from Christ’s prayer in John 17, where He prays for certain ones “given Him” by His Father (v. 2), but says, “I pray not for the world” (v. 9). That makes no sense whatever if salvation is not “certain” and “secured” for many. Does it?

(4) If man’s will is truly free, the wicked could not be punished.

If God cannot “violate” man’s will (as many tell us daily), how can He be the Judge of sinners, then “violate” their “free wills” by “casting” them into “the lake of fire”? No one will “choose” to be punished, so they are simply not punished. Correct? Think about it. But the Bible is plain when it declares, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). Not one word is said about sinners being asked for their “permission.” So much for this false doctrine of “free will.”

But there is good news! God has elected a people unconditionally, Christ died for them in sacrificial love, and the Holy Spirit sovereignly and effectually “calls” every single one of them to repent of sin and believe on Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). Now, that’s assurance, and it’s all of grace!