In the last blog post, ‘Beware
the Trojan Horses’, we began to examine the process of ‘entry-ism’ by which
certain groups and individuals attempt to impose their extremist and unbiblical
ideas, beliefs and practices on the church i.e. the body of born again
believers. (The term ‘entry-ism’ comes from the strategy used by the Marxists
of the Militant Tendency in their failed attempt to take control of the
British Labour Party in the 1970’s and 80s).
There is no doubt that entry-ism
is on the rise in Scotland’s evangelical community. One of the main causes is a
weakening of clarity and conviction about belief and the scriptures. Today many
of Scotland’s Christians have only a shallow knowledge of God’s Word. In his
book, ‘A Call to discernment’ Dr Jay Adams writes: ‘self-styled ‘experts’ in
psychology, sociology and education who hold Ph.D’s in their field and ‘Sunday
School’ degrees in Bible Study pontificate on Christian teaching and life on
TV, radio, conferences and the internet, setting themselves up as spokespersons
for God…..Their teaching and use of the Bible (when it is used) often bears
little resemblance to what the scriptures, properly interpreted, really say.
What is the upshot of all this?
One obvious result is that few people have the discernment necessary to
identify and refute such errors. And if they do sense that something is wrong,
their powers of discernment are too weak to put their fingers precisely on
where the error lies. Or if they do point out error, other people denounce them
as heresy hunters”. (Those who exposed the activities of Marxist extremists
within the Labour Party were denounced and threatened by the Militant Tendency
in a similar manner)
Because experience and emotion,
philosophy and political correctness have been elevated above divine
revelation, many who call themselves Christians have no Biblical basis for
doing so.
John MacArthur, America’s
foremost Bible teacher in an interview on a supposedly Christian radio station
was asked by the programme host: “How does a person become a Christian?” He
replied: “He must realise that he is a sinner and that he cannot save himself,
repent from this sin, and cast himself on the mercy of God. He must believe
that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, whose death paid the price for his sins and
whose resurrection proves his justification”. The host asked: “You don’t
believe that everyone who is a Christian must believe that do you?” MacArthur
responded emphatically in the affirmative. The host replied: “I certainly did
not deal with any of my sins when I became a Christian”. John MacArthur asked:
“What do you base your salvation on?” the host replied: “I was into drugs and
alcohol, living with my boyfriend and into ‘Science of the Mind’ for six years.
One day I just got Jesus’ phone number and knew where he was”.
Not everyone who talks about
Jesus knows Him as Saviour!
There is no question that
Biblical truth divides. When Christians set aside Biblical truth for the so
called ‘experiential’ and remain silent for fear of offending people,
opposition will disappear along with truth, holiness and God Himself.
The New Testament Book of Jude
exhorts true believers to, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for
all delivered to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed…..who
turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and
Lord, Jesus Christ”.
Are Scotland’s true believers
prepared with the courage to stand up and contend for the faith? If so we all
need the tools to do so and the key is discernment.
No comments:
Post a Comment