Posted on 11/15/2008 6:19:58 AM PST by Gamecock
Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, the public bulletin board of his day. In like manner, we, Athanasius and Chrysostom, post these 95 theses on the door of the internet. Like the original theses, these are debatable, for we believe that it is through vigorous debate that the spirits are tested and truth is revealed.
In publishing these theses, we do not intend to foment division, but to expose those who are creating division within the body of Christ. We are not addressing any particular church body or person, but invite all who love the Gospel of Jesus Christ to engage in this debate. We do so in the spirit of the great Reformer, Martin Luther, as we implore the mercies of God upon His Church, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church and Bishop of our souls.
1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” He willed that the whole life of believers should be one of repentance.
2. To “repent” means to be contrite for one’s sins and to trust Jesus Christ and solely in His completed work for one’s forgiveness, life, and salvation.
3. Those who describe the Christian life as purpose-driven deny true repentance, confuse the Law and the Gospel, and obscure the merits of Christ.
4. Impious and wicked are the methods of those who substitute self-help and pop-psychology for the Gospel in the name of relevance.
5. This impious disregard for the Gospel wickedly transforms sacred Scripture into a guidebook for living, a pharisaic sourcebook of principles, and sows tares among the wheat.
6. Relevance, self-help and pop-psychology have no power to work true contrition over sins and faith in Jesus Christ.
7. Like clouds without rain, purpose-driven preachers withhold the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins won by Christ on the cross and enslave men’s consciences to the law which they cleverly disguise as so-called 'Biblical Principles'.
8. By teaching tips for attaining perfect health, debt-free wealth, and better sex in marriage, the purveyors of relevance undermine true fear, love and trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
9. They are enemies of Christ, who distort the Word of God by tearing verses from their original context in order to use them as proof texts for their self-help, pop-psychology agendas.
10. Injury is done the Word of God when it is used as a source book for practical, relevant “life applications.”
11. In the name of relevance, our Lord Jesus Christ is reduced to a life-coach whose “gospel” assists and motivates people to achieve the objectives of their self-centered delusions of grandeur.
12. Apart from the Holy Spirit, the seeker cannot understand the things of God for these are “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14).
13. The natural man does not naturally seek the Gospel. “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me” (Is. 65:1)
14. The true Seeker of men’s souls is our Lord Jesus Christ who came to seek and to save the lost by His death on the cross (Luke 19:10).
15. The truly “seeker-sensitive” church proclaims God’s wrath against our sin and His mercy for Jesus’ sake.
16. The preaching of Christ crucified is a stumbling block to purpose-driven pragmatists and foolishness to church growth consultants.
17. The true gold of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.
18. But this treasure is a stench in the nostrils of fallen and sinful men because it exposes man’s complete lack of ability to save himself by his own religious efforts.
19. On the other hand, the fool’s gold of self-help is preferred by sinful men, for it creates the illusion of moral progress and a life that is pleasing to God apart from repentance.
20. The gold of the Gospel is the net by which Christ would make us fishers of men.
21. The fool’s gold of self-help is a snare by which purpose-driven purveyors of relevance attempt to capture the riches and approval of men.
22. The church is holy sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd.
23. How can sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd when false shepherds preach self-help and pop-psychology?
24. Purveyors of purpose-driven relevance are not shepherds of men’s souls but wolves in sheep’s clothing.
25. Purveyors of relevance claim that self-help, life-applications and biblical principles are the means to reach the unchurched because they meet people’s felt needs.
26. Yet a person’s greatest need is one he does not by nature feel, namely the need for the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ.
27. The true means by which fallen sinners are reached is the preaching of Christ and His sacraments. (Romans 10:17)
28. The true need that mankind is seeking but does not know is justification by grace through faith for Christ’s sake.
29. Since justification is through faith and not through works, natural man neither seeks it nor desires it.
30. Therefore, the teaching of justification by grace through faith is neither seeker-sensitive nor relevant to a world that naturally seeks self-justification.
31. To be in the church is to be union with Christ through faith.
32. Regardless of the number of people in attendance, the church does not grow unless men are granted repentance and faith by God through the action of His Word.
33. Scripture clearly teaches that the means by which God grants faith are the the hearing of the Word of Christ (the Gospel) and the water of Holy Baptism.
34.Therefore, even if a congregation, through their own marketing methods and business prowess were able to draw 100,000 people every Sunday, if the Gospel is not heard and the sacraments are not administered according to the Gospel there is no church and the true Church of Jesus Christ has not grown by a single soul.
35. If numerical growth is a measure of God’s approval, then we must conclude that God approves of Islam and the Mormons.
36. If financial success is a measure of God’s approval, then we must conclude that God approves of pornography and gambling.
37. Cancer and crabgrass both grow rapidly, as does the church that obscures the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
38. The purveying of purpose-driven relevance is the theology of glory; the preaching of Christ crucified for sinners is the theology of the cross.
39. The theologian of glory says that the kingdom of God is visible now in buildings, people, and dollars; the theologian of the cross says that the kingdom of God is an article of faith.
40. The theologian of glory asks “How much?” and “How many?”; the theologian of the cross preaches Christ regardless of how much or how many.
41. The theologian of glory prepares people to receive health, wealth, and happiness; the theologian of the cross prepares people to suffer and die in faith.
42. The theologian of glory preaches that God wants to grant you favors; the theologian of the cross preaches the favor of God for the sake of Christ crucified.
43. The theologian of glory proclaims 40 days of purpose; the theologian of the cross preaches daily dying and rising in Jesus.
44. God established the Church to be a “mouth house” of forgiveness not a madhouse of activity.
45. Christ wills that His voice be heard in His Church and not the voice of man when He says, “He who hears you, hears me.” (Luke 10:16)
46. Purveyors of purpose-driven relevance obscure the voice of Christ and so draw the sheep away from the Good Shepherd.
47. Christ saves from sin and death not through the motivation of the sinner to do good, but through baptismal death and resurrection.
48. The mission of the church is not to transform the world but to disciple the nations by baptizing and teaching (Matt 28:19-20).
49. Anyone who preaches a vision and demands allegiance to it sets up a new papacy among the churches.
50. A synod or church body is a human institution that exists by the will and consent of its member congregations and pastors.
51. A synod or church body is not merely an affiliation of churches that agree on a common purpose.
52. A synod or church body is not the Church, properly speaking, but a fellowship of churches sharing a common confession of faith and practice.
53. Synods are not of the church’s essence (esse) but for her well being (bene esse).
54. Synodical leaders are not lords over the churches, but servants of the churches and stewards of their common possessions.
55. Synodical leaders are not called to promulgate visions but to execute the collective will of the synod’s churches.
56. The old papacy arrogated the Church’s treasury of merits; the new papacy arrogates the Church’s treasury.
57. The old papacy said, “As the coin in the coffer clings, so the soul from purgatory springs.”
58. The new papacy says, “As the coin in the church coffer clings, so another program out of debt springs.”
59. The old papacy counted plenary indulgences; the new papacy counts money and people.
60. The old papacy suppressed the Gospel through canon law; the new papacy suppresses the Gospel through constitutions and by-laws.
61. The old papacy was a friend of Caesar; the new papacy is a friend of Mammon.
62. The old papacy bound a man’s conscience for the sake his wallet; the new papacy binds a man’s wallet for the sake of his conscience.
63. The old papacy promulgated infallible dogma; the new papacy promulgates undebatable visions.
64. The old papacy claims to sit on the seat of Peter; the new papacy claims to sit on the mandate of the majority.
65. The old papacy reserved the right to judge doctrine and practice; the new papacy judges doctrine and practice by commissions and committees.
66. The old papacy issued “bulls;” the new papacy issues task force reports.
67. The old papacy had a college of cardinals; the new papacy has high-priced consultants.
68. Just as popes and councils have erred in the past, so synodical leaders and synodical conventions err in the present.
69. A synod that is concerned for the true unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace does not excuse unionism and syncretism.
70. Unity in doctrine and practice means discernible interchangeability in teaching, preaching, and practice.
71. Unity in doctrine and practice does not consist in signing confessional statements, but in word and deed.
72. Worship is doctrine put into practice.
73. As one worships, so one believes.
74. As one believes, so one worships.
75. Christian worship consists in God’s service to us through His giving and our receiving in faith the gifts of Christ’s Word, Body, and Blood, and our service to God by our prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
76. Worship that is focused principles for Christian living obscures the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His gifts and is detrimental to faith and salvation.
77. While Christian liberty allows that worship forms need not be altogether the same in every time and place, unity in faith and practice requires that worship forms must not be altogether different in every time and place.
78. Worship forms serve as identifying banners in the confessional field of battle.
79. Peculiar and novel worship forms obscure the unity of the churches and extol the creativity of the worship leaders.
80. In matters neither commanded nor forbidden in the Word of God (adiaphora), the churches of God are free to change ceremonies according to circumstances, as may be most beneficial and edifying to the churches of God. (Epitome, Art X.4)
81. Such changes must avoid all frivolity and offenses, particularly with regard to those who are weak in faith (Epitome, Art X.5).
82. Where the Gospel is at stake, concessions in ceremony must not be made so as to suggest unity with those who deny the Gospel (Epitome, Art X.6)
83. Therefore, it is contrary to the doctrine of adiaphora to hide the substance of Lutheran doctrine behind a non-Lutheran style of worship.
84. To create and sustain saving faith, God established the office of the holy ministry in the church to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments according to our Lord’s institution.
85. No one may publicly preach, teach, or administer the sacraments in the churches without his being called and ordained.
86. Those who introduce novelties into the church are the true agents of division.
87. The ordination of women is a novelty that has caused great division in the church.
88. The introduction of worship forms not held in common by the churches is a cause of division and a stumbling block.
89. The church belongs to no man but to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, and Lord of the church.
90. Woe to the false prophets who cry, “Unity, unity” when there is no unity.
91. Again, woe to those who say, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.
92. Again, woe to those who say, “Gospel, gospel,” when there is no Gospel.
93. Blessed are those who say, “Cross, cross,” when there is no cross.
94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through all suffering, death, and hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many trials and tribulations, rather than through the assurance of outward peace, unity, and happiness.
BTTT
Speaks for itself.
read later
The authors seem to have fulfilled their purpose to write this. Apparently they were driven to do so.
:)
Will Wallace
Aim high. ROFLOL
I think a “contrite” heart - which the authors mentioned - cannot be separated from humility, and which is not seperated from regeneration/conversion.
V.18: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (cf. 2Ki_22:19; Isa_57:15, Isa_66:2; Eze_36:26, Eze_36:31; Mt. 5:3; Lk. 18:10-14; Acts 2:37; 16:27-31; Ja. 4:1-10).
The condition of the heart is the key is finding salvation, is not simply reciting words of a “sinners prayer.” As “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Mt. 12:34), so those who are convicted of their desperate need for salvation, and who want Christ over sin, will effectually call upon the LORD for salvation in faith, but the mere recitation of a prayer that does not come from such a heart is in vain.
The later is often called the gospel of easy believism, which is a bit of a misnomer, as believing is easy, but bringing a soul to effectually, Biblically believe is usually not. The evangelist is to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit, not to coax sinner’s prayers out of souls, but to convict them of “sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (Jn. 16:8), as did the men like Peter, Steven, Paul, etc. (Acts 2:14-36), 7:2-43; 10 :34-43; 13:16-41), so that they might be compelled to cry, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). (Note: every major gospel message in Act includes the warning of judgment). Of course, such conviction may also mean they express something quite the opposite, like as men metaphorically (unless you believe John 6:53 mean literal eating) “gnashed on him [Steven] with their teeth” (7:54).
2. To “repent” means to be contrite for one’s sins and to trust Jesus Christ and solely in His completed work for one’s forgiveness, life, and salvation.
True. Repentance is implicit in believing, but what is believed is not simply the salvific promise of God, but that if Jesus is Lord, then you are not, the implications of which shall be increasigly revelaed if one has true faityh.
The first aspect of what constitutes saving faith has to do with repentance. John 3:19-21 makes it clear that the condemnation of the world is due to their love of darkness and rejection of the Light, that being Christ. Jesus said that the world hated Him “because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (Jn. 7:7). Those who will come to Christ for salvation thus must want the Light over darkness — Christ over sin. And so it is that Paul’s summation of the essence of His preaching to the lost was “that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20; cf. 20:21).
It is important here to understand that the mother of all sins is idolatry, and thus the primary command forbids it (Ex. 20:2-6; Dt. 6:5). And whatever we find our ultimate security in, or ultimately commands our obedience, or holds our primary affection, is our god (at least at that time). And the Holy Spirit witnesses that true belief in Christ denotes an essential turning to Christ as the object of faith for these things, in turning away from finite, false gods (trust in which created things is only to our ultimate hurt). For those who already looked, albeit veiled (such as devout Jews), to the the living and true God, their main repentance was that of turning from faith in their own works to that of Christ, and obedience to Him as LORD according to the New Covenant. “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). To the still lost Gentiles it was preached that they “should turn from these vanities [false gods, whom they trusted in and obeyed] unto the living God” (Acts 14:15). Whose ignorance God tolerated, but “now but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). And thus we see that true believers were attested to be such because they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Th 1:9). It is impossible to truly believe on the LORD Jesus for salvation without an basic corresponding change in allegiance of heart to Him as LORD (according to the light and realization one has). For this cause Paul “reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come” (Acts 24:25) to the lost ruler Felix. To foster anything other idea of conversion is to promote a false Christ who is not Lord.
The use of “LORD” in salvific promises is no mere title, but conveys both character, power and authority. For both Jews and Gentiles, this Lordship of Christ was essential. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:13). For the Romans to whom this letter was principally addressed, believing on the LORD Jesus meant denying Caesar as LORD — which drastically reduced their physical life expectancy.
This relates to the second aspect of the quality of saving faith, as regards it’s depth. The Bible commands us to “turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul” (Dt. 30:10), and that we can be baptized if we believe with all our heart (Acts 8:37). Though i believe that for some rare souls (more likely some children) this essential depth of faith may be one of supreme attraction to Christ that is more due to His love and holiness, for most this is wrought by the Holy Spirit through the conviction of sin, righteous and judgment. Prior to the earnest inquiry of Acts 2:37, Peter had charged them with the death of Christ, and the rejection of their own Messiah (sin), whom God had raised up and made LORD (He was righteousness, not them), and which made them God’s enemies whom the Lord Christ would put under His feet (judgment)! They realized the import of this, and thus their desperate cry! And that their repentance was more that simply trust in Christ for salvation, but to obedience to Him as LORD is manifest in their immediate and on going response (2:41-47). For rather than uttering the right words being the sole criteria for salvation, it is those who are of a “broken heart” and “contrite spirit” and that trust in Him the LORD promises to look to and save. Other conversion accounts testify to similar dept of heart conversions, but what we do not see is “believers” who are called Christians who believe Jesus promise to give them eternal life but show little or no corresponding response to Him as LORD. Even the “carnal Corinthians” were evidently regularly in church, and overall manifested evidence that they were born again, though some were impenitent. And those that were the later testified that they were not “in the faith” (2Cor. 13:5), nor those who fell back in Judaism (Gal. 5:-4).
Yet certain of those who preach the gospel of easy believism not only hold that one need not repent from anything except unbelief in Christ as savior, but that once they profess faith in Christ they can live a Christ denying life and still have assurance of salvation. Yet, consistent with the manner of preaching and conversions in Scripture, in which it is manifest that it is impossible to have faith in Christ as savior without at least a basic corresponding change in heart to Him as LORD, the Bible excludes those from the kingdom of God who practice sin, versus overall following Christ. While all Christians sin, the true Christians attitude toward it is not only different, but the overriding characteristic of his life is not that of willful sin, but of righteousness, manifest in word and deed. This is most evident in 1 John, in which we find the assurance verse of 5:13, yet the “these things” which preface it refer to what has previous been written, that of 4+ chapters in which saving faith is delineated. Consistent with this, the Scriptures offer assurance of salvation not simply on the basis of having uttered a profession of faith, as faith without works cannot save one (Ja. 2), but because they manifest “things that accompany salvation” (Heb. 6:9). Principal among which (as far as the horizontal is concerned) is a special love for the brethren in the household of faith.
And it is here that that certain promoters of easy believism also profess a form of antinomianism, interpreting 1 Jn. 3:6 and 5:18 to mean that our spirit man does not sin, while our heart and body may. However, not only does the Greek indicate “sinneth” denotes as a continuing practice, but the example John gives of sins which contrast Christians and a sinner are those done by his body (1 Jn. 3:11-18). Moreover, the Scriptures warn of sins of the flesh which exclude one from being in the faith and from the kingdom of God (1Cor. 6:9, 10; Rv. 21:8), as well as those who deny the sufficiency of Christ (Gal. 5:1-4). It is because the nature of saving faith is one that confesses the LORD Jesus in word and deed, that, although we are saved by faith, Jesus is declared to the Savior of those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9), those who hear His voice and follow Him, who are the “them” of John 10:27-29.
It is evident therefore, that repentance is implicit in saving faith, and that this repentance is not only that of repenting from unbelief in Christ for salvation, although that is certainly essential, but faith in the LORD Jesus, faith in whom requires an essential repentance from other objects of faith for obedience (again, according to the light and realization one has) as well as for salvation. And that the full revelation of Scripture testifies that justification by faith is not assured simply on the basis of assent to Biblical facts, but that “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psa 34:18), who call upon Him in repentant faith. Thus no one who came to God looking for and believing Him for salvation with that kind of heart was refused.
And as it is God who looks to those who are of a poor and of a contrite spirit (Is. 66:2), and dwells with the same (Is. 57:15), and hates “pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, way, and the froward mouth” (Prv. 8:13) it is this humble and contrite heart (or spirit) that we should seek to maintain all the days of our life. Yet with “great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (1Tim. 3:13), just as we are to “rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11) as recipients of “so great salvation” by the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Tts. 2:13), “walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:31). While we may not always have this disposition of heart (and of which i often find myself failing), yet this is a characteristic that cannot be absent from a believer walking in fellowship with God, and which He will call us back to if we become lifted up and self willed and selfish “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1 Cor 11:32; cf. Ps. 94:15). If one cannot be reformed, then he will be judged. This (and other verses) testifies that Biblical saving faith is one that overall follows Christ, not once that once did but now in works denies Him, and must be brought back.
47. Christ saves from sin and death not through the motivation of the sinner to do good, but through baptismal death and resurrection.
While it is not by the merit of our works that one is justified, by by imputed righteousness appropriated by God-given faith (a confessional type faith i must add: Rm. 3:9-5:1; 10:9, 10), the soul that places salvific faith in the Lord Jesus is basically choosing light over darkness, Christ over sin (Jn. 3:19-21).
31. To be in the church is to be union with Christ through faith.
Not chronological. One who effectually believes is translated into the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13) and baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), and which body exists by faith in Christ. And which union, as in Cornelius and household, is before they are formally received into the church.
3. Scripture clearly teaches that the means by which God grants faith are the the hearing of the Word of Christ (the Gospel) and the water of Holy Baptism.
It is indicated here as well as elsewhere, that the authors are Calvinistic believers in paedobaptism (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2042245/posts?page=2172#2172), which i think manifests more a love for tradition of men rather than the Scriptures Bereans seek to prove things by.
The means by which God grants faith is by the supernatural quickening of the Spirit of Christ, by the hearing of the word (Rm. 10:17), by which the believe, which is expressed both by the confession of mouth and in “body language” by baptism by immersion.
(Acts 2:38) “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(Acts 10:47) “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”
68. Just as popes and councils have erred in the past, so synodical leaders and synodical conventions err in the present.
You cannot err when you fulfill the criteria for infallibility which you infallible defined, and which is the only way one many know a truth of faith is infallible (though as yet no infallible list has been provided, and relatively little of Scripture has been infallibly defined, and )
79. Peculiar and novel worship forms obscure the unity of the churches and extol the creativity of the worship leaders.
“Peculiar and novel” are not defined, but often man’s devices do as stated. However, there is a reason why, unlike under Moses, no detailed, precise liturgy let alone liturgical seasons (cg. Gal. 4:10; Col. 2:16) are proscribed for the N.T church (outside of 1 Cor. 11 + 14), and as souls ted to find security in static structures, churches for which such set liturgies are as doctrine become institutionalized, though as stable as graveyards.
(1 Cor 14:31) “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.”
94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through all suffering, death, and hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many trials and tribulations, rather than through the assurance of outward peace, unity, and happiness.
(Acts 14:22) “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
***We do so in the spirit of the great Reformer, Martin Luther...
Aim high. ROFLOL***
They do appear to have the stature of common garden gnomes.
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