THE CONSEQUENCE OF REJECTING TRUTH
Text: "Light is come into the world, and men loved Darkness more than Light because their deeds are Evil." --I John 3:19
Many loved Truth and lavished life’s best oil,
Amid the dust of books to find her.
Many in sad faith sought for her,
Many with crossed hands sighed for her
But these our brothers fought for her
At life’s dear peril wrought for her,
So loved her that they died for her..." --James Russell Lowell
How sublime is Truth! Like Light, Truth generates the meaning of things. It warms and lends expression to Meaning.
God is a God of Truth: He is the Harbinger and Incarnation of it. (Titus 1:2; John 1:17) Therefore they who resist Truth find themselves fighting against God.
God is the Dispenser of Truth. What greater mercy is there for a man than to be given to understand Truth! Yet most people are not so much as able to recognize it. This is the Judgment of God upon them for having put Truth far from them. Having judged themselves unworthy of it, God has taken it from them.
People have rationalized Truth already understood. Having despised it, they have dispensed with it. They have pulled away their shoulder and stopped their ears. Therefore God has given them eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, and a heart that will not obey. They can no longer discern Truth because they are not worthy of it. "Professing themselves to be wise" they have become Fools as they continue to suppress the eternal verities of God and to substitute their own witty inventions. It should come as no great surprise they can no longer make up their minds as to what is Truth.
Having repeatedly compromised Truth, their Understanding has been eroded. Their routine rejection of it has led them to embrace Humanism with its worship of man as their only alternative. But an integral part of this "worship" involves yielding those virtues that beautify Truth. Thus linked with the decay of man’s understanding is the decay of Virtue. By their substitution of themselves for God they violate the First Table of the Law, and this quickly results in their turning from the work of the Law written in the Second Table and which is also written on the heart of every man born. (Romans 2:15; John 1:9) This is the reason they who turn away from what they know to be Right must first climb over the barrier of their conscience: they must forsake the "Guide of their youth." Having despised the Truth of God they have despised the God of Truth, and thus through the commission of sin they despise themselves. At last they despise others as they lead them away in Sin. For any tormented by guilt, a psychiatrist is available to tell them to dismiss their feelings and to sin with greater vehemence if they would be "healed." Their conscience is at last hardened, their wills stubborn, their damnation sure.
God has preserved Truth in His Word, yet people will not "seek out the Book of the Lord and read." They consider themselves beyond the fixed laws of Scripture and refuse to acknowledge the Truth of God. Not content not to enter the Kingdom of God themselves, they seek to hinder them who would enter, by tampering with the changeless standard of God for Right and Wrong. Their violations of the Truth of God become routine. They have forsaken the Light of God and out of their benighted souls set up their own standards of morality. In the name of originality they define what is Right and Wrong. They are a god unto themselves.
Thus despisers of Truth are delivered over to Judicial Blindness like who have gone before them. They have judged themselves unworthy of Truth and God has deprived them of it. Since they do not love the Truth, God sends them strong delusion "that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thessalonians 2:10-12)
THE ERRONEOUS DOCTRINE OF "TWO-SALVATIONS"
Text: "Then Peter opened his mouth and said, ’Of a truth I perceive that God
is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.’" --Acts 10:34,35
There are some who maintain the Bible teaches "Eternal Salvation", and a "Time Salvation", that is a "Salvation to Fellowship." Like most error, the doctrine of "Two Salvations" is rooted in Truth. The teaching unfolds thus:
I. That God has a people He is calling out of the sea of humanity world-wide.
II. That these people will be saved and preserved for Heaven.
III. That God does not need man to bring His people safely home, and bring His plans to fruition.
IV. That these people will be in Heaven though they never hear the Word of God, or repent of their sins: or believe the Gospel.
The text that is used to prove their point is Acts 10:34,35 "for", they argue, "does not Peter say, 1.) ’God is no respecter of persons?’ and 2.) that ’in every nation, he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is ACCEPTED of Him?’
First, note the text: it cannot here speak of "Salvation by works" when that doctrine is repudiated everywhere else in Scripture. (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8,9) Nor can it mean Cornelius was "accepted" in the sense that the preaching of God’s Word was irrelevant since God sent an angel to Cornelius and gave to Peter a vision that the centurion might hear the Word of God. What then does it mean?
Cornelius believed "Salvation was of the Jews" and that Gentiles could not experience it as the Jews. Nevertheless he feared God with all his house, and by prayers and alms served God. But he had to be born again: Therefore the Lord blesses him with special revelation by sending an angel to inform him what he must do. He had done what he knew to do; now God would tell him through Peter what he ought to do.
Note second, the Doctrines propounded. First, God does have a people He is calling out of the worldwide sea of humanity. (See: Matthew 24:31; 20:16) Secondly, it is also true these people will be saved, and preserved for Heaven. (See: John 6:37-39) Thirdly, it is true as well that God is not handicapped as to need man to effectually bring His plans to His desired end.... However, God has by Divine prerogative chosen to use men in His plan of Redemption, and He has ordained that by the preaching of the Gospel men who believe should be
saved. This speaks of no "Salvation to Fellowship", but of Eternal Salvation, and the only one He knows anything about. Therefore while the third doctrine is true, the fourth is erroneous. God has by Divine-Right chosen to use the preaching of His Gospel to be the instrument by which He reclaims the souls of men.
Cassette Tapes --We have had recent requests for about 90 tapes, Due to our recent move, we are swamped. Please be patient. Below are some additions.
9582 -- "How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings"
91982 -- The Difficulty of Salvation -(I Peter 4:18)
92682 -- "The Mystery of Iniquity Doth Already Work"
91282 -- The Impotence of Sinners To Enter In At the Strait Gate --(Luke 13:24)
Bib2-1-- The Medical Argument for Inspiration of Scripture
Announcing: the PILGRIM’S FELLOWSHIP --- Thursday November 11, 1982. This will be a day of Worship and Giving of Thanks, and will begin at 11:00 A.M.