CHOOSING A DOCTRINAL SYSTEM

It should be apparent to us that our lives are based on our ability to choose. While it is true that there are certain things that we cannot choose such as our parents, hair color, body type, gender etc. These are physical attributes. Our ability to choose is spiritual, not physical. Choice is thus ethically based. Those who do not believe in absolutes will makes choices situationally. Situation ethics is based upon effects i.e. situations, not upon causes.

When using situation ethics there is no ability to foresee consequences because choice is based upon the visible situation. Situation ethics wholly ignores the future. Situation ethics is immediate moment oriented. Situation ethics is thus chosen on a moment by moment basis. This means that choices will be decided randomly. This randomness has a chaotic effect both in an individual’s life and the culture at large.

As Carl Menger said in his Principle of Economics, "All things are subject to the law of cause and effect." I came to the same conclusion when I have said that the "spiritual precedes the physical." This is saying the same thing. This also means that the subjective comes before the objective. Understanding means that the subjective will determine the understanding of the objective. The objective must be interpreted and all interpretation takes place at the subjective i.e. casual level.

All causes are spiritual and all effects are visible. This is so because the spiritual (cause) always comes before the physical (effect). The way to test if this statement is true is to go to the creation account of Genesis 1. The creation account begins not with "In the beginning..." Prior to the existence of the physical world, God existed. Ontologically, God is Spirit and Spirit is invisible. The physical world (effect) was created by God (the First and Final Cause). The created world (objective) existed in the mind of God (subjective) prior to its existence.

Since we were created in the image of God, we will think in like terms as Him. We think subjectively (cause) and it comes into reality (effect). Ayn Rand said about writing that something remained subjective until it became objective i.e. written and visible. Having this kind of understanding enables one to begin to look at doctrinal systems and making a choice for them which comports best to their level of understanding.

How does one become a Calvinist or a Wesleyan-Arminian? Both choose to believe one or the other. It is a matter of choice. One believes as the other believes that for him, he has discovered the truth of the Bible. God’s world is based upon ethical cause and effect and whether you are a Calvinist or a Wesleyan-Arminian, this must be the foundation of any doctrinal system. If all things are based on the law of cause and effect, then all interpretation is based upon the same law.

CONTINUING DEBATE - INTRODUCTION

There has been a theological debate that has been going on for over five hundred years and to this day, it still has not been resolved and is a continuing point of debate. Both sides have their scriptural points and both have been defended by very godly men. It is the purpose of this writing to look at which side is right and the future ramifications. The question that needs to be asked is whether this debate will ever be resolved. If it has been going on for five hundred years, the question becomes is it a resolvable situation?

What debate am I referring to? The debate between Calvinism and Wesleyan-Arminianism. Theologically, these are the main doctrinal camps. Anything else is and is always going to be marginal. Charismatic and Pentecostal movements have added nothing to theology. These two movements are not relevant doctrinally because both are not based upon sound doctrine and therefore can be dismissed from this conservation.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:3, "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." To me this verse is talking about doctrine. Unless we have doctrinal unity, we cannot have the bond of peace. A lack of doctrinal unity will result in a division in the body of Christ. The Spirit is the interpreter of all Scripture as He is its author. As Daniel Steele has said, "the Holy Spirit is the conservator of orthodoxy."

Doctrinally, orthodox Christianity begins with the concepts of unity and plurality or the one and the many. These concepts are the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is that God is one God in three persons. All things revolve around this concept of the Trinity. For instance, all life is based upon the one and the many. Any system is based upon this principle. Take a piano, for instance. We call it a piano or unity and yet it is made of different parts that constitute the whole, plurality. You cannot have unity without plurality and you cannot have plurality without unity. Both are inseparable from each other.

I believe that both Calvinism and Wesleyan-Arminians are orthodox when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity. This is a point of doctrinal agreement. My point in this is, that whatever the differences between Calvinism and Wesley-Arminianism are, they are marginal but nevertheless important enough to seek a resolution. I am not a middle road type of guy, but both sides points must be considered before coming to a final determination as to what is doctrinally correct.

Can these two doctrinal stands be brought together in the bond of peace? I tend to believe that the answer to this question in total is no. The question then becomes do we have to be either wholly a follower of Calvin or Wesley? We are not to follow neither. We are to follow Christ. I realize that all Scripture is to be interpreted and that we will see Scripture through a particular interpretive lens. The key is either our interpretation will be correct or incorrect.

ANOINTING OF THE HOLY GHOST PRODUCES RESULTS

Introduction

Last week we saw how the disciples had been filled with the Holy Ghost and Peter under the anointing of the Spirit gave an anointed sermon under the unction of the Spirit. He spoke boldly and fearlessly. One of the benefits of being filled with the Holy Ghost is having the anointing of the Spirit which produces results in bringing conviction and leads to souls being saved. 1 John 2:20 and 2:27 read, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things...But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." The Holy Ghost is our instructor. He instructs in the truth of the word of God and reveals truth to our soul. In other words, we have been given divine guidance.

Application

John 16:8 says, "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." The Amplified Bible renders this verse, "And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness–uprightness of heart and right standing with God–and about judgment." Reprove means to convict. This is a legal term. All of God’s proceedings are judicial in nature. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "convict" as "1. To determine the truth of a charge against one; to prove or find guilty of a crime charged; to determine or decide to be guilty, as by the verdict of a jury, by confession, or other legal decision. 2. To convince of sin; to prove or determine to be guilty, as by the conscience." "Convince" from the same dictionary is "1. To persuade or satisfy the mind by evidence; to subdue the opposition of the mind to truth, or to what is alledged, and compel it to yield its assent; at to convince a man of his errors; or to convince him of the truth. 2. To convict; to prove guilty; to constrain one to admit or acknowledge himself to be guilty." The Holy Ghost brings men to the knowledge of their lawless ways and produces guilt which leads to repentance and saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:36 reads, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Here Peter makes his sermon personal. He said in effect to his audience that they were guilty of killing the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, they were murderers. The reason some preachers are never able to bring conviction to their listeners is that they generalize their messages and do not make it personal. They will not cry against the guilty as Nathan did to King David, "Thou art the man." Preaching that does not produce conviction is not Holy Ghost anointed preaching and will not result in bringing sinners to the point of decision.

Notice what happened to Peter’s listeners. Acts 2:37 says, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" The word "pricked" means that they were cut to the heart. These are men that were in the valley of decision. They needed to get rid of the guilt for their crimes against the Lord. Only forgiveness can relieve a guilt ridden soul. Peter gave the remedy in 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." The first thing a convicted soul needs to do is to repent of their and sins and to forsake them. Repentance is having a change of mind and attitude towards our previous behavior and wanting to change the course of our future actions. When a man repents, then God in a judicial act forgives or remits all the charges (sins) against the accused. This relieves the guilty party of his of sin debt. They are forgiven and no longer exist. Baptism is a outward sign of an inward change. When a man is forgiven, he is simultaneously regenerated. He is born again. He is brought out of spiritual death into spiritual life. Once again, the Holy Ghost is a gift and can only be received as such by faith.

Acts 2:39-41 reads, "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." This so great salvation is available to whomsoever will. The Lord has called all men to salvation. Young, middle aged, and old have all been called to partake. Peter encouraged those present to be delivered from this wicked generation they were living in. Repentance brings joy and peace in believing. They gladly received his anointed words and were baptized that day. Peter’s anointed preaching resulted in 3,000 souls being saved on this day of Pentecost. Not bad for a day’s work. The kingdom of God had greatly been expanded. These were a wave offering before the Lord of the first fruits of the harvest. Praise the Lord! This spiritual reality was expressed in the natural in Leviticus 23:20, "And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest." Anointed preaching will always produce results.

THE LAW AND UNITY

Introduction

The greatest dilemma for anyone is to explain unity and particularity. It is the age old problem of the one and many. To miss the one is to miss the correct interpretation of reality. Without a universal principle of bringing everything together leads to anarchy or to total particularity. The particulars, man, thus, becomes god. God is triune. However, in this Trinity, we have unity. In other words, in distinctiveness, you have homogeneity. Without a Creator, the creature ascends the throne for man. This means the Civil State. Paul said this concerning civil government specifically, also applying to all God given governments, in Romans 13:1-4, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." The civil government is to be a minister against evil. That is they are servants, not lords. The particular can never take the place of the universal.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

The essence of the First Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," (Exodus 20:3), is that there is only one Absolute. There are not many. God is not polytheistic. He is One in unity. To reject Him is to spurn the Absolute for relativity. This is why sinners are characterized by moral relativity and situation ethics. They have no universal standard by which to determine their conduct. One day, they will follow this one. The next day, it will be something else. They are never stable in anything. They are like Reuben in Genesis 49:3-4, "Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 4Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch." Unstable as water is the characteristic of those who lack a omnipresence.

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 6:1-5, "Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Since God is one Lord i.e. one Absolute or unity, we are also to be one in our response to Him. To love God with all our heart, soul, and might, presupposes to love Him in oneness. We are not to have divisions in our being. We are to be one at root.

One cannot understand the New Testament without having a firm grasp on this concept of unity. Paul had a firm comprehension in this regard. He displayed it in Ephesians 4:2-7, "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Humility and patience are essential qualities in maintaining unity and peace. The Spirit, referring to the Holy Spirit, is in perfect unity. Provided we have that Spirit, we will, by definition, be led into the same unity. We must conform to something. Once again, the Amplified Bible gives us the essential message of Ephesians 4:3, "Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of (and produced by) the Spirit in the binding power of peace." This is what I have been attempting to stress about unity. It takes an Absolute or a Universal to produce this harmony. Without a harmony of interests, we have discord and dissension. Having more than one god, will result in a conflict of interests.

Conclusion

As always, the Lord Jesus Christ hits the nail on the head. He made it clear the impossibility of serving two Gods simultaneously. He said very clearly in Matthew 6:22-24, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Being single eyed is to be in complete harmony. No schizophrenia here. Being single eyed results in the whole body being full of light. If our body is full of light, by definition, there can be no room for disharmony. Everything would have to be in accord and agreement. The opposite is so if the eye is evil. It will automatically result in total ethical darkness and lead to a failed attempt to serve more than one god. Discordance is the result of attempting to serve more than one god. The Lord Jesus Christ said we can only serve one master. Attempting to serve two masters is because a lack of having an Absolute in our lives. The result is the individual seeks to fill the void by trying to become the Absolute themselves.