Fighting Today's Battles

J.C. Philpot battled a great error that was gaining ground in his day - the denial of the eternal sonship of Jesus Christ. In his introductory remarks he answered the objections some had made to confronting that heresy in the first place. One group thought the battle was not necessary because they did not understand the full significance of the error. Some were persuaded by some “Big Guns” who had decided for themselves (and for their followers) what the Bible said and that settled the question once for all. A third group thought it was a fight over words and why cause a fuss over semantics and the question should never been waged in the first place.

When confronting error there are usually these separate battles that the truth must confront. Not only do you fight the error but sometimes you have to deal with those who should be on your side but for some reason or the other decided to sit this one out. Sitting it out wouldn’t be as bad, but often they cheer for the other team which stings a little.

Philpot said 

“Those who from self-interest, love of carnal ease, entanglement in error, or cowardice of spirit, wished things to remain quiet as they were, all lift their voice against the disturbers of the general peace.” 

Come on, ye who troubleth Israel, if you were quiet, none of this would have happened (1Kings 18:17). It is amazing to see that the battles will change but the tactics and the positions of the enemies of truth rarely do. 

Considering one of the great fights of our day, which I believe is on Biblical marriage, we are starting to see these groups appear. There are groups that don’t understand what the fuss is all about. Others who think it’s better to live and let live. There are others that wish it was like it used to be and among conservative Christians we are most susceptible to the last excuse. Remembering the glory days when you didn’t have to give a definition for marriage  we can say that it should not be like this because it did not used to be like this. Both are true statements, but unfortunately, that line of argument is a useless defense of the truth because they say "so what?" and if we shrug and saunter away mumbling to ourselves away as to avoid the controversy because we did not get to pick the fight we lose the fight anyway.  

 Few who live in exciting times that we like to read about would choose the exciting time for themselves.  An old proverb went something like “blessed are the forgotten nations of history.” Why? Who wants to read a story about a country that lived in quiet peace for centuries.

There are fights in every generation that rise. Sometimes the fight is greater than we think that we can stomach. Sometimes it’s a fight we would rather not have at all. All who pick up the sword of truth wish that it needn’t be so and it grieves us that God’s Word is not obeyed. There shouldn’t be any that relish fighting – but that should not stop the men of God. We can look at the spiritual battles for truth about us and wish it were not so, wish for quieter times and peaceful seasons, but that is not for us to decide. God has placed you in this time to fight the battle that is going on now. It’s easy to be on the right side of a fight that is already over-the test comes when the battles just starting to get hot. Your story has been written, it is not for you to decide what times you live in – it is for you to decide how you will live.

Once more from Brother Philpot:

 “Old Mrs. Bigotry is dead and buried; her funeral sermon has been preached to a crowded congregation; and this is the inscription put, by general consent, upon her tombstone:

For modes of faith let graceless bigots fight;

He can’t be wrong whose life is in the right. 

But if to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints is bigotry, let us be bigots still; and if it is a bad spirit to condemn error, then let us bear the reproach rather than call evil good and good evil, put darkness for light and light for darkness, bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

Is Mormonism Christian?

A great number of people are being about Mormonism. The following is a video response from James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries to a LDS video in which the Mormon "apostle" claims that he is Christian.

It is worth the time to watch the video, in my opinion. If not for your sake, the sake of others you may know who are falling into snare of Mormonism because Mormonism is not Christian. Conservatism and United States patriotism does not trump the gospel. Glenn Beck, out of deception or ignorance, is promoting his faith as Christian, and undiscerning Christians are joining with him. It is sad to see so many men and women put the gospel SECOND because our country must come first.

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.



2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
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Douglas Newell IV

Big Tent of Damnable Heresy

First, if you CAN watch this.

WARNING:if you have just finished eating, maybe come back in about 60 minutes. Not for the faint hearted (actually, it is intended for the faint-hearted, that is what makes him dangerous Romans 16:18)



Reminds me of what Spurgeon said in Lectures to my Students

Abhor the practice of some men, who will not bring out the letter "r," such a habit is "vewy wuinous and wediculous, vewy wetched and wepwehensible." Now and then a brother has the felicity to possess a most winning and delicious lisp. This is perhaps among the least of evils, where the brother himself is little and winning, but it would ruin any being who aimed at manliness and force. I can scarcely conceive of Elijah lisping to Ahab, or Paul prettily chipping his words on Mars' hill.

I digress.

If you reject the Bible, orthodoxy, truth, the inerrancy of scripture and hold to a squishy universalism, that is not Christianity. Take your big tent of damnable heresy somewhere else.

Clayton said on the website:

"As leaders it’s our task to help break the cycle of anger, of rejection leading to rejection, and to foster a radically different understanding of the heart of Christian faith.”

A radically different understanding of the heart of the Christian faith? What is the heart of the Christian faith? The Cross. The substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ the Lord and His resurrection for the justification of the elect. Christ alone, through faith alone. What, pray tell, is your radically different idea? What about your liberal theology are you going to give up to have this big tent? How about you abandon your universalism, repent and trust in Christ alone? See, when heretics like Brian McClaren and Clayton clamor and lisp about for unity, what that really means is abandon truth and unify with our heresy.

This conference is coming to my town. Perhaps the biggest group of heretics in the world, all coming together "e-merging" at one conference, if you will. Tony Jones, Peter Rollins, Keith Ward, Tripp Fuller, Tim Conder, Terence Fretheim, Greg Boyd and Jo-Ann Badley Philip Clayton, Brian McLaren.

It is interesting to wonder why they want to keep the name Christian at all? If you are opposed to the fundamental teachings of Christianity, then why do they insist on being Christians, other than to purposefully deceive and secretly bring in damnable heresies.
I read his bio where it says:

"Philip Clayton is a philosopher and theologian specializing in the entire range of issues that arise at the intersection between science and religion."

and this:

"Above all, Clayton’s books and articles address the cultural battle currently raging between science and religion. Rejecting the scientism of Dawkins and friends, he argues, does not open the door to fundamentalism."

and my PERSONAL favorite:

"As a public intellectual he seeks to address the burning ethical and political issues at the intersection of science, ethics, religion, and spirituality (e.g., the stem cell debate, euthanasia, the environmental crisis, interreligious warfare). As a philosopher he works to show the compatibility of science with religious belief across the fields where the two may be integrated (emergence theory, evolution and religion, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and consciousness)."

Emphasis mine.
So, how does one become a public intellectual? I asked my wife from henceforth to call me by my new self appointed title "Doug Newell: public intellectual". I kind of expected her laughing at me; which is kind of my point. If you are a PUBLIC intellectual, do you really have to tell us that you are in your bio?

This also gives the answer to this "big tent" idea. See, Mr. Clayton seems to be more concerned with being accepted as a philosopher, scientist and a public intellectual than with Biblical truth. He wants everyone to know that he isn't an atheist like Richard Dawkins, but that doesn't mean he has to be one of those crazy people who believe in the authority and sufficiency of Divine Holy Writ.

Want to be a public intellectual, go be one, but stop calling it Christianity.

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Douglas Newell IV