Four Failures That Should Result In Excommunication

If there is one thing we learn from the Scriptural testimony of hundreds of believers throughout the Scriptures it is that people have two lives; the one God uses to teach us with and the one we have to live with after we have learned from our own failures. The life that we have to live with is often more difficult than the life with which God used to teach us. The consequences of a person’s sin continues in their influence into numerous generations after the sin itself has long descended over the horizon of that person’s lifetime. No one knows this better than the person who lives long enough to see his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow to adulthood. It seems like every failure is magnified in the lives of succeeding generations.

The local church, as ordained of God, is intended to be a living, spiritual organism in corporate “fellowship” with God. The only way the spiritual dynamic of corporate “fellowship” can exist within a local church is when each person in the formal membership of that local church is genuinely “born again” and living each moment of their lives filled to overflowing with the supernatural energizing (grace) of the indwelling Spirit of God. To insure that a local church maintains unbroken “fellowship” with God, a local church MUST maintain internal purity among its formal membership. When a single believer in the formal membership of a local church lives in unrepentamt sin, worldliness, or carnality, the spiritual unity (“fellowship”) with God is broken and the blessings of God upon the “work of the ministry” of the whole local church is lost until internal purity is restored either through genuine repentance of the sinner or through excommunication of the sinner from formal membership. This is what Paul addressed in I Corinthians 5:6-7; “⁶ Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ⁷ Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.” Excommunication is to disfellowship someone.

The first qualification for formal local church membership is a testimony of being a “born again” Christian. Initially, such a testimony is mainly verbal. A believer’s life should begin to manifest the genuineness of progressive transformation as that believer grows in grace (II Peter 3:18). Growing in grace is visable in the progressive transfiguration of a believer’s life as that believer begins to live the truths he learns from Scripture (Rom. 12:1-2). Orthodoxy (right doctrine) becomes orthopraxy (righteous practice) and a life is progressively transfigured. Therefore, there are four main failures that necessity the dis-fellowshipping of an individual from a local church:

1. False profession of faith

2. Refusal to genuinely repent of moral turpitude

3. Doctrinal heresy

4. Unwillingness to resolve personal offenses

As I have already said, everyone likes to garden, but nobody likes to put the weeds. Church discipline is about evaluating who are genuine Christians and those who are either false Christians or pretending Christians. If there has been life transference (salvation), there should be some visible progressive life transfiguration (practical spiritual growth; I John 5:11-12). There will always be people who profess to be “born again” children of God, but who live like children of the Devil. This is an anomaly that cannot be allowed within a local church.

“⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance {and the accompanying genuine salvation}. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ¹¹ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness {internal moral purity within the local church}, ¹² Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. ¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless {living in repentance, confession of sin, and cleansed by the Blood of Christ; I John 1:7-9}. ¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; ¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. ¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked {false doctrine}, fall from your own stedfastness {in the practice of Truth}. ¹⁸ But grow in grace {progressive supernatural transfiguration}, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (II Peter 3:9-18).

II Peter 3:9-18 addresses the four realities that should be evident in the life and in the living of a genuinely “born again” person and commands purity and accountability in all four of these areas. According to II Peter 3:9-18, there should be the expectation of some real practices of life that correspond with the expectations of a real faith as true believers look to their futures as those futures relate to the second coming of Christ.

A FALSE PROFESSION OF FAITH IN CHRIST

Perhaps the most difficult area of discernment regarding evaluating a person for formal membership in a local church is that of the genuineness of having been “born again.” It is difficult because church members are not able to know the heart of another person.

When a person expresses a desire for formal church membership, he should be carefully examined regarding his understanding of the gospel, repentance of sin (as a whole and in general, not specific sins) and “dead works,” belief/rest/trust in the “finish” work of redemption, belief in and confession of the deity of Jesus, calling on His Name to save him (signifying a moment in time or an event when they trusted in Christ), and having received the Lord Jesus in the Person of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The significance of salvation being an event (even if the date and specific time cannot be remembered) is of extreme significance to a genuine testimony of salvation.

A preliminary examination of a formal membership candidate should be made by the Pastor and deacons prior to the time the individual is questioned and approved by the congregation for formal membership. If there appears to be some area where the person lacks understanding or some issue that might be in question, those things should be dealt with at this time.

There should be extreme caution in this examination in that if a person is allowed to come into formal church membership under a false assumption of salvation, there is a very high probability that such a person will go through the rest of his life living under a delusion of salvation when it is not real. This should be explained at the time of the private questioning so that the membership candidate can understand that the questioning is being done out of genuine concern. Secondly, the person that is not “born again” does not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and such a person cannot live the Christ-life no matter how hard he tries. Such a person is doomed to an existence of legalism and a life of continual failures. When salvation is a delusion, the Christ-life can never be anything more than an illusion. Sadly, the person with a delusion of salvation lives under that delusion never recognizing it as a delusion because he thinks that his Christian life is like every other Christian’s life. When two delusional Christians get together, they tend to reinforce each other’s delusion with the commonality of never experiencing the Spirit filled Christ-life and its accompanying progressive transfiguration. As a result, they think that what they know experientially as Christianity is normal Christianity. The delusion then reinforces the illusion.

It is important to note that the genuineness of a person’s salvation may be QUESTIONED, but no one should be removed from formal church membership because of another person’s doubt or even because a person may doubt his own salvation. A person must admit to a false profession of salvation before that person should be removed from formal church membership or give evidence of trusting in something other than the “finished” work and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. If a person states he is now trusting in either some degree of Moralism or some form of Ritualism for salvation, that must be corrected or that person must be removed from membership.

Refusal to genuinely repent of moral turpitude

The only sin that would cause a local church to disfellowship another believer is a sin accompanied with the refusal to genuinely repent (to sincerely turn from that sin in remorse). Moral turpitude deals with sin in such a way as to see it as more than just an offense against a holy God. Moral turpitude is essentially a judicial term describing action that is criminal in that the impact of the act goes beyond the individual to effect a group or a society. This is what defines the unrepentant sinner who lives in secret sin and deception of his fellow local church members. His unrepentant lifestyle causes the whole of the formal membership of a local church to lose the supernatural enabling of the Spirit of God upon their ministry. It is the unrepented sin in the life of the unrepentant sinner that Paul refers to in I Corinthians 5:6 by the phrase “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Moral turpitude as a judicial term is defined as:

“act of baseness, vileness or depravity in the private and social duties which a man owes to his fellowmen, or to society in general, contrary to the accepted and customary rule of right and duty between man and man.” [1]

The heinousness of secret moral turpitude is that God acts upon the secret sin by withdrawing Himself and His blessings from the fellowship. This is what happened in Joshua chapter 7 in the sin of Achan’s moral turpitude.

“¹ But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. ² And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. ³ And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. ⁴ So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. ⁵ And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water” (Joshua 7:1-5).

Because of one man’s selfish act of secret moral turpitude, 36 innocent men were killed when God withdrew His blessing and protective custody upon the nation of Israel. That which defines the criminal action in moral turpitude is revealed in the extensive levels of impact upon the nation of Israel as a whole.

1. Joshua, the leader of Israel, was discouraged and began to wrongly accuse God of being unfaithful to His covenant promise (Joshua 7:6-7).

2. An open door was provided for God’s Name and God’s abilities to be blasphemed among the heathen and the congregation of Israel to be mocked by their enemies (Joshua 7:8-9).

3. 36 innocent men died (Joshua 7:5). These men had fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, wives, children, and other extended family members who became victims of the consequences of the moral turpitude of Achan and his family as they concealed his sin.

4. The whole congregation of Israel was defiled and accursed before God (Joshua 7:11) until they corporately dealt with the problem judicially and were once again sanctified before God (Joshua 7:13-26).

5. God established a memorial in the “great heap of stones” (Joshua 7:26) and, from that day forward, the valley where this stoning took place “was called, the Valley of Achor.” Achor means trouble. This was to be an ongoing historical testimony to the infamy of one man who brought so much trouble upon the congregation of Israel because of his own carnal selfishness.

It should be noted that the whole immediate family of Achan were required to be present at his stoning and it appears that they were stoned along with Achan, which would require their complicity in the concealing of the sin. This complicity of family members, or anyone, to conceal sin is a level of moral turpitude that must as well be dealt with during church discipline through congregational polity. It should also be noted that in order for the defilement to be removed from the congregation of Israel and God’s blessing restored through sanctification that the whole congregation was required to take part in the stoning and the burning of all the bodies and belongings of the family of Achan (Joshua 7:24-26).

REFUSAL TO REPENT OF Doctrinal heresy

Ephesians 4:2 emphatically states that there is but “one faith.” Since “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17), we should understand that the “one faith” Paul refers to is one correct interpretation of Scripture that is defined as right doctrine. The word “doctrine” in the N.T. is translated from the Greek word didache (did-akh-ay'). The Greek word simply means instruction. Doctrine is the teaching that explains the meaning of the inspired Words of Scripture. Our modern term for doctrine is the word theology. Right doctrine (orthodoxy) provides the correct foundation for righteous, God-pleasing practice (orthopraxy).

Heresy is any wrong interpretation of Scripture that creates a disunity. The word heresy means disunion. It is false teaching of false doctrine that breaks the “. . . unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:3b-6). The word heresy actually refers to the creation of another sect or division of people that brakes away from the original fellowship by teaching things contrary to that right doctrine and its practice or the unity that existed in right doctrine and right practice.

“¹⁷ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. ¹⁸ For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17-18)

The word “mark” in Romans 16:17 is from the Greek word skopeo (skop-eh'-o). It means to focus upon, point out, or take aim at. People, both within a local church membership and without, who teach false interpretations of Scripture that lead to disunion should be singled out and pointed out. If they are members of a local church and refuse to repent of their false teachings, they must be removed from the formal membership of the church and not allowed to have any position of leadership. Since they will continue to teach their false interpretation of Scripture even after they have been excommunicated, it becomes the responsibility of the leadership and the formal members of a local church to constantly warn new believers about them and maintain a public mark upon them through continual warnings.

Unwillingness to resolve personal offenses

In most cases, Matthew 18:15-20 is used for the foundation of church discipline in dealing with issues of moral turpitude. That is not the context of the instruction of Matthew chapter 18. The context is about lifestyles that lead little children astray (Matt. 18:1-6) by living in contradiction to the practice of right doctrine. Contextually, the instruction of Matthew 18 is about how believers should treat one another and resolve personal problems in a God-honoring way. Sadly, dealing with the issues of false professions of salvation, moral turpitude, and heresy are all mixed together. According to the teaching of the Word of God, we have separate instructions regarding the way these various issues are to be dealt with by individual believers and within the context of formal local church membership. Matthew 18:15-20 gives us instructions regarding how God wants individuals to deal with personal offenses they might cause or receive.

“¹⁵ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. ¹⁸ Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:15-20).

The word “trespass” is from the Greek word hamartano (ham-ar-tan'-o). It simply means to miss the mark. It is usually translated sin, but in this case the better translation is “trespass.” It means to err or make a serious mistake in judgment or to say or do something that causes another person grief because of that wrong statement. What is usually the case, one person says something wrong or makes a false speculation about another person to a friend or acquaintance. Then that person goes to the person that the statement was made about and repeats it or asks that person if the statement is true. The latter person is the person offended by the statement. Both the person who made the original offending statement and the person who repeated the offending statement become party to the offense and become accountable to try to resolve the offense. The false statement is gossip. The person who listened to the gossip and repeated the gossip, even in bringing it as a question to the person the gossip was about, becomes party to the gossip. Gossip is a secret assault upon the character of another person. If a person has a concern or question about an action of another person, the only appropriate person to discuss the issue with is the person in question. ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSION NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE RESOLUTION.

The context of Matthew chapter 18 is the bad example that adults establish before children that lead those children into similar practices. One of the most basic principles of parenting, in teaching children self-discipline, is the principle, WHAT YOU MESS UP, YOU STRAIGHTEN UP! In Matthew chapter 18, the mess up is the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” This question was asked in almost complete ignorance of those little ears and little eyes that hear everything and see everything and record those things they hear and see that are endorsed by the actions of the adults they learn from. The question raised the issue of WHAT is important in life by raising a false example of WHO is important in life. Christ brings those invisible ears and eyes into the midst of those disciples and in the midst of the theological debate and shows these adults the perspective of their discussion. Congregational polity holds formal church members accountable to resolve the offenses created by misstatements and bad examples.

The testimony of any local church will never be any better than the testimony of any individual who is allowed to live in contradiction to his profession of salvation or in contradiction to his commitment to die to the “old man” and live in the indwelling power of the resuurected and indwelling Christ. The basic responsibility of Congregational Polity is the protection and maintainance of a testimony that will bring glory to God and His power to completely transfigure the lives of sinners.

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[1] Chadwick v. State Bar, 49 Cal. 3d 103, 110, 776 P.2d 240, 260 Cal.Rptr. 538 (1989); Sosa-Martinez v. United States AG, 420 F.3d 1338, 1341 (11th Cir. 2005)

Audio of this is available in the two links below:
I. Four Failures That Should Result In Excommunication
II. Four Failures That Should Result In Excommunication

Anonymous comments will not be allowed.Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at:http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.He has served the Lord for over 40 years.

The Obama-Nation

"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

The Word of God commands strict separation from the practices of this world and the deceptions of the “god of this world.” To be separate from the practices of this world and the sinful, Hedonistic deceptions of the “god of this world” means more than merely not involving one’s self in such things, but to completely extricate these practices from one’s life or from being influenced by them. Separation is to view these practices and influences through the eyes of God and to learn to hate these practices and influences as God hates them. These practices and influences are an abomination to God.

Proverbs 14:34 states two irrevocable spiritual principles that apply to any nation of people.

1. “righteousness exalteth a nation;” simply stated, this means that a nation governed by and living according to the moral and judicial dictates of God will make that nation honorable in the eyes of God and will be able to raise that nation to prominence and entrust it with power and blessings; the point is that God will lift up such a nation as an example before the other nations of the world. The people of such a nation can live in optimism of God’s blessings.

2. “sin is a reproach to any people;” simply stated, this means that a nation governed by and living against the moral and judicial dictates of God will make that nation to be pitied and held in contempt by other nations provoking God to act against them and provoking other nations to overthrow them. The people of such a nation should live in pessimism of God’s curse and their own destruction.

The United States of America began as a unique experiment in government that was patterned after Biblical principles. The U.S.A. was a nation governed by the absolute dictates of the Creator of Heaven and earth through a republic “of the people and by the people” based upon something very similar to local church congregational polity. The preamble to the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In a Republic, righteousness governs the nation. That righteousness is an unchanging constant defined by the Word of God. That was the basic premise of Constitutional Law and the basic foundation of this new Republic call the United States of America. God exalted that nation!

Other than the nation of Israel, never before in the history of the world was such an experiment tried. From its very inception, this new Republic has been under satanic onslaught with continual attempts to move it back to European despotism with their State Churches. This satanic attack has been against the principle of righteousness in the Rule of Law. Isaiah 5:18-23 specifies four of six woes in Isaiah chapter 5 (two others in verses 8 and 11) upon individuals or groups of people trying to move a people away from the principle of divine righteousness.

“¹⁸ Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: ¹⁹ That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! ²⁰ Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ²¹ Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! ²² Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: ²³ Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him” (Isaiah 5:18-23)!

The Hebrew word translated “woe” in this Isaiah chapter 5 is used to express God’s public condemnation of certain practices that carries with it the denunciation of His pending wrath in judgment. The word “woe” might be said to express the direct opposite of a blessing in that judgment and wrath are promised in the place of blessing. We must always remember that God sees all sin as an attack against His holiness and as a crime against humanity in that whatever practices a society condones or tolerates are perpetuated as an injustice against its citizenry. Human government is ordained to enforce and perpetuate God’s inspired and revealed principles of righteousness. A society cannot be said to be just in the eyes of God that does not enforce God’s inspired and revealed principles of righteousness. Throughout the Word of God and the history of the world, we find an historical constant of God’s judgment upon every nation, culture, or human government that failed to enforce and perpetuate God’s inspired and revealed principles of righteousness. This historical constant of God’s judgment can be found in the rise and fall of every great society or empire since the beginning of time.

We find another historical constant throughout the Word of God: although God is longsuffering, when His longsuffering has ended, there is absolutely no mitigation of His wrath; He has been unmerciful in His judgment. This is where the world is at right now in the end of the Church Age. The United States of America is the last nation on earth that continues to offer any real resistance to the onslaught of satanic abominations. The USA is rapidly becoming the OBAMA-NATION under the leadership of our new administration!

“¹⁹ Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. ²⁰ Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. ²¹ And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. ²² Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. ²³ Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. ²⁴ Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: ²⁵ And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. ²⁶ Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: ²⁷ (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) ²⁸ That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. ²⁹ For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. ³⁰ Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 18:19-30).

We find numerous sexual perversions and the murder of innocent children in these few verses of Scripture that usually accompanied the practices of idolatry, paganism, and Hedonism. God tells us that when a nation begins to allow, tolerate, or endorse any one of these practices that He considers an “abomination,” God will consider that nation an abomination before Him. The whole nation is defiled and deserving of His wrath. The idea is that such a nation should no longer be expecting God’s blessing or protection. Such a nation should be expecting God’s judgment.

What has been the vehicle for the rapid dissemination of these abominations through our nation? This is not a difficult question to answer unless you have been asleep for the last 50 years. Satan’s tools have been the public airways in the spread of immorality through the music industry, the movie industry, the publishing industry, public/secular education, and through the falsehoods of science. Many of these satanic tools have been first tolerated, then endorsed, and finally promoted by liberal Christianity and New Evangelicalism. It is not uncommon for many professing Christians to have an open door policy to these satanic forms of corruption right in their own homes. I think we can go as far as to say that there is very little separation practiced regarding these corrupting influences amongst most Christians today. God has warned us about allowing such things into our homes and God has instructed us how we should treat these influences.

“²⁵ The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. ²⁶ Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing” (Deuteronomy 7:25-26).

The Seal of the United States of America portrays an eagle carrying a ribbon with the words, E PLURIBUS UNUM inscribed upon it. These words simply mean, “Out of many, one.” On the back of the seal are inscribed the words, Annuit cœptis. These words simply mean, “He {God} approves {or has approved our} undertaking{s}.” Also on the rear of the seal are the words Novus ordo seclorum, which literally translated means, “New Order of Generation {Creation}.” Although we should understand that the founding fathers were most likely thinking that the United States was going to be the beginning of the Kingdom of God on Earth (Theonomy), anyone with a basic understanding of theology should understand that the foundation of this new nation called the United States of America was definitely to be CHRISTIAN (although no particular denomination of Christianity).

The Melting Pot notion of the United States was never intended to be the merging of pagan religious practices to make a new religion. There was the expectation of the blending of various cultures and the toleration of all types of religious views. However, the Rule of Law of this new Republic was the absolute Law of God strictly interpreted and enforced upon every citizen by the courts of the Land. This was patterned after God’s national promises to Israel. God had warned the nation of Israel against the blending and merging of pagan ideas with God’s absolutes. The founders of the United States of America understood this and established the Rule of Law (Republican government) to counteract these kinds of influences upon the new society. If we read the writings of the founding fathers, we can be confident they understood these principles.

“²⁹ When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; ³⁰ Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. ³¹ Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. ³² What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it” (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

What then are the practices, that God calls “abominations,” that define the Obama-nation?

1. Evil is called good and good is called evil (Isaiah 5:20).

2. The “light” of God’s revelation is replaced with the “darkness” of evolution, secular humanism, and Neo-pantheism (Isaiah 5:20).

3. Human knowledge (science) has become the final authority for determining truth (Isaiah 5:21); “²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23).

4. The “wicked” are justified “for reward” (bribery) and “righteousness of the righteous” is “taken away” in the sense of allowing righteousness the influence it should have in a society (Isaiah 5:23).

5. Human elicit sexuality is promoted, encouraged, and endorsed without restraint including pornography, adultery, fornication, Homosexuality, Lesbianism, Transgender, Transvestite, Unisex (Deuteronomy 22:5), and even Beastiality (Leviticus 18:19-30).

6. Abortion (the murder of unborn children) is promoted as an acceptable form of birth control, population control, and family planning. This is nothing more than the sacrifice of the sacrifice of the innocents to Neo-paganism (Leviticus 18:20; Jer. 2:34, and 19:4-5).

7. Many forms of idolatry such as Materialism (Avarice or Mammonism), Self-worship (Secular Psychology), Pleasure-worship (Hedonism), Pluralism, Eastern Mysticism, and Neo-Pantheism are all culturally accepted as equally viable expressions of religion (Deuteronomy 7:25-26 and 12:29-32).

“¹ Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. ² But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. ³ And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, ⁹ Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; ¹⁰ But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: ¹¹ For there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:1-11).

Audio available: The Obama-Nation

Anonymous comments will not be allowed.
Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at:
http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/

Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.

Oxymoron: Theological Movement

“1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:1-6).

“16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:16-17).

I have always had problems with those individuals who have thought of, and speak of, Christian Fundamentalism as a movement. Fundamentalism, in its purest meaning, simply refers to a literal interpretation and strict, dogmatic application of the verbally inspired Words of God recorded in the 66 books of Holy Writ. There can be movement towards this dogmatic understanding and application of those Words or movement away from this dogmatic understanding and application of those Words, but the correct understanding and application of those Words is a constant that is as unmovable and unchanging as the One Who inspired them.

Therefore, a person can be moving towards orthodoxy and the resulting orthopraxy or a person can be moving away from orthodoxy and the resulting orthopraxy, but if he is moving, he has not yet arrived at the destination (orthodoxy and orthopraxy), which never moves and never changes.

Every believer’s loyalties are first and foremost to Christ and His Word. If the local church is going to be the “pillar and ground of the truth” that Christ intends for it to be, loyalty to Christ and His Word must be foremost in every consideration. “25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-26).

Anonymous comments will not be allowed.
Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at:
http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/

Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.

Progressive Fundamentalism

A new kind of Fundamentalism has been evolving for about 25 years. It is not like the old Fundamentalism. but yet retains old terminology with new definitions. In other words, this new Fundamentalism is trying to redefine itself with old terminology that is gradually being redefined. Others have called this new movement Green Evangelicalism, New New-evangelicalism, and Conservative Evangelicalism (they do not like to be identified with old Fundamentalism). I believe a more apt term to describe them is Progressive Fundamentalism using the term progressive in the same way Marxist Reconstructionists or Fabian Socialist use the word to describe the gradualism by which they change a society into Socialism.

Defining Fundamentalism

The term Fundamentalism has always been theologically ambiguous. Any attempt to define it has historically been done by trying to add adjectives to it such as Fighting, Militant or Biblical. Fundamentalism, as a movement, was born out of the battle against Liberalism and Liberalism’s denial of the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures and the cardinal doctrines of the Faith. However, Fundamentalism as a theology existed long before this.

If one were to read the little, four volume set entitled The Fundamentals issued by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in 1917; “Edited by R.A. Torrey, A.C. Dixion and Others” (later reprinted by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan), one would find it dealing mainly with the arguments of Higher Criticism and the resulting denial of various cardinal doctrines. A basic reading of the Table of Contents on the opening pages of these four volumes should reveal to us that the unity of the authors of each of the chapters centered more on their disagreement with their opposition than it did with theological unity on many important theological arenas of discussion.

· Volume One deals mainly with Higher Criticism

· Volume Two deals mainly with the inspiration of the Bible and the Deity of Christ

· Volume Three deals with Anthropology and Soteriological (the most doctrinally definitive articles are “Is Romanism Christianity?” by T.W. Medhurst and “Rome, The Antagonist of the Nation” by Rev. J.M. Foster)

· Volume Four deals with various “modern” Philosophies and the Cults (“ISMS”)

Although most Fundamental Baptists would agree with a great deal of what is written in these four volumes, they would not “fellowship” with the vast majority of the authors. The vast majority are Reformed/Covenant Theologians from diverse denominational backgrounds.

William Ward Ayer, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals in April 1956 (as quoted in Louis Gasper’s book, The Fundamentalist Movement[i]) gives what I believe is the best definition of Fundamentalism I have ever read:

“Fundamentalism represents a resurgence of ancient practices, which began not with Martin Luther but at Pentecost. Fundamentalism is apostolic, and the doctrine of justification goes back to Paul. That branch from which the fundamentalist movement sprang lived obscurely through the ages and had never been completely silenced even in the Dark Ages . . . What fundamentalism did was awaken the slumbering apostolicism from lethargy.”

Therefore, when we take the idea of Fundamentalism out of the Modernists controversy of the early Twentieth century, we should simply define it as Apostolic, New Testament, Biblical Christianity. This may not be the meaning of the word as it was coined, but we must ask ourselves, did Fundamentalism exist before the term was coined? If so, how would that Fundamentalism have been defined?

This wide theological diversity among early Fundamentalists naturally led to a tolerance of theological differences. In this dynamic, the focus is centered upon the areas where agreement is found while minimizing the areas of disagreement. As a result, this tended toward inclusivism. This programmed many of the early fundamentalist for Neo-evangelicalism (as it continues to do today).

“Jot and Tittle” Fundamentalism

“17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

Barthian Inspiration:

The center of revelation is Jesus Christ; the Bible stands on the periphery of that circle. Jesus Christ is the Word. Therefore, the most important parts (the Majors) are those that witness about Jesus Christ. Barthians also embrace the conclusions of liberalism regarding the Gospels, which teach that there are errors in their records. The idea of Major and Minor doctrines was a foundational premise for the development of Neo-Evangelicalism.

“Let’s major on the Majors and minor on the Minors.” We have all heard someone make a statement like that at sometime or another. Another phraseology that communicates the same idea are the words essentials and non-essentials. What those phrases reveal is the influence of the Barthian concept of inspiration upon Christianity. It is, in many cases, the first stepping stone to New Evangelicalism (although many people use these terms in ignorance of their meaning).

The Barthian concept of inspiration obviously redirects the priority of Scripture away from its doxological purpose to a soteriological purpose. In doing so, it makes the priority of Scripture to be evangelism. Doctrines like personal and ecclesiastical separation are moved down in the list of subordinate doctrines in order for people to hear the gospel (even to the place of rationalizing these doctrines out of existence or relegating them to irrelevance and obscurity). This is the driving rational of the Carnival Church.

When it comes to Christ’s “commandments” (i.e., directive truths for living), there are no Major or Minor doctrines. There are no essentials and non-essentials. Truth is not categorized vertically according to importance or priority. Truth is cataloged horizontally and all of it is on the same level of importance. Every Christian becomes a depository for every single commandment of God and is responsible to “contend” for each tenaciously. I believe that is the exact meaning of Jude 1:3 and is the exact meaning of the “jot and tittle” command of Christ.

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3).

The word “delivered” in the above verse is from the Greek word paradidomi (par-ad-id’-o-mee). It means to deliver something to someone to keep, use, take care of and/or manage. The idea is one of guardianship. (We will deal with the commands of Jude 1:3 more extensive later in this article.) According to Matthew 5:17-19, we are commanded to be “jot and tittle” Fundamentalists.

Defeat takes place anytime we surrender any single truth and cease to fight for any single issue of truth. That does not give us permission to be rude or unkind, because we are also commanded to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Paul uses the word epieikes (ep-ee-i-kace’) in Philippians 4:5 when he says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” That word (translated “moderation”) means mildness or gentleness. Contending for “the faith” needs to be done tenaciously without being abrasive or crude.

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[i] The Fundamentalist Movement By Louis Gasper, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1981 reprint

Anonymous comments will not be allowed.
Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at:
http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/

Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.