Did Jesus Teach Lordship Salvation?

Expanding the Bubble of Our Existence

“²³ And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. ²⁴ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. ²⁵ For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? ²⁶ For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26).

          As we look at the text before us, the first question we must answer is whether the text is a salvation text or a text that lays out the qualifications for becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.  If the text is a salvation text, we have before us a very strong evidence of what is known as Lordship Salvation.  In fact, most of the proponents of Lordship Salvation would tell us this is indeed a salvation text.  Of course, to make this a salvation text, those purporting a Lordship Salvation position must inject their presupposition on the text and take the text completely out its context.  Clearly, Jesus is addressing the text to His disciples.  Clearly, Jesus is defining the difference between salvation and discipleship. 

There are many who receive the gift of salvation “by grace through faith,” but who never become disciples of Jesus Christ.  We have the same pattern in most of our local churches today.  A very small percentage of “born again” people ever become true disciples of Jesus Christ as defined by the criteria of Luke 9:23-26.  To force Lordship Salvation upon this text, and others like it, is to make the gift of salvation conditioned upon works, rather than mere faith. 

          How do you begin your day?  What is your normal morning routine?  Get out of bed, shower, brush teeth, comb hair, shave unwanted hair from your body, eat breakfast, drive to work, . . . and etc?  Where does our relationship with Christ fit into our morning and daily routine?  Answering this last question defines what we believe to be Christianity.  It certainly defines our Christian life and whatever expectations we have about God’s involvement in our lives on a daily basis.  The fact is, most professing Christians do not think about these things at all, let alone consistently. 

The common word for a person who is a disciple of Jesus is the word Christian.  Christianity that is not Christ-centered is not Christianity.  If your life is mostly about you and little about Christ, what you have is better described as You-ianity.  Christ gives a threefold command to anyone wanting to be His disciple (a Christian).  Unless all three of these commands are your daily objectives in life, you are not a disciple of Jesus.  You may be saved, but you are not a Christian!

1. “let him deny himself”

2. “take up his cross daily”

3. “follow me”

Trusting Christ for the gift of salvation “by grace through faith” is not the same as becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.  These are two separate decisions in a believer’s life.  The vast majority of people who trust in Christ and receive the gift of salvation never become disciples.  Those who never become disciples do not deserve to be called Christians.  A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ.  The reality of the name Christian is defined by the reality of the three commands of Christ in Luke 9:23.  If those three commands are not part of your reality, you may be saved, but you are not a Christian.

“¹⁹ Now they {this does not refer to the Apostles, but to those that were saved in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and the next eight years following the stoning of Stephen under the increasing persecution by the Jews} which were scattered abroad {the Diaspora} upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice {150 miles West to a 20 mile wide by 120 mile long stretch along the Mediterranean coast}, and {250 miles West to the island of} Cyprus, and Antioch {about 300 miles North of Jerusalem}, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. ²⁰ And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them {they manifested the power of God through their lives and ministry}: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord {pagans became believers with radical changes in the way they began to live their lives}. ²² Then tidings {the news or spoken reports} of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. ²³ Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God {the evidence of God’s grace in the fruit of those won to Christ and who became disciples of Christ}, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. ²⁴ For he {Barnabas} was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. ²⁵ Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: ²⁶ And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians {the Greek term for the followers of Christ, not for a religion called Christianity} first in Antioch” (Acts 11:19-26).

As we read Acts 11:19-26, we should ask ourselves a simple question.  Why were “the disciples  . . . called Christians first in Antioch”?  The nomenclature Christians carries much greater significance than merely believing in the teachings of a man named Jesus.  It also carries a higher significance than merely following Jesus as in the sense of loyalty to Him as a person with political loyalty to a leader or a great teacher.  To be a follower of Jesus, and therefore a Christian, was to think, live, and do what Jesus did.  To be a follower of Jesus involved COMPLETE self-denial, COMPLETE self-sacrifice to the point of willing to die for Him and His mission, and an attempt towards COMPLETE obedience to doing everything He commanded His disciples to do missionally.  These three qualities of commitment are what define the word Christian.  Therefore, these three criteria of commitment also define Christianity.  We do NOT define Christianity as merely orthodoxy of beliefs.  Although there must be orthodoxy in beliefs, we define Christianity by the reality of practicing what Jesus practiced.  Christianity, as a practical reality, cannot be separated from its missional purpose.  The three criteria of Luke 9:23 are the fundamentals of true discipleship. 

          There is no doubt that the Word of God establishes these three fundamental criteria for defining a person as a true disciple of Jesus Christ.  Secondly, there is no doubt that the word Christian was only used of those who manifested the reality of these three fundamental criteria in their lives.  Since these two things are historical facts, how have the terms disciple and Christian come to carry such watered-down meaning?  The terms disciple and Christian have come to carry such watered-down meaning because the abnormal has become the normal.  It is almost like calling the fans in the football stadium players because they are faithful to every game and cheer with great enthusiasm. 

          When a baby is conceived in the womb, his first nine months of existence, growth, and experience comes from that little bubble of existence.  He knows no other existence and can imagine nothing beyond it.  As far as he is concerned, the womb is the only existence there is and he is the only thing in that existence. 

When a baby is born, he is born into his own little bubble of existence.  He sees everything else in life as existing outside of his little bubble of existence.  Naturally, he sees himself as the center of the universe with everything else existing merely to serve him and meet his needs.  The world gathers around his little bubble of existence and looks at him with oohs and aahs.  He need only cry or whimper and someone immediately comes to meet his every desire.  Even though he is unable to communicate in words, those outside of his bubble seem to be able to read his mind.  They know when he is hungry, when his diapers need changing, and when he is not feeling well.  What a life! 

Few people ever escape this view of their existence even if they believe in God or even after they are “born again.”  Those who continue with this self-centered view of existence live every moment of life to protect their existence and to make their lives easier.  Christ calls His disciples to step out of the center of their existence and put Him and His missional purpose as the new reason for existence.  That is the threefold call to discipleship:

1. “let him deny himself” – death to selfish ambitions

          Paul explains this statement with considerable expansion in numerous epistles.  There must be a practical reality to this.  Practical means a change in practice, not just a change in perspective. 

“¹¹ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ¹² Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; ¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; ¹⁴ Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

“²⁴ And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:24).

“¹ Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ² That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (I Peter 4:1-2).

2. “take up his cross daily” – a daily willingness to die for the missional purpose of Christ

          So often, this statement is taken completely out of its historical context.  The historical context is that of a person condemned to die.  On the morning of his crucifixion, he was flogged with thirty-nine stripes.  Then, the cross upon which he was to be crucified was put upon his back and he carried it to the place of his death.  The phrase “take up his cross daily” does not mean to carry the burdens of life.  The phrase “take up his cross daily” means the willingness to face each day with the resolve that you may be killed that day for your witness for Christ.  We must remember this command follows in the context of Christ’s statement, “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22).

          Again, there must be a practical reality to this and we cannot separate this practical reality from the previous criterion, “let him deny himself.”  You cannot have one without the other.  The practical objective of these two criteria is advancing the Kingdom of God by taking any risk necessary to win souls and make disciples. 

“³¹ I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. ³² If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. ³³ Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. ³⁴ Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (I Corinthians 15:31-34). 

“¹⁹ For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. ²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:19-20).

3. “follow {present, active, imperative - continually following or keep following} me” – live what Jesus taught, live like Jesus lived, do what Jesus did 

          The emphasis in salvation is not upon Christ merely giving a believing sinner new birth.  The emphasis of Christ giving a believer new birth is the New Life that begins the moment we are saved.  The New Life is the Christ-life.  To “follow” Christ is to replace your life with His life.  To “follow” Christ is total, absolute, complete surrender of your will to His divine imperatives. 

“⁷ For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. ⁸ For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living” (Romans 14:7-9).

“¹⁴ For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: ¹⁵ And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (II Corinthians 5:14-15).

“⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. ¹⁰ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ¹¹ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:6-13).

          These verses of Scripture are three portions that give us the fundamental basics defining what it means to “follow” Christ.  Obviously, the practice goes far beyond being faithful to Sunday School, preaching services, and prayer services.  We scarcely see the practical reality of true discipleship that defines true Christianity.  The practical reality of these three criteria of discipleship define fundamental Christianity.  It order to “follow” Christ, correct doctrine is presumed.  However, correct doctrine is only the springboard for correct practice.  Even God cannot bless something you never do.  “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). There is no such thing as marginal Christianity!

“²⁴ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. ²⁵ For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? ²⁶ For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:24-26).

          Once the three fundamentals defining true discipleship are established, Christ begins His explanation of purpose for these three fundamental necessities.  Each of the three sentences following Luke 9:23 begin with the word “for.”  “For” is translated from the Greek word gar and assigns a reason or intensification of the connecting statement.  Why do you think additional explanation is necessary?  Why is it that Christ must explain and apply the three fundamentals of discipleship to people professing complete dedicated to Him?  The reason for this extended explanation is because the vast majority of dedicated people are dedicated only philosophically, not practically.  Christ reveals this to us in the example of Peter right after the Last Passover and just before His betrayal and crucifixion.

“³¹ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. ³² But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. ³³ Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. ³⁴ Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. ³⁵ Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples” (Matthew 26:31-35).

Platitudinal promises are mere words until they are tried by the crucible of persecution.  Until our statements of faith are proven by application in the reality of life, they are nothing but words.  The Phoenix of true faith arises from the fires of real testing.  There are few professing Christians today willing to walk into the fire like Peter did in Acts chapter two and like Stephen did in Acts chapter seven.  If you are going to walk into that fire, you better realize that you are going to live in that fire the rest of your life.  You are going to die in that fire one day. 

“²⁰ Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. ²¹ And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. ²² But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. ²³ And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father” (Matthew 20:20-23).

The first statement of explanation or intensification is vs. 24.  “For whosoever will save {deliver or protect his earthly} his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”  Jesus is not speaking about the salvation of the soul here.  He is speaking about the salvation of a life.  This is what Paul refers to as “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5). Jesus is speaking here about the difference in outcome between a life of selfishness or sacrifice; a life lived for self or a life lived to God’s glory fulfilling God’s missional purpose.  Anyone who keeps his life for selfish purposes will lose that life.  In other words, that life will be wasted.  That life and its accomplishments will be nothing more than garbage.  There will be no eternal blessings or fruit from a life kept for one’s self. 

          Is Jesus your Lord?  If Jesus is your Lord, He has a plan for your life.  Jesus has planned certain spiritual accomplishments through your life.  Those accomplishments will never be realized until you are fully yielded to Him in every decision of your life.  That is what Jesus means by the words “whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”  There is a saying, “Of all the words of tongue or pen, the saddest of these are ‘it might have been.’”  Life is short, brutal, and filled with pain, sickness, and death.  “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (II Corinthians 5:15).  This is how you escape a wasted life.  Sadly, the vast majority of professing Christians think their lives are dedicated to the Lord.  The vast majority of professing Christians think they are living for Jesus.  They are not trying to bring their friends and neighbors to Christ, but they think they are living for Jesus.  They are building their own little empires on earth rather than the Kingdom of God, but they think they are living for Jesus. 

          Every choice in life is a choice between a life saved from waste and a life lost to waste.  Every moment of life that is not lived with God’s missional purpose in view intent upon advancing the Kingdom of God is a wasted moment that we can never recover. 

The next explanation or intensification is vs. 25, “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away” (Luke 9:25)?  To what spiritual benefit is it if we use our life to get wealth, fame, or position in this world?  The idea here is the investment of our time on earth.  We must see our lives as drops of water in the ocean of eternity.  Can we afford to waste any of our lives on selfish, carnal pursuits?  This is a hard saying when it is spoken to the vast majority of professing Christianity who think that they are dedicated Christians.  There are two primary things in view in the statement “gain the whole world.”  There is the pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of wealth.  A preoccupation with these pursuits in life will lead to the disastrous outcomes listed - “lose himself, or be cast away.”  Is there any radical distinction between professing Christianity and the world in the priorities of pursuit? 

It is easy to lose your purpose in life.  I have seen many men gain great wealth only to be lost in their wealth.  I have seen other gain great positions in life only to lose themselves in those positions.  The intent in comparison here is exchanging life, which in its very essence is spiritual, for mere material gain.  I do not believe the intent of the comparison is salvational, although there are some who would reject Christ because they will not accept what comes along with being a Christian.  I think the intent of comparison here is between spiritual riches and material riches.  This is the lesson it too Solomon a lifetime of waste and carnality to learn.  If you want to learn Solomon’s lesson, read Ecclesiastes chapter two.  He wasted his life.  He got everything he wanted and lost everything that was valuable.  That is a wasted life.  It took him a lifetime to find out what was really of value.

“¹ I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. ² I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? ³ I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. ⁴ I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: ⁵ I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: ⁶ I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: ⁷ I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: ⁸ I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. ⁹ So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰ And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. ¹¹ Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).

The next explanation or intensification is vs. 26, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26).  There will be many professing Christians of whom Jesus will be ashamed at His second coming.  The word shame is directly connected to pride of reputation.  The idea here is pride of reputation in the world taking precedent over our relationship with Christ and our responsibility to His teachings. 

When what men think of us is more important to us than what God thinks of us, we have moved to a place that is almost beyond hope for recovery.  When what men think of us is more important to us than what God thinks of us, we have already denied everything we profess to believe.  The “words” of Christ define Christianity.  To be ashamed of Christ and His words is to be ashamed of everything that is Christian.  Should we even consider that somehow Jesus would not be ashamed of such contrary behavior?  Can we even imagine such a person professing to be a Christian while denying and being ashamed of everything that is Christian?  The point is simple.  Such a person is delusional. 

“¹ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. ² And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:1-3).

“¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17).

“⁶ Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. ⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ⁸ Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; ⁹ Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, ¹⁰ But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: ¹¹ Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. ¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. ¹³ Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us” (II Timothy 1:6-14).

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 Appeasement Policy of Convergent Evangelicalism

     Many in Fundamentalism today are having difficulty with the dialogue going on between professing Fundamentalists and obvious New Evangelicals and Convergent Evangelicals.  There are three reasons I believe why true Fundamentalists are having these problems with these professing Fundamentalists:

1. Those professing to be Fundamentalists are spending more time criticizing the Old Fundamentalists while praising New Evangelicals.

2. There is an increasing amount of toleration of certain Theological aberrations of which the Fundamentalists of just a decade ago warned about.  The New Fundamentalists are criticizing the Old Fundamentalist for separating over theological aberrations that the New Fundamentalists no longer see as important enough to separate over.

3. The professing New Fundamentalists are changing the way they practice separation from New Evangelicals even to the place they no longer consider them New Evangelicals any longer.  They are redefining Fundamentalism in terms that allows for more inclusive fellowship with those holding diverse doctrinal positions.  At the same time, the New Fundamentalists are separating from the Old Fundamentalist while accusing the Old Fundamentalists of being divisive. 

These dividing factors are very similar to the original issues of the birth of New Evangelicalism.  New Fundamentalism has a lot of the same characteristics of old New Evangelicalism.  Maybe a more appropriate term for these New Fundamentalists would simply be New-New Evangelicals.  Since the New or Young Fundamentalist movement seems to be coming from a few Baptist academic institutions, perhaps we should refer to them as the Nu Nu Fraternity. 

There are new terms being bantered around for these new Neo-evangelicals.  We hear terms like Young Fundamentalists, New Fundamentalism, Conservative Evangelicalism, and Convergent Evangelicals.  Although they started their movement by looking for a new name that would distinguish them from the Old Fundamentalism, they have not been able to settle on anything they like.  The reason I refer to them as New-New Evangelicals is because they really do not want to be identified with independent, Baptist Fundamentalism and its practices of militancy and separatism.  In fact, it is apparent that many of these people hate independent, fundamental Baptists.  In about 1967-68, Dr. Richard Clearwaters wrote regarding New Evangelicalism and the progressive development of New Evangelism’s theological Inclusivism:

“‘Third, it is a movement growing on appeasement of evil.’  We have here a progressive development and logical sequence of beginning with compromise.  God’s Word is ever full of warnings about appeasement of evil.  We are living in a day when men will declare themselves as believing in the virgin birth, deity of Christ, and plenary inspiration of the Word of God and at the same time argue and vote against a confession of faith that includes these things for fear it might offend some unbeliever.  There are many today who believe in the premillennial coming of our Lord but argue and vote against it because they want to appease the evil of unbelief in the same manner.  They are not convicted men.  Because of their intellectual pride they vote their appeasement policy instead of the convicted principles.

      The great Louis A. Banks is responsible for the following paragraph on ‘Destroying the Signal Light’: ‘The engineer of a fast train on the Pennsylvania Railroad discovered a man one night at the top of a signal-pole at an important junction where three railroads crossed.  With his fist he was destroying the signal lamps.  The poor man was insane, and was doing it simply to enjoy the excitement that he would experience in witnessing a wreck.  No man except an insane man, or a demon, would destroy the signal light that has kept generations from going to disaster and ruin, and leave no warning in its place.  God has put the signal lights of danger too surely in His Truth to have them destroyed by reckless hands.  The great truths of God’s Word are eternal verities that cannot be thrust aside by a sensationalist.’”[1]

          The toleration of Theological aberrations is an evil.  Like Evangelicalism and New Evangelicalism, New-New Evangelicalism is not a back-to-the Bible movement.[2]  It is a back to the Reformation movement.  For the New-New Evangelicals, any Theological issue that was not part of the Reformation discussion should not be an issue over which to separate.  Perhaps this is the greatest danger in the development of this New-New Evangelicalism. 

As these professing Fundamentalists praise the New Evangelicals and Convergent Evangelicals, they are carelessly and haphazardly destroying the old “signal lights” by criticizing the Old Fundamentalists.  The New Fundamentalists do not want to stand on the shoulders of the battle-scarred Old Fundamentalists who fought the fights.  Instead, they stand upon their graves and in their pulpits and criticize them to the next generation of the descendants that the Old Fundamentalist won to Christ and discipled.  What unmitigated arrogance? 

The New Fundamentalists capture.  They do not build.  The New-New Fundamentalists come out of Bible College and Seminary to take established churches.  They then steal those churches by contemporizing them.  They steal the real estate and they steal the sheep.  They look backward in history to what God did supernaturally 50 years ago, but have seen nothing like it in their lives.  They never will.  They try to copy the accomplishments of the Old Fundamentalists, but theirs is plastic, manufactured, and superficial rather than supernatural.  Everything produces after “its kind.” 

No fruit can grow on plastic trees.  When the torch of Fundamentalism was passed on to the next generation by the Old Fundamentalists, many of those receiving it thought that the fire from the Old Fundamentalists came with it.  Although the torch was provided by the Old Fundamentalists, the New Fundamentalists did not realize that they had to get their own fire.  Denying the supernatural issues of revivalism, the New Fundamentalists just attached artificial lights to the torches they received.  They redefined evangelism as leaving the lights on in the church house so the elect can find their way home. 

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[1] Clearwaters, Richard V.: The Great Conservative Baptist Compromise (Minneapolis, MN) Central Seminary Press, page 112

[2] Ibid., page 88-89, quoting Bernard Ramm in his definition of Evangelicalism: “Evangelicalism as used in this book means the historic Christian faith as reflected in the great creeds of the ancient Church, and in the spirit and writings of the Reformers.”

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 Fallacies of Inclusive “Judge Not” Abnormalities

“¹ Judge not, that ye be not judged. ² For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ⁵ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. ⁶ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:1-6).

It is difficult for us to understand how much God hates the hypocrisy of self-righteousness.  Self-righteousness is an absolute oxymoron.  Only a moron would consider himself SELF-righteous.  The failure lies in the inadequate way that certain people define righteousness.  Most people define righteousness as a person who regularly and habitually does what is right.  Others define righteousness as a person who always does what is right.  However, we must enter another factor into all of this.  What is the standard by which we establish what is right?  Do we establish righteousness merely by the laws of the land?  Can something be righteous and immoral at the same time?  This is what cultures do.  They seek to define morality through legislation of laws.  Then, the cultural norm for determining morality becomes whatever is legal.  There are many things that are now legal that are still immoral.  Homosexuality, adultery, and fornication may be legal and culturally acceptable to most of society, but they are all still immoral.  All of these practices or lifestyles are unchristian.  Are these kinds of things the things Jesus is talking about when He says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged”? 

If this is how we establish the standards by which we determine righteousness, then righteousness is constantly evolving and fluid in nature.  This is exactly what is going on it the post-modern culture of the United States of America.  This is even happening within most of Evangelical Christianity.  With every new generation of theologians, they must constantly question and move the ancient landmarks to new culturally acceptable positions.  After all, they argue, Christianity must stay in step with the culture lest the culture considers us irrelevant.  The new wave of Convergent Evangelicalism and Emergent Evangelism will accept no definition of righteousness that is not culturally fluid and constantly evolving.  These forms of Evangelicalism have wrapped themselves in their own death shroud of cultural relativism in their unending quest for cultural relevancy.  They seem almost blinded to the fact that they are rapidly moving toward a form of Inclusivism that is destined to the heresies of Pluralism and Universalism.  This destiny is predetermined because when you choose the beginning of a way, you choose the end of that way. 

The Word of God clearly tells us, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  God warns about forgetting and failing to learn from the past failures of others.  “¹⁰ Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.¹¹ There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after” (Ecclesiastes 1:10-11).

This is why we must be very careful about understanding what Jesus means by the statement, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  It is completely inappropriate to make this statement means that we are not to be discerning between what is right and wrong or between what is righteous and what is sin.  Nor is it appropriate to make Christ’s statement mean that we are to be tolerant of such lifestyles of sin or of false doctrines.  The point of Christ’s statement is that we are not to approach people involved in such lifestyle practices as if we are somehow above them or that we are somehow sinless ourselves.  No matter how much God has cleaned up our lives, we all keep dirtying ourselves on regular occasions. 

Convergent Evangelicalism and Emergent Evangelicalism take Christ’s statement in Matthew 7:1 and completely warp it into another dimension never intended.  Convergent Evangelicalism and Emergent Evangelicalism move toleration into the realm of complete acceptance regardless of lifestyle practices or doctrinal orthodoxy.  Yes, true Christianity always receives a sinner at an entrance level of wherever he is in his life.  That does not mean true Christianity should continue to allow or tolerate a lifestyle that lives in unrepentance of known sin.  In fact, we have numerous commands in Scripture telling us that unrepentant professing Christians are to be removed from formal membership of local churches.  The issue before us is not a discontinuation of contact, but a discontinuation of cooperation in ministry.  The communion or “fellowship” in ministry has already been spiritually breached by ongoing and unrepentant sin or false doctrine.  Therefore, that spiritual reality MUST become a practical reality in obedience to Christ’s commands.  This is the substance of Paul’s admonition to the Church at Corinth.

“¹ It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. ² And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. ³ For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵ To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 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 {a fresh or regenerate} lump, as ye are unleavened {with defiling impurities removed}. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: ⁸ Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ⁹ I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company {get mixed-up or comingled} with fornicators: ¹⁰ Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I have written unto you not to keep company {get mixed-up or comingled}, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat {the idea is to let the world know that true Christianity is completely intolerant of Christians who live like the Devil}. ¹² For what have I to do to judge them also that are without {outside of formal membership of a local church of professing, obedient believers}? do not ye judge them that are within {inside of formal membership of a local church of professing, obedient believers}? ¹³ But them that are without {outside of formal membership of a local church of professing, obedient believers} God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person {so that God can judge them and chastise them accordingly}” (I Corinthians 5:1-13).

Convergent and Emergent philosophies are nothing new.  They are simply new terms for age-old theological integrationism.  Theological integrationism always exists on innumerable levels.  However, on whatever level it exists, it is always the outcome of some degree of either theological compromise or theological toleration.  Theological compromise takes place when cooperation or “fellowship” continues when there are major differences in positions regarding any main body of systematic theology.  Since no two believers will agree exactly on everything the Bible says there must be some degree of toleration if there is going to be any kind of “fellowship” in the “work of the ministry.”  The difficulty is in defining at what point toleration becomes compromise. 

Obviously, God expects a certain degree of toleration while any degree of compromise is unacceptable.  We define the line of demarcation between theological toleration and theological compromise by the word heresy.  Heresy takes place when those who are compromising divide forming a new sect.  The new sect is what defines the word heresy.  The new sect has adopted a doctrine, or doctrines, that are unacceptable to true Christianity.  The false doctrine means they are no longer following the teachings of Christ in that area and that they are therefore no longer truly Christian.  The false doctrine is the heresy that divides and those holding to the false doctrine are heretics who are divided and dividing. 

“⁹ But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. ¹⁰ A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject {the idea is separate him from you and him from influence in the local church while leaving his judgment to God}; 11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself” (Titus 3:9-11).

Even though heretics may be correct in all other doctrines, any single false doctrine divides them from true Christianity in that the false doctrine defines Christ and His will in a false way.  In obedience, the body of true Christianity separates this group from them and labels them as heretics.  In almost every historical case, even though the heretics objected vehemently, the true body of Christianity still separated from them because of their false doctrine.  They then called the main body of Christianity unloving and intolerant.  Nonetheless, true Christianity was unmoved by the pleas of the heretics even when the heretics became predominant in numbers such as Roman Catholicism.  True Christians refused to call evil good or good evil.  True Christians maintained the lines of demarcation, often at the cost of their own lives.  This was certainly true of the ancient Anabaptists who refused to accept infant baptism as an acceptable form of biblical baptism.  Thousands of them died at the hands of the heretics because they would not tolerate this false doctrine.  There are no circumstances under which it is ever righteous to call light darkness or darkness light.  Yet this has been the historical pattern of compromise.

“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)!

God pronounces six woes or curses upon those that misrepresent His truths by endorsing corrupted life styles in Isaiah chapter five.  God gives us four of those six woes in Isaiah 5:18-23.  A woe is God’s promise of judgment or chastisement with the severity determined according to God’s evaluation of the harm done in the distortion of His definition of righteousness.  When God’s definition of righteousness is distorted, God’s righteous character is distorted as well.  This is the opposite of glorifying God.  To glorify God means we accurately reveal Him in all of His wondrous character and marvelous attributes.  To distort the character and attributes of God in any way is to de-glorify Him.  This is the heretical crime of Convergent Evangelicalism and Emergent Evangelicalism.  These two theological movements may be different in the sense of the degree of their departure from biblical Christianity, but they have nonetheless departed.  Although they stand outside of the body of true Christianity demanding that they not be considered heretics, the fact remains, they are.  The voice of true Christianity should be unbending towards them.  The message should be clear.  They are welcome back, but they must leave their false doctrines and the false alliances behind.  In other words, the admonition is simple: REPENT!

The objection of the pragmatists is that when true Christianity continually practices biblical separation, Christianity fractionalizes and marginalizes itself to the place of obscurity in being relevant to the culture in which it exists.  God answers this silly idea with what I refer to as the Gideon Factor.  The Gideon Factor is God’s design for the way He is most effectively glorified in two specific groups of people:

1. To the unbelieving world

2. In the midst of His children

Basically, the Gideon Factor is that God is best glorified by doing miraculous things through the lives of a faithful few and with insignificant numbers.  This is what we see God doing repeatedly in the Old Testament Scriptures.  We see Him doing this with the nation of Israel for forty years in the wilderness.  In those forty years, God purged out unbelief from the nation of Israel to the degree that they saw no army or fortress greater than their God.  With that faith vision, the nation of Israel crossed the Jordon with God going before them and they following close behind. 

The Gideon Factor is rarely seen and soon forgotten by almost every succeeding generation.  In every case that we find the Gideon Factor in Scripture, God created it in the lives of people through His supernatural intervention in the life of an individual or individuals.  This is the substance of the historical record of Gideon’s call and lifetime of ministry to God beginning in Judges chapter six going through Judges chapter eight.  God supernaturally intervened in the life of an individual named Gideon to create a man that could trust Him and believe Him for anything.  Only God can create those kinds of leaders.  They are forged and shaped by the Hands of the Creator.  The last few verses of Judges chapter eight record what happens when great spiritual leaders like Gideon die and there is no one to replace them.

“³³ And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. ³⁴ And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: ³⁵ Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel” (Judges 8:33-35).

          Great men of God are unbending.  They are unbending because they and their faith in God are forged into an amalgamation of Divine, impregnable truths.  They know that as soon as they compromise any of those truths that they will crumble into mere dust.  Without the truths that bind them to the power of God, they become nothing more than dried out clay.  They understand that it is their union and unity with God from which their power comes.  These people focus so intensely on their union and unity with God that they would never even consider compromising that union and unity for mere human fellowships.  Those who possess the Gideon Factor in their lives know that their sole responsibility is to maintain their relevancy to God regardless of how irrelevant that makes them to the world.  They understand their power comes from God.  They know power does not come from the world or from joining themselves to the masses in unholy alliances!


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.

Has Converging With Evangelicals Been a Dangerous and Failed Experiment?

A good article by Lou Martuneac

http://indefenseofthegospel.blogspot.com/2011/03/has-converging-with-evangelicals-been.html


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.

II.The Primacy of Preaching

Preaching with Unction 

We are living in another time of drastic change within Baptist fundamentalism. There are those seeking to redefine a new normal while declaring the old normal to be abnormal. When I got saved, it was in a fundamental Bible believing church. I immediately became a fundamental Christian. 

1. I accepted the 66 books of Scripture as the inspired, inerrant Words of God.

2. I accepted the autonomy of the local church and abandoned any connection to any form of denominational hierarchy.

3. I understood that with my gift of salvation, God made me a priest before him and that along with that position came certain obligations.

4. I accepted the fact that I was given individual soul liberty as to my personal decisions of faith and practice, but with that liberty came accountability to the Great Sovereign God. 

As Christians, we become so preoccupied with being blessed by God that we forget that the priority of the Christian life is to be a blessing to God. In being that blessing to God, His blessings flow to us. Every Christian should get into a blessing contest with God and then look forward to being a looser. 

I often hear Christians pray for God to reveal Himself to them. That is a prayer of unbelief. God has given us 66 books of inspired Scripture. How much more revelation of God do we need? I say stop praying that God will reveal Himself TO you and start praying that God will reveal Himself THROUGH you. These are the things that define an anointed Christian life. These are things that define living in the “unction” of the Spirit of God. 

Our understanding of God’s ordained purpose in preaching is critical to defining who we fellowship with both individually and ecclesiastically. There are two issues that must be considered regarding cooperative ministry with other individuals and other local churches so as not to interfere with God’s anointing: 

1. Spiritual defilement before God due to false associations

2. Spiritual defilement before men due to careless identification

“10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. 14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean” (Haggai 2:10-14; OT sacrifices were never salvational; they were intended to restore broken fellowship with God). 

GOD PRIMARILY USES HUMAN AGENTS:

NO FRUIT FROM PLASTIC TREES 

Human beings cannot manufacture the supernatural. The word “fellowship” in the Bible is a word that refers to a partnership in work. The work is the supernatural “work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12) in fulfilling and obeying the threefold command of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). God has called us TO DO things we are absolutely powerless to do (John 15:5; “without me ye can do nothing”). The word “fellowship” describes a supernatural relationship with God that is supernaturally created by two connecting links to the Holy Spirit of God: 

1. Spiritual union with God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
2. Spiritual unity with God through the filling of the Holy Spirit 

Both of these two realities must exist before “fellowship” with God can exist and before God releases His supernatural enabling through any believer’s ministry. Living in habitual “fellowship” with God is referred to by Jesus as abiding in Him (John 15:1-8). Spiritual union and spiritual unity together are referred to in I John 2:20 as “unction” and in I John 2:27 as “anointing.” Both words are translated from the same Greek word (chrisma; khris’-mah). 

“18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 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” (I John 2:18-27). 

There are those who define spiritual growth as merely growing in the knowledge of the Word of God. Certainly this is part of spiritual growth in that knowing God’s will is necessary to obedience. However, true spiritual growth is a supernatural operation of the Spirit of God in the progressive transfiguration of an individual’s life as that individual yields to the indwelling Holy Spirit progressively through the renewing of his mind through incremental decisions of faith and acceptance of God’s will. 

There is a spiritual dynamic in preaching that is directly related to being filled with the Spirit of God. This is what I John 2:20 refers to as unction. This is Spirit anointed study, proclamation, and explanation of the Word of God. There is a moving of the heart by the Spirit of God in all three levels of study, proclamation, and explanation. However, this spiritual dynamic in the life of the Spirit filled preacher begins long before the actual delivery of God’s message through the explanation of God’s Word. 

A preacher cannot merely be Spirit-filled during the preaching moment. The preacher must be Spirit-filled in His moment-by-moment daily walk with God; in the study, in his meditation, in every aspect of his daily routine, in his relationship with his wife, children, neighbors and friends. It is through all of these daily events that God builds the preacher and builds a sermon to be delivered through the preacher. The actual deliverance of the sermon is merely the supernatural overflow of that moment-by-moment Spirit-filled walk with God. Revival and spiritual decisions are naturally produced through Spirit-filled preaching that is the overflow of a revived preacher’s life. This spiritual dynamic in preaching with unction cannot be over emphasized. 

Let me deal with a radical departure from what defines preaching with unction. There are those today who are proposing a kind of teaching, we dare not call it preaching, that is little more than another form of Gnosticism. This is a Neo-Gnosticism that speaks of saving knowledge and spiritual growth through various levels of merely knowing truth. This Neo-Gnosticism removes the necessity of incremental decisions and various degrees of commitment to obedience to God’s Word. I believe this Neo-Gnosticism is an outcome of an extreme view of Theistic causation in the Sovereign Grace movement of hyper-Calvinism. 

“Another version of Fundamentalism that we repudiate is revivalistic and decisionistic. It typically rejects expository preaching in favor of manipulative exhortation. It bases spirituality upon crisis decisions rather than steady, incremental growth in grace. By design, its worship is shallow or non-existent. Its philosophy of leadership is highly authoritarian and its theology is vitriolic in its opposition to Calvinism. While this version of Fundamentalism has always been a significant aspect of the movement, we nevertheless see it as a threat to biblical Christianity.”[1]

It is in synergism/fellowship with the supernatural operations of the Holy Spirit of God that preacher discovers the primacy of preaching. 

“12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed {present, passive; i.e., are being changed} into the same image from glory to glory {from varying degrees of partial transfiguration to final and complete transfiguration/glorification}, even as by the Spirit of the Lord {in an ongoing work of creation}” (II Corinthians 3:1-18). 

The word “changed” in II Corinthians 3:18 is from the Greek word metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o). This is the same word translated “transfigured” in Mark 9:2. In Romans 12:2, this same Greek word is translated “transformed.” The word in Romans 12:2 should also be translated transfigured as it is used in the same context as it is used in II Corinthians 3:18. 

In Romans 12:2, the Greek word metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o) is a present, passive, imperative. The important aspect of the use of this word in Romans 12:2 and II Corinthians 3:18 is that the uses are in the present passive; i.e., are being transfigured. The passive aspect of the verb conveys the absolute dependency upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to accomplish this progressive transfiguration in our lives as we yield our wills to Him. We cannot transfigure ourselves. This is a supernatural work of God. Yet, In Romans 12:2, the verb is used as an Imperative; i.e., a command. Although we cannot accomplish this progressive transfiguration, we are commanded to be transfigured. This dynamic defines the primacy of preaching. Take away this dynamic and your teaching of the knowledge of the Word of God results in mere legalism. 

“1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace {referring to the supernatural energizing through complete yieldedness to the indwelling Spirit} given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:1-3). 

Chafer’s Systematic Theology[2] gives us some great insight into defining God’s intent in the believer’s progressive transfiguration through progressive sanctification and the primacy of preaching. 

“It is evident that a thing is transformed by influences from without while a thing is transfigured by the outshining of a light or vitality which is resident within. Christ’s essential glory was veiled while here upon the earth, but in the moment of transfiguration His intrinsic Shekinah glory was allowed to break forth. He was not merely assuming a glory or standing in the radiance of an outward glory which fell upon Him. The glory was His own, and originated in Him and emanated from Him. It is a truth which lends so much importance to the two passages wherein transfiguration is related to believers – Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18. The believer is subject to transfiguration and not to mere transformation. The divine Presence within is as a light, and this is to have its normal outshining and will work great changes within the heart where that Nature dwells.” (Bolding added) 

The significance of this is that the indwelling Holy Spirit is doing a progressive work of creation within us as we habitually yield our wills to Him. This progressive work of creation that progressively transfigures us is the supernatural empowerment that takes place when the Tripartite of Power exists within the believer’s life. In this Tripartite of Power the glory of God within the believer is released and the believer manifests a partial transfiguration (i.e., “light” shines; Matthew 5:16). (Full transfiguration does occur until the believer’s ultimate and final glorification.) 

On the Day of Pentecost, the Shekinah of God descended from Heaven and indwelled every individual that was trusting in Jesus and His finished work of redemption. The Shekinah is the indwelling glory of God in the Person of the Holy Spirit; the omnipotence of God. Every Christian is commanded to let their light shine. This happens through the filling of the Spirit of God. Can we possibly comprehend what we have in our new birth in Christ? 

A BROKEN BALLOF CLAY 

My life was just a ball of clay, 

Tightly packed with diverse sin. 

One day I turned things all around 

When I asked the Saviour in. 

Once saved, I was told to yield to Him 

And through my life He’d shine, 

This ball of clay was so tightly packed, 

His “light” was trapped inside. 

I prayed and said, “What ere it takes, 

Any trial, struggle or scrape, 

Make me Lord, break me Lord, 

And let your light escape. 

The trials came in a steady flow, 

I wrestled with Divine, 

Then God, He finally broke my heart, 

Now through the cracks, He shines. 

[1] Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis, ETHOS STATEMENT ON FUNDAMENTALISM & EVANGELICALISM;http://centralseminary.edu/about-central/position-a-philosophy/241-ethos-statement-on-fundamentalism-a-evangelicalism

[2] Lewis Sperry Chafer; Systematic Theology, Volume V, Page 86; Dallas Seminary Press, Dallas, Texas, Thirteenth Printing, June, 1976 

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.

I. The Primacy of Preaching

Preaching for Decisions and Revival

If you are a pastor and getting a little discouraged, remember that the world loves the race horse, but God loves the plow horse. Do not envy the glory given to the race horse. The plow horse loves to give all the glory to the Master. The primary goal of preaching is what I refer to as the redirection of priorities. As worldly and carnal people, we are all prone to worldly and carnal priorities. The preaching of the Word of God ALWAYS redirects the importance of any decision in life to ask one simple question; how will/can what I am doing, or what I am thinking about doing, bring glory to God? Therefore, the primary purpose in preaching within the redirection of priorities is also a redirection of focus. The world of unbelief considers all of this a mere waste of time or “foolishness.” However, God has ordained this “foolishness.” Whenever a preacher redirects the focus of a life priority with the Word of God, such redirection ends with an appeal for a decision to act upon what God’s Word says. Preaching that merely conveys knowledge, without including an appeal for a decision, is not preaching at all. This is the difference between preaching and mere teaching. 

“17 For Christ sent me not to baptize {because Paul was an Evangelist}, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent {through preaching}. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise {fishermen, publicans, and common people; Paul was the only trained theologian in the bunch and God had to take him into the wilderness for three years to fix him}; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord {what God does through men, not giving glory to the men; cp I Corinthians chapter 3}:” (I Corinthians 1:17-30). 

Spirit-filled preaching is defined by a prerogative, at least three definitive parameters, and at least four purposes/objectives. 

• Prerogatives; an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank or office. Although all believers are to preach the Gospel, the Word of God explicitly commands that preaching (as a calling) is to be limited to qualified individuals. These specially called and gifted men are required to possess certain definitive character qualities (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). 

“8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-12). 

Ephesians 4:8 is quoting from Psalm 68:18. We must understand what Paul is saying from the context of that text. “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” When Christ “ascended on high,” He ascended to the position as a new High Priest of a new priesthood. Upon His ascension, God gave Him “gifts for men.” According to Ephesians 4:11, these “gifts for men” of Psalm 68:18 are especially God-gifted men. In other words, they have a special vocational calling and special supernatural enabling for that calling. According to Ephesians 4:12, these specially gifted men are given “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The only two continuing gifts of men throughout the Church Age are “evangelists” and “pastors/teachers.” 

• Parameters: what is the primacy in preaching? This is defined by the parameters of preaching. Parameters are the limits/boundaries of preaching. A parameter is a characteristic factor that both limits and determines the genuine viability of something. 

1. “Preach the Word;” preaching is the interpretation, proclamation, explanation, and application of what God has said in His inspired Word. 

“1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (II Timothy 4:1-2, cp. Neh. 8:1-8). 

2. Preaching is Christ centered (Christocentric) as opposed to people-centered (anthropocentric). At any time a text of Scripture is avoided, or the explanation of the message of a text is reduced, generalized, or purposefully neglected so as to avoid division or to avoid confronting anyone about anything that Scripture condemns, but culture condones, that preaching ceases to be Christocentric. People-centered preaching is what the Word of God refers to as respecting persons. This is certainly true of the damnable philosophy known as Positivism. 

“1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial {discriminating} in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts {the idea is making a prejudicial or bias judgment that is contrary to what is right}” (James 2:1-4)? 

3. Preaching is God glorifying in its focus; perhaps the greatest danger to any preacher is the desire for the praise of men for by this one fault all the rest of his motivations will soon be corrupted. 

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). 

Everything we do should be done with a finger pointing to God. As soon as someone begins to point their finger of praise to us, we should immediately correct them and redirect them to glorify God. In order to insure that we do not perform for the praise of men, every Christian needs to consider “his precepts, and the propriety, expediency, appearance, and tendency[1]” for receiving, or even wanting, the praise of men for our actions. 

Anything that generates applause for the performance to the performer is false spirituality. That which brings glory to God and directs all glory to God is true spirituality. 

There is a great but simple truth here. If you want or perform for man’s praise you will lose God’s blessing. Now think about this for a moment. Are you willing to settle for a meager few seconds of applause or praise from men or do you believe that our loving heavenly Father might possibly be able to give you a spiritual blessing so great that it is beyond your imagination? Do you want a handful of peanuts or do you want the peanut farm? You answer these questions by where you want the glory to go and by the degree you act to insure the directing of that glory to God. 

• Purposes/Objectives: an objective is something that one’s efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; a purpose or goal. The preacher must always remember that “fruit” production is God’s work accomplished through the Spirit filled preacher as the preacher interprets, explains, and proclaims God’s expectations. 

1. To persuade people to make spiritual decisions especially regarding the issues of faith or trusting God. The very first decision is to accept the sixty-six books of the Bible as the Word of God. Until the Bible is accepted as the Word of God, there are no dogmatic foundations for faith. Apart from the inerrant, inspiration of Scripture all faith in God is reduced to Empiricism and Relativism in that all doctrine becomes relative to empirical evidences. 

A. Autopisticism: accepts the Bible’s claims of inerrancy and inspiration by faith.
B. Axiopisticism: accepts the Bible as the Word of God only to the degree it can be proven accurate by history, science, and external evidences. This is the primary purpose and methodology of Apologetics. 

2. To lead people to an understanding of their sinfulness before God and their condemnation by God. To lead people to understand God’s loving promise and provision of redemption “by grace through faith and to understand the Gospel of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. This understanding must include His resurrection/glorification in fulfilling God’s promise of redemption for “whosoever will.” This ends with an appeal to people to “obey the Gospel” by repenting of sin, believing/resting in the objective facts of the Gospel, confessing Jesus as Jehovah, calling on the Name of Jesus for salvation, and receiving the Lord Jesus in the Person of the indwelling Spirit Holy Spirit. 

3. Once people have been led to trust in Christ and are “born again,” these people are to be led to formally unite with the living organism of a local church through water baptism. This is a physical testimony that they understand that they are committing to die daily to the “old man” and daily walk in the “newness of life” through yielding to the indwelling Holy Spirit and being habitually filled with the Spirit. This is the initial decision and commitment to begin their discipleship process in progressive transfiguration (Romans 12:2). 

4. To teach God’s Word to believers so that they can be equipped with the tools necessary to the “work of the ministry.” This is the third phase of the Great Commission (“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:20). This is the goal of discipleship through progressive levels of spiritual decisions in practical sanctification. No one can said to be evangelized until all three phases of the Great Commission have been accomplished in a life. 

[1] Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, SwordSearcher Software 6.1, comments on I Corinthians 10:31

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