The Contradictory Nature of What I Think I Used to Believe

FURTHER QUESTIONS TO CHALLENGE THE CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF WHAT I THINK I USED TO BELIEVE or WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD

Reformation Papers #11 by David Greenwood

Careful consideration of these us. It speaks of, a people which are called questions will make a definite difference in by my name. In this country we are not what we believe and why. With these called by His Name. Christian does not questions, we either look at them sincerely count because it is a New Testament word. with an open Bible and a teachable mind, or Israel means governed by God. They are His turn from them and reject the answers out of people referred to in II Chronicles 7:14. hand. This series of questions starts with Their covenant with God revolves around number eleven. the land that God gave them, first promising the land to Abraham and his seed. God’s 11. Can we apply Old Testament covenant with the nation of Israel was based promises to our lives today, such as II upon their obedience to God’s law. The Chronicles 7:14 which says, If my people, promises of God to Israel are identified by which are called by my name, shall humble If-Then statements, such as the one in II themselves, and pray, and seek my face, Chronicles 7:14. The blessings promised and turn from their wicked ways; then will were always physical and material; in other I hear from heaven, and will forgive their words, God’s provision could be seen and sin, and will heal their land? touched. The promises made were conditional; as long as Israel kept the Traditional Answer commandments, then God would fulfill His We can make application of Old end of the bargain. This is true for all Old Testament promises in our Christian life, Testament promises. especially II Chronicles 7:14. Under the principles of right This is our cry to God for revival. If division, we understand that there are three all Christians would heed this verse, then economies in the Scriptures; the law, the God would surely turn things around in our kingdom, and grace. We have already country. Since Israel rejected God’s Son, covered the if-then statements of the law God is now using the church in Israel’s economy. The kingdom economy is similar, place to be a testimony to the world. except that God has taken care of the conditional if. Another Point of View No, we cannot apply Old Testament For I will take you from among the heathen, promises to our Christian lives today, and gather you out of all countries, and will especially not II Chronicles 7:14. bring you into your own land. Then will I I know II Chronicles 7:14 is the sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall battle cry of just about every ministry out be clean: from all your filthiness, and from there, but the verse simply cannot apply to all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take 1 away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I a kingdom promise. In the kingdom, this will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put promise will work every time. my spirit within you, and cause you to walk Grace, on the other hand, is in my statutes, and ye shall keep my provisional. judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to But now the righteousness of God without your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and the law is manifested, being witnessed by I will be your God. the law and the prophets; even the Ezekiel 36:24-28 righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that The conditional if is removed by God’s believe: for there is no difference: for all promise to put His Spirit in them and cause have sinned, and come short of the glory of them to keep his commandments. Obedience God; will not be optional, nor will it be Being justified freely by his grace through impossible or even difficult. God will do it the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. for them. Ezekiel then describes the material Romans 3:21-24 blessings that will be a result of God’s new covenant with them: This promise is unto all and upon all them that believe. This is why it is provisional. I will also save you from all your Provision for salvation was made for all, but uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, to receive it, a person must believe. and will increase it, and lay no famine upon The blessings under grace are you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, spiritual blessings: and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord the heathen. Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all Ezekiel 36:29-30 spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Confusion enters when trying to Ephesians 1:3 function in the dispensation of grace using Scriptures that are only applicable to the law Paul said that we are waiting for the or kingdom economies. For example, redemption of our body, Romans 8:23. We consider the prayer promise in Matthew receive all the spiritual blessings up front, 21:21-22: and have to wait for the physical, material blessings. Under the law economy, Israel Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I was given the physical blessings up front, say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, and had to wait for the spiritual blessings. ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this 12. To whom are the books of mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou Hebrews, James, I & II Peter, I, II & III cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all John, Jude and Revelation written? Are things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, they applicable for our Christian lives believing, ye shall receive. today?

Jesus gave no conditions and the promise Traditional Answer involves material, physical blessings. This is Although these books are addressed 2 to specific groups or individuals, these books are also written to the whole body of I, II, & III John Christ in general, and are applicable to our We have dealt with I John in a Christian walk today. previous paper. John is writing to Jewish kingdom believers. His is a program of Another Point of View works and performance. Notice these select These books are written to very verses: specific groups of believers, and the meaning must be understood in the proper Whosoever is born of God doth not commit dispensation. sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Hebrews I John 3:9 Hebrews is unsigned as to the author, but it was written obviously to Jews, A saved person under the New Covenant therefore the name, Hebrews. While and part of the kingdom will not sin. God Romans was written to explain the cross to has placed His Spirit in them and they will Gentiles, Hebrews was written to explain the not sin. We cannot make the same claim. cross to the Jews, from their perspective. We still commit sin. We can gain information from Hebrews, and understand doctrinal truths, For many deceivers are entered into the but we cannot use it to make application to world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is our Christian walk today. come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. James II John 7 This one is easy. James tells us very clearly to whom he is writing: Why the flesh? Paul said:

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Wherefore henceforth know we no man after Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ scattered abroad, greeting. after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we James 1:1 him no more. II Corinthians 5:16 The book of James is written to instruct the Jewish, kingdom believers. It has often been II John 7 will be important to the Jews called a commentary on the Sermon on the during the Great Tribulation. Mount, and certainly bears a resemblance to the Sermon on the Mount. The prayer Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but promises in James are similar to the that which is good. He that doeth good is of promises given by Jesus in the gospels. God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. I & II Peter III John 11 Peter writes to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, This verse is clearly a works relationship. Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, I Peter 1:1. Peter was an important apostle with an Jude important ministry to the Jews. Jude was the brother of James and of 3 Jesus Christ. His ministry was to the Jews. kingdom believers. Jesus’ teaching on baptism places it Revelation in the kingdom context, as do Peter’s This book is about future events that teaching and practice. Paul the Apostle will take place during the Great Tribulation. however, is different. Many cite the We have already discussed some of the following passage from Paul as teaching on issues brought up by Jesus in the letters to water baptism: the seven churches. The events in the book of Revelation concern God’s judgement Know ye not, that so many of us as were upon unbelieving Israel. Revelation is not a baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized book written to us or about us, but it does into his death? Therefore we are buried give us truth about the end days; specifically with him by baptism into death: that like as God’s dealing with the nation of Israel. Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should 13. Should we practice water baptism walk in newness of life. today in the age of grace? Romans 6:3-5

Traditional Answer This passage is not about water baptism at We should practice water baptism all, but tells of our baptism into Christ, and for two reasons: as a result, our identification with His death. Paul spoke of this baptism in I Corinthians 1. Jesus commanded it, Matthew 28:19 12:13: 2. Peter said that baptism is the, answer of a good conscience toward God, I For by one Spirit are we all baptized into Peter 3:21 one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been Water baptism does not save us, but all made to drink into one Spirit. should be observed as an outward demonstration of that which has happened Paul said that there is only one baptism: inwardly. The rule used to set church practice is: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 1. Did Jesus teach it? One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God 2. Was it practiced in the book of Acts? and Father of all, who is above all, and 3. Is it taught in the epistles? through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:4-6 A yes answer to all three questions validates a practice for the church today. Water Paul also had this to say: baptism answers yes to all three questions, while, for example, foot washing does not. I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any should say that Another Point of View I had baptized in mine own name. When rightly dividing the Word of And I baptized also the household of Truth, a discovery is made about water Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptism. The practice belongs with the baptized any other. Jewish law, and will be practiced by For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to 4 preach the gospel: not with wisdom of of grace. words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be I Corinthians 1:14-17 ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in The bottom line is this: if baptism has part is happened to Israel, until the fulness nothing to do with our salvation, and we are of the Gentiles be come in. saved by grace through faith apart from Romans 11:25 works, then why practice baptism? If baptism is an act of obedience, where is the Israel is still blind, because the fulness of the command? If the Gospel and Acts references Gentiles has not yet come in. God does not are cited, then we would have to agree with bless those who bless modern day Israel. the Church of Christ denomination, who God did promise in His covenant to believe that you must be baptized in water to Abraham that He would, bless them that be saved. As pointed out before, they have bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, the correct meaning of those verses, but Genesis 12:3. God will fulfill that promise in have applied them in the wrong a future time. Jesus in Matthew 25 describes dispensation. the same idea, when the judgment of the Water baptism is a practice that is so nations will be based on their treatment of established in our tradition, that to even Israel during the Great Tribulation. God will suggest that we should not practice it results restore His nation once again, and will place in our kicking, screaming, and digging in His Spirit upon them, but that is yet future. our heels. If baptism is for us, and is It did not happen in 1948. important, then why did Paul say, For This of course shatters everything I Christ sent me not to baptize? was ever taught and believed as part of the Calvary Chapel movement. Along with 14. Is God still blessing the nation of ministry associates, I believed that Jewish Israel today, and blessing those who bless people were special. True, they could only them? Was May 14, 1948 significant to be saved by believing in the work of Jesus Bible Prophecy? on the cross, but there was still something Traditional Answer special about them. We wanted Jews in our Yes, the blessing of God still rests fellowship. We wanted that blessing of God upon those who bless His people Israel. The that came with having God’s special people year 1948 was extremely important, because in our midst. We were wrong. it was when God fulfilled His promise to restore them again as a nation. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male Another Poin t of View nor female: for ye are all one in Christ There is no Jew today. Yes, there are Jesus. ethnic Jews, but God is not using their Galatians 3:28 nation today. The establishment of Israel as a God has an equal opportunity salvation plan. nation in 1948 was a tremendous world Today, Jews actually have to become as event, but was not the fulfillment of Bible Gentiles to be saved. We all come to God on prophecy. God will again bless His people, equal footing. but only when He has finished with the age In the Calvary Chapel movement, we 5 were taught that God’s prophetic clock had spent the next twenty-five years stating my stopped, and that the nation of Israel was vehement disagreement with him. I believed set-aside during the age of grace. Why then that God did care and would give guidance did we continue to believe and act as though with specific details. But now, by rightly God was somehow still blessing the Jews? dividing dispensational truth, I have come to This certainly is a contradiction, resolved understand that what my pastor told me was only by rightly dividing God’s different absolutely Biblical. God wants me to glorify dispensations. Him. He has told me everything I need to do in His Word. If we expect specific details, 15. How can we know the will of God where do we draw the line? Is God only for our lives today? Does God concern concerned about the big details such as Himself with all the intricate and specific whom we’re going to marry, or where we details of our lives? will work? Is He not concerned with what clothes I wear today? Does He give Traditional Answer guidance for what toothpaste to use, or what God is concerned about the details of shampoo to buy? Where can we draw the our lives. line, and determine just what details God is We can find and know God’s will concerned with, and how He will direct us? primarily by these three methods: There is great peace in knowing that God gives the freedom to do what you want 1. The Scriptures in response to the truth revealed in His 2. Circumstances Word. I’ve been guilty in the past of doing 3. Inner Peace nothing, while waiting on the Lord for guidance, when I should have been out When these three methods line up, we can doing His work. We know the principles, know that we are in God’s will. because He has given us His Word. Another Point of View God has revealed His will in His I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the Word. There are no outside sources that can mercies of God, that ye present your bodies add to or take away from His will that is a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto revealed in His Word. God, which is your reasonable service. To seek further guidance suggests And be not conformed to this world: but be that the Bible is incomplete. God has told us ye transformed by the renewing of your everything we need to know in His Word. It mind, that ye may prove what is that good, is a complete book. and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. But what about specific callings and Romans 12:1-2 leadings of God? Years ago, as a young Christian, I was praying for guidance It is the Scriptures that renew our minds and concerning where to go to college, and what transforms us. As we learn the will of God to study. My pastor at the time said that God revealed in His Word, we do His will by did not care where I went to college, or what responding to the Word. It’s so simple that I I studied, just as long as I glorified Him. I missed it all those years.