By
Monte Shanks, Ph.D.
Dr.
Monte Shanks is an Asst. Professor of NT at Liberty Seminary
Good Reasons for a Black Eye
I love cowboy movies,
they are just plain fun to watch.
Westerns always have a few necessary components. Obviously there is the climatic
gunfight. There usually is a break-neck
horse chase. There should always be a
heroine or women worth fighting for. And
generally there needs to be a barroom brawl in which the hero gets beat
up. One of the best lines I ever heard
in a movie occurred when a kid asked the hero “Hey, who gave you that black
eye?” The hero stared at the boy with an
unflinching gaze and forcefully said, “No one gave it to me, I earned
it!” I guess one of the reasons to like
western movies is that the line between right and wrong is clearly drawn in the
sand, and when it’s crossed then the time has come to take a stand and let the
chips fall where they may. Regrettably
churches today are losing their capacity to not only draw a line in the sand on
moral issues in society, but to even take stands for doctrinal issues within
the church. Many seem to believe that “tolerance”
and “peace” are the most important things for a church to hold to, and under no
circumstances should anyone endanger them.
Well, there are times when we should take public stands in our churches—even
at the expense of unity and peace, and below is a list of some of these non-negotiables.
* The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. Paul said that if Jesus has not risen from
the dead then Christianity is a vain faith and we are still in our sins (1 Cor.
15.12-19). The doors of every church
should be locked if Jesus has not bodily risen from the dead. But he has risen, and he now sits at the
Father’s right hand mediating on our behalf.
The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is a
non-negotiable for anyone who would call themselves a Christian.
* The divinity and incarnation of Jesus
Christ. The apostle John stated that anyone who
denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh was of the spirit of anti-Christ
(1 Jn 4.1-3). The scriptures are clear;
Jesus is literally the incarnation of God in the created realm (Jn 1.1-18; Col 1.15,
19; 2.9; Phil 2.5-11; Heb 1.1-3). The
confession that Jesus is fully man and fully God is a non-negotiable for any
claiming to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
* The Trinity. If
you review the doctrines of any major historical denomination of Christianity
you will notice that they all have a Trinitarian declaration. Christianity confesses and proclaims that there
is one God who has revealed himself in 3 persons who are united essence,
nature, and being. This unity and
diversity within the Godhead is a mystery that is hard to fathom, but there are
other complex truths that are also hard to fathom but nonetheless they exist. For example, take “love” and “justice”; we
know that they exist, but can you explain how they exist? You cannot, and so it is with the
Trinity. Christians do not profess that
God is one person who reveals himself in 3 different ways at different times, but
that God is one who co-exists in 3 different persons, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit—all are equally divine and perfectly one while sharing the same
essence and purpose (Matt 28.19). Although
each member in the Godhead simultaneously functions differently in the created
order, they all are nonetheless equally divine.
True believers can accept no less; consequently, neither should they
tolerate any fellowship that would promote anything contrary to this essential
truth.
* That Salvation is through faith alone in
Christ alone by God’s grace alone. Salvation is not received or
earned by humanly participating in the ordinance of a church (i.e., baptism or
communion); neither is it the reward of human effort or endurance. It is only
received after one repents of his or her sin and personally entrusts themselves
and their sin debt to the Lord Jesus Christ through his substitutionary death on
the cross. This redemption is a gift that God freely offers to all who would
receive it, and his offer is completely a gift of his grace. In other words, it is a gift that is completely
undeserved, and its reception by the desperate sinner can in no way be perceived
as a meritorious act (Eph 2.8-10).
The above 4 are non-negotiable for anyone who would call themselves a
Christian. There are others, such as
that God exists, that there is an afterlife, a final judgment, etc., etc. But these confessions are so fundamental that
to mention them would be elementary.
Indeed, even these listed above are elementary, but the fact is that some
churches and denominations today are losing sight of the fundamentals of the
faith. Below are 3 more items that I
would argue are doctrines worth fighting for; regrettably there are some churches
that are not sure that these also are worth defending publically.
* The
exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed to be the only person
through which anyone could be reconciled to God (John 14.6). Paul wrote that if there was another way to
God then Jesus died needlessly (Gal 2.21).
And John said that if anyone does not confess personal trust in the Lord
Jesus Christ then they do not know the Father (1 Jn 4.1-6). If someone professes that there are ways to
be saved other than placing one’s personal faith in Christ then he or she is
misguided and needs to be discipled into the truth, or they are false believers
that should be avoided.
* The inspiration and authority of the Gods
word, which is the Bible. The division of the Christian church between
Protestantism and Catholicism largely rests on this one issue. It is ironic that the Roman Catholic Sir
Thomas Moore once said “I never intend, God being my good Lord, to pin my soul
to another man’s back, not even the best man that I know this day living: for I
know not where he may happen to carry it.”
Believers must not abdicate their consciences to the decisions of others
no matter what positions they may hold in a church. Our sole authority for the rightful belief
and practice of the Christian faith is the Bible and not submission to the
offices of man-made religious institutions, whether they are local churches or
worldwide denominations. The freedom of conscience to follow God’s word is a
doctrine referred to as “the priesthood of the believer.” It simply means that each believer has the
capacity through the indwelling Holy Spirit to rightly discern God’s will for
himself or herself, so long as their decisions do not contravene God’s written
word. Consequently, if someone demands
that you submit to any doctrine, profession, or behavior contrary to God’s word
then it is your duty to respectfully rebuke them irrespective of what office
they may hold.
* The security of the believer. I
hold this doctrine as something worth fighting and possibly “loosing” for because
to proclaim otherwise is to rob the gospel of its glory and to suggest that
human will is greater than the power of God.
Jesus himself said that anyone who has received eternal life through
faith in him will never again suffer the threat of eternal damnation (John
5.24). Paul clearly promised that there
is no longer any condemnation for those who have been justified through faith
in Jesus Christ (Rom 8.1). And Peter
wrote that we have received by God’s power an imperishable promise of eternal
life through Christ (1 Pet 1.3-5). If
salvation can be lost by an act of human volition then it cannot under any
pretense be described as “imperishable,” “eternal,” or under the control of the
“power of God.” Consequently, this is a
doctrine worth taking a public stand for against those who would declare
otherwise.
This is my list and I’m sure there are others that I have failed to
consider. Nevertheless, it is time to
take a public stand for these fundamental truths when confronted in churches by
others advocating contrary doctrines.
Some may ask is this really necessary?
Yes it is! One of the least known
scriptures is 1 Corinthians 11.19, where Paul wrote, “For their must also be
factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among
you.” Paul said that conflicts within
congregations are a necessary part of protecting the flock and identifying
those who are truly in the faith. Did
Paul want the body to experience harmony and unity, or course he did—but never
at the expense of the truths concerning Christ and his promises. Just a word of warning, don’t be surprised
when after taking a public stand for the true faith that at time you
“lose.” It will happen and it will
bother you, but don’t let it do so for long.
Jesus took your lashes and your nails in order to hang on your cross;
consequently, the very least you can do for him is to earn a black eye.
Copyright
@ by Monte Shanks, 2015
