Liberalism and Postmodernity Kiss
What many men despise today as “doctrine” the New Testament calls the gospel.
J. Gresham Machen - “Education Christianity & The State”
J. Gresham Machen - “Education Christianity & The State”
posted by agonizomai at 12:01 am
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4 Comments:
Currently reading John MacArthur's "The Truth War".
Millard Erickson has also done some good work addressing this plague of postmodernism that has infected the Church.
It all boils down to simple UNBELIEF. These shunners of sound doctrine are just that...UNBELIEVERS, and therefore, DAMNED.
It becomes increasingly apparent to me that these attacks against sound doctrine are satanic in nature and not merely human. Paul warned us against the emergence of "doctrines of demons." The teachers of these doctrines are blind, lost souls. They do not merely need correction, they need regeneration. I believe God will sovereignly save some leaders from the Emerging Church, just as He saved Saul of Tarsus, and they will become great advocates of orthodoxy and devoted preachers of the Gospel.
Why can't the Emerging Church doctrines be officially declared as heresy? In past ages, Christian leaders were not ashamed to take a stand against things that were clearly unbiblical. Sadly, an unintended consequence of the Reformation was the decentralization of spiritual authority. As a result, there is no authoritative Evangelical body that can draw the dividing lines. It's "every church for itself." But God is not limited by the scattered state of His Church, and He will use even the heretics to accomplish His purposes in the earth.
Warren,
I would go along insofar as those who stubbornly keep on resisting the fundamental and axiomatic truths of the gospel will ultimately prove to be reprobates, whatever their "profession" may be.
I do think that some believers fail to grasp some doctrines for various reasons but, as long as they have a teachable spirit, there is a reason to hope that they will come to a mature understanding and acceptance of all that God has spoken.
The greatest danger is a stubborn, stiff-necked and haughty resistance to the Word of Truth, despite corerection and reproof, because that signals a grieving of, or abscence of, the Holy Spirit.
I'm not familiar with Erickson, but he has been recommended to me by others. I also found David F. Wells' series of books on postmodernity in society and the church to be helpful (No Place for Truth, God in the Wasteland etc). In fact, I'm about to read his "Above All Earthly Powers" - also on the topic of Christ in a postmodern world.
I have read MacArthur's "The Truth War" and highly recommend it. And I do agree that only (true saving faith) avails for anyone, only remembering that it is the gift of God.
All is well out here in sunny Vancouver.
Blessings,
Tony
Derek,
The main reason that Emergent/postmodern doctrines can't be condemned as heresy is because, for the most part, the champions of these things refuse to state precisely what they believe. It is a convenient means of avoiding doctrine and any sort of systematic theology.
Exceptions would be, for example, McLaren on h*mosexu@lity and Tony Jones on original sin. Both have declared something and have hung their hats of what they have said. I prefer Jones to McLaren because the latter even pussy-footed about his issue with a 5 year "jury's out" sorth of an ethic.
Jones at least said forthrightly that he rejects the doctrine of original sin - so he's on the road to Pelagianism and/or universalism, which is wide open to all who forsake the Biblcal view, and which are plainly heresy.
And I agree that we fight not against flesh and blood, but (ultimately) against principalities and powers etc. The Truth has always been under attack and, as I believe you have said elsewhere, there is nothing new - just old heresies in shiny new clothes.
I'm not so sure about the point regarding the decentralization of spiritual authority. Man will abuse whatever sort of church hierarchy he finds himself in, inlcuding a lack of hierarchy. But look at what Rome did as a monolithic authority - and still does.
I thank God that it is Jesus who will build His church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Ours is to do what the word and conscience dictates to be done, by the help of the Spirit of God.
Thanks for the insights.
Blessings,
Tony
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