Remembering Fallen Christian Soldiers

MAY 25, 2009

Fallen Christian Soldiers

Memorial Day
(From the BaptistGadfly blog (SEE HERE)

Christians have their own "fallen soldiers." Some of them we call"martyrs." These died for their loyalty and witness to Christ. We honor their memory. We identify with them. We pray for those today who are murdered for the sake of the gospel and who suffer great persecution for his name. Many of their names are in the New Testament's "hall of fame," or "hall of faith," as enumerated in Hebrews chapter eleven.

But, every Christian is a "witness," and the Greek word for"martyr" literally means "witness," though not necessarily a dead one. If he is a true witness, with genuine convictions, he will die for his faith.

Christians are "soldiers."

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."(II Tim. 2: 4 KJV)

Christian soldiers! Warriors of righteousness! Recruits of Jesus! What a battle we face from day to day!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6: 10-18 NIV)

If we are genuine soldiers of Commander Jesus, then we can be assured that though we often lose battles with sin, temptation, error, etc., we are assured of final victory in the war. 

But, we must become  good soldiers, prepared for the battles, and so the need for preparation and training in the use of God's armor, the "armor of light." (Romans 13: 12)

So, today as we remember the "fallen in Israel," those who have given their lives for the gospel and for the sake of Christ, as the apostles, so today do we living soldiers re-dedicate our lives to the fight.

What the first Hardshells Believed (XI)

The following is from "The Primitive Baptist" periodical for April 10, 1852 (emphasis mine):

"We may then say that the covenant was to this effect: That, as God knew that man would fall, that Christ agreed that the |body he would take should die to pay the debt due divine justice in the fall; it being a divine law, finite creatures could not pay it, or that he became guilty, and did pay it, and rolled back the Law fully justified for those who believe on him. Christ is the Savior of all men, especially those that believe, 1st Tim. iv. 10. We must, therefore, come to the conclusion that God is an all wise God, that he knew all things, past, present and future. He well knew who would believe on him that was to come, and who would not believe. Jesus, therefore, in the covenant, agreed to save all that would believe on him, from Adam to the end of time. Whilst those who do not believe, are not to be saved.

I have only said that those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with a saving knowledge, is to be lost. Now, if you can shew me one promise of salvation to the unbeliever, I will acknowledge my error: but if you cannot, do not blame me for contending for the truth. And — again: you say, all can be saved if they will. Now, admit it is so, would that change the controversy?

I think not; for you must admit, that all who live and die in their unbelief, must be lost — although in the atonement made by our Savior, there is a plenteous redemption to save a thousand such worlds as this, and all the inhabitants thereof that would believe on him; but unless they do believe on him, they cannot be saved. —But of what benefit will it be to any of Adam's race, unless applied to the washing away their sins? They cannot enter into rest unless they are clothed with the Robe of righteousness, wrought out by our Savior: the garment must be washed in his Blood before it will give admittance to the Weary into the world of bliss.

Now, dear reader, you may never hear from me again. I now ask you to ponder well those hints — search the word of God— and by it judge yourselves, and if you are found by it lacking, then learn from it to look to Jesus to save you. Oh! that he may enable us to run our race with patience, looking to him, the author and finisher of our souls' salvation, and in the end of our pilgrimage, being prepared by his grace, that we may be saved in heaven, to praise his name forever, is my humble prayer."

Farewell. E.J.

Hassell on Hardshell Hermeneutics

Interpreting the Scriptures-The Danger of Applying All Scripture to the Children of God

Written by Sylvester Hassell

The Gospel Messenger—February, 1894 "It seems almost incredible that any sane and reverent mind can for a moment be so captivated and deceived by Satan as to believe that Cain, and Balaam, and Judas, and all the most horrible and diabolical criminals that ever lived on earth, were the children of God; that the elect and the non-elect, the penitent and the impenitent, the believing and the unbelieving, the loving and the hating, the obedient and the disobedient, the saved and the damned, are the very same persons; that election, and repentance, and faith, and love, and obedience, and salvation, as well as their opposites, are nothing but empty names; that words have no meaning; that the universe is only a delusive phantasmagory, containing nothing but shadows and dreams. Such false and ruinous systems of interpreting the Scriptures seem to me far more becoming to a lunatic asylum than a Primitive Baptist pulpit." Well, amen to that also! Were Hassell alive on earth now to see what the Hardshell church has evolved into, he would be greatly alarmed.

Grigg Thompson on Preaching to Sinners

In an "ADDRESS TO PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS" (see here) Hardshell great Grigg Thompson said:

"We are not of that people who were never called to preach to sinners. The command we have received from our King is, "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.""

If one reads Grigg's sermons he will see how he, like the first Hardshells who stood aloof from Daniel Parker and "Two Seedism," men like John Watson and John Clark, did not fail to exhort the lost sinners in regard to their soul's salvation. In this he reflected the faith and practice of the old Baptists of former times.

"Faith"

From "My Daily Bread" (SEE HERE)

TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2008

Faith

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11: 6 KJV)

"Whatever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14: 23 KJV)

What is "faith"? Why is it so important? Why is it a leading topic in the bible, especially the New Testament?

Faith basically means "belief in," or "trust in." To have faith in something is to have confidence in it. Faithfulness results from faith.

From the above verses of scripture the importance of faith can be readily seen. Faith is necessary to be able to "please God." To be"without faith" is to be without the means or ability to "please God."

"And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith." (II Thessalonians 3: 2 NIV)

All men have some faith in something. But, the meaning of the apostle is that not all men have faith directed towards God and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Men do not have faith towards God and Christ, but rather direct their faith and trust towards other things. The strength of faith lies in the object of faith.

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." (Romans 10: 17 NIV)

There can be no faith, belief, or trust in what is not known. One cannot trust in a bank and trust company if one is not known to exist. One cannot have faith in God about whom they know nothing. One cannot have faith in Christ and in his redemption without coming to hear and know the facts concerning him and his work. Thus, to have faith in God is to have faith in the facts that one has knowledge of concerning God. Thus the "word of God" and the "gospel" are means in creating and begetting faith.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible...And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11: 1-3, 6 NIV)

Faith deals with the realm of spirit, with things men are unable to"see" with their physical eyes, with "invisible" things. No human being was present when Lord God made the universe. Yet, we accept the fact of it by faith in the evidences of it. Faith always implies some"evidence." Men believe based on some reason, or some evidence presented to the mind which justifies or gives credence to faith. Again, the strength of faith lies, for the most part, in the object of faith. Some things are easy to "believe" and "trust" in. Other things are quite hard to place confidence in, or to rely upon. "Faith" is not"ignorance" nor "blindness," and thus it is a contradiction or oxymoron to say "blind faith."

Faith is knowledge, not ignorance or lack of knowledge. "By faith we UNDERSTAND..." Faith is the opposite of doubt. Faith is assurance. Faith is built upon conviction of facts being true. Faith, in a biblical sense, is but a proper interpretation of facts. As such, faith relates to a proper understanding and conviction about facts of history, of present circumstances, and of the coming future. We"hope" and "expect" and "patiently wait for" what we firmly believe is factual and truthful.

Men put faith in what they judge is worthy of faith. Is the object"trustworthy"? Before men put faith, trust, and confidence in anobject, they first make a judgment about its trustworthiness. Thus, men who do not put faith in God, and in Jesus, is because they have not judged either as being worthy objects of faith. Unbelievers do not believe that "God exists," nor that he is good and benevolent, or a "faithful Creator" (I Peter 4: 19), or a "rewarder of those who diligently seek him."

"These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (II Peter 1: 7 NIV)

Faith is the most important thing! It cannot be over emphasized. It needs to be stressed and pressed upon all men. It is more valuable than all the money in the world. "Genuine" faith, says the apostle, will be the thing that is extolled and praised by the God of heaven in the day of judgment, while unbelief will be the thing that will be utterly condemned.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12: 2NIV)

"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love." (Ephesians 3: 12, 17 NIV)

"Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God." (I Peter 1: 21 NIV)

These verses inform Christians that saving faith, or real faith, is the creation and gift of God himself. No man can author or produce his own faith. No Christian credits himself with being made a believer. He views his faith and knowledge of God as being the result of divine power, the result of being "enlightened" and given"revelation" by the Holy Spirit.

"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus." (Acts 20: 21 NIV)

This is what the servants of Christ do when they communicate the message of the gospel to men. They tell them about God, his word, and about the Lord Jesus Christ, and then they call upon them to place their faith, presenting them as trustworthy objects of faith. Notice the word "must" in the declaration concerning repentance and faith. One cannot find forgiveness with God, and justification from the guilt of sin, apart from repentance and faith.

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith...And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (I Corinthians 15: 14, 17 NIV)

The Christian has placed faith in the work of Christ. He trusts in his person and in the success of his mission to save sinners. He believes in his victory over death by believing in his resurrection from the grave. But, if there be no God, no Creator, no Lord Jesus Christ, and no genuine story of the gospel, and no resurrection of Jesus, then the "faith" and "conviction" of the Christian world is"futile" and of no significance, yea, a detriment and a falsehood. Besides, the greatest of all consequences would be that we are not forgiven and must face God in Judgment without Christ and his atonement.

"Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus." (Acts 24: 24 NIV)

So too do Christians still often talk to others, and among themselves, about "faith in Christ Jesus." It is such an essential topic of discussion.

"By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see." (Acts 3: 16 NIV)

Notice how the writer speaks of the cause and the effects of faith.

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3: 26 NIV)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2: 8, 9 NIV)

"But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." (Galatians 3: 22 NIV)

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." (Romans 3: 21-28NIV)

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5: 1, 2 NIV)

"...know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified."(Galatians 2: 16 NIV)

"So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3: 24 NIV)

"We live by faith, not by sight." (II Corinthians 5: 7 NIV)

"He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith." (Acts 15: 9 NIV)

"I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'" (Acts 26: 17, 18 NIV)

What do all these verses tell us about "faith"? Faith is essential to salvation and justification. It is necessary for one to be "forgiven"and "cleansed" of sin. Faith is but the hand that accepts God's gift of life, salvation, and justification from the guilt of the law.

Men are not saved because they have lived good lives, but because they believe in the one and only person who did live a good life, who only lived a perfect life without sin. God graciously "accounts" all of the goodness and righteousness of Jesus, before the law, to the"credit" of everyone who puts faith in Christ as the Savior.

Friend, are you one who has "faith" or one who does not? Are you a believer in Jesus or an unbeliever? The answer to that question means all the difference in the world.

Elder Gold and Hardshell Absurdity

"To suppose that such as God teaches will not love His people and doctrine is an absurdity." (HERE)

Well, amen to that! How did today's Hardshells get away from this fundamental truth?

Elder P.D. Gold - All Will Believe

EXPERIENCE AND CALL TO THE MINISTRY OF ELDER P. D. GOLD (See Here)

"By the lawful and true preaching of the gospel all that are ordained to eternal life will believe."

Hassell on the Millenium

The following are my views but are not the views of the overwhelming majority of today's "Primitive Baptists." (More to come) (emphasis mine)

Q. Is the present time the millennium (or thousand years) of Christ's greatest spiritual reign on the unrenewed earth? (Rev. 20:1-6).

A. Certainly not, for the Devil still deceives the whole world, and is inciting the nations to wage the most colossal and awful war ever known in history (Rev. 12:9; 13:14; compared with Rev. 20:3); the present time is the Devil's bi-millennium, or the two thousand years of his reign on earth, by the sufferance of God, since the birth of Christ. 

Q. What is meant by Christ's reign with His people on earth a thousand years? (Rev. 20:1-10).

A. That in the future (for Satan still woefully deceives the nations) Satan will be bound and prevented, for a thousand years from deceiving the nations, and during that period Christ will reign on earth with the resurrected martyrs and the godly, either in person or by a greater outpouring of His Spirit than ever before, and, as foretold in the closing chapters of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Micah, and Zachariah, righteousness, and peace, and prosperity, and happiness will abound, and then, at the end of the thousand years, Satan will be loosed again, and deceive the nations once more, and lead the wicked against the righteous, and he will be overthrown by Divine vengeance, and cast, with the leading persecutors and deceivers into the lake of fire and brimstone, and be tormented forever. After this will follow the general resurrection and judgment, and the everlasting misery of hell for the wicked, and the everlasting happiness of heaven for the righteous (Rev. 20:11-15; 21; 22; Matt. 25:31-46; II Thess. 1:3-10; II Pet. 3:3-14).

Q. Will the anti-Christian world powers and false church powers mentioned in Rev., 13th and 17th chapters, persecute the true church before or after the thousand years foretold in Rev. 20?

A. Both before (Rev. 19:11-21) and after (Rev. 20:7-10).

Q. Will there be any of the non-elect left living upon this earth after Christ comes?

A. Certainly (Luke 18:8; Rev. 19:11-21; 20:7-10).

Q. When Christ comes will He reign here upon this earth (made new) with His elect - church, bride, or will He and the church dwell above the earth, and He and they reign over those upon the earth?

A. Rev. 20:6 does not say; but, if Rev. 5:10 refers to the same fact, epi with the genitive generally means on or upon, and is so rendered in both the King James and the Revised Version.

Q. What is meant by the binding and loosing of Satan (Rev. 20:3)?  

 A. He is not bound now or excluded from the earth, but he goes to and from in the earth, seeking whom he may devour (Job 2:2; I Pet. 5:8) and deceives the whole world, tempting them and leading them into sin (Rev. 12:9); but in the future he will be excluded from the earth a thousand years by God's almighty Power, and then truth and righteousness, peace and happiness will prevail, the nations not then being deceived by him. When the thousand years are expired, Satan, according to God's purpose, will be loosed or allowed to roam over the earth again a little season, and he will again deceive the nations, and lead them, in the last great apostasy, to attempt to destroy the people of God, and God will then manifest His righteous wrath and infinite power in casting him and his angels and all his wicked followers into the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Rev. 20:21). (see here)