Dear Family,
Here we are in the third week of “sheltering in place” and it seems, no closer to the end of a full recovery. World-wide there have been many who have died (some 34000 to date) and many more who have recovered.
I hope that you are availing yourselves of the GBC worship services that are being provided to you through the effort and dedication of many of your sisters and brothers. We are on gbcwhittier.org and you should feel free to visit there Sunday mornings to participate in worship.
If you have any special needs either physical or spiritual pleas don’t hesitate to call or email the appropriate person at church. We continue to remain available to you.
Right now I’d like to finish our study in the Book of Galatians that we began last week which I hope you enjoy.
Last time we closed with the Apostles Creed which was originated sometime in the 300’s was used to try to synthesize what it is that Christians believe. I also have to say here that the Grace Brethren have never subscribed to creedalism. The reason for this position is that creeds by their very nature are subject to error. The Grace Brethren theme has always been “The Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible.”
So we have to ask ourselves, what has the church always confessed? What are the basic doctrines of the faith?
They are;
- Virgin birth…
- ”…behold a virgin shall conceive…” ISA 7
• Deity of Christ…
- ”…behold a virgin shall conceive…” ISA 7
- Deity of Christ…
- “For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form …” COL 2
- Atonement…
- “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God…” 1 PET 3
- Resurrection…
- “He is not here, He is risen, just as He said…” MAT 28
- Authority of Scripture…
- ”all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable…” 2 TIM 3
- Second Coming…
- “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” ACT 1
But there have always been people who coming on to the scene begin to lead the untaught and unstable astray. Even down to this day false teachers are coming on to the scene who continue to teach false doctrine. One example might be the emergent church movement. It teaches that you really can’t understand the Bible, nor are you supposed to. Rather you need
to experience it; it’s not what God says, but how you feel about it; its content is to be received really subjectively or experientially.”
Such teaching essentially rejects the authority of the Bible.
So what’s wrong with that? You might ask. They believe that preaching or teaching Bible doctrines is too authoritarian, so they turn to conversation … about the Bible – and [in many emergent churches] that replaces teaching from the pulpit. So it is not truth we are primarily concerned with, it is feelings.
Here is a rebuttal to this kind of arrogance;
HEB 2:3b After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, [4] God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
“Verbal Plenary Inspiration” means “God the Holy Spirit so supernaturally directed the human writers of Scripture that, without waiving their intelligence, their individuality, their personal feelings, their literary style, or any other human factor of expression, His complete and coherent message to mankind was recorded with perfect accuracy in the
original languages of Scripture: the very words bearing the authority of Divine authorship.”
So “Verbal” means, “the Bible in its original languages, from first to last (Autograph), is an exact record of the Mind and Will of God as He intended it to be.”
So “Plenary” means, “the entire text of the Bible is equally from God, but not necessarily equally-important.”
So “Inspiration” means, 2 Tim 3:16’s “God-breathed” (theopneustos): just as God breathed into Adam’s nostrils after making his body and that made Adam exhale and thus become a living soul, so also God’s breathing of the Word into the Scripture writers produced an ‘exhale’ of Canon, without waiving any of their own personal attributes.”
GAL 1:8 answers our questions about these new free thinkers
[8] But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. [9] As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
“Accursed” a word the apostle uses twice here in our text, so it must be an important word. It means somebody or something formally denounced: somebody or something cursed, denounced, or excommunicated by a religious authority
- Anyone who takes upon himself the teaching of another gospel is under the curse of the God breathed word.
- Anyone who departs from the scriptures to teach his own ideas is under the curse of the God breathed word
- Anyone who denies the teaching contained in the scripture is under the curse of the God breathed word
HEB 2:1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. [2] For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, [3] how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
Does Paul know what it is what he is saying here? Does he realize the impact of what he has just taught?
GAL 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
So here we are in the age of patent stupidity and political correctness. All around us there are those who lie about God and about His plan for the ages. There are those who would call “Christian” any aberration from the truth because they do not believe the truth themselves.
RO 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…”
Jesus says
MT 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. [14] “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
MT 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. [16] “You will know them by their fruits.
__________
A Letter from Pastor Steve, April 1, 2020
