CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH
In this regular feature, Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call. Here’s this week’s question: Dear Dave and TA: I’m having a discussion with someone who is heavy into what he calls Christian mysticism. He thinks I put too much emphasis on doctrine at the expense of the experiential. What he says is so subjective that it sounds like his feelings are the arbitrator of what the scriptures teach. Right now we are discussing salvation. I get the idea that he thinks everyone will be saved, although he won’t come right out and say it. What can I tell him that is important doctrinally for a person to be saved?
Tom:
Dave, we’ve said in the past, dealing with numerous religions and even movements within Christianity, which are experiential, and part of the problem is, when you’re talking to somebody that has had an experience, sometimes it seems impossible to move them out of that frame of reference.
Dave:
Well, every experience has to be judged by the Bible. I’m not opposed to experiences, we experience a lot in life. But if I’m going to sit around trying to get a feeling that Christ is here so that I can feel closer to Him, then I am wasting my time, because the Bible says, He has come to live in my heart, I am indwelt by the living Word of God, and He speaks to us through His Word. This is very clear. First Peter Chapter One: We are born again by the Word of God that liveth and abideth forever, and this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you. The Bible never says, make pictures, try to lead them through the stations of the cross, or try to get some dance teams going and depict this, and so forth. What does the Bible say? Paul writes to Timothy, 2Timothy 3, beginning at Verse 16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect,---that is, mature, complete--- thoroughly furnished unto every good work.” Now, it’s doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness that is going to perfect the saints so that we are prepared for every good work, okay, not needing anything else. So, in the next chapter Paul continues writing to Timothy and he says, ”Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the times will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” Okay. So, we are in that day. They don’t want doctrine, but doctrine is the container of truth. Doctrine builds us up, we must have sound doctrine. When Jude writes and says, “I found it necessary to write unto you to earnestly contend for THE faith once for all delivered to the saints.” How was THE faith delivered? Faith is something you believe, it has to be objective, it’s not a picture. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the reason for that is, because you don’t know what the artist had in mind. It’s not depicting anything concrete, unless it’s a photograph or something, but art, oh, they want arty art, you know, they want modern art. You wouldn’t even know what it’s about, you can interpret it any way you want, you want some feelings. That is not what the Bible teaches, and no one is going to be saved by looking at a picture. This person asks, or you ask, Well, what are the essential of the gospel?
Tom:
No, this is what the writer says. He is speaking to somebody who is of that mind set and he wants to know, What can I tell him that is critical doctrinally for a person to be saved? He wants to lock something down for this individual.
Dave:
Well, John 3:16, every Christian ought to know that---“For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus is speaking, actually. In Verse 36 of John 3, Jesus says: “He that believeth on the Son has life, he that believeth not the Son of God shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him,” Jesus says to His disciples, you’ve often quoted it, Tom, John 8:31, “If you continue in my word”---not drawing pictures of me and trying to visualize me in your mind---“If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, you will know the truth, the truth will set you free.” Okay, what is the word? This is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Paul says, How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. That He was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. How do I know that He died and rose again? I got some feeling! Wouldn’t that be wonderful if, you know, if Jesus was who He claimed to be and---No, we have the scriptures that prove from prophecy that He is who He claimed to be, that proves how God views sin, it must be punished, the penalty must be paid. God himself cannot abrogate that penalty, He cannot lie! He said, The soul that sinneth, it must die, the wages of sin is death. Now, death is separation from God, the Giver of life, forever! So, you are either going to accept the payment that Christ made on your behalf, and God will credit that to your account and your are born again of the Spirit of God, or you reject that---Jesus said: he that believes on the Son has life, he that believeth not the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. You’ve made God a liar, you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you’ve made Jesus Christ a liar, you have trampled on His blood that was shed on the cross in payment for your sins. So you either accept Christ as the Bible presents Him and reveals Him, based upon the prophets, based upon the apostles and their testimony, you accept salvation through Him, or you reject Him. If you reject Christ you have rejected the salvation that God offers, the only possible salvation, because He is the only one who could pay the penalty.
Tom:
And Dave, that’s what really bothers me about this moving into using the arts, the going to imagery, as you said, it’s very subjective, it’s leant itself to the experiential, to feelings, and when that takes over we no longer have an objective view of God from His Word. It’s whatever anybody thinks in their own mind, or feels No, this is the way it needs to be, and then when they do go back to the scripture it’s from that mentality of feelings, and interpretation according to what I think. That’s dead wrong!
Dave:
Tom, I meet them everywhere I go---“I’m spiritual. I’m not religious, but I’m spiritual!” What do they mean? “I don’t want any rules, I don’t want any doctrine, but I can get this feeling, oh wow, I can get a feeling of religiosity anywhere I go, and I’m really spiritual.” Well, you are thumbing your nose at God, actually, and you become your own god and writing your own rules.
If you have a question for Dave and Tom to respond to in a future Contending for the Faith, stay with us, we’ll have our contact information at the end of the program. You are listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call. Now our final segment.
