Standing In His Presence

Benjamin Hoogterp

Tag: Grace

A Grace Whack Responds

door_ajar2It was only a matter of time…  You post articles, you write books, you spend hours some days conversing with them, driving to meet with them, researching their ‘doctrines’.  Eventually, they respond.  I don’t intend to make any sort of a habit of honoring these with responses.  I’ve tried, they’re just generally not interested.  But, for the interest of study, it is sometimes useful to have a field specimen, of sorts.  Occasionally, a piece is worth dissecting publicly, to see what is at work, for the interest of those observing.

As such, the following below is the latest response to my post on Biblically Confronting the False-Grace movement (here).  The comment was too long to publish on that post for one, and, additionally, the format of comment and response does not allow for adequate interaction with the arguments.

But, when you choose to engage, you have to make a decision from the out-set.  Even when studying and countering the religious spirit, you have to set some ground-rules, or boundaries.  It must be agreed upon that if a subject matter is thoroughly proved wrong through a study of Scripture by one party, the other must question their position.  Unfortunately, of every Grace-Whack we’ve ever come across, not one has cared that every point has been thoroughly contested and disproved.

The Finished

Finished
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:21 KJV

James, writing to Spirit-filled, born-again believers, told them that yes, that they needed to be saved.  That’s right, they needed salvation in their souls.

When we are born-again, made new by the Holy Ghost, we are born-again in our spirits, not our souls.  The Holy Spirit, God Himself, comes into our inner most being, further inside than our soul, and makes us new–we are ‘born again’.  But, that does not make our souls or our bodies born-again in the least.

How to Biblically Confront the Current False Grace Heresies

Update (5/9/2014):

We have recently put together a short book available on Amazon related to confronting the hyper-grace issues in the church today, as summarized here. In this new 200+ page book, we cover topics such as the “Words in Red”, many of the false-grace heresies in circulation today, including inclusion, as well as solid Scriptural support for the truth.

Additionally, because there is a great interest in this topic, and the subject is urgent in many people’s lives, if you cannot purchase one or have any other reason, we have made the entire contents of the book available via PDF online as well.


If you would like more information, please click
here.

Additionally, feel free to check out our other articles on the topic of Hyper-Grace.


target-and-arrowThe best way to debate anything is the Word.  The Word is sufficient.  The Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.  Anything you need to defend or define must have as its ultimate authority to be God, through His Word, or it will always end in the shifting sands of opinion.

However, when it comes to certain groups, because their doctrine is so far beleaguered and strays so far from the truth of the Word, because its source is still rather narrow, whenever you debate with them, they more or less follow the same basic script.  That’s right.  They don’t rely on the full counsel of the Word, they use a few texts, here or there, pulled and shifted out well beyond reason, and, if you know where they’re trying to go, you stay out of their predictable traps.

A Thorough Refutation Of The False-Grace Heresy Of Joseph Prince (by Pastor Chace Gordon)

50f04e7d-c52c-4972-aca3-7e3fd84661e3The following notes were written by Pastor Chace Gordon of Cornerstone World Outreach, and is reproduced from his website here.

The HyperGrace Assessment

imagesBut when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.

Lord, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

Isaiah 26:10-11

There is today that which is called a new Grace movement in the church. It is nothing new, it is simply the same lies and deception that have been in the church, in varying forms for the history of the church. People say there is no more need for repentance, there is no judgment in light of the cross, or, even, that the fear of the Lord is not for today. Well, it is.

But, while some of these may be honestly working out their salvation while in the midst of error, others have no issues regarding their unrighteousness before God, and, concerning perfecting holiness out of reverence for God, they scorn and disdain, calling it “religious”. But, the particular errors are not grouped by happenstance.

The Errors of Hyper-Grace

images

Hyper-Grace today is rapidly becoming a growing movement in the church today.  The errors range from claims that we no longer need repentance once were saved, to God doesn’t judge anymore (either until the judgment seat, or, for some, ever), to some going as far as saying that all men are already saved and that Jesus’ sacrifice alone was sufficient, apart from believing in Him.  Not all go this far, but there is a growing trend in many that see as positive any push towards this edge, in fact, any new teaching undermining traditional Christianity, while still applying the label, as fact.

The departure from mainline theology is not only plain, it often is the very thing that is celebrated.  Rebellion against the form, resistance to any kind of tradition, and aversion to being lumped in with what is deemed undesirable, controlling, or legalistic are often the motivating factors behind many in these movements.

The efforts often come on the tail end of many good moves of God.  Many good moves have come out, dismantling godless structures, unveiling the litany of “dead works” in the church, any which do not originate from faith, and dismantling the system of institutionalism that has crept over the church.  Slave labor has been rooted out, joy and love and peace are making their way back into the church, and many people who were just in need of touching God have been renewed to their first love.  To their credit, they faced great persecution at the hands of those who simply wanted to see the system of man stay in perpetuity.

Relevant?

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:

1 Corinthians 2:12-15

We must be clear.  We are not to judge those outside of the church, but we are called to judge those inside it (1 Corinthians 5:12).  Those outside are sinners, and we expect them to act like sinners.  If they sin, it is their nature to sin, and we do not do well if we point fingers at the unregenerate.  Likewise, when we enter into soulish, or carnal, judgement against a brother, failing to discern the Lord’s body, we do sin.  Jesus said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30).  He did not use His own mind or understanding to judge, but He judged according to the Spirit, and was right when He prophesied judgement on the Pharisees, on Jerusalem, and on the cities that would not hear His Gospel.

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