Tried With Fire

"The doctrine of the Pharisees may be summed up in three words: they were formalists, tradition-worshippers, and self-righteous. They attached such weight to the traditions of men that they practically regarded them of more importance than the inspired writings of the Old Testament... Remember, all this time, they did not formally deny any part of the Old Testament Scripture. But they brought in, over and above it, so much of human invention, that they virtually put Scripture aside, and buried it under their own traditions. This is the sort of religion, of which our Lord says to the Apostles, "Be careful and be on your guard."... "The doctrine of the Sadducees, on the other hand, may be summed up in three words: free-thinking, skepticism, and rationalism... But the practical effect of their teaching was to shake men's faith in any revelation, and to throw a cloud of doubt over men's minds, which was only one degree better than infidelity. And of a...

Fear not, beloved brethren, to begin serving Christ. He to whom you commit your souls has all power in heaven and earth, and He will keep you. He will never let you be cast away. Relatives may oppose. Neighbors may mock. The world may slander and sneer. Fear not! Fear not! The powers of hell shall never prevail against your soul. Greater is He that is for you, than all they that are against you. Fear not for the Church of Christ, my brethren, when ministers die, and saints are taken away. Christ can ever maintain His own cause, He will raise up better and brighter stars. The stars are all in His right hand. Leave off all anxious thought about the future. Cease to be cast down by the measures of statesmen, or the plots of wolves in sheep's clothing. Christ will ever provide for His Own Church. Christ will take care that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. All is going on well, though our eyes may not see it. The king...

Does any one ask me, What is the best safeguard against false doctrine ?—I answer in one word, "The Bible: the Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over, regularly studied." We must go back to the old prescription of our Master: "Search the Scriptures." (John 5:39.) If we want a weapon to wield against the devices of Satan, there is nothing like "the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God." But to wield it successfully, we must read it habitually, diligently, intelligently, and prayerfully. This is a point on which, I fear, many fail. In an age of hurry and bustle, few read their Bibles as much as they should. More books perhaps are read than ever, but less of the one Book which makes man wise unto salvation. Rome and neology could never have made such havoc in the Church in the last fifty years, if there had not been a most superficial knowledge of the Scriptures throughout the land. A Bible-reading laity is the strength of a Church... If we would not be...

The true Church of Christ is tenderly cared for by all the three persons of the blessed Trinity. In the economy of redemption, beyond all doubt, God the Father chooses, and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies, every member of Christ's mystical body. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three Persons and one God, cooperate for the salvation of every saved soul. This is truth, which ought never to be forgotten. Nevertheless, there is a peculiar sense in which the help of the Church is laid on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is peculiarly and preeminently the Redeemer and the Saviour. Therefore it is, that we find Him saying in our text, "I will build: the work of building is my special work." It is Christ who calls the members of the Church in due time. They are "the called of Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:6). It is Christ who gives them life. "The Son quickeneth whom He will." (John 5:21). It is Christ who washes away their sins. He "has...

We have no right to expect anything but the pure Gospel of Christ, unmixed and unadulterated - the same Gospel that was taught by the Apostles - to do good to the souls of men. I believe that to maintain this pure truth in the Church, men should be ready to make any sacrifice, to hazard peace, to risk dissension, and run the chance of division. They should no more tolerated false doctrine than they would tolerate sin. They should withstand any adding to or taking away from the simple message of the Gospel of Christ. For the truth’s sake our Lord Jesus Christ denounced the Pharisees, though they sat in Moses’ seat and were the appointed and authorized teachers of men... For the truth’s sake Paul withstood and blamed Peter, though a brother. Where was the use of unity when pure doctrine was gone? And who shall dare to say he was wrong? For the truth’s sake Athanasius stood out against the world to maintain the pure doctrine about the divinity of Christ and waged a controversy wi...

“. . . if we would be kept from falling away into false doctrine, let us arm our minds with a thorough knowledge of God’s Word. Let us read our Bibles from beginning to end with daily diligence, and constant prayer for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and so strive to become thoroughly familiar with their contents. Ignorance of the Bible is the root of all error, and a superficial acquaintance with it accounts for many of the sad perversions and defections of the present day. In a hurrying age of railways and telegraphs, I am firmly persuaded that many Christians do not give time enough to private reading of the Scriptures. I doubt seriously whether English people did not know their Bibles better two hundred years ago than they do now. The consequence is, that they are ‘tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,’ and fall an easy prey to the first clever teacher of error who tries to influence their minds. I entreat my readers to remember this counsel, and take h...

In small group, we've been reading through Ordinary by Michael Horton. It's been a thought-provoking book that has led to some good discussion. We're also reading it after a sermon series on the ordinary means of grace - preaching of the Word, the sacraments, prayer, and fasting. You know, the things Christ Himself has instituted for the growth and health of the church that she often overlooks for what is a bit flashier and more touchy-feely. Tonight we will be discussing chapter 6, Practicing what we preach: No more super-apostles , which covers the issue of idolizing our leaders. I am trying to gather my thoughts about the chapter and the problem of the Christian celebrity culture for fear that I will embark on a lengthy rant in small group. If there is an edge to my writing "voice", you've read it right. On the one hand, I could chose to ignore my social media feed and avoid reports about the latest scandals. If this is your stance, I fully respect your ...