Apostolic Doctrines and Disciplines III

Transcription

1 Apostolic Doctrines and Disciplines III Sin unto Death Instructor: Thomas Oliva Cell: We believe, by the light of the Word of God that there is a sin unto death and that if this sin is committed in the terms expressed in the Bible, the right to salvation is lost (Matthew 12:31-32; Romans 6:2-8; Hebrews 10:26-27; 1 John 5: Therefore, we recommend that the faithful abstain from giving ear to doctrines that promise eternal security to the Christian regardless of his conduct and the idea that Once Saved Always Saved. The Bible teaches that it is possible to be reproved and that we must remain faithful unto the end. Romans2:6-10; 1 Cor. 9: John 5:16-17 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 1

2 Matthew 12:31-32 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Understanding the context. Mark 3:22-30 states, And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in para les, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. What is the context of these statements, and what is the exact sin described? The Pharisees had long observed the sinless Jesus Christ. Christ performed undeniable and powerful miracles that were clear evidence of his deity. His acts were clear fulfilment of messianic prophecy. These impressive miracles were freely given in pure kindness and love to release people from obvious suffering and the oppression of horrible evil. The Pharisees had so firmly set their hearts against accepting Jesus as the Messiah that they rejected the obvious truth before them and perversely twisted it to influence the crowds. They publicly credited the miraculous works of God to the work of Satan effectively calling the Spirit of God the unclean spirit of Satan. They charged Jesus Christ with sorcery; one who is in league with Satan. 2

3 In the context of Matthew 12:22-32, Jesus had performed a great miracle of creation, involving both healing and casting out a demon The Pharisees rejected this clear witness of the Holy Spirit. They attributed His powers to Satan. They demonstrated an attitude permanently resistant to the Spirit, and to his deity and the saving Gospel of Christ. What is the difference between the two types of blasphemy described in Matthew 12? Why is the sacrifice of Christ ineffective as an atonement for the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Speaking against the Son of man might be due to a failure to recognize Him for what He is. Saul thought it his duty to oppose the name of Jesus. But if, having seen the light on the Damascus road, he had deliberately closed his eyes to it, that would have been the sin against the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit persuades and enables men to accept Christ and salvation, but if anyone refuses to submit to the Lord, preferring to call good evil and evil good, how can the gospel avail for him? The deliberate refusal of the grace of God is the one sin which by its very nature is irremediable - F.F. Bruce Anyone who rejects the Holy Spirit s convicting influence and does not repent will not be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the world to come Matthew 12:32 Doctrine of Repentance Galatians 5:19-21 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 3

4 In true Biblical repentance, there will be three things to occur as God does a work of grace upon the sinner's heart: Conviction Contrition Conversion In true repentance, Salvation is deliverance of a person from his sin, not merely from a sinful environment or behavior. Jesus Christ is the Savior from not only the penalty and punishment of sin, but also the power of sin. Conviction -- where sin is admitted. Man must see himself as a lost, ruined, guilty, desperately wicked sinner without hope or help, in danger of hell. In repentance, a lost sinner not only sees himself as a sinner, but he recognizes the fact that he has sinned against a righteous and holy God. The message that Paul preached was: "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). In repentance, there will be confession of sin to God (Psa. 32:5; 51:1-4). Contrition -- where sin is abhorred. When one sees himself as he appears before God, he is brought to a place where there is godly sorrow for his sin and hates it altogether. "For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin." (Psa. 38:18); "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of..." (2 Cor. 7:10). To hate sin is to love God. In true repentance, there is not only the desire to escape the consequences of sin, but to be rid of sin itself as a thing displeasing to God. Conversion -- where sin is abandoned. Repentance involves the forsaking of sin: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55:7); "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Prov. 28:13). We must forsake what we would have God forgive. It should be stressed that it is not enough just to turn away from sin; one must also turn to God for salvation: "... to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins... should repent and turn to God..." (Acts 26:18,20). In true repentance, there is conviction, contrition, and conversion as one turns from his sin to Christ for salvation. Salvation is deliverance of a person from his sin, not merely from a sinful environment. Jesus Christ is the Savior from not only the penalty and punishment of sin, but also the power of sin. 4

5 Among the fallacies being presented throughout Christendom is the belief that salvation is secured regardless of one s lifestyle. Literally Once saved always saved The stance of the Apostolic Assembly on this subject is that we believe that salvation can be lost in accordance with free will. Can I go so far that God cannot forgive me? Some deeply troubled by a guilty conscience often fear that they have sinned too grievously for God to forgive and save them. Others, dominated by a carnal, calculating attitude, hope to sin to the limit and then come to Christ at the last hour. Both ask Is it possible to sin beyond the point of being saved? God s ability to save is not limited by man s sinfulness. Everyone of us before we accepted Christ as Savior, was in total rebellion against God. The Apostle John taught, If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2). The Bible is filled with examples of people who receive forgiveness for all manner of wickedness, for the Lord s hand is not short that it cannot save (Isaiah 59:1). Paul wrote When sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Romans 5:20). When God will not save. The Bible clearly shows that there are certain conditions under which He will not save. God will not save those who neglect or despise Christ s sacrifice in an effort to find an alternate salvation plan. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:26). This warning pertains to those who trample under foot the Son of God and regard His blood as unclean (Hebrews 10:29). 5

6 The book of Romans contains the most concentrated teaching on the subject of salvation to be found in the New Testament, and it begins with a panorama of man s sin. Those who rejected God s revelation concerning Himself and worshipped idols instead were given over by God to a more severe moral defilement (Romans 1:22-24). For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions, the result being rampant immorality and homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27). And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper (Romans 1:28). Several conclusions can be drawn from these warnings. God actively punishes unconfessed sin not only after the sinner s death, but also during that person s life. Moral degradation is a punishment of God upon willful spiritual ignorance. When God gives one over to a depraved mind, that person s sensitivity to sin is deadened and his chances for repentance thereby lessened. God does not violate man s freedom, forcing man to sin and then judging him for it. Rather, men in this state welcome more extreme degradation and actively embrace it: who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness (Ephesians 4:19). What is the unpardonable sin It is a sin that must be progressed into. It cannot be committed by just anybody on a whim or as a mistake. It begins with resisting the Holy Spirit and progresses into a complete and permanent rejection against Him. The result is a final rejection of the Holy Spirit in that person's life, resulting in blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy is a sin with its roots in the heart (Mark 7:21-23), and is committed when a person speaks evil against somebody, before others; therefore it is dangerous (not necessarily unpardonable, but dangerous) to speak out to prevent the work of the Lord from being done, such as trying to shut down a ministry which God is moving in, attributing the power of God to Satan or to try to convince people to walk away from Jesus, or prevent them from coming to Jesus. A Final Rejection The unpardonable sin is like a final rejection of the Holy Spirit, which results in blasphemy against Him, and it cuts the cord forever from being drawn to Jesus. When a person is in this kind of a mindset, they aren't concerned one bit about what they are doing and have a deep root of evil in their heart (Matthew 12:34). Once a person commits the unpardonable sin, it is impossible for them to change. The reason you can cut off Jesus, and still change, is because the Holy Spirit can lead you back. It is the Holy Spirit who draws us to salvation; therefore, when someone completely rejects the Holy Spirit, who is left to bring you back, and give you a heart of repentance and concern? If a person cannot realize that they need Jesus, they are hopeless. 6

7 The Unpardonable Sin What is spiritual blindness? Spiritual blindness is when a person cannot see spiritually; they cannot realize that they are lost and need Jesus. It is when they cannot recognize the truth. It is when they cannot see a reason to come to Jesus for their salvation. Having concern for your salvation, and believing that Jesus is Lord, is proof that you aren't spiritually blind; if you were hopeless, there would be no possible way for you to believe upon Jesus, or understand His Word (John 8:43-47). The unpardonable sin would prevent you from being concerned about your salvation; you wouldn't see any reason to have Jesus in your life. In other words, when the unpardonable sin is committed, it completely cuts that person off from the Holy Spirit; therefore it's not so much that the sin will not be forgiven, but that the sin cannot be forgiven; because without the Holy Spirit, a person cannot have a heart of repentance, and without a heart of repentance, it is impossible to be forgiven! The Holy Spirit is the one that leads people to Jesus, and it is impossible for man to come to Jesus on his own (John 6:44). If God didn't allow it, you wouldn't be able to hear or understand His Word (John 8:47, Isaiah 6:10, Daniel 12:10), therefore you wouldn't recognize that you need salvation (Matthew 13:15). The only way you can be concerned about your salvation, and realize that Jesus is the way, is if God gives you that understanding. Have you committed this sin? A few things that prove a person has hope: They can understand that they need Jesus. (Luke 10:21-22, John 6:40, John 6:44, John 8:43-47) They are able to hear God's Word. (John 5:24, John 8:43-47, Psalms 10:17, Revelation 3:20) They desire Jesus in their life. (Matthew 5:6, John 7:37, Psalms 10:4, Matthew 7:7) They are willing to call on the name of the Lord. (Romans 10:13) They are able to admit they are wrong. (John 3:20-21, 1 John 1:9) They are able to see and believe in Jesus. (John 3:18, John 6:37, John 6:65, Luke 8:12, John 12:39-40) They love God and the brethren. (1 Corinthians 8:3, 1 John 3:14) They can confess Jesus before others. (Matthew 10:32, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 John 4:15) They are able to receive Jesus. (John 1:12, Luke 7:23) The Church and State We believe in the separation of Church and State and that neither should intervene in the internal affairs of the other since this fulfills the biblical precept of render to Caesar the things that are Caesar s and to God the things that are God s Mark 12:17 Christians should participate in civil activities according to their abilities and political inclinations, always reflecting their own personal ideas and opinions, and not those of the church. The Apostolic Assembly is neutral and room for men of all political creeds. We must obey civil authorities and the laws and ordinances issued by these authorities, unless these laws contradict religious principles or force Christians to act against their conscience The Law of the Land The 1 st Amendment to the constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This amendment makes it illegal for the government to make laws concerning any religion and guarantees freedom of the same to its citizens. Granted is the right to worship as one pleases. Included in this amendment is the understanding that the state will not mandate who or what to believe in regards to religion. In exchange, the church will not interfere as a political machine. 7

8 Our obligations to the government Rom 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. The subject of the Christian s obligations to civil government was far from academic in Paul s day. The Lord Jesus Christ had been executed on the pretext of treason (John 19:12) and Paul himself had been accused of insurrection (Acts 16:20, 21). The Jews of Paul s day had many questions about the rights of the Roman government. The Precept (v. la). Paul s instruction is very direct and uncomplicated: Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1a). By this it is clear that Christians are to be in subjection to their government, national or local. The Premise (v. 1b). The reason why such a command can be given is found in the second part of verse 1: For there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God (Romans 13:1b). God is the source of all authority. The government authorities, then, exist by the authority granted them by the supreme authority, God Himself. This verse reveals to us what the basis is on which a government should be acknowledged and obeyed. It is not by virtue of its characteristics, whether it be democratic, autocratic or any governmental form. A government is not legitimate and duly constituted because its form precisely meets our preferences. A government is to be acknowledged and obeyed by virtue of its existence. those (governments) which exist are established by God. Are there are loopholes in this first verse? The Principle Involved (v. 2). The principle of Paul s argument is apparent: Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves (Romans 13:2). For a Christian (or any other person) to resist government is to resist the One from whom authority has been granted. If God has ordained the existence of a government and we disobey it, we resist not only government, but God. For this we will suffer judgment. The Purpose of Government (vv. 3-4). The reason for our obedience to government is not arbitrary, but is found in God s purpose for government. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil (Romans 13:3-4). 8

9 Our obligations to the government There is no reason for the Christian to fear government for its purpose is to punish evil-doers and to reward those who do good. Since the Christian is to practice what is good and avoid evil, there should be no conflict between the Christian and government. In verses 3 and 4 there are several inferences which are important to the Christian. There is a separation of function implied between the church and state. The government official is described as a minister of God, but only in the sense that he serves the purpose of God by restraining evil and rewarding good. The Christian is also a minister of God; not a minister of wrath (judgment), but of mercy (the gospel). We learn that fear of punishment is a deterrent to evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good (Romans 13:3b). Some are saying today that the fear of punishment has no effect on whether or not someone will commit a crime. Paul says that fear of punishment is a deterrent. We can see a somewhat subtle argument in support of capital punishment. for it does not bear the sword for nothing (Romans 13:4c). The bearing of a sword by civil magistrates symbolized their authority and, as well, their right to exercise the penalty of death. It seems likely that such is the sense implied here. Questions Related to Romans 13:1-7 Are there times when a Christian should disobey government? Yes, if the government commands a Christian to do what is clearly contrary to God s Word. When one disobeys, he must nevertheless submit to the punishment which government prescribes for this disobedience. Since government has the delegated authority of God, government s authority is subordinate to God s orders if they differ. Daniel disobeyed the law of the Medes and the Persians signed by Darius which forbade prayer for 30 days. He, however, submitted to the penalty for his actions. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are a similar example. Peter and the apostles (Acts 5, note especially v. 29, 40-42) refused to obey the order that they speak not in the name of Jesus. Our Lord s statement in Matthew 22:21 Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar s and unto God the things that are God s, demonstrates the fact that the Christian finds himself in two spheres of authority. Whenever these two spheres of authority come into conflict we must say with Peter and the apostles, we ought to obey God rather than men. Should a government become corrupt and cease to fulfill its proper functions (i.e., to restrain evil and encourage good works), should the Christian engage in revolution to attempt its overthrow? Instances can be found in the Old Testament in which the Lord instructs an individual to rebel against the existing government and overthrow it. One such instance is in 1 Kings 11 and 12 where God instructs Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah to rebel against the united kingdom of Solomon and ten tribes from the kingdom. All of the instances such as this in the Old Testament to my knowledge are due to the direct revelation of God. To use these instances as arguments for rebellion today we would need to be consistent and require a direct revelation from God to do so. It is God Himself who raises up kings and puts them down Psalm 75:7 Does Romans 13 or any other Scripture teach passivism toward government? No. Remember Paul refused to leave the prison in Philippi until he was escorted out by the magistrates who had illegally beaten and imprisoned them (Acts 16). We uphold the law by insisting upon adherence to it, even by the law officials themselves. 9

10 What should a Christian do when the government to which he is to be subject persecutes Christians unjustly? The Book of Romans was written before severe persecution of Christians began, although Paul was writing with Nero in mind. The entire Book of 1 Peter is written with this very issue in mind. Nevertheless, Peter instructs: Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to them that do well (1 Peter 2:13, 14). Peter s example is that of servants, who are to be in subjection to their masters, even the cruel ones (2:18). The supreme example for us to follow is our Saviour, Who died unjustly for our sins (1 Peter 2:21-25). The thrust of chapters 2, 3, and 4 of Peter s first epistle is that we are to suffer patiently when persecuted unjustly. We should remember the Lord s words, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you (John 15:20). 10