I am more of a reader/responder to articles. I was just thinking today of maybe writing something about a topic that I have been frustrated with for months/years? now.
Dispensationalism.
Not sure where you stand but that is in once sense irrelevant as I do not consider eschatology an essential doctrine.
My frustration stems from comments made by amillennials or preterists etc. who characterize dispensationalists as those who do not care about the lost because we are so focused on the second coming.
I commented this morning on another thread so may I will get some reaction??
To be clear, I do not mind people having a different view than mine. I do mind them creating a strawman and mocking him.
That God dealt with Adam, with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David at different times is self evident - just as parents deal with their children in different ways according to their development. Then we have the new covenant in Christ. There are plainly different dispensations.
When it comes to the end times, I have read Revelation many times, and understand the main points - that Christ will return, that there will be a day of judgment, heaven and hell; that the end will be preceded by a period of great suffering. The details however about all of the specific events are beyond me.
I am getting more interested in holiness and sanctification. I have found it is easy to hold many different biblical doctrines in the mind, while there are still many unbiblical and unChristlike passions in the heart. I think real holiness is one of the missing ingredients in the church today - not that holiness and end times study are incompatible. One can have both, but my own failings are causing me to focus on the one more than the other.
I do agree eschatology is not an essential doctrine
I think holiness is the main missing attribute/doctrine of God lacking today in the church. And I think it combines with end times study perfectly well. Those who focus on the love of God and neglect or jettison His holiness have no fear of God and cannot fathom a God of wrath and justice.
I can relate to your desire for sanctification. We are all less than we should be and will be till we go home. I like to understand sanctification as both a past occurrence and a present struggle. We are positionally set apart and made holy as new creations and yet we presently battle the flesh to grow in our faith and Christlikeness.
As you said, holiness is missing in the church today. One could write a whole book on this.
Why is this the case? What are the causes? Incomplete doctrines and conformity to the world are two causes that come to mind, but what are specific examples?
In writing to the church at Corinth Paul pointed out specific defects. What defects in the nominally Bible believing churches could someone point out today?
I agree that holiness goes together well with end-times study. People whose hearts and minds are more closely conformed to the image of Christ are more receptive to understanding biblical teachings on the end times, and concern about the end can make us more conscious of what we ought to be doing or not doing in the Christian life, but this relationship holiness and end times study is not automatic (not that you said it was).
People can know a lot about the end times but be seriously deficient spiritually in other areas. People can be advanced in their spiritual development (humanly speaking) yet not have a real knowledge of eschatology (other than the main points every Christian knows, such as the return of Christ and the resurrection followed by a day of judgment.
Another motive for deeper spiritual self-examination and growth is the desire to be prepared for the meeting with Christ. In I John we read “but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
Everyone who really has the hope of meeting Christ is (with God’s help) preparing for this spiritually. And what about those who are not purifying themselves in anticipation of the meeting with Christ. This means that it is not a reality to them, just bible verses and theories. So, I want (again with God’s help, since on our own we can do nothing) to be more prepared for the meeting with Christ, and I find trying to find and study my failings by the rule of scripture is more beneficial that studying the vials and beasts and trumpets (which I do not fully grasp (not that you were advocating this).
So, sanctification is more important to me now than it was before. Part of it may be that having passed the age of 70 death seems less of an abstraction – or maybe God is blessing me with more insights into my failings.
Naturally I agree with your characterization of sanctification as past occurrence and present struggle, being positionally set apart, yet at the same time needing to grow. This is the difference between justification and sanctification. There are many verses about growing in grace, running, striving, as God Sprit works not in theory but in actuality.
I am not currently attending any church. I believe that Paul’s instructions for the church in I Corinthians are binding for today, and one of the reasons for the weakness of the church is ignoring those instructions. Even the idea of just sitting and listening to the pastor give a sermon (often not a sermon but a lecture) is not what we see in I Corinthians – the only detailed description we have in the Bible of a New Testament worship service.
Feel led to respond to your questions regarding the lack of holiness in general today, even churches...
“Why is this the case? What are the causes? Incomplete doctrines and conformity to the world are two causes that come to mind, but what are specific examples?”
About 40 years ago, give or take a decade, when churches of many denominations started to value attendance and numbers over doctrine, they basically started what is called the “seeker sensitive” movement and started to adapt the church atmosphere to appeal to non-Christians.
They canvassed their neighbourhoods asking unbelievers what might like to see and do in church.
They ramped up the music and dumbed down the sermons. Anything possibly offensive like the bad news regarding sin before the gospel of good news was eliminated.
More coffee and fun and fellowship, less judgement.
More pizza and entertainment and less bible study.
Long story short, they “converted” some to a feel good kind of false Christianity devoid of holiness and all about unity and peace and “love”.
Because this produces no change of heart and only worldly small c christians, churches eventually either empty out or compromise even further and accommodate gross sin such as homosexuality and feminism to name only two.
Many cannot find bible believing churches these days. You are not alone.
I hope you are at least meeting with a home group of like minded believers. Your knowledge and heart would benefit others!
Well said Joe. We have like minds. (Don’t let that scare you 😊)
Yes we agree on some essential points. I am looking forward to see some articles or posts from you.
I am more of a reader/responder to articles. I was just thinking today of maybe writing something about a topic that I have been frustrated with for months/years? now.
Dispensationalism.
Not sure where you stand but that is in once sense irrelevant as I do not consider eschatology an essential doctrine.
My frustration stems from comments made by amillennials or preterists etc. who characterize dispensationalists as those who do not care about the lost because we are so focused on the second coming.
I commented this morning on another thread so may I will get some reaction??
To be clear, I do not mind people having a different view than mine. I do mind them creating a strawman and mocking him.
That God dealt with Adam, with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David at different times is self evident - just as parents deal with their children in different ways according to their development. Then we have the new covenant in Christ. There are plainly different dispensations.
When it comes to the end times, I have read Revelation many times, and understand the main points - that Christ will return, that there will be a day of judgment, heaven and hell; that the end will be preceded by a period of great suffering. The details however about all of the specific events are beyond me.
I am getting more interested in holiness and sanctification. I have found it is easy to hold many different biblical doctrines in the mind, while there are still many unbiblical and unChristlike passions in the heart. I think real holiness is one of the missing ingredients in the church today - not that holiness and end times study are incompatible. One can have both, but my own failings are causing me to focus on the one more than the other.
I do agree eschatology is not an essential doctrine
I think holiness is the main missing attribute/doctrine of God lacking today in the church. And I think it combines with end times study perfectly well. Those who focus on the love of God and neglect or jettison His holiness have no fear of God and cannot fathom a God of wrath and justice.
I can relate to your desire for sanctification. We are all less than we should be and will be till we go home. I like to understand sanctification as both a past occurrence and a present struggle. We are positionally set apart and made holy as new creations and yet we presently battle the flesh to grow in our faith and Christlikeness.
As you said, holiness is missing in the church today. One could write a whole book on this.
Why is this the case? What are the causes? Incomplete doctrines and conformity to the world are two causes that come to mind, but what are specific examples?
In writing to the church at Corinth Paul pointed out specific defects. What defects in the nominally Bible believing churches could someone point out today?
I agree that holiness goes together well with end-times study. People whose hearts and minds are more closely conformed to the image of Christ are more receptive to understanding biblical teachings on the end times, and concern about the end can make us more conscious of what we ought to be doing or not doing in the Christian life, but this relationship holiness and end times study is not automatic (not that you said it was).
People can know a lot about the end times but be seriously deficient spiritually in other areas. People can be advanced in their spiritual development (humanly speaking) yet not have a real knowledge of eschatology (other than the main points every Christian knows, such as the return of Christ and the resurrection followed by a day of judgment.
Another motive for deeper spiritual self-examination and growth is the desire to be prepared for the meeting with Christ. In I John we read “but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
Everyone who really has the hope of meeting Christ is (with God’s help) preparing for this spiritually. And what about those who are not purifying themselves in anticipation of the meeting with Christ. This means that it is not a reality to them, just bible verses and theories. So, I want (again with God’s help, since on our own we can do nothing) to be more prepared for the meeting with Christ, and I find trying to find and study my failings by the rule of scripture is more beneficial that studying the vials and beasts and trumpets (which I do not fully grasp (not that you were advocating this).
So, sanctification is more important to me now than it was before. Part of it may be that having passed the age of 70 death seems less of an abstraction – or maybe God is blessing me with more insights into my failings.
Naturally I agree with your characterization of sanctification as past occurrence and present struggle, being positionally set apart, yet at the same time needing to grow. This is the difference between justification and sanctification. There are many verses about growing in grace, running, striving, as God Sprit works not in theory but in actuality.
I am not currently attending any church. I believe that Paul’s instructions for the church in I Corinthians are binding for today, and one of the reasons for the weakness of the church is ignoring those instructions. Even the idea of just sitting and listening to the pastor give a sermon (often not a sermon but a lecture) is not what we see in I Corinthians – the only detailed description we have in the Bible of a New Testament worship service.
Feel led to respond to your questions regarding the lack of holiness in general today, even churches...
“Why is this the case? What are the causes? Incomplete doctrines and conformity to the world are two causes that come to mind, but what are specific examples?”
About 40 years ago, give or take a decade, when churches of many denominations started to value attendance and numbers over doctrine, they basically started what is called the “seeker sensitive” movement and started to adapt the church atmosphere to appeal to non-Christians.
They canvassed their neighbourhoods asking unbelievers what might like to see and do in church.
They ramped up the music and dumbed down the sermons. Anything possibly offensive like the bad news regarding sin before the gospel of good news was eliminated.
More coffee and fun and fellowship, less judgement.
More pizza and entertainment and less bible study.
Long story short, they “converted” some to a feel good kind of false Christianity devoid of holiness and all about unity and peace and “love”.
Because this produces no change of heart and only worldly small c christians, churches eventually either empty out or compromise even further and accommodate gross sin such as homosexuality and feminism to name only two.
Many cannot find bible believing churches these days. You are not alone.
I hope you are at least meeting with a home group of like minded believers. Your knowledge and heart would benefit others!
Blessings