The Authority of Scripture by Steven Loots.

Greetings. Continuing in the series on the Truth and particularly on Progressive Christianity.

Everything stands or falls depending on your view of Scripture. What is the Bible? Just another book? One of many sacred writings? Something that contains some good advice? Do we need the whole Bible, or just the words of Jesus? 

Read 2 Timothy 3: 10 – 17 and 2 Peter 1: 19 – 21. Let us look closely at 2 Timothy 3: 16 – 17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

As we look at the dangers posed by Progressive Christianity, we see that it all comes back to the Bible. If anything could sum up Progressive Christianity in a sentence it would be that they have drifted away from relying on the authority of the Bible, to look rather to experience, conscience and feelings.

How to spot a progressive church: 

1.       There is a lowered view of the Bible.

2.       Feelings are emphasized over facts.

3.       Essential Christian doctrines are open for re-interpretation. 

4.       Historic terms are re-defined. 

5.       The heart of the Gospel message shifts from sin and redemption to social justice. 

Identifying the signs of a progressive church is not always obvious—sometimes they are subtle and mixed with a lot of truth. Progressive Christianity can be persuasive and enticing, but carried out to its logical end, it is an assault on the foundational framework of Christianity, leaving it disarmed of its saving power.

Read John 14: 5 - 7, “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know[a] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Progressive Christianity has its roots in liberal Christianity or liberal theology and has been around for a long time. It is in essence more than a different perspective but rather a different religion altogether. It is no longer actually Christianity. It has several names like liberal Christianity or the emerging church or progressive Christianity - they're really all the same.

Progressive Christianity is a movement within the wider global church: 

·         It is widespread.

·         Many if not most churches are feeling its influence to some degree.

·         It is propagated by some of the most well known and loved teachers of our time.

·         In most churches there are individuals who hold onto its core beliefs 

·         It is found in whole congregations and even in large denominations. 

·         In some instances, pastors are teaching it without even realizing what they're doing as they have been influenced by its proponents - the popular teachers and writers of our day. 

·         In other cases, it is openly celebrated. 

Progressive Christianity represents a wide range of people: 

·         This includes moderates who would openly proclaim that they believe in the authority of the Bible yet dismiss key passages they see is problematic.

·         and liberals who are merely slightly religious.

·         While there is a strong connection to liberal politics, at its core progressive Christianity is based on postmodern or liberal theology this theology abhors certainty and celebrates mystery which makes it fertile ground for influence from the Mystics. 

What happens to an unbeliever after death and when Judgement day comes?

The Second Resurrection – the resurrection of unbelievers

In Revelation 20: 11- 15 we read,11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” 

Jesus was serious about hell. He mentioned hell more than he mentioned heaven. Read John 5:28 – 30, 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” 

The word in the Greek for the judgement seat is “Bema” which refers to the judge’s seat at the Olympic games. The judge was not there to judge sin but to present awards. When we stand before the “bema” of Christ we will joyfully receive the rewards that He has promised us for works of faith. There is no fear before the “bema”.

John 5: 22 tells us that Jesus is the judge on the bema.

“When Jesus comes, every Christian dead or alive, will be included in the great throng that will stand before the bema of Christ. We will be there, not merely as spectators or witnesses. The Holy Judge will not need anyone to witness. In that day His word shall stand. “He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25).”[1]

Only truly born-again children of God will appear before the bema. 

“All the wicked dead (unbelievers) will be judged at the Great White Throne after the one-thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. But the subjects to whom the Apostle Paul addressed his messages when he said, “We must all appear,” were exclusively the saints of whom Paul considered himself one.”

[1] Strauss, L

Read John 5: 24-27. As we continue in the series on The Truth, we have been looking at the fact that man is not an animal, not just flesh and consciousness; but far more. Man is created by God with a purpose and man is a trinity of body, soul and spirit. 

Last week we looked at the fact that man lives on after death of his body.

·         The question now is what happens to us after death and in the future?

Judgement is certain. 

·         Judgment is for all who have ever lived on the planet – including for Christians. 

·         This may sound strange because most evangelical Christians believe that they will not be judged. 

The Bible speaks of The Five Separate Future Judgements:

1.       The Judgement Seat of Christ

2.       The Judgement of Regathered Israel

3.       The Judgement of the Living Nations

4.       The Judgement of Fallen Angels

5.       The Judgement of the Unbelieving Dead

Read 1 Thes. 5:23-24. To focus on death, dying and eternity, we need to start at the core of who we are as humans.

One of the greatest lies of the past century attacks the very nature of who we are and what we are and what we will be. 

Evolution is now taught in schools across the world. It is presented as a forgone conclusion, a scientific fact and as the only rational explanation for the existence of mankind and all of life on earth. 

The evolutionists believe and propagate that man is just an animal. 

The Bible teaches that Man is more than just an animal. Man is created by God for a purpose and man is immortal. 

To understand immortality – the fact that man has life after death; we need to understand that man is made up of a body, a spirit and a soul. 

One of the biggest deceptions in the world and in the church today says that Jesus did not physically overcome death.

·         Jesus may have died but he was not resurrected.

From this lie many others follow. If someone does not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus the rest of his biblical and worldview are skewed. As a foundational truth of Scripture, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead guides our thinking about all of the rest of the Bible. 

·         Get this wrong and you will end up in deep deception, in a gospel that is no gospel at all.

We are faced with Multiple witnesses as it stands in 1 Corinthians 15: 3 - 8

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

How do we stay in the truth?

Read Galatians 5: 7 – 10 

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.

Take responsibility for your spiritual life. No one will be to blame if you wander from the Truth, no one will stand in your place before God one day. Here are some ways to fireproof your faith.

1.       Watch what you expose yourself to.

2.       Evaluate your primary source of teaching.

3.       Study the Word of God yourself.

From the beginning the Church was intended to be an alternative society. The church was meant to be a culture within a culture and a community that would reveal that there is a different way to live life.

·         We as believers have a purpose which differs from all other communities: 

·         We must declare God’s praises.

·         We must live lives that are examples to unbelievers.

·         We must be a community based on love, truth and righteousness.

·         We must be a community which invites others to come in.

Read 1 Peter 2: 9 – 17 as introduction to this episode. Have a closer look at verse 9, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.