Every promise of God in Holy Scripture, every covenant blessing is made to one race, only one. Every prophecy in the Book of God concerns the welfare of one nation, only one. And I assure you that few people in this world have a clue who that race and that nation is. This will come as a shock to many, but it needs to be shouted from the housetop: — God is not a Jew, an American, a Democrat, or even a Republican.
There is only one nation in which the God of Glory is interested, only one nations whose interests are his interests, and that nation is “The Israel of God” (Gal. 6:14), “the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Read 1 Peter 1:9-10. Here the Holy Spirit clearly identifies that race and nation upon which the very heart of the triune God is fixed and has been fixed from eternity.
(1 Peter 2:9-10) “But yearea chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:(10)Which in time pastwerenot a people, butarenow the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12 KJV)
Listen to the sermon while you read.
FIVE WOES or FALSE PROPHETS EXPOSED AND CONDEMNED
Text: Habakkuk 2:4-20
Subject: False Prophets and False Religion
Date: Tuesday Evening—February 15, 2011
Tape # Habakkuk #20
Readings: Darin Duff and Allen Kibby
Introduction:
ALLEGORICAL EVENTS
When we read about the many events of history recorded in the Old Testament, we miss the intent of the Inspired Record if we do not read and interpret those events allegorically. Yes, the Scriptures must be understood literally; but a literal understanding alone misses the intent of Inspiration altogether. The historical record of Sarah and Hager is historically factual and true as recorded in the Book of Genesis. And God the Holy Spirit who inspired the Book of Genesis tells us in the Book of Galatians that Sarah and Hager and their sons Isaac and Ishmael are an allegory, a spiritual picture.
If we would understand the Old Testament Scriptures we must always remember thatChrist crucified is the message of the Old Testament, just as Christ crucified is the message of the New Testament (Luke 24:27, 44-45). Everything in the Book of God speaks of Christ and the salvation of God’s elect by His obedience, His blood, and His grace.
This is not a book about history. This is the Book about Christ.
This is not a book about science. This is the Book about the Savior.
This is not a book about prophecy. This is the Book about Propitiation.
This is not a book about religion. This is the Book about Righteousness and Redemption.
This is not a book about morality. This is the Book about mercy, and grace, and salvation in Christ!
Everything in this Book is about Christ. The written Word of God is all about Him who is the Living Word.
Every prophecy is about Christ.
Every ceremony of the law typified our Savior.
Every commandment of the law pointed to Christ, shows us our need of Christ, and shuts us up to the Lord Jesus Christ as our only Hope, our Savior, our only Salvation!
And every event recorded in Old Testament history was brought to pass by God’s providence that it might serve as an allegory, type, picture of God’s great grace and of the salvation of our souls by Christ Jesus (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11).
(Romans 15:4) “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
(1 Corinthians 10:11) “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
Tonight, I want you to open your Bibles to Habakkuk chapter 2. The title of my message is — FIVE WOES orFALSE PROPHETS EXPOSED AND CONDEMNED. Here is a prophecy of an historic event, Israel’s Babylonian Captivity. It literally came to pass, exactly as it was prophesied. But the whole thing is a portrayal of God’s grace and the salvation His elect in overthrowing mystical Babylon, the Great Whore; and that Great Whore, Babylon, represents all false religion in the world. Remember, there are just two religions in the whole world(Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).
Flattery is to compliment excessively and often insincerely given, especially in order to win favor. Sincerity is sorely lacking in human relations today. Flattery or sweet talk, which is another way that the tongue can be used for evil. People flatter continually starting from home to workplace. In the work place and offices people continually involved in internal politics and flattering in order to seek favour or, to get promoted to higher level.
Flattery is also a sin of the tongue. The Bible speaks of flattery as a characteristic of the wicked and of a sinful person. People from different walks of life trying to keep a record of the flattering speeches and conversations. Flattery is just a form of lying, and it has no place in the life of a Christian. It is an another produce of the misuse of the tongue.
He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, (Daniel 11:32-34 ESV)
We are encountering people with flattering nature everywhere, speaking something before us and contrarily with others, in other occasions, in order to please others or to fulfil their self-centred wishes. Continue reading →
“Salvation” is a big word. It includes much more than a believer’s initial experience of grace in regeneration and conversion. It includes everything required to bring fallen men from the pit of the damned into the eternal presence of God’s glory in heaven. And, from first to last, it is the work of God’s free grace alone. Man does nothing. Man contributes nothing. Nothing is determined by or dependent upon the will of man or the works or worth of man. “Salvation is of the Lord!”
We will now move in our studies to a doctrinal controversy that occurred during the fifth century between Augustine bishop of Hippo and Pelagius, a British monk. Pelagius was the father of the doctrines now referred to as Pelagianism, which Augustine argued against and considered destructive of the gospel. In this short article, we will give a brief overview of their positions and point out the error of the Pelagian system. This is an issue that strikes at the very heart of the gospel message. I would ask that everyone who reads this would consider the practical importance of a proper understanding of sin and grace.
Pelagius taught that Adam was created neither good nor evil, but was created neutral. His will was completely free to choose to sin or not to sin. He also believed that whether Adam sinned or not he was still mortal and would one day die. He therefore denied that man was created holy and that by Adam’s sin, death entered into the world. As a matter a fact, he went so far as to say that man is born in the same condition as Adam was before the fall; that is, he is born without sin. The only difference, according to Pelagius, between him and Adam is that Adam did not have the example of sin before him whereas his posterity does. Pelagius therefore did not believe Continue reading →
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
(Daniel 9:25 KJV)
The man Gabriel appeared to Daniel, assuring him of the coming of Christ and of our Savior’s great accomplishments as our Savior at God’s appointed time (Daniel 9:20-24). By the accomplishment of these six great feats of grace, “Messiah the Prince” is identified. He who accomplished these things is the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior.
Transgression Finished
First, Gabriel told Daniel that when the Christ appeared, He would, by the sacrifice of Himself, “finish the transgression.” That is precisely what our blessed Savior did when our transgressions were laid on Him and borne by Him, and he carried them all away in the stream of His precious blood when He made satisfaction for us. They shall never be seen or brought up again!
The physical nation of Israel in the Old Testament was, like all other things under the law (the tabernacle, the paschal lamb, the mercy-seat, etc.), was typical. It was chosen of God to be typical of his Church, “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:14). The natural nation was typical of God’s “holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). The physical seed of Abraham was typical of his spiritual seed, God’s elect scattered among all nations, who are the true “children of Abraham” (Romans 9:6-8; Galatians 3:29).
All the covenant promises God made to Abraham’s physical seed, the nation of Israel, were conditional promises. The promises were all conditioned upon obedience. The nation failed miserably. Yet, they inherited the land of Canaan and God fulfilled every covenant promise to that typical nation. Not one thing was lacking (Joshua 23:14). Why? Because one faithful man (Joshua, who typified our Lord Jesus) obeyed God. For Joshua’s sake, God brought Israel into the possession of all the good things God promised to their fathers. Even so, all the promises of God to the Israel of God are yea and amen in our great Joshua, the Lord Jesus, for whose sake we shall possess all things eternally with him!
“The Israel of God” is the whole body of God’s elect, Continue reading →
Many times when I have spoken to someone about the electing grace of God, the response has been, “I believe in WHOSOEVER WILL.” I suppose that such a response is meant to imply that these two Bible teachings are mutually exclusive of one another or perhaps even diametrically opposed. Everyone who preaches the electing love of God believes that THE ELECT WILLINGLY COME TO CHRIST! The fact is that not only do I believe WHOSOEVER WILL. I know WHO they are! Our Lord said, “All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Our Lord said, “It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:45). Our Lord said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The heavenly Father said to His beloved Son, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power” (Psalm 110:3). Who will come to Christ? Those who have been given to Christ, taught of the Father, and made willing in the day of our Lord’s power. They are His sheep! Continue reading →
Revelation 22:17 KJV And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Introduction:
It is my blessed privilege and honor to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to lost men and women, urging them to come to Christ and be saved. It is my happy employment to find arguments from the Word of God to persuade fallen, depraved sinners to be reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ. Tonight, I want to try, one more time, to persuade you who are lost to Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus Christ and live. How can I persuade you to come?
1. First, hear this: God has planned, purposed, and predestinated the salvation of a great multitude of sinners. God will save some men and women. That is certain (Rom. 8:29-30). He saves them by grace alone, without condition or qualification. If God has purposed to save some, perhaps I am one, perhaps you are one. It may be that he has kept you alive these many years so that he may be gracious to you tonight.
2. Second, the Lord Jesus Christ has fully met and satisfied every requirement of God for the salvation of his elect. There is nothing for you to do, nothing for me to do. Jesus Christ has done it all. All who are saved are saved upon the basis of and by the merits of Christ’s obedience to God as the sinner’s Substitute (Rom. 5:19).
– He has finished the work of righteousness (John 17:4).
– He has finished the work of redemption (John 19:30).
3. Third, God the Holy Spirit will effectually regenerate and call every elect sinner to life and faith in Christ (Psa. 65:4; John 6:63). Christ will save his sheep. Not one God’s elect will perish. The Son of God shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. Christ’s blood was not shed in vain. God’s purpose will not be overturned. The grace of God cannot be frustrated.
4. Fourth, every sinner who comes to Christ in faith is saved. Continue reading →
Anyone who knows anything about public speaking knows that the most important parts of any public speech are the first thing and the last thing spoken. There are good reasons for this. If the speaker doesn’t get your attention when he begins, he’s not likely to get it at all. And people tend to remember the first thing a speaker says and the last thing he says.
The same thing applies to preaching. I had very few really good professors while I was in college. In Bible colleges and seminaries as in most colleges and universities, those who cannot do the work are hired to teach the courses. — But I did have a few very good professors. One of them was my Homiletics/Pastoral Theology professor (Dr. Billy Martin). He constantly stressed the need for careful study and preparation. He taught us that in sermon preparation preachers should always give as much attention to the sermon’s introduction and conclusion as to the main points of a message.
If you read sermons, especially those men wrote out for their own use and never intended to have them published, the good ones, those from which people really benefit, almost always have three parts:
1. The Introduction
2. The Main Body: (Doctrinal Points and Exposition)
3. The Conclusion, or Application.
In the 16th chapter of John’s Gospel we have the conclusion of our blessed Savior’s last sermon just before he suffered and died as our Substitute at Calvary. Continue reading →
Truth Matters… The truth will make you free (Jn 8:32)
2-9-2012 G.J. Harloff, Ph.D.
North Olmsted, Ohio 44070
Abstract
This pamphlet examines the veracity of Bible teaching based on literal interpretation and spoof-texting. Spoof-texting is a teaching method that employs a word-search- approach to present lots of scriptures without time for thought. It is concluded that man-centric literal interpretation, including spoof-texting, leads directly to the different literal system discussed herein. This literal system is dispensationalism and is in wide spread use today.
MacArthur asks for Biblical proof (in GC 70-16 tape) that the Old Testament Israel is the church. This booklet is partly about illustrating this proof and attempts to show: (1) the Bible teaches that there is a continuation between spiritual (individual believing) Israel and the church, (2) the mystery in the New Testament is not that there is a church, but rather that Gentiles are fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ, (3) believing Gentiles historically joined Israel in the Old Testament, (4) the “new man” in the New Testament is comprised of believing Jews and Gentiles, (5) those who believe in Christ (that Christ is the Messiah, died for our sins, and was resurrected to eternal life) are children of Abraham and all believers are part of the “olive tree” nourished by Christ, (6) the Old Testament prediction of the New Covenant “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on theirheart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people .” (Jer 31:33) issynonymous with the New Covenant announced by Christ at His last supper, and (7) salvation in Christ is the same in both the Old and New Testaments because no one comes to the Father except through Christ.
Introduction
This pamphlet compares the assumptions of a literalistic system with reformed theology and scriptural references are cited. Of course reformed theology and or the different literal system may both be wrong. The literal system rejects the continuation of the Old Testament believers into the New Testament church and instead assumes that Israel “temporarily” forfeited the privilege of being “the people of God”.
We are instructed by scripture to oppose incorrect teaching (Gal 2:11-14), and to search thescripture daily to test its true interpretation (Acts 17:11). We need to be in the Word daily to discern the truth with the help of the Holy Spirit. Continue reading →
The Lord God demands that we walk before him and be perfect (Genesis 17:1; Leviticus 22:21). He cannot and will not accept less than perfection. And what he demands he performs. What he requires he gives. Christ is made of God unto us perfection in three ways. First, perfection requires perfect obedience; and Christ obeyed the law of God for us. Second, perfection requires atonement, or satisfaction; and our Lord Jesus Christ fully satisfied all the demands of God’s law by his sin-atoning death as our Substitute, redeeming us from the curse of the law.Third, perfection requires a perfect nature; and Christ formed in us in regeneration (sanctification) is that perfect nature. Thus, by righteousness, satisfaction and sanctification, God makes his elect “meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12).
God’s Work
When the Spirit of God declares that Christ is made of God unto us “sanctification,” he is telling us that our sanctification is, like our righteousness and redemption, altogether the work of God. It does not, in any way or to any degree, depend upon us. It is not a progressive work that begins with God planting a “principle” of holiness in us in the new birth, which grows by our disciplined determination to be holy, until we are ripe for heaven. No! Christ is our Sanctification. Sanctification is accomplished by God the Holy Spirit forming Christ in us, causing us to be made partakers of the divine nature (Colossians 1:27; 2 Peter 1:4). Continue reading →
The apostle Peter wrote his first epistle to God’s saints who were suffering the horrible trial of persecution under the Roman Emperor, Nero. His second epistle was written shortly afterward, just before his death (2Pe_1:14), and is addressed to the same suffering saints. Their circumstances had not changed.
The first epistle dealt with the hard, hard trial of persecution, of suffering for Christ’s sake. In that epistle Peter urges us to persevere in the faith, assuring us of God’s great grace in Christ and urging us to follow the example our Savior set before us (1Pe_2:21-24).
In 2nd Peter the inspired apostle deals with a trial even more difficult to endure, and urges us to remain steadfast in faith in the face of the ever-increasing onslaught of false religion. In these three chapters Peter urges us to remain steadfast and persevere in the faith, assuring us again of God’s great grace to us in Christ, and urging us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pe_3:18). In 1st Peter we are taught to rejoice in hope in the face of great trials. Here, in 2nd Peter, we are taught to remain faithful to the truth in the midst of great falsehood.
Precious Things
In these two epistles the apostle Peter reminds us of the many blessings of grace our God has given us in Christ. In fact, he tells us that the Lord God has, according to his divine power, “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2Pe_1:3). Among these many gifts of grace, Peter names six that he calls “precious.”
He tells us that the trial of our faith is more precious than gold that perishes, because the trials of our faith in this world will make heaven more glorious than it could otherwise have been (1Pe_1:7). Continue reading →
But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
(2 Peter 2:10-22 KJV)
Two great errors of false teachers
2Pe_2:10-22
There were and are false preachers and teachers in the Christian church, just as there were false teachers among the Jews. We are warned to mark them and beware of them (Mat_7:15-16; 2Ti_4:3-4).
2Pe_2:10. These false teachers and preachers (besides denying the true gospel of redemption through Christ alone—2Pe_2:1) are guilty of two great errors. Continue reading →
For the Love of His Truth 