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WEEKLY
Volume 3 Number 51
17 May 2009
False Isms
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, May 17, 09)
Text: Eph 5:6-11
Last week, we were reminded of God’s
command, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners”
(1 Cor 15:33). We have learnt not to be deceived by thinking that it
is fine if we are compromising and keeping a companionship with bad or
ungodly friends, or hearing or reading unbiblical sermons, articles,
books, commentaries, or watching ungodly programmes and movies, or
surfing ungodly websites because surely, as God says, they shall slowly
and gradually influence, corrupt, and destroy our holy faith, pure mind,
and godly character in Christ (1 Cor 5:6; 2 Cor 11:4). Last week we also
mentioned some false isms like
Catholicism, Liberalism, Modernism, Hyper-Calvinism,
Ecumenism, Neo-Evangelicalism, Charismatism, Textual Criticism, Open
Theism, Neo-Fundamentalism, etc., which are misleading many people away
from God’s Word and Truth. Some of us here have known these false isms,
but some have not, so it is good for us to have just a brief knowledge
about these false isms. Thank God that I have learnt these false isms
under Dr Jeffrey Khoo and Dr Quek Suan Yew at the FEBC. I studied
ecumenism in 14 hours (one semester) and charismaticism also in 14
hours, but we are now trying to understand these terms in half an hour.
May the Lord help us.
Only God’s Word Is Life and Truth
with Full Divine Power and Authority
Our Lord Jesus Christ lives by every
Word of God (Matt 4:4) and confirms that God’s Word is life and truth,
“the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the
Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (John 14:10), and
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”
(John 6:63), and “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth”
(John 17:17). Truly, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful”
(Heb 4:12) and God’s Word is able to regenerate and sanctify us (1 Peter
1:23; John 17:17). Dear friends, only God’s Word is our life, our truth
and our strength, and we are commanded to hold forth, or hold fast, and
not to lose “the word of life” (Phil 2:16). Human words which
have been spoken or written even by great and scholarly people are just
human words. They may entertain our minds with reasonable meanings and
convincing arguments but they are just human words, which can never
regenerate us nor sanctify us. Therefore, “Let no man deceive you
with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God
upon the children of disobedience” (Eph 5:6). Vain words here mean
empty words without any basis, without truth, without power, and without
profit (BAGD). Take a look at false isms, we will see that they are just
man-made reasoning, theories and movements.
False Isms
Catholicism:
It includes unbiblical
doctrines of and beliefs in traditions, human merits for salvation,
idolatry, baptismal regeneration, indulgences, prayer to the virgin Mary
and to the Saints, confession of sin to the priests, Mass
(transubstantiation), infallibility of the Pope, no salvation outside
Roman Catholic church, purgatory, prayer for the dead, etc., “Howbeit
in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of
men” (Mark 7:7-8).
Liberalism/Modernism:
It is the denial of the
inspiration of the Holy Scriptures and the fundamental doctrines of
Christian truths like the divine revelation, the Trinity, God’s creation
in 6 literal 24-hour days, the Deity of Christ, the virgin birth of
Christ, Christ’s atoning death and bodily resurrection, Biblical
teachings of sin, Heaven and Hell, miracles in the Holy Scriptures,
etc., “But without faith it is impossible to please him (God)”
(Heb 11:6).
Hyper-Calvinism:
It is the extreme views of
God’s sovereignty, rejection of God’s common grace and the free offer of
the Gospel. To hyper-Calvinists, John 3:16 is only for the elect: God
only loves the elect and Jesus Christ only died for the elect. The truth
is that God loves all mankind (John 3:16) and Christ died for all
mankind (1 John 2:2), but they reject His love and gift of salvation in
Christ, so they must be accountable for their choice and decision.
However, God has manifested His special grace by drawing those whom He
has chosen to Him and to His salvation, and that is totally by His grace
alone (Eph 2:8; John 6:44, 65; 15:16).
Textual Criticism:
It is the rejection of God’s perfect preservation of His inspired Word
in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts underlying the KJV as He promised (Ps
12:6-7; Matt 5:18; 24:35; 2 Tim 3:16). So-called “scholars” have tried
to examine the available texts/manuscripts including corrupt texts and
then decided which words are God’s words and compiled them for an
eclectic text. Do you and I trust in our infallible and almighty God or
in fallible and puny men? “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but
every man a liar” (Rom 3:4).
Ecumenicalism:
The goal or aim of this movement is
first to unite all Protestant churches, and then to unite all Protestant
churches and Roman Catholic church, and finally to unite all religions
including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. The World Council of
Churches (WCC) is on the way to gain the final step of their goal,
leading to One-World Religion soon (Rev 17-18). In order to achieve that
goal, they ignore all doctrinal differences and tolerate and welcome all
kind of faiths and beliefs. However, God commands us to “come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Cor 6:17).
Charismatism:
This movement promotes sign gifts
(speaking in tongues, healing, performing miracles, new revelations
through prophecies, visions and dreams) and overemphasizes on
experiences and feelings. This movement helps unite Roman Catholic
church and Protestant churches and promote ecumenicalism. God’s Word
confirms that sign-gifts have ceased (1 Cor 13:8-10) and God’s
revelation through His Word is complete and sufficient, and no one is
allowed to add anything to or subtract anything from God’s Word (Rev
22:18-19).
Neo-Evangelicalism:
New evangelicals emphasize scholarship
and admire those “scholars” with great credentials no matter whether
they are fundamental. They replace the doctrine of Biblical Separation
with the doctrine of infiltration, willingly work with all denominations
regardless of doctrinal differences and even participate in the WCC.
They compromise and willingly sacrifice God’s Truth for the sake of
“love and unity.” They have a low view of the Holy Scriptures such as “modified
inerrancy—the Bible is inerrant on the subjects it addresses but
not necessarily in the terms in which it speaks of them; and limited
infallibility—the Bible is infallible only in matters of faith and
practice” (Cairns, Alan, Dictionary of Theological Terms).
Open-Theism:
It is a mindset of rejecting
Biblical theism with an open view of God. They argue that if God was
absolutely perfect, good, loving, all-knowing and almighty, why had He
allowed Satan to tempt Adam and Eve or why had He not kept them from
sins, or why did He repent that He had created them (Gen 6:6) or why did
He let people in this world suffer so much with crimes, sickness,
disasters, pestilences, wars, etc. Then they conclude that God’s wisdom,
knowledge and power are limited. What a blasphemy! They fail to see that
God did not create human beings like robots but living souls with a free
will, concept of worship, conscience, power of reason, intelligence,
skills, etc., so human beings must be accountable for what they have
done and get the consequences of their sins. Sadly, due to the totally
corrupt and sinful nature, human beings use their corrupt minds to
reason and argue against their Creator! God’s Word confirms that without
the Holy Spirit, a natural man (not born again) cannot fully know about
God or understand spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14; Isa 55:8-9).
Theistic Evolution:
The theory that God’s creation in Genesis chapter 1 took place in
millions of years through evolution. Our Lord Jesus said to the
Sadducees who believed there was no spirit, nor angel, nor resurrection,
“Ye do err (deceive yourselves), not knowing the scriptures,
nor the power of God” (Matt 22:29). Those who follow theistic
evolution are also deceiving themselves, not knowing the Scriptures, nor
the power of God.
Neo-Fundamentalism:
New-fundamentalists reject the verbal
plenary preservation of the Scriptures (VPP). They believe that the
Bible is only perfect, infallible and inerrant in non-existent and
intangible Autographs, and that God only preserved the doctrines but not
every word, and that the mistakes or errors in the Bible are only
insignificant or minor (Dr Jeffrey Khoo). This is an attitude of
unbelief and “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom 14:23). It
is misleading or deceiving as how can we have perfect and sound
doctrines without every perfect and sound word? How can God and His Word
be perfect if it is impossible for Him to preserve His Word as He has
promised?
Conclusion
Dear friends, there are so many false
teachers, false prophets, unbiblical doctrines and false isms in these
last days of compromise and apostasy. God’s Word warns us,
“Let no man deceive you with vain words…
Be not ye therefore
partakers with them…
walk as children of
light…
Proving what is acceptable
unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them”
(Eph 5:6-11). May God help you and me stand firm on the foundation of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and on His perfectly preserved and
inspired Word, live by His Word, and humbly submit to the authority of
His Word without any doubt, question, or apology. Let us not be
discouraged even though we are the minority who walk in the narrow way
leading to life for “few there be that find it” (Matt 7:14). May
God keep you and me separated from all misleading or deceiving
doctrines, false isms, unbiblical movements and vain words.
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