To Obey is [Still] Better than Sacrifice by the Editor of B.A.N.A.S.H.

In a day when departure from the faith is advancing at an incredible rate, the false doctrine of antinomianism (against the Law) is flourishing as never before. In recent years many professing Christians have swallowed the lie that they are not required to obey God’s Law and are at liberty to live as they wish. It is therefore hardly surprising to witness so many professing Christians attempting to undermine, explain away or even adapt the clear meaning of God’s Word to facilitate or justify their rebellious behaviour and sinful lifestyle choices. 

Faithful ministers of the gospel who dare to preach the whole counsel of God and remind their flock of the distinctive marks and behaviour that should set a Christian apart from the world are unjustly accused of being legalistic!  Sadly, it is also increasingly common to hear professing Christians falsely accuse their fellow believers of being legalistic just because they are seeking to live out their lives in obedience to God’s Word and in accordance with what the Lord Jesus Christ commanded and encouraged His followers to do. These accusations may be harsh, or they may be accompanied by a more gracious admonition to remind the ‘legalistic’ Christian that they are now under grace and therefore no longer subject to the Law.

There are multiple reasons as to why many Christians no longer believe that they need to honour God’s Law and the many other commandments that are based upon the Ten Commandments (God’s Moral Law). Departure from ‘the old paths’ is not a new occurrence, and it has happened on countless occasions throughout the history of the Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) Church. This article aims to provide just a few explanations as to why departure is accelerating rapidly at this point in Church history.

Doctrine Defiled

Frequently, when problems concerning faith and practice have arisen within the Church, it is because theological beliefs have not been founded exclusively upon God’s Word but are built, at least in part, upon the foolish imaginations and philosophies of men. There are multiple theological viewpoints, but two popular theological perspectives adhered to within most evangelical and reformed churches at present, are dispensationalism and covenant theology; within these two viewpoints there is a wide continuum of beliefs ranging from extreme to more loosely held opinions. The following two sections provide an outline of some of the teachings that are held by those who view God’s Word from these two theological perspectives:  

Dispensationalism:

Although not a new concept, dispensationalism is a theological framework that seeks to explain God and His dealings with men as revealed in the Bible. It was popularised by the founder of the Plymouth Brethren, John Nelson Darby during the 19th Century. Darby believed that God was outworking His plan and purpose for mankind in 7 distinct stages or dispensations: 1) Innocence; 2) Conscience; 3) Human Government; 4) Promise; 5) Law; 6) Grace/Spirit (NT times); and 7) Kingdom, yet future. Darby took his dispensational theory to America where it was received well and very successfully propagated through the Scofield Study Bible, the Bible first published with notes by Cyrus I Scofield in 1909. Scofield makes a blasphemous statement about God’s law when commenting on Galatians 3:24 by saying: "The law is a ministry of condemnation, death, and the divine curse."  This erroneous comment has undoubtedly led many unsuspecting saints to believe that God’s Law is harsh and has therefore been dispensed with since the commencement of NT worship under the dispensation of grace.

It is not difficult to make a link between Scofield’s comment on Galatians 3:24 and the increase in antinomianism within churches in the USA, the UK and throughout the world over the last century. Contrary to Scofield’s

opinion, the Scriptures clearly teach that God’s Law is good. There is no new thing under the sun and antinomianism is not a recent heresy as Paul had to warn against it on three occasions within two of his epistles to prevent it from creeping into the early NT Church (Romans 3:31 & 7:7; Galatians 3:21). God’s Word clearly says that “….the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12), and that “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7), so it is preposterous that any man should arrogantly contradict the God of heaven by making out that His Holy Law is anything other than just and good! 

Unfortunately, dispensationalism has led many to believe that OT saints were saved because of their obedience (works) and therefore they were saved in a different way from the saints in NT times, who are saved by grace through faith. Unquestionably, there was a progressiveness in the way that God choose to reveal His plan of redemption to OT saints – but compliance with their Levitical laws and the offering of their many sacrifices, in and of themselves, were never efficacious, so OT saints were just as powerless as NT saints to achieve peace and reconciliation with a Holy God through their obedience and self-effort.

Placing man-made divisions between the way God outworked His redemptive plans for OT and NT saints has without question contributed to a surge in antinomianism because many evangelical churches are frequently telling NT saints not to become enslaved trying to keep God’s Law because they are now under grace and no longer need to obey the Law. In common with most false teachings, there is an element of truth in this claim because NT Christians are no longer subject to the majority of the Levitical, ceremonial and civil laws that were incumbent upon the nation of Israel within the OT economy of worship as that system of worship was largely set aside after Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension back into heaven although it is evident that some OT ceremonies will be reinstituted during the reign of Christ on earth (Zechariah 14:16-19). Nevertheless, some OT practices like the singing of psalms and hymns, praying, reading/exposition of the Scriptures, have been carried forward into Christian practice and worship within the NT Church. The Ten Commandments and the laws and precepts that emanated from the Moral Law were also to be observed by NT saints, not in order to gain merit with God, but as a moral compass to guide them in their earthly sojourn as Christians. Under the authority of the apostles, who were taught and directed by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, a much simpler form of worship was ordained following Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension; OT worship was offered with an emphasis on outward visual ceremonies whereas in NT times, worship shifted to a more inward form where God was to be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  

The OT method of worship was rich in symbolism through its various ceremonies and rituals but this provided the nation of Israel with highly informative illustrations that revealed more and more about God’s way of salvation. However, just like their NT counterparts, the OT sinner was dead in trespasses and sin and needed to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit in order to have his or her understanding opened to God’s Word that was preached to them from the Pentateuch (first five books of the OT written by Moses), the Word delivered to them orally by the Prophets or revealed to them through their ceremonies and sacrifices. They also needed God’s grace to convict them of their sinfulness, to bring about confession of their sins and repentance towards God; finally, through God’s gift of faith, the OT saint was brought to believe on the coming Messiah, the spotless Lamb of God, who was prophesied to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem, who would keep God’s law perfectly and die an atoning death on behalf of all of His people given to Him by His Father.

The OT saint knew full well they could never gain merit with God through their works or conformity to the Law and the Scriptures make it abundantly clear that no one, not even the Jews who lived during OT times, could ever be justified in the sight of a Holy God by their obedience –  anyone attempting to do so is pouring contempt on Christ’s perfect work of redemption: “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:15-16).

NT saints have certainly been blessed with a fuller knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on their behalf because they can look back to the finished work of Christ and they also have a full Canon Scripture, which provides abundant detail on everything that God wants them to know regarding the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless, their OT brethren were far from ignorant regarding what God was going to do for them. The Scriptures clearly show that their inspired writers and the OT saints who heard or read God’s Word had a much clearer understanding of Christ, His work for sinners, and of His work in the ages to come, than many NT saints have today as the following Bible references reveal: Job 19:25-27; Psalm 2, 22, 110; Isaiah 2:1-4, 9:6; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 9:9, 12:8-14; Hebrews 11; Jude 14-15.

Covenant Theology:

The origin of covenant theology as a framework for interpreting Scripture is commonly attributed to the time of the Reformation when there was a great revival of New Testament religion; others trace it to God’s covenant with Abraham but, in actual fact, it originated in eternity past when ‘The Eternal Covenant of Redemption’ was agreed between the members of the Triune Godhead as a means to provide eternal salvation for a people yet to be created but chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:4).     God the Father planned the covenant of redemption; God the Son was appointed by the Father to fulfil and ratify (seal) the terms of the covenant and Christ humbled Himself to take the form of a servant and being made in the likeness of men whom He had created, He came down to this earth in order to live a life of perfect obedience and die an atoning death on behalf of a people given to Him by His Father; God the Holy Spirit agreed to apply Christ’s work of redemption to the recipients of God’s salvation by sealing them unto salvation with the earnest (deposit) of the Spirit. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Other covenants were incorporated within the terms of the eternal covenant of redemption, the first being the covenant of works, an agreement made between God and Adam, the first man. Adam was appointed as a representative of all of mankind and he was capable of securing acceptance with God through his continued obedience to the Lord. When Adam wilfully disobeyed God, the covenant of works was broken and Adam began to die physically – spiritually, however, he died instantly and the fellowship he previously enjoyed with God was broken. All Adam’s descendants thereafter were conceived in sin and born spiritually dead in trespasses and sin, wholly incapable of securing their salvation by works or self-effort. God, who is omniscient, foreknew that Adam would choose to break the covenant of works, so He included the covenant of grace within the eternal covenant of redemption.

God’s immutability and justice still demanded the fulfilment of the covenant of works so where the first Adam failed, the second Adam (the Lord Jesus Christ) who is very God and very man, fulfilled this covenant by keeping God’s Law perfectly on behalf of His people. God thereby imputed His Son’s perfect righteousness to the account of every redeemed sinner. Furthermore, the sins of God’s elect were imputed to Christ’s account, and He bore the punishment for their sins at Calvary, satisfying divine justice. Christ’s shed blood provided an atonement (a covering) for all the sins of all His people and hell-deserving sinners were blessed with eternal salvation and reconciliation with a thrice Holy God!

A correct understanding of the covenant of redemption makes it clear that since the fall of man, sinners have been saved under the terms of the covenant of grace and will continue to be saved by God’s grace alone, through God-given faith alone, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone until the end of time.

God’s Word is often preached faithfully in reformed and evangelical churches with every ‘t’ being crossed and every ‘i’ being dotted in terms of doctrine. Within many of these churches, chiefly the reformed ones, the teachings of the Reformers, especially Calvin, the Puritans and the Covenanters, are frequently embraced and preached with evangelical zeal; however, the holy conduct of our godly forefathers is often very lacking within the lives of those who tenaciously profess allegiance to reformed teachings; some of these ‘liberal Christians’ pour scorn and ridicule upon Christians who attend churches that are seeking to remain faithful to the teaching of the Old and New Testaments regarding Christian conduct within this present evil world and within the visible church.

Many of God’s people rejoice greatly, and rightly so, in the knowledge that Christ kept the Law perfectly and died an atoning death on their behalf to provide them with a robe of righteousness and a covering for all of their violations of God’s Law (sin); this is because such knowledge, if applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit, brings about great joy, peace and liberty to those who are so assured of their acceptance in the Beloved that they have no need to struggle to do that which has been unachievable since Adam’s fall, i.e. to keep God’s Law perfectly in order to gain salvation.

Sadly, there is increasing evidence that many Christians are abusing this liberty by behaving as though they have a licence to live as they please without giving any regard to God’s Law or the many commandments that the Lord has given us based upon His Moral Law. This radical change in Christian behaviour is being exhibited more and more within Christendom of late to the extent that it is now clearly exhibited in the lives of many Christians who are mimicking the ungodly fads and fashions of this world, something that was rarely manifested or even tolerated within the Church a mere 20 or 30 years ago.

Many Christians who once walked with the Lord, and evidenced the power and fruit of the Holy Spirit within their lives by shining brightly for the Lord, have undergone dramatic changes in their behaviour and are now displaying conduct that is contrary to the plain teaching of Christ and His Word; indulgence in worldly behaviour by Christians can easily be identified in outward appearances, in speech, and in appetites for carnal pleasures such as the consumption of alcohol, dancing and frequenting places of worldly entertainment. Some Christians, who once bore distinctive marks that set them apart as the Lord’s children, are now so well integrated within the world that they are virtually indistinguishable from the unsaved. That which is manifested in a Christian’s life and conduct is but a reflection of what is taking place within their heart. "For as he [a man/woman] thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). When a Christian loves the world and its pleasures, it eventually becomes evident that they are walking in the flesh as opposed to walking in the Spirit, the One who is appointed to help a Christian’s refrain from fulfilling the lusts of their flesh: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). God’s Word makes it abundantly clear that is impossible for any Christian to harbour a love for the things of this world and to love the Lord at the same time. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). 

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1st John 2:15).

Carnal behaviour amongst Christians is also manifesting itself within the visible church through the casual and even immodest dress of worshippers; this displays an irreverent and disrespectful attitude to the worship of God, Who ought to be served with reverence and a godly fear (Hebrews 12:28). 

An ever-increasing number reformed and evangelical churches are imitating worldly entertainment methods to praise God by employing music that is more akin to a rock concert or a country jamboree; this so-called ‘praise’ is often accompanied by strobe lighting, drums, irreverent contemporary music styles and singers who shamelessly imitate pop or country stars to offer praises unto a Holy God.

Pulpits that once were used by faithful men to proclaim God’s Word are being dismantled and replaced by stages from whence ‘preachers’ amuse and tickle the ears of their congregation. Actors take to the stage to dramatise the gospel to make it more ‘relevant and enjoyable’ for the audience, even though the Lord has clearly appointed the foolishness of preaching as the means to save them that believe (1st Corinthians 1:18-21).

Disconcertingly, there has been an increasing number of reformed and evangelical churches being adversely influenced by the teachings of John Piper, a popular ‘New Calvinist’ pastor from America. Piper has been a long-time admirer of the writings of CS Lewis, a man who had an unhealthy interest in mysticism and whose Christian credentials are highly suspect to say the least. CS Lewis held several heretical beliefs, and he infamously corrupted the answer to the first question within the Westminster Confession of Faith by claiming that ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God ‘by’ enjoying Him forever”. Everyone who has memorised the catechism will immediately know that the correct answer is “Man’s chief end is to glorify God ‘and’ to enjoy Him forever”. To suggest that God is glorified by our enjoyment of Him is diverting the focus of man’s chief end as defined in The Westminster Confession of Faith to man’s personal gratification as opposed to the glorification of God.

Piper’s fascination with CS Lewis has unquestionably influenced his wholesale acceptance of the perversion of the original answer to the Confession’s first question and has almost certainly led Piper to adopt the humanistic term ‘Hedonism’ to promote his deviant belief that a Christian glorifies God the most when they are enjoying Him the most; he also wrote a book to promote this erroneous teaching entitled ‘Christian Hedonism.’ This is not what the Westminster Confession is teaching nor is it the teaching of the Scriptures. God’s Word provides abundant evidence that man’s chief end is to glorify God and we can only do this when we are enabled by God’s grace to love Him and obey His commandments. Unquestionably, there are blessings for those who glorify God through their love, devotion and obedience to Him as God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ have promised to love and manifest Themselves unto those who obey Him (John 14:21), but a Christian’s chief end must always be to glorify God.

The theological philosophies of liberalism, rationalism, armenianism, ecumenism, and many other ‘isms’ have also played a part in accelerating recent departures from the faith which was once delivered unto the saints, and this is because Satan has always sought to infiltrate the church with false teachings in order to weaken the authority of God’s Word and encourage the rejection of God’s Law in favour of philosophies that have sprung from man’s perverse intellectual reasoning. Consequently, the fundamental teachings of God’s Word, which were re-established during the Reformation, have been attacked and undermined on numerous occasions by many such false teachings but the Lord’s plans and purposes will never be hindered and He will build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

Dispensationalism, a wrong interpretation of covenant theology, and the imbibing of other false teachings have without question been contributing to an increase in antinomianism and the subsequent deterioration in Christian conduct. The following, along with many other things, are contributing to a decline in Christian behaviour and a departure from Scriptural worship within previously faithful churches:

Diabolical Philosophies

The manifestation of carnality and worldliness throughout the visible church can also be attributed to the influx of atheistic and humanistic philosophies across the world. God’s Law has been all but abandoned by most global governments and humanistic laws are being implemented with great enthusiasm. The full consequences of this foolishness have yet to be realised because humanistic laws, unlike God’s Law, have no capacity to restrain the advancement of evil throughout society.

The church has not been left untouched by the rise in godless humanism as there has evidently been a rejection or a ‘dumbing down’ of large swathes of God’s Word; His commandments are all but ignored even by many professing Christians and churches, chiefly the failure to keep the Lord’s Day holy, the desecration of which is no longer regarded as sinful by many Christians. This treachery adversely affected the OT church and Israel was severely punished and taken into Babylonian captivity, chiefly because of Sabbath Day desecration; given that God is immutable (unchangeable), our nation and the nations of this world, some of which have been blessed with a rich gospel heritage, will be brought to realise that the calamities currently falling upon the world today are the Lord’s judgements against the nations for the despising of His day and for their lack of conformity to His Laws.

Humanism is in direct opposition to God’s Law, which plainly informs man of his duty towards God within the first five commandments and man’s responsibility towards their neighbours/fellow human beings within the last five commandments. Proponents of humanism have, with considerable success, been seeking to eradicate all references to God and His Law throughout society because they are diametrically opposed to moral absolutes, espousing that they are unnecessary because everyone has an innate goodness and is therefore capable of choosing to do good without a set of rules to provide them with a moral compass; this foolish notion has contributed to the influx of a raft of humanistic philosophies, including the pseudoscience of psychology and its accompanying ‘buzz words’ that are now commonly used within every walk of life today, including many churches!  Words such as self-esteem, self-confidence, self-motivated, self-love, self-acceptance, self-actualisation, autonomy, independence etc are terms that have developed from humanistic philosophies; consequently, a ‘me, myself and I’ culture has saturated society with egotism, selfishness, and thoughtlessness abounding and this is leading to an increase in covetousness and a reduction in neighbourliness; care for others is also becoming more of a rarity within the care provider sector and throughout every facet of society.

Alarmingly, many previously sound churches and Christian organisations have been deceived into adopting humanistic psychological counselling models to address the emotional and spiritual needs of their congregations, thus pouring contempt upon the all-sufficiency of Christ and His Word as the Lord’s appointed means of ministering to the needs of His people’s souls.

Disobedience & Rebelliousness

It is an indisputable fact that there has been a huge rise in children and young adults disobeying their parents, teachers and other adults in positions in authority. This too can be attributed to the influence of humanistic philosophies that defy God’s commandments regarding the honouring of parents who are being robbed of their right to bring up and discipline their children in accordance with the Scriptures of Truth. The commandment for children to honour their parents is widely rejected within most societies and this has almost certainly contributed to the disobedient and aggressive conduct of very young children, which is frequently displayed in public places with parents visibly perplexed due to their inability to control their child’s bad-tempered behaviour. It is therefore hardly surprising to hear frequent news reports of young children committing murder and other heinous crimes. If children are not disciplined and taught to honour and obey their parents and respect those who are in authority they will inevitably grow up with a rebellious attitude towards authority of any kind; subsequently, they will find it difficult to function within society and unable to contribute anything useful to it, resulting in a higher risk of them turning to criminality.

Relatively recently there was a very sad display of blatant rebelliousness by many professing Christians against God’s express commandment regarding submission to those whom He has placed in roles of governmental power (Romans 13:1-7; 1st Peter 2:13-15; Titus 3:1). Some churches and individual Christians defied government rules and guidelines that were introduced for the wellbeing and protection of everyone during the Covid pandemic even though these rules were based on sound scientific evidence, quite clearly succeeded in reducing transmission of the virus and were in keeping with God’s commandment to love our neighbours. Absurd arguments were put forward by professing Christians to justify defiance of governmental rules, including the denial of the existence of the virus or the undermining of the serious nature of Covid 19, which could indiscriminately cause serious illness or death; circulation of ridiculous conspiracy theories abounded across social media platforms and these were aimed at dissuading people from complying with governmental guidelines that recommended social distancing, wearing face masks in public spaces, regular sanitising of hands and avoidance of social gatherings. 

Some even argued that because God had commanded Christians not to forsake the gathering of themselves together, our government could be defied because it was compelling Christians to disobey God and was persecuting them by not permitting them to gather for public worship during the ‘lockdown’ period; this of course was untrue as social gatherings of every kind were suspended for a temporary period only and purely for the prevention of the spread of an extremely virulent virus that claimed the lives of millions of people across the world. The full consequences of such disobedience and rebelliousness is known only to the Lord.

Discipline Ignored & Neglected

Sadly, professing Christians are not only displaying disobedient and rebellious behaviour against Scriptural authority (i.e. God’s commandments), but also against the authority of church oversight (bishops/elders), men appointed by the Lord to rule over affairs within His church. Very often, those who have joined themselves into membership of a church family choose to resign and move to another church when they have undergone examination by their oversight for alleged wrongdoing and have been subjected to discipline – something that should always be dispensed in love and for the good of the person being disciplined. Submission to discipline meted out by the oversight of a church can be very difficult especially when it is perceived as being unjustified; nevertheless, submission to church oversight is not an optional extra and after all efforts to resolve disagreements about discipline have been exhausted, God’s grace is needed to accept the correction or direction meted out by the oversight of a church, especially when the discipline is perceived as unwarranted; obedience will always work out for the good of the individual who humbly subjects themselves to church discipline, especially if it has been imposed unfairly.

Discipline has become very lax in many churches with unscriptural conduct often being overlooked, perhaps due to the fear of man, personal friendships or family connections that may exist between members of the oversight and the individual that is the subject of discipline. Consequently, disobedience, worldliness, backsliding and even heretical beliefs held by some people are either being overlooked or ‘hidden under the proverbial carpet’.

Turning a blind eye to sinful behaviour within the church, regardless of who is committing the sin, is an extremely serious offence before the Lord, because elders have been appointed by Him to maintain gospel purity and good order within His church; where discipline is neglected within a church, it is almost certain that doctrinal error will creep in and take a previously faithful church on a downward path to eventual oblivion, just like the seven churches in Asia, who all had their candlesticks removed by the Lord (Revelation 1-3)! 

Departure from the Old Paths

Old Testament and New Testament church history provides many instances of departure from the faith (apostasy) by individuals and churches; the forerunner of departure from the faith always begins with disobedience against God’s Commandments; God’s Word must ever be upheld as the supreme standard for the faith and practice of individual Christians and for the visible church on earth. To leave off following the old paths as clearly laid out in God’s Word and to follow paths of our own making for life, worship and in the Lord’s service, is nothing short of rebelliousness, which is described as the sin of witchcraft by God (1st Samuel 15:23).  

It is vitally important for Christians and churches to show forth the loveliness of the Lord Jesus Christ and to do this effectively they must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, reflect Christ’s righteousness and holiness; therefore, it is foolish to leave the old paths of worship as ordained by the Lord to follow the contemporary, irreverent styles of worship and conduct that has been so readily adopted by the charismatics, New Calvinists, and New Evangelicals.

The tried and tested King James Authorised Version of the Bible is also being abandoned by many churches for modern versions that contain many serious errors including the very deliberate undermining of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Long held standards and distinctives that were firmly grounded upon Scriptural truths and once regarded by faithful churches as essential for continued membership in their congregations and denominations, are being discarded because they are now considered as old fashioned and irrelevant; consequently, there is little or no effort to encourage church members to adhere to standards of behaviour – and the standards and distinctives that helped to set Christians apart from the world are gradually being eroded away.

Thankfully there are still faithful ministers and pastors who fearlessly preach the whole counsel of God and do not neglect to exhort their congregations of the need to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present evil world; however, the necessity to obey the Scriptural command to join Christ outside the camp of apostasy and the world is rarely proclaimed within many churches and some professing Christians would baulk at the very thought of exchanging their comfortable and worldly lifestyles to join Christ outside the camp and to share in His reproach. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach, for here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:13).

Churches and individuals who depart from the old paths will sooner or later feel the rod of chastisement for their disobedience and rebellion. God in His mercy has not left His people without many warnings about the consequences for their disobedience and the words underlined in the following passage is just one of many cautions written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and preserved by the Lord for the admonition and for the good of His people in NT times:   “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, we will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my Words, nor to my law, but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion” (Jeremiah 6:16-23).

Deluge of Lawlessness

The Scriptures have warned that a time of great lawlessness (rebelliousness against God and His Law) will prevail prior to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and there can be little doubt that this is currently happening throughout the United Kingdom and across the entire world. This most recent increase in rebelliousness against God can be linked to the advancement of apostasy but it can also be allied with the advancement of atheism and humanism. It’s true origin, however, occurred before the creation of the world when, in arrogance and pride, Satan rebelled against God by attempting to make himself equal with God. Satan’s spirit of rebellion against God continued on earth when he deceived Eve into thinking that she and Adam could be as gods. Adam, influenced by Eve, chose to disobey God and broke the covenant of works.

Satan continues to rebel against God and is fiercely opposed to the Son of God, who is eternally co-equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit; this opposition has always been exhibited on earth through the spirit of antichrist, an influence that Satan has used within the world since the fall of man. On numerous occasions throughout the entirety of the Scriptures, Satan has manifested this spirit of antichrist through his attempts to destroy the royal lineage into which Christ was to be born. Following Christ’s incarnation, Satan again showed forth the spirit of antichrist when He tempted Christ to break God’s Law. If it had been possible for Christ to sin by disobeying God’s Law, He would not have been able to keep the covenant of works on behalf of His people and all hope for man’s salvation would have been lost forever. The spirit of antichrist was  again clearly revealed in the NT Scriptures by the many attempts by  Satan to have the Christ killed; this is especially evident in the  Garden of Gethsemane where Satan desperately tried to prevent the Lord Jesus Christ from going to Calvary, but his success was never a possibility because Christ had promised to obey His Father and that included being “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

The spirit of antichrist is becoming more apparent with every passing day because Satan knows that his time left on this earth is very short but he cannot refrain from trying again to usurp the Lord Jesus Christ by attempting to prevent the fulfilment of the Scriptural prophecies of a time when all things will be placed under Christ. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).  

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:19-23).

At a time of increasing apostasy and lawlessness, it is incredibly sad that the visible church is blending in with the world; rather than shining forth brightly for Christ, the church is virtually enveloped by the advancing darkness that is prophesied to characterise the world at end of this age. The church today can accurately be described as being in a state of slumber just like the five virgins who had oil in their lamps but their wicks were not trimmed so their lights could not shine forth and they were in a state of unpreparedness for the bridegroom’s return (Matthew 25:1-13). What an apt description of many Christians today, who appear totally uninterested and oblivious to the signs of the times that are manifested throughout the world on an almost daily basis, providing clear evidence that the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ is drawing very nigh. May the Lord in His mercy issue a cry to awaken His people, cause them to trim their lamps and prompt them into a state of prayerfulness and watchfulness for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Decline in Love for Christ

Rebelliousness and disobedience within the lives of God’s people is something that has plagued the church throughout every age and the problem can always be traced to a decline in love for the Lord and His Word. The Church at Ephesus was upbraided by the Lord for forsaking her First Love and even though the Lord acknowledged the efforts of that church to serve Him and defend His truth, its lack of love for the Lord was deemed so serious that the Lord threatened to remove that church’s candlestick unless they confessed and repented of their backsliding. Lack of love for the Lord invariably leads to backsliding so it behoves every Christian, especially in these days when iniquity abounds, to be alerted to anything that would rob the Lord of their devotion and love because of all that He has done on their behalf to secure their salvation.

Samson provides an example of how it is possible to be empowered by the Holy Spirit and performing exploits for the Lord, yet within a short space of time resort to fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and sinning grievously against the Lord. Initially, Samson was totally unaware that he had lost the distinctives that were used of the Lord to set him apart and necessary for God’s power to continue working in and through Samson’s life. Just like Samson, God’s people often start off well and are overcome by love for the Lord Jesus Christ because of their newfound knowledge of what He has done to secure their salvation; they cannot help but surrender their all to Him and are determined to follow the Lord no matter where He leads them, regardless of the cost. Sadly, this first flush of love can begin to grow cold when other things, including legitimate matters, begin to grab the Christian’s attention and, without even noticing it, the Lord is no longer first in their lives or in their affections. Not only have they committed covetousness but they have broken the first and greatest commandment to, “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). Disobedience grieves the Lord so much that He withdraws the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit from within the disobedient Christian’s life, thus rendering them unable to do exploits for Him or to witness effectively and instead they become stumbling blocks to others and cause the name of the Lord to be blasphemed. Samson’s rebellious behaviour not only left him powerless, but he was also subjected to a miserable state of captivity due to his backsliding. The Christian who has wandered far from Christ also knows something of that state of misery because they have lost a sense of God’s presence and are powerless to live a useful and fruitful life for the Lord, something that is only possible as a Christian abides in Christ. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4).

Thankfully the Lord is abundant in mercy and longsuffering towards His backslidden church and His people for He has graciously provided a way back for them by inviting them to return to their First Love so that their fellowship with their heavenly Father can be restored.

Discovering the Way Back

The pathway back to God for the backslider is the same pathway they traversed as a sinner when they were first brought to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their own and personal Saviour:

Chastisement to be Heeded:  A backslidden Christian or church is in a very precarious position before the Lord as there are consequences for persistent disobedience against the Lord and failure to heed His pleadings for their return unto Himself. A sad example of this can be seen in the life of Saul, who initially seemed to be going on well with God, but things took a turn for the worse when he rebelled against the Lord’s commands delivered to him by Samuel; he was instructed to destroy all the Amalekite’s animals along with their King and to wait for Samuel who would come to offer a burnt sacrifice (1st Samuel 13). Saul blatantly disobeyed the Lord by sparing King Agag along with the best of the animals; when he ran out of patience waiting for Samuel to arrive, he presumptively took it upon himself to offer burnt sacrifices unto the Lord. Upon being told by Samuel that because of his rebelliousness the Lord was going to remove him from being King over Israel, Saul repeatedly resorted to the lusts of the flesh by manifesting an angry spirit and murderous hatred towards David, the one whom God appointed to be successor to Saul’s throne.

The following proclamation delivered by God to Saul through Samuel is a solemn warning to all who persistently defy God and clearly reveals that rebelliousness and stubbornness against God’s commandments as revealed in His Word is considered a most serious offence in God’s sight: “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the Word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1st Samuel:22-23).

Saul’s failure to heed God’s warnings against his rebelliousness and stubbornness resulted in him being removed from this scene of time so that he could no longer disgrace the name of the Lord through his disobedience.

Conviction of Sin:  Christ pointed out to the church at Laodicea their delusion in thinking they were rich and in need of nothing when they were in fact backslidden and in a repulsive, lukewarm state before the Lord. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:15-17). God, in love and desiring the return of His wayward children, often uses adverse and difficult circumstances as a means of convicting them of their sinful disobedience against their Saviour.

Repentance & Faith:  Just as a sinner must repent towards God and have faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21) before they can know and enjoy forgiveness for their sins, the backslider must also repent and by faith open the door for Christ to enter and restore His relationship with them.

The following passage was an appeal for the restoration of the  backslidden church at Laodicea and although it is frequently used to preach a gospel message to sinners, it is even more applicable to the church or Christian who is following afar off: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:20-22).

Obedience to God’s Commandments:   When a sinner initially comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, there is an instinctive craving to feed upon God’s Word, to pray and a natural delight to follow Him and obey His commandments (Psalm 40:8).

Sadly, this initial flush of love and devotion to the Lord can be quelled and this results in obedience to God’s Word becoming lax; these downward trends grieve the Holy Spirit to such an extent that He is compelled to withdraw His power and the sense of His presence from the life of the rebellious Christian.

A sincere love for Christ and obedience to God’s Word is a prerequisite for any Christian if they are to know the fulness of the Holy Spirit within their lives; He is the One appointed by the Lord to draw alongside Christians to guide, comfort and to give them the power needed to live and witness boldly for the Lord. “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32).

The Lord not only deserves our complete devotion and unquestionable obedience to His commandments, but He also demands it as revealed within multiple verses and passages throughout the Bible: “Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 22:31).

“Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him” (Deuteronomy 13:4).

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

“I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God” (Ezekiel 20:19-20).

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Whilst it is good for any individual or nation to have regard for the Lord’s commandments, the highest motivation for obedience to God is a love for Him based upon an understanding of all that He has done to secure their salvation. Although Christians will never love God as they ought to on this side of glory, by God’s grace, they can be brought to love Him more and more as they grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He has accomplished for them in the past, what He is doing for them presently and everything that He will yet do in the future on their behalf. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).

God’s children are just like sheep - vulnerable, easily distracted, and prone to wandering – so God not only sent His Son to die for the sins of His people, but He also appointed Him as their Good Shepherd who provides His sheep with everything necessary to nurture and protect them. Shepherds in Western countries drive their sheep into submission by using dogs and, in more recent days, with quad bikes; contrariwise, in Eastern countries shepherds generally go before their sheep to lead them and they also stay with their sheep day and night to keep them safe from harm.  The sheep get to know the sound of their shepherd’s voice, his facial features, his human form, and even the smell of his garments, and they quickly learn the benefits of following him because he leads them into green pastures, beside still waters, and into the sheepfold at night where the shepherd protects his sheep from danger and predators.

Ministers and pastors sometimes feel compelled to drive and coerce their flock into obeying God’s commands, but obedience rendered on this basis will be joyless and a drudgery; whilst a Christian’s obedience to God’s commandments is always good regardless of the motive, it is most joyful and delightful when love for the Lord and all that he has done for them is the motive for their obedience. To love the Lord as they should, Christians, just like the sheep in eastern countries, need to learn more about their Good Shepherd and as their knowledge of Him increases, so will their love for Him grow and they too will be motivated to follow their Shepherd more closely.

God’s Means of Grace: God has graciously appointed the means whereby His children can gain more knowledge about Him and especially about His Beloved Son, the Good Shepherd who gave Himself to secure redemption for His people; it is so sad to hear some Christians saying that they don’t think it is necessary to read God’s Word and to pray every day, to regularly attend prayer meetings and worship services twice on a Sunday, or to partake of the Lord’s Supper, or be baptised; these seemingly plain and often despised means are the very things used by the Holy Spirit to build up Christians in their most holy faith, to conform them more to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and to increase their love for Him so that they will not only delight in Him, but they will eagerly run in the way of His commandments: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).

“I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Psalm 119:32).

Of course, it is possible to faithfully avail of the means of grace and display all the outward signs of being in conformity to God’s Word, yet be backslidden in heart; therefore, every Christian needs to frequently ask the Lord to examine their hearts using the searchlight of His Word so that they are kept close to the Lord.   “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). 

When a Christian is walking with the Lord in the light of His Word and obeying Him, the Holy Spirit will use the means of grace to bless that Christian with a greater knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and conform them more to His image.   “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2nd Corinthians 3:18).

There has only ever been one way for OT and NT saints to glorify God and to enjoy Him and that is via the old pathway of an unwavering obedience to the Lord’s commandments, an obedience motivated by love for the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, it is vitally important for Christians, whenever physical health and circumstances permit, to avail themselves of God’s means of grace so that they can be kept in God’s love and enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to live godly in Christ Jesus within this present evil world:

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21).

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).

In the Words of the Hymnwriter John H Sammis (1887):

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His Word

What a glory He sheds on our way

When we do His good will

He abides with us still

And with all who will trust and obey

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey

Not a burden we bear

Not a sorrow we share

But our toil He doth richly repay

Not a grief or a loss

Not a frown nor a cross

But is blest if we trust and obey

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey

Then in fellowship sweet

We will sit at His feet

Or we'll walk by His side in the way

What He says we will do

Where He sends we will go

Never fear, only trust and obey

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey

From Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening Daily Readings, 4th July (am):

"Sanctify them," said Jesus, "through thy truth: thy Word is truth." The passages of Scripture which prove that the instrument of our sanctification is the Word of God are very many. The Spirit of God brings to our minds the precepts and doctrines of truth, and applies them with power. These are heard in the ear, and being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do of God's good pleasure. The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We only progress in sound living as we progress in sound understanding. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Do not say of any error, "It is a mere matter of opinion." No man indulges an error of judgment, without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold fast the truth, for by so holding the truth shall you be sanctified by the Spirit of God.

Luther’s Opinion on Antinomianism:

“My friends, the Antinomians preach exceedingly well and I cannot but believe that they do so with great earnestness concerning the mercy of Christ, forgiveness of sin, and other contents of the article of redemption.

But they flee from this inference as from the devil, that they must tell the people about the Third Article, of sanctification, that is, of the new life in Christ.  For they hold that we must not terrify people and make them sorrowful but must always preach to them the comfort of grace in Christ and the forgiveness of sin. They tell us to avoid, for God’s sake, such statements as these:  

‘Listen, you want to be a Christian while you are an adulterer, a fornicator, a swill-belly, full of pride, avarice, usurious practices, envy, revenge, malice, etc., and mean to continue in these sins?’ On the contrary, they tell us that this is the proper way to speak: ‘Listen, you are an adulterer, fornicator, miser, or addicted to some other sin. Now, if you will only believe, you are saved and need not dread the Law, for Christ has fulfilled all.’  

Tell me, pray-thee, does not this amount to conceding the premise and denying the conclusion? Verily, it amounts to this, that Christ is taken away and made worthless in the same breath with which He is most highly extolled. It means to say yes and no in the same matter. For a Christ who died for sinners who, after receiving forgiveness, will not quit their sin nor lead a new life, is worthless and does not exist.  

According to the logic of Nestorius and Eutyches these people, in masterful fashion, preach a Christ who is, and is not, the Redeemer. They are excellent preachers of the Easter truth, but miserable preachers of the truth of Pentecost. For there is nothing in their preaching concerning sanctification of the Holy Ghost and about being quickened into a new life.  

They preach only about the redemption of Christ. It is proper to extol Christ in our preaching; but Christ is the Christ and has acquired redemption from sin and death for this very purpose that the Holy Spirit should change our Old Adam into a new man, that we are to be dead unto sin and live unto righteousness, as Paul teaches Rom. 6, 2 ff., and that we are to begin this change and increase in this new life here and consummate it hereafter.  

For Christ has gained for us not only grace (gratiam), but also the gift (donum) of the Holy Ghost, so that we obtain from Him not only forgiveness of sin, but also the ceasing from sin. Anyone, therefore, who does not cease from his sin, but continues in his former evil way must have obtained a different Christ -from the Antinomians. The genuine Christ is not with them, even if they cry with the voice of all angels, Christ! Christ! They will have to go to perdition with their new Christ.” 

Martin Luther, Concerning Councils and Churches St. L. Ed. XVI, 2241 f.