Unless you’re a disciple …

You’re not a Christian.

If we’re not about redemption, then what hope do any of us have?

This is my passion.

This is my cause.

But it ain’t neat, and it ain’t tiddy. It’s raw and sometimes ugly …

Because if Jesus doesn’t work for the worse of us, then He works for none of us.

Revivals come, revivals go …

But true repentance is forever.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion …

But not to a Christ of their own perception.

He created and defines us …

And not us Him.

Jesus never told people they were saved by asking him into their heart …

But by repenting and submitting to his Father’s will and Kingdom.

If Jesus is truly in your heart, it’s because of the latter, not the former.

Those who proclaim otherwise …

Are preaching a lie.

It’s so ironic how some think that elevating Christ as the Living Word …

Means discounting His written Word of Scripture.

Is Christ divided?

A purely subjective Jesus without the plenary authority of Scripture as His written Word …

Leads to an inauthentic Jesus who is just Being and relationship but not Word and truth.

Likewise, the plenary authority of Scripture without Jesus alive in us …

Leads to an inauthentic Jesus who is just Word and truth but not Being and relationship.

Each extreme – born of an endless cycle of reaction to the other – chronicles two tragic trends of Church history.

Unfortunately, we still see these extremes all too evident today.

Maturity embraces the fulness of Christ – both His Person and what He has revealed in His written Word of Scripture.

Yet where my subjective perception of Him parts with His written self-disclosure and objective precepts, my perception must yield to Scripture.

There can be no maturity in Christ apart from these essentials of the faith.

What is existentialism, and why does it matter?

Existentialist is a worldly philosophy which believes that each individual can define – on their own terms – what is true, right and real based on their own perceptions and personal sensibilities.

Many “Christians” do this, whether consciously or not.

They often claim to have a “high view” of Scripture, but then discount anything in it which contradicts their own perceptions and sensibilities.

Whether they call themselves “Emergent”, “Progressive”, “Red Letter Christians”, “Beyond Evangelical”, “Neo-orthodox” or whatever …

They set themselves over God’s plenary authority of Scripture by defining truth, reality and morality on their own terms when it suits their own purposes.

Inevitably, this leads them to project their own perceptions and sensibilities onto Jesus Himself …

To then create their own “Christ” after their own likeness and image.

In essence, they end up worshipping themselves by deceiving themselves through their false Christ …

Who is nothing more than a projection of themselves.

Like any idol, this “Jesus” of their own creation then justifies their religion of self …

Both to themselves (whether knowingly or not) and to those they seek to deceive (again, whether knowingly or not).

Unfortunately, our “churches” today are filled with such people …

Because many “churches” find it’s easier to cater to such narcissism than call for true repentance.

Existential deception is a defining issue of our times because the real Jesus didn’t choose to leave everything up to our personal foibles and follies …

But chose to authoritatively define Himself – and what is ultimately true, real and right – through Scripture as His written Word.

Anything less is a lie.

We can not deserve, earn or choose God’s grace …

Otherwise, it’s not grace.

But we certainly can reject it.

Reformed Theology says it’s impossible to reject God’s grace when offered …

Based on the philosophic concept that doing so would involve human autonomy against God’s sovereignty.

The flaw is that Reformed Theology does not see that there is a third option, which runs throughout Scripture.

The choice isn’t Calvinism = a Sovereign God …

While Arminianism = Human autonomy.

Rather, Biblical doctrine shows a God who is so sovereign …

He can offer grace to those who have no choice in and of themselves, while also granting them the choice to reject that grace.

Denying God’s sovereign right to delegate that choice is, at it’s core, a denial of His sovereignty.

We are bound by the limits of our fallen nature, which makes us “dead in our trespasses and sin”.

We are not sick, but dead.

Free will, therefore, is a myth apart from God’s grace giving us the option to choose life.

A dead man has no choice otherwise.

There is no human autonomy to choose anything apart from what God has chosen to delegate and enable.

He allowed Adam to choose sin. He now, through the Cross, enables us to choose life.

That’s what makes grace so amazing.