Much is being said in our day by the environmentalists of certain living species being placed on the endangered list towards complete extinction from the earth. Certainly something should be said for the hopeful preservation of any living organism great or small. However we must remember God is the final custodian of nature.
The New Age Movement in their worship of Gaia ("Mother Nature"), is advancing this physical hope of survival into the occult of spiritualism. The present philosophy of man is ready for these inroads of physics leading into the psychic phenomena of paranormal experience.
The Vacuum of Man
Church history reveals a distinct pattern that whenever biblical doctrine is not publicly pronounced and defended it causes a vacuum in society into which the target of the vortex is taken by false teachings of both the areas of natural theology and the false beliefs of spiritualism.
Man is so constitutionally natured that he either must hunger for biblical spiritualities or seek satanic spiritualism. Although man is truly adapted through his physical body to physical things, yet he is only finally satisfied when he arrives in a spiritual world, either true or false. Man's heart is so deep that it takes a deep striving of man to seek to fill it.
Turning From Biblical Realities
We are presently passing through man's turning away from Biblical realities and he is therefore inevitably caught up into a lusting for satanic and fleshly realities. In the former, biblical truth guards the soul; in the latter, satanic error captivates and takes captive the man.
The glorious doctrine of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as proclaimed through the Protestant Reformation brought the death knell to the superstition and perversions Satan had brought to the Roman Catholic world, and the secular world, through the long Dark Ages which had lasted for 1,000 years (500-1500 A.D.).
But "mystery Babylon," the Roman "harlot," must return for her last wicked performance. She has been urgently requested, by popular demand, to give her burlesque act once again to a postmodern audience. This wicked return will bring a union to her former lover, Babylon, with her own Roman world. The iron in the two legs of Nebuchadnezzar's dream will hope to mingle with that babylonian clay in the days of the "ten toes," of the ten final nations. However, they will be reduced to seven because the iron and clay will not harmoniously mix. Thus, "Jacob's trouble," and Daniel's "last week," of seven years, will bring "the day of the Lord" to the Millennial reign with the Lord Jesus as the Prince of Peace.
The Public Demise of Doctrine
We are undoubtedly, watching the public demise of the biblical doctrine of the New Testament Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Imitations, counterfeits, perversions, and false teachings of the Gospel, so-called, are running rampant around the world. Do not misunderstand: we do not believe that conspiratorial powers or false gospels will destroy the world. God has reserved to Himself the renovation and ultimate regeneration of the entire heavens and earth. God is sovereign even in absolute days. However, the Bible predicts in many places that the earth will wear our like an old garment. Sin will have done its work; but God will triumph in His sovereign ways.
Also, we do not believe there ever has been a time, or there will ever be a time when this power of the Lord Jesus, His Grace, and His Gospel will be extinguished from the earth. God has always had an Abel, an Enoch, an Abraham and a remnant in the earth since the fall of man. Such a "remnant" "residue," "little flock," or other, as God's Elect, always survives.
On the other hand, this does not mean that there is victory without a battle, a tribulation, an apostasy, or other for God's Elect to live for God when a generation perished in spiritual things.
The Present Elect in the Earth
Presently, we are passing through a most difficult time for God's people. Among many evidences of this is seen in the public death of biblical doctrine. We do not mean by this that the biblical fundamentals of the Gospel are not known. Rather to the contrary, the fundamental teachings of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus are well known. When a condition exists as it does today, we must remember a basic definition of apostasy: it is not a belief because of the absence of truth alone; it is an apostasy of the artistic mixture of truth with error. The apostate is actually comforted by the truth he has, but is deceived by the error he has mixed with that truth. Also, God in retribution, has compounded the amalgamation by giving the apostate over to a delusion; therefore, the apostate has actually come to believe truth is error, error is truth; good is evil, and evil is good. This is the very heart of the artistry of error in the modern apostasy.
Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy
At this very heart is the death of biblical doctrine, all biblical truth, including the fundamentals and the distinctives of the fundamentals needed for both the public proclamation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus as well as the practical Christian, daily testimony of what is a Christian in life, is being directly affected by it. Without both the Gospel orthodoxy and the Gospel orthopraxy there is no biblical doctrine understood in the land. Without the Grace teachings of God, biblical doctrine dies; without the Lordship of Christ in our Christian lives biblical doctrine dies. You cannot have the preservation of one without the preservation of the other.
It is very important at this juncture, in this article, for the reader to understand: when biblical doctrine dies in the public concourse of life, apostasy arises and takes over the leadership powers in the land. When apostasy arises in the land all other false doctrine will flourish in the places of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Biblical doctrine always triumphs in every generation, but that very same doctrine does not always triumph in its public proclamation in every generation.
Seven Persistent Conditions
There are at least seven conditions currently existing in the world that mark the public dying of biblical doctrine in the world.
First, the apostate ecumenical movement is on the increase around the world. The ecumenical movement has no definite biblical doctrine to which it gives or demands its allegiance to God.
Second, the Charismatic movement, another segment of the ecumenical movement, has adopted the presupposition of the subjective view of the Holy Spirit and therefore each Charismatic interprets his own subjective experience with his understanding of the Holy Spirit rather than objective truth.
Third, the ecumenical movement, including the Charismatics, are now in fellowship with Roman Catholicism leading many Protestants back to Rome. Of course, Romanism marks the oldest continuing false doctrine in church history. The "Promise Keepers" are typical of those who disregard doctrine as the criterion of fellowship and unity.
Fourth, there has been a great revival of the ancient, false pagan and heathen teachings of animism, pantheism, and naturalism as has been noted throughout the history of idolatry. This is a blatant blasphemy against biblical doctrine.
Fifth, there is presently an upsurge of the occult, both black and white magic, in the phenomenal growth of the New Age Movement and its many affiliates. This is a direct Satanic attack against Biblical doctrine.
Sixth, neo-evangelicalism has been the catalyst for a cheap grace, easy-believism, with a worldly sales pitch in its extravagant evangelistic methodology. This violates biblical doctrine as well as weakens it.
Seventh, as a result of all these forces, biblical doctrine and practical christianity in the lives of its adherents, the actual presentation of the Gospel, so-called, is not the authentic Gospel of the New Testament doctrine.
Another, Different Gospel
The public presentation of our time concerns a gospel of another (or different) kind which is not the gospel of the same (or original) kind (Galatians 1:6-9).
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
It is a gospel that presents a another Jesus of another (or different) kind, but endeavors to make it a Jesus of the same (or original) kind (II Corinthians 11:4a).
For if he that cometh preached another Jesus, whom we have not preached...
Yet, in this false presentation of Christ (a false Christ Jesus), there is the presence and reality of another (or different) spirit of another kind (or different) kind than that which the Holy Spirit supports and anoints (I Corinthians 11:4b).
...or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received,...
This then makes the claim of a Jesus of the biblical kind (doctrine), in reality a Jesus of another (or different) kind, which is not the Jesus of the same (or original) kind (II Corinthians 11:4c).
...or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Another Name of the Same
The words of the Lord Jesus on this unique observation is staggering to the Bible, Christian believer. Let us note the verse in John 5:43.
I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Do we realize the exegetical impact of this verse?
Jesus is calling attention to the truth that, as he spoke to the Sanhedrin Jews concerning His healing of the man who had had an infirmity for thirty-eight years, He reveals the source of His power. Because Jesus had healed the dear man on the Sabbath, the Jews condemned Him. Out of this controversy, Jesus made the observation of Himself as the personal Messiah, very clear.
Jesus declares that He had come in His Father's name, revealing the highest origin and greatest authority possible. But the Jews rejected this high office and authority. But Jesus reveals: that "another" (of the same kind) will come not in His Father's name, but in their own name rather than the Father's name.
This verse reveals that it could happen, and would indeed come to pass, that another person would come, like Jesus, of the same kind but those who rejected Jesus Himself would accept one like Him of the same kind and in His name, but would not have the reality of coming in the Father's name, only his own false name, and men would receive him. This reveals that a false Christ, prophet, or teacher will be a personality leader in his own name.
It is possible, therefore, and history declares it has happened, that false Christs have indeed come in the true name of the New Testament Jesus, actually speaking of Him and like Him, but, in their own name rather than the Father's name. This indicates that the name of the false christ, or teacher, or prophet would actually come in the same name of the New Testament "Jesus" but without the authority of the Father's name, and he could succeed and he accepted and believed by the power and personality of their own name, but without the authority of the Father's name. The artistry of this kind of an error is as close to the true Lord Jesus Christ it can be without being true at all.
Allos vs. Heteros
The exegetical emphasis of the above references (cf. Galatians 1:6-9 & II Corinthians 11:4a, 4b, 4c; and John 5:43) are clearly marked by the synonym differences between "another" (allos; another of the same kind) and "another" (heteros; another of a different kind). These contrasts are sharp and distinctive; there is no misunderstanding about what is meant.
Postmodernity and Doctrine
There are two definite conditions which have become manifest in the 1990's in the postmodernity of current belief.
First, because of the little biblical doctrine that has really been proclaimed to the people of the earth, the knowledge of biblical doctrine is dying in many quarters of our country. Absolute truth and objective truth are rejected.
Second, because of the loss of the credibility of Christianity in the lives of many professing Christians the acceptability of biblical doctrine is rejected as a viable religion of faith by many people in our country. Biblical Realities are rejected.
There are more atheists and agnostics as a result of these two conditions than before our generation, and there is the evidence of an increased carnality and wordliness in the institutional church, marking hypocrisy and deception in the testimony of its people.
These postmodern times have brought us to the estimate of only 28% of Americans who believe in any absolutes or any objective truth as formerly held so dear. Therefore, 78% do not believe in Biblical Realities. The public proclamation of biblical doctrine is dead in many more places in our beloved country than ever before. Will this demise become permanent in the public understanding of true biblical doctrine. We know that God's Word and doctrine are from everlasting to everlasting, but this does not mean that there will be a public or universal acceptance or understanding of its doctrine in every generation or on every street.
...judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him (Isaiah 59:14-16).
Let the individual who believes in biblical doctrine stand up, please. Let him take his personal stand, now! Historians of the Charismatic movement have said for more than a score of years that Martin Luther and his Protestants made a grave mistake in thinking they could change the Church by theology and doctrine. It is their belief that it can only be changed by their own subjective spirit of belief. In reality, they have reversed the poles of truth; therefore they have given us an apostasy without the guardian principle of biblical doctrine. This will not stand! "To the testimony;" that is the call of God's Word and Doctrine.