Are There Two Gospels in the New Testament?

Our enemy has many strongholds that he is using right now to keep the vast majority of professing Christians in spiritual blindness to the truth. I heard a sermon a few years ago by John Piper about theology through the ages. Piper contended that even those great theologians that God used powerfully in the Reformation had blind spots in certain areas. If that be so then how about today? I contend that that will be even more so in our climate of Spiritual Deception in the 21st Century.

A hermeneutic is simply a “filter” that theologians use to interpret scripture based upon certain “doctrines.” That definition is probably a little over simplistic, but it does convey what happens when men use extra-biblical techniques to apply against God’s Word that are the basis for all of their Biblical doctrines. One such “filter” that, I believe, when taken to extremes, that is quite damaging to the Body of Christ because it is used by our enemy as a stronghold from which he has the “authority” to blind people to the truth, is Dispensationalism. This “authority” is given to him by the very people who are blinded. When they seek a Biblical understanding that, for whatever reason, is not with pure (not to seek God and His glory alone) motives, they are entering the realm of idolatry where spiritual blindness and spiritual stupor awaits unless they are very careful always seeking God’s will and direction in their lives. However, if their motives are impure will they be doing that?

What is Dispensationalism? Here is the definition from John MacArthur’s book The Gospel According to the Apostles. This definition is found in Appendix Two on page 203.

Dispensationalism is a system of biblical interpretation that sees a distinction between God’s program for Israel and His dealings with the church.

He goes on to say that he learned his theology from men who taught him to be a Dispensationalist. Today as I was researching this piece I ran across this article by Nathan Pitchford entitled: Are there Two Gospels in the New Testament? I pray that God will speak to your heart as you read it and that we will all come to His throne of Grace with penitent hearts seeking only His truth from His Word to be applied to our hearts and lives according to His will. Soli Deo Gloria.

Whom Shall I Fear?

by Charles Spurgeon

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”-Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation.” Here is personal interest, “my light,” “my salvation”; the soul is assured of it, and therefore declares it boldly. Into the soul at the new birth divine light is poured as the precursor of salvation; where there is not enough light to reveal our own darkness and to make us long for the Lord Jesus, there is no evidence of salvation. After conversion our God is our joy, comfort, guide, teacher, and in every sense our light: He is light within, light around, light reflected from us, and light to be revealed to us. Note, it is not said merely that the Lord gives light, but that He is light; nor that He gives salvation, but that He is salvation; he, then, who by faith has laid hold upon God, has all covenant blessings in his possession. This being made sure as a fact, the argument drawn from it is put in the form of a question, “Whom shall I fear?” A question which is its own answer.

The powers of darkness are not to be feared, for the Lord, our light, destroys them; and the damnation of hell is not to be dreaded by us, for the Lord is our salvation. This is a very different challenge from that of boastful Goliath, for it rests, not upon the conceited vigour of an arm of flesh, but upon the real power of the omnipotent I AM. “The Lord is the strength of my life.” Here is a third glowing epithet, to show that the writer’s hope was fastened with a threefold cord which could not be broken. We may well accumulate terms of praise where the Lord lavishes deeds of grace. Our life derives all its strength from God; and if He deigns to make us strong, we cannot be weakened by all the machinations of the adversary. “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The bold question looks into the future as well as the present. “If God be for us,” who can be against us, either now or in time to come?

The Essence of the Saint’s Perseverance

by Charles Spurgeon

“And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.”-John 10:28

The Christian should never think or speak lightly of unbelief. For a child of God to mistrust His love, His truth, His faithfulness, must be greatly displeasing to Him. How can we ever grieve Him by doubting His upholding grace? Christian! it is contrary to every promise of God’s precious Word that thou shouldst ever be forgotten or left to perish. If it could be so, how could He be true who has said, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I never forget thee.” What were the value of that promise-”The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”

Where were the truth of Christ’s words-”I give unto My sheep eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” Where were the doctrines of grace? They would be all disproved if one child of God should perish. Where were the veracity of God, His honour, His power, His grace, His covenant, His oath, if any of those for whom Christ has died, and who have put their trust in Him, should nevertheless be cast away? Banish those unbelieving fears which so dishonour God. Arise, shake thyself from the dust, and put on thy beautiful garments. Remember it is sinful to doubt His Word wherein He has promised thee that thou shalt never perish. Let the eternal life within thee express itself in confident rejoicing.

“The gospel bears my spirit up:
A faithful and unchanging God
Lays the foundation for my hope,
In oaths, and promises, and blood.”

Spurgeon Quote on True Religion

“This is the very essence of true religion–personally living with a personal Savior, personally trusting a personal Redeemer, personally crying out to a personal Intercessor, and receiving personal answers from a Person who loves us, and who manifests himself to us.”