The Visible vs the Invisible Church

In light of what came to light over the last couple of posts concerning the doctrine of Unity and Separation and, from that, some insight into the Federal Vision Heresy, I decided to revisit a post from 2006 titled  Let Us Reason Together Part 26 – The Wheat and the Tares. At the end of that post I linked to an article at the Reformation Theology website, which is well worth reading in light of these current attacks. I suggest you read my post about the our Lord’s parable about the wheat and the tares first then read what follows. Be blessed my brethren. – Mike Ratliff

The Federal Vision Heresy

by Mike Ratliff

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” (John 15:1-6 ESV)

If you haven’t read last night’s post, The Doctrine of Unity and Separation, I suggest that you do so now. I also suggest that you read all of the comments especially those of my friend Daniel Chew. In them, he brings out his experience of debating Frank Turk a few weeks ago. He (Frank) and many other bloggers and Christian apologists have, over the last several years perplexed us with their very strange stands against the application of what should be clear cut examples where we should be applying the doctrine of Separation from those who say and do things that are clearly unbiblical in nature nor do they square with the doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity. Daniel’s response in the comments last night shed a great deal of light in that area. I confess that I was surprised. I had heard of the Federal Vision, but, as I shared with Daniel, I am no expert on it. I know who the New Calvinists are. I know who the Emergents are. I know who the New Evangelicals are. However, their theology seems incoherent to me with no solid basis in fact. I just could not find it, much like it took me several years to understand where Rick Warren was coming from (he is a Pelagian). 

The Doctrine of Unity and Separation

by Mike Ratliff

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:5-9 ESV)

It doesn’t take very long for me to discern whether the person I am dealing with is truly God’s man or woman or is a pretender. That personal interaction is necessary for me to see the true nature and focus of the person. As we debate or discuss doctrinal or church issues or even secular issues it soon becomes very clear whether I am dealing someone who is walking according to the Lordship of Christ or is their own man or woman. Their values soon become apparent. All of us are in various stages of spiritual growth and repentance to be sure, but the mark of the washing of regeneration is there to be seen in all of God’s people that cannot be counterfeited. Of course, this is only discernable by those who are looking for it and then only through God’s testing fires. 

The Gift of God

by Mike Ratliff

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God… (Ephesians 2:8 ESV)

It wasn’t that long ago that I received a warning email from a friend that a firestorm had been started within the internet discernment blogs about what some were calling the “damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation.” I and many of my good friends responded with sound Biblical doctrine to the assault and I don’t think the enemy’s attack accomplished much of anything other than getting some of us to dig a bit deeper into God’s Word then prayerfully respond in the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s people were edified and, as always, His truth blew massive holes in the lies of the enemy. After all, what we are talking about is saving faith. Is it something within natural man that everyone is born with and so can bring to life through self will or self effort or is it, as the Bible clearly says, that man is dead in trespasses and sins and, therefore, this saving faith is a gift from God and our salvation is His work from beginning to end? 

Man-made Religiosity

by Mike Ratliff

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. (Colossians 2:16-19 ESV)

I received an email today from my friend Ken Silva that contained the following “rebuke” in the form of a “word ” the person claimed to have received directly from God pertaining to Ken and his ministry.

A word came to me for you from our Lord Jesus Christ. I sent you to pastor a flock of sheep,not to separate the sheep from the goats. I will do that. You are throwing many of my sheep in with the goats by throwing their shepherds in with the goat-herders.Your zeal for the truth is blinding you to the power of my redeeming grace. In your writing I have called you to apprise not to attack. In the former I am pleased. In the latter I am not. In your zeal to reveal the compromising (and I know there are many), you have compromised the compassionate, many of whom I know but you do not. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil through self-righteous hearts. Do not call unclean that which I have made clean and that which I am making clean. Be still and know that I am God, not you. Wait upon Me. Meditate on Me as well as my Word. God made the sabbath for man not man for the sabbath. Meditate on Me. Yes, meditate on Me and my precepts as David did. Return to me. Stop trying to save the sheep of others before you tend to the flock immediately in your sight. Yes Ken, tend to the least of my brethren in New Hampshire, tend to their needs, not to the learned and the wise who flatter themselves. My people are thirsty Ken. Do not give them dry doctrine to drink. Lead them to the well of my living waters. There you will see who is a shepherd and who is a goat-herder.

Here is Ken’s response:

Thank you for contacting Apprising Ministries. I reject this false prophesy in the Name of Jesus Christ; this wasn’t from God.

Having a Zeal for God But Not According to Knowledge

by Mike Ratliff

[10:1] Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

[2] For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. [3] For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. [4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4 ESV)

When I went off to Oklahoma State University in the Fall of 1969 after graduating from High School just three months earlier things were philosophically very different in the world than what we have now. That is, on the surface they are different. My professors in college and many of my former teachers in High School were assured that Christianity and all organized religion was a bunch of nonsense, that it would soon be proven through Science that Natural Selection produced everything living, and that the Universe was created through natural processes. I even had a Roman Catholic Nun as Biological Sciences Lab instructor at OSU that enthusiastically supported Darwinism. However, things have not turned out as these people planned at all. If anything, the world has grown even more religious than it was back then. On the other hand, I would put the Bible knowledge of many of my Grandparents’ generation up against that of most professing Christians in our time and it would be absolutely embarrassing how shallow theological knowledge and understanding within the visible church has become. 

Truth: The Test of Christian Hospitality

In response to our look at the Doctrine of Separation last week and last night’s post on Faith, a friend sent me a link to the following sermon by John MacArthur on 2 John 9-13. I thought of using it as a source and background for my own exegesis of that passage, but then as I read this sermon I realized that it would be best to simply post it. Be blessed my brethren. – Mike Ratliff

Evidence

by Mike Ratliff

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (James 3:10-12 ESV)

Is the following statement true or false? Good works authenticate true faith. I know that for a growing segment of the church visible this is, for them, a loaded question that they will refuse to either address or answer, but if you pin them down, they will say “false.” However, if you are Biblically centered, that is, if you are centered on the fact that God’s Word is His Truth and it is the gift He has given to His people to be the source of His Truth for their time in this life, then the only answer you can give is “yes” because that is what the Bible clearly teaches. Let’s look at a passage (James 3:1-12) that clearly reveals this principle. 

Out of Town

I will be taking the next 3-4 days to visit family out of state. I will return home late on the 14th.

Walking in Truth and Love

by Mike Ratliff

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. (2 John 9-11 ESV)

The Doctrine of Separation has become a very great point of contention in our time. I honestly have been very surprised by the reaction of some as Biblical principles have been declared and called for to be applied to relationships between Christian leaders and those who profess to Christian leaders, but whose testimony makes them actually false. Perhaps the issue is really that those who desire to compromise in this do not take the obedience to the Word of God seriously. The other issue comes from the the misunderstanding that this call of separation is not a call for believers to separate from unbelievers for how else could we share the Gospel (1 Corinthians 5:9-10) , but is a call for us to remove ourselves from fellowship from religious leaders who profess to be Christians, but who are obviously false in their theology as is commanded in the passage I placed at the top of this post.

An Open Letter to Frank Turk

by Mike Ratliff

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:18-21 ESV)

Dear Frank,

I do not know if you remember that day several years ago when I walked into your bookstore in Siloam Springs. I was a bit surprised that you knew who I was, but I do remember the very cordial conversation we had that day. Both of us have traveled far since then. I was just a couple of years into God drawing me into this discernment ministry and I still did not have a clear picture of what was going on in the visible church. I doubt if any of can claim to know that even now. In any case, since that day I have always considered you a friend and one of many allies in the Truth War. However, lately you have written several things online that have caused me to hurt for you brother. 

For It Is Time For Judgment to Begin at the Household of God

by Mike Ratliff

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17 ESV)

I was reading my dear brother Ken Silva’s fine article, Doug Pagitt Excited About Interfaith Powwows At Solomon’s Porch, today and noticed in the very first paragraph a reference to 1 Peter 4:17 and judgment. Here is part of that quote, “…and I’ve warned you that there is a tsunami of apostasy—pushed along by 1 Peter 4:17 judgments—headed toward the church visible.” A number of you have approached me wanting me to address this or that well known leader in the visible church who is apostatizing even going so far as to call some of them out and make them stop what they are doing, if that were possible. My brethren, I do not like what is going on any more than you do, but I agree with Ken, what we are witnessing is something that is being allowed within the Sovereignty of God for His purpose. The visible church is going down the tubes, but what about the real church, the remnant? What about it? Didn’t our Lord say, “The gates of Hell shall not prevail over His Church?” (Matthew 16:18) Of course, that Church is the real Church, that one built upon the Rock of Faith that is the gift from God, not the works of men. This visible church consists of what we see with our eyes and a lot of it is that which is not eternal. It is only the product of men and their labors. What is being torn apart by apostasy is that church. What about the genuine Church, the one built without hands, the one on the rock that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against? What about it? Will all this apostasy touch it? That is what we will look at in this post.