Good morning, everyone. Good
to see you here today. If you would, turn in your Bibles
to the book of 2 John, as we're going to examine three verses
from there that are familiar to many of you, verses 9 through
11. And the title of today's message is simply, The Doctrine
of Christ. That, The Doctrine of Christ,
it describes what is consistently preached from the pulpit here
at Eager Avenue Grace Church, God's gospel, the doctrine. or the body of truth pertaining
to how sinners are saved based solely on the person and the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the doctrine of Christ. And in these three verses we'll
see that those who belong to God, who are said to have God,
they're uniquely identified by their having embraced this doctrine. this specific body of truth that's
referred to in 2 John as the doctrine of Christ. There in
verse 9 we read, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. Now that's pretty
clear language, is it not? It sets up a dichotomy. That
is, you are either among those of whom it can be said that you
hath not God, or else you are among those of whom it is said
that you have both the Father and the Son. There's no in-between. It's either one or the other. And so that means you are either
abiding in the doctrine of Christ or you are not abiding in the
doctrine of Christ. And that's why it's so important,
see, for us to understand this evidence cited here that identifies
these two groups. Those who either hath God or
those who hath not God. You see, ultimately that describes
the saved or the lost. Those who shall inhabit heaven's
glory or hell's misery. So, given what is at stake here,
this subject should definitely warrant our undivided attention.
Those who hath God, who hath both the Father and the Son,
they are the blessed objects of God's grace. Those who are
in time given that blood-bought gift of faith, whereby they come
to know the Lord Jesus Christ and the great salvation that
He fully accomplished for them. They come to know, see, and love
the doctrine of Christ. And for those who have this revelation
of God-given faith, Once that takes place, no other doctrine,
no other way of salvation, no other gospel will do for them,
so they abide. By faith, they embrace the doctrine
of Christ, the one way of salvation in and by Christ alone. For you see, that has now become
a way that uniquely fits their desperate need as revealed to
them through the gospel by the Holy Spirit. And it so perfectly
fits their needs that, listen, one, nothing less will do for
them. And secondly, nothing more is
needed. No less, no more. Well, if we're
going to discern whether we're among those who have God, both
the Father and the Son, as our God and Savior, then it's imperative
we understand the vital body of truth referred to here as
the doctrine of Christ. You know, the word doctrine is
most simply defined as a body of knowledge that has been taught. And we know that not all that
is taught is true or accurate, so then obviously we have false
doctrine and we have true doctrine. Now God's people measure the
validity of their doctrine by the absolute standard of truth,
God's holy word. And here in his word is where
we find the specific glorious truth of the gospel, the doctrine
of Christ. As we consider that phrase, there
are two perspectives in which we might understand the phrase,
the doctrine of Christ. it could be applied to that which
Christ himself taught in his earthly ministry. Hence, the
teaching or the doctrine of Christ. But secondly, it can just as
accurately be understood to be the teaching or doctrine found
in God's Word concerning Christ. Again, the doctrine of Christ.
Those two perspectives are not in any way contradictory, but
rather compatible. The entire Bible, we know, is
the story of redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ who taught
of himself. In John 14, 6, he said, I am
the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father
but by me. Salvation is by Christ alone. And the doctrine of Christ is
that body of truth, both taught by Christ and concerning Christ,
for they're one and the same. It's the truth of the gospel,
the good news of how sinners are saved by the person in finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ and that alone. Nothing added,
nothing taken away. So this body of truth, it sets
forth two things. Very simply, who He is. his person, and secondly, what
he did, what he alone accomplished, his work. Well, first, who is
he? He is the God-man. He's both
fully God and fully man. As Paul confirmed to Timothy
in the first part of 1 Timothy 3.16, he said, and without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. He's the God-man. We read in
the first chapter of Matthew how Mary and Joseph, they were
engaged to be married and they found that she was expecting
a child, that child that elsewhere is described as that holy thing
who had been miraculously conceived by God the Holy Spirit in the
womb of the Virgin Mary. And as we get to verse 19 of
Matthew 1, we read, then Joseph, her husband, being a just and
not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her
away privily. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost, and she shall bring forth a son. and
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people
from their sins." That word Jesus means Jehovah God who saves. Now all this was done that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets,
saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. which being
interpreted is God with us. Truly He was both God and man. And any who deny this abide not
in the doctrine of Christ, the truth concerning who He is. But
this doctrine also includes His work, that which He accomplished. And we see how we're to consider
both His person and work together when you consider it's a work
that He uniquely was qualified to do as both God and man. I'm speaking of that which He
accomplished by His obedience unto death on the cross. You
see, that's why He took into union with His deity a sinless
humanity to accomplish His work, to accomplish the salvation of
His people. So, in Matthew 1 here, we see
not only is His person described, but also that which he came to
accomplish his saving work." It declares he is indeed Jehovah
God, Jesus, but more specifically we see why his name was to be
called Jesus, Jehovah God who saves. It was because he would
save his people from their sins. As Paul wrote, he said, Christ
came into the world to save sinners, not to try and save sinners,
but to actually save them. And as God, you see, there was
no possibility of Christ failing to accomplish that which He came
to do. Not even for one of those given to Him by God the Father. We also see how the doctrine
of Christ pertains both to His person and work in Paul's writing
to the believers at Galatia. We read there beginning in Galatians
4.4, But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth
His Son, deity, made of a woman, humanity, made under the law
to accomplish something, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons. He was God, God's only
begotten Son, eternal, uncreated deity, and yet a body was prepared
for Him. As it reads, he was made of a
woman, the God-man. And here also we see the work
he came to accomplish. We see how he would, not merely
attempt, but would save his people from their sins. Indeed, he took
on their nature, body, and soul. He was made like unto us, the
scripture says, in every way except without sin. And that's an important distinction.
It's the only distinction between His humanity and all of fallen
humanity, the rest of us, Adam's natural descendants, those born
of manseed who are fallen in sin in our federal head and Father
Adam. So Christ took into union with
His deity a sinless humanity, body and soul, that He might
do what? Walk in our place. under the
same jurisdiction, being made under the same law, and so subject
to God's same holy requirement of perfect continual obedience
to His revealed will. Listen, a command that is a just
command for it's made by the Sovereign God and Creator of
this universe and Christ acting in the place of His people. as
their surety and their substitute. You see, He did for them what
these chosen sinners could not possibly do for themselves. He
fulfilled that law for them by His perfect obedience all the
way to the death on the cross. And yet these for whom Christ
rendered this perfect obedience, they were still no less ungodly
sinners. The Scripture says He justifies
the ungodly So they were lawbreakers in and of themselves. And so
Christ not only fulfilled the precepts of the law by His perfect
obedience for them, but He also fulfilled the penal demands of
the law. He paid the penalty due unto
God's justice because of their sins. God having laid the guilt
of the sins of His adopted children on His own precious Son, who
alone could and who willingly did some 2,000 years ago pay
the penalty due unto the travesty of their sins demanded, you see,
by the immutable justice of an infinitely holy God. Christ endured
the just wrath of God due unto their sin by his substitutionary
death on the cross. His blood payment That is, as
we just read, He redeemed them. I want you to always remember
that redemption does not speak of a mere attempt made, but rather
a payment paid, and that in full. You know, if you make a down
payment on something, but you still owe something left, you
haven't redeemed it yet. If there's anything remaining
to be done, it's not redemption. The God-man, the Lord of glory,
he shed his own precious blood to pay, fully pay, the debt due
unto God's holy justice. The debt, see, due for the demerit
of all the sins of all those given to him by God the Father.
He redeemed them. And as 2 Corinthians 5 21 teaches
us, God made him who was perfectly sinless, see, in He died for
sins He had no part in producing. He who knew no sin to be sin
for us. That is, He imputed or charged
to their account, to Christ's account, the demerit of the sins
of His people so that by His blood payment He might perfectly
satisfy the just penalty that was due unto those sins. And
likewise, as that same verse teaches, God has imputed or charged
to all these for whom Christ died, the redeemed ones, the
very merit of His perfect obedience even unto death. You see, they
have a double cure, as a songwriter put it. He wrote, Be of sin the
double cure, saved from wrath and made pure. God's wrath against
their sins was poured out on His dear Son. They're saved from
wrath. And God imputed or put to their
account the very merit of His perfect holy obedience, which
He rendered as their substitute, and so they're made pure. They
have His perfect satisfaction to justice, His righteousness
imputed or accounted unto them, so that they, sinners now, like
me and you, could stand accepted in Him and so blameless not guilty,
holy, without spot, that we might be accepted into the presence
of a holy God. For His righteousness is made
theirs." Now that is the doctrine of Christ. It's simply who He
is and what He has done according to God's Word to save His people.
And as simple as that message is, it's a glorious message.
We know that the ultimate standard of truth is God. It's not us. It doesn't matter what I say
is so, unless it's what God says is so. So if we're going to judge
whether we abide in the doctrine of Christ, we should ask ourselves
this, do we see that Christ truly accomplished what God tells us
He was sent to accomplish and did accomplish? Look, He either
truly saved His people from their sins by His obedience unto death
on the cross, or else he didn't. Well, this book says he did.
Christ fully met all the requirements or conditions for the salvation
of his people, and as such, their salvation is not in any way or
to any degree pending some remaining condition or requirement which
they must meet. So, according to the doctrine
of Christ, Christ did it all. And He did not fail to save even
one of those for whom He died. His death got the job done. When He cried out on the cross,
it is finished. It truly was. He has saved His people from
their sins. We see more of the seriousness
of our treatment of this subject, our treatment of the doctrine
of Christ, when we look at the next two verses of our text,
verses 10 and 11 of 2 John. Starting our reading back in
verse 9, we read, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. Now look at how
this seriousness is amplified by these verses that follow.
In verse 10, If there come any unto you, and bring not this
doctrine, the doctrine of Christ. him not into your house," and
I believe here when he says house he's speaking of any house of
worship because back in that day they would meet in houses
to worship. He says, "'Receive him not into
your house, neither bid him Godspeed, for he that biddeth him Godspeed
is partaker of his evil deeds.'" Here God's Word asserts if someone
attempts to teach doctrine to us other than this very specific
doctrine of Christ, we're not to encourage their ministry in
any way. Not if it's based upon a false
doctrine, which is any doctrine contrary to the gospel, the vital
doctrine of Christ, and the truth it sets forth of salvation having
been fully accomplished by Christ's finished work. So we're not to
encourage the success of their ministries or give them comfort
in their false religion by behaving toward them in a way that might
lend credence to their faults. And listen, God dishonoring teachings. They're saying Christ was a failure,
so many of them do. And God declares here that to
do so is to partake of their evil deeds. See, to do so perhaps
exposes that one isn't yet fully convinced of what Christ said
when he said he was the way, as in the only way. And that
equates to not abiding in the doctrine of Christ, as we see
that to so compromise this vital truth is to partake of their
evil and therefore to be identified with those that God declares
to not have him as their God. Listen, this unambiguous language,
that delineates the very eternal destiny of our souls. We're talking
about heaven or hell. It should cause us to examine
ourselves by these words. Do you, do I, fit the description
of these who hath God, both the Father and the Son, or those
who hath not God? Well, let's look a little closer
at the language here. Back in verse 9 again, note he
describes those who hath not God. as whosoever transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ. It begins with whosoever. That means every single one who
transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ. No
exceptions. Whosoever. Listen, I know a lot
of good men in women in this world, religious men and women,
who are sincere and well-intentioned. And we think highly of them,
at least in this life, so many of us. But I know so many of
them that also do not, they transgress and do not abide in the doctrine
of Christ. So it matters not how well-intentioned
they might be, whosoever. And more specifically, it says,
whosoever transgresseth. transgresseth the doctrine of
Christ." The word translated transgression is one of the five
Greek words used in the New Testament to describe sin. It's often used
in conjunction with the word law, as the Bible describes sin
as a transgression or a breaking of the law. But in its context
here in 2 John, it's describing not those who transgress the
law, but who transgress the doctrine of Christ. You know, God's Word
declares that all have sinned, and so all transgress God's law
or His revealed will, and we do that continually, whether
in thought, word, or deed. So if we interpreted transgresses
in that context to mean just sinning as in any sin, that would
be no one could be said to have God, and that would certainly
be contradictory to the truth that God says He has a people
and that He is their God. The word transgress itself means
simply to go beyond or overstep a boundary. Just as the word
translated trespass is used to describe sin, the
word transgression also carries Similar connotation of stepping
over a line, like when someone trespasses on your property,
they cross over your property's boundary line. So to transgress
in the context of 2 John 9 means to go outside of the boundary
of the doctrine of Christ, God's simple gospel. That way of salvation
that our Lord said was a straight and narrow way. that leads to
eternal life. Anything outside of that way
is a transgression of the doctrine of Christ. So those who transgress
the doctrine of Christ are those who deny the gospel, whether
by subtracting from it or by adding to it. It's to go beyond
the simplicity of Christ. The simplicity of Christ. Paul
wrote of that in 2 Corinthians 11. Where beginning in verse
three we read, but I fear, lest by any means as the serpent beguiled
or deceived Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh
preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another
gospel, which ye have not accepted, you might well bear with him.
You notice the inflection of my voice suggests my understanding
of that last phrase, and I know that can be confusing sometimes.
I believe that's spoken rhetorically and in dismay, like you're going
to put up with that? Some believe that it could mean
Paul saying, you would do well to bear with me, because that
word hymn is in italics, which means it was added by the translators.
Regardless, I didn't want you to get hung up. I always think
about that as I read that verse. But I want your attention directed
to the phrase, the simplicity that is in Christ. Because there's
no doubt about that word that's translated simplicity. It means
the singleness of Christ. the singularity of Christ. Nothing to be subtracted, nothing
to be added. So salvation is not a product
of Christ plus something you do to make his work effectual.
It's not your profession of faith. It's not your inviting him into
his heart. It's not your decision to receive
him. The gift of faith is not something
that is only made effectual if you, unlike others who are perhaps
more stubborn, will receive it. Or, as some like to say, God
gives everyone the gift, but you've got to unwrap it. Look,
granted all of God's people will receive the truth revealed by
faith, but it is not genuine God-given faith, and it's not
believing that salvation is by grace if you're receiving or
you're unwrapping the gift that others would not receive or would
not unwrap is what you tragically presume makes the real difference
in your salvation. See, that would be more aptly
called the doctrine of man, not the doctrine of Christ. In reality,
that doctrine exposes that Christ isn't really your Savior. That would expose that your Savior
is your response. That's faith in faith, not faith
in Christ. Listen, whoever or whatever does
the saving, that's your Savior in your mind. So, to those so
deceived, as so many of us once were, into believing that Christ
merely made salvation possible, know this. That's not Christ
the Savior. But rather, as we just read,
that's another Jesus. That's not the simplicity of
Christ, the singleness of salvation by Christ alone. No, the doctrine
of Christ sets forth that He single-handedly and completely
saved His people from their sins. And so, to suggest, as I once
did, that even one for whom Christ died could possibly perish in
unbelief. And as so many remain deceived
into believing, that is to be trusting in a failure, in a counterfeit,
in another Jesus. Well, thirdly, let's consider
that word abide in more depth. What does it mean to abide or
not abide in the doctrine of Christ? To abide in something,
it just means to continue in it. Those who abide in the doctrine
of Christ continue in it. You see, for they found their
certain hope for salvation in Christ. By being convinced of
sin and of righteousness and judgment by the Holy Spirit,
He, Christ alone now, answers their desperate need for God's
mercy and grace. They see that need along with
a sure and certain solution to that need, as God has so graciously
revealed that that to them, and he did it through the preaching
of this body of truth, God's gospel, the doctrine of Christ,
as it's applied by God the Holy Spirit. Look, one so convinced
by God the Holy Spirit, then is one who abideth. They cannot
be moved, for the Holy Spirit indwells them and keeps them. Now, listen, due to remaining
sin, These who will ultimately abide in the doctrine of Christ,
they will be tempted to compromise the doctrine of Christ and may
do so on occasion. At times their zeal for the gospel
may wane, and at other times they're going to have sinful
doubts. You see, they're still sinners, but they're sinners
saved by grace. They won't always have a ready
answer for the counter charges of others still steeped in their
former false religion, and particularly that's true of us in our spiritual
infancy. And at times, they will be mistaken
over the interpretation of this scripture or that scripture.
And so in error, in particular over non-vital points of doctrine. And you know, if that wasn't
so, they're not alive. Living things grow, and the Bible
says we grow in grace and in knowledge. But these will readily
repent of error when exposed, and particularly if it has implications
that run counter to the simplicity of Christ, the simple but vital
doctrine of salvation in and by the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
So see, in spite of remaining sins, God's people, though, ultimately
abide in the doctrine of Christ because God keeps them. And of
these given to Christ by God the Father, we read of in the
Gospel of John, Christ said, all that you've given me, I will
lose none of them. They will abide. So the basis
of their hope, the ground of their salvation, once so convinced
they will never change, if God has truly given them spiritual
life and the knowledge of Him in Christ, so as to see Christ
as all of their salvation. You see, they now find their
complete acceptance before God in Christ, their Savior, and
that for all eternity, all based upon His imputed everlasting
righteousness. Nothing more and nothing less. One, if anything else will do
for you, or two, if anything more is needed for your salvation,
then you're not yet abiding in the doctrine of Christ, but rather
that's to transgress or go outside of the simplicity or singleness
of Christ. Well, this is an important subject. Help us in our discerning of
these issues. Let's consider various ways now
in which folks may manifest that they are transgressing and abiding
not in the doctrine of Christ. And I guess first the most obvious
would be those who embrace the many non-Christian religions. And so make no profession or
pretense of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. It certainly
cannot be said of them that they are abiding in the doctrine of
Christ. Listen, these who will say, oh,
I think they're people saved out of all religions. Well, I
can't name them all. There's thousands of them, but
Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, they don't even pretend to abide in
the doctrine of Christ. And if this is our standard of
truth, God says of them, they hath not God. Secondly, we consider
that many people, even most maybe, are indifferent. about religion. Some oppose any and all religion,
and many more are just indifferent. You know, at this time it just
must not be worth taking the time to try to seriously understand
the true doctrine of Christ. Look, clearly any who remain
ignorant of the doctrine of Christ, of God's gospel, and are who
are indifferent toward it, if you just kind of can take it
or leave it, It certainly cannot be said of them that they are
abiding in it. But this is serious, because
God likewise says, these hath not God. And then thirdly, in
moving up the scale of greater degrees of deceptive subtlety,
we have those who consider themselves professing Christians. They profess
to be of the Christian faith, as we do. They profess to believe
Christ and yet they deny the clear teaching of Christ, the
true doctrine of Christ, who He is and what He has actually
already accomplished. And sadly in our day, that describes
most who wear that label Christian. Granted, there are a lot of doctrinal
variations among those who call themselves Christians, but Perhaps
the most prevalent one is that popular teaching that God loves
everyone and Christ died for everyone. And I hope you've seen
already today that by default if those notions will have us
trusting in something other than or in addition to Christ. Transgressing the boundary, see?
to make the real difference. For you see, like many of us,
they imagine that Christ really did no more on the cross of Calvary
for those who go to heaven than for those who go to hell. So,
tragically, they transgress and abide not in the doctrine of
Christ. They hath not God, according to God's Word. Fourthly, and
maybe a bit even more subtle, would be those who profess to
be Christian and adhere to what is called Calvinistic doctrine. And when I say that, I'm referring
to those who correctly understand, at least in their head, the clear
scriptural truth that Christ did not die for all, but that
he rather lived and died for a particular people, people in
the Bible that's referred to as God's elect, chosen in Christ
from before the foundation of the world. it would appear that even the
majority of those wearing that Calvinistic label do not abide
in the doctrine of Christ. And here's how that's evidenced.
It's evidenced by their receiving and bidding others Godspeed. And when I say others, bidding
others who openly deny the very doctrine they claim to believe,
and for many of them they'll say is so important. They consider
them okay, it's just they've got a higher learning. As we
learn from 2 John verses 10 and 11, by bidding them Godspeed
in their false doctrine, they thereby partake of their evil
deeds and expose that in spite of their professed orthodoxy
concerning this important doctrinal truth, there would appear to
be an absence of a heart work. We read about that in 2 Thessalonians
2 verses 9 and 10 where Paul there is warning us to beware
of false teachers and he describes them by saying, even him whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness
in them that perish. Why? Because they receive not
the love of the truth. that they might be saved. You
see, that describes those who have not been given a new heart,
as the Scripture describes what takes place in the new birth,
in the regeneration and conversion of a sinner. A new heart that
would engender a love of the truth, whereby they come to see
the doctrine of Christ as far more than some just mere deeper
intellectual understanding or advanced learning of which we
just do little more than puff up our religious pride. But all
who are given a new heart and the corresponding love of the
truth, they shall all ultimately abide in the doctrine of Christ.
And look, if so convinced, out of love for their lost friends
and their relatives, See, they've come to see Christ and repented
of their former idolatry. And out of love for their friends
and relatives, they would not do anything to dare encourage
them in what they know now to be a false and deadly way. For it's a way of which they've
repented, having seen how their false doctrine denies the very
person and the redeeming work, see, of their dear Savior. And
then perhaps the most subtle of all are those who in times
past, perhaps even with some degree of consistency, have preached
the true gospel of God's grace. And so no doubt they have a head
knowledge of the truth. And for a time they actually
appear to be abiding in the doctrine of Christ. But ultimately they're
exposed when, despite all their former assertions to the contrary,
They transgressed the boundary of the doctrine of Christ. These
wolves, I believe, have on the most authentic-looking sheep
costumes of all. But you know, the Scripture says
if it were possible, they would deceive even the very elect.
Thankfully, it's not possible. See, God keeps His people and
He will ultimately expose their deception to us that we be not
deceived. Had we continued our reading
in 2 Corinthians 11 where Paul was warning of false teachers,
remember, who would corrupt the simplicity that is in Christ,
when we had gotten down to verse 13, we'd have read this. For
such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel for Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no
great thing if his ministers, Satan's ministers, also be transformed
as the ministers of righteousness." The very righteousness that Paul
said is revealed in the gospel. "...but whose end shall be not
according to righteousness of Christ, but according to their
works." They're transgressors of the doctrine of Christ, for
they transform. They temporarily change They
can't abide in the doctrine of Christ. And they do that as though
they appear to be ministers of righteousness at times, maybe
even often, preaching that very righteousness of God in Christ
that, as I said, Paul said is revealed in the true gospel.
And so, in thinking about this, I like to keep things simple.
And there are two ways their deceit, I believe, is exposed.
They either are adding to are taken away from the simplicity
of Christ and God's gospel, the doctrine of Christ. They transgress
or go outside of the simple gospel. Some do that by modifying their
message as they go to other places to preach, depending on their
audience, apparently in an attempt to maintain a larger following. They tell the people what they
want to hear. And so they transgress the doctrine
of Christ by subtracting from it, you see. Oftentimes, not
by what they say, but by what they omit saying, they can speak
in generality so that their hearers may conveniently apply their
own preconceived understanding to what is being said. And listen,
to the extent that's intentional, such are not abiding in the doctrine
of Christ. They transgress by subtraction
as they intentionally mask or keep under wraps that clear gospel
message of salvation by Christ, that is based upon His person
and work alone. Others will sometimes transgress
the doctrine of Christ by adding to it some new teaching that
they've come to adopt and treat it as if it's a vital evidence
of one with a saving knowledge. At least it's vital for their
hearers, although strangely it seems they don't always apply
that same standard to themselves before their, quote, recent enlightenment. And they promote as vital that
which is non-vital by making a leap of logic. They illogically,
you see, link it to that which true believers know to be vital.
Suggesting a failure to concur with their new discovery is tantamount
to denying what believers know in their heart of hearts to be
vital and true, as has been revealed to them by God-given faith. For
example, a tenet of the doctrine of Christ is that Christ fully
accomplished salvation by putting away sins on the cross of Calvary.
But they may suggest, well, if you don't agree with me here,
then you don't believe that. And you go, A does not mean B. Well, Here's a way we can test
for that, and it's pretty much the same simple way. They've
transgressed the doctrine of Christ if their teaching would
prompt us to look anywhere for salvation other than or in addition
to Christ and Him crucified. Isn't that what Paul suggested
when he wrote to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 2.2?
For I determine not to know anything among you save except Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. And then, as some of you know,
there are men in our day, and this is somewhat a recent development,
who in the past have preached Christ and Him crucified. They
pointed to His finished work of righteousness, and that imputed
to the sinner is the sole basis upon which God saves a sinner,
and to those messages we would say, And yet today, some of these
have concluded that having the perfect righteousness of the
Lord Jesus Christ accounted unto them isn't quite enough. They now insist they must find
a righteousness inherent within themselves. And that points men
to look here instead of always looking to Jesus as the author
and finisher of our faith. And since 2 Corinthians 5 21
teaches that God's people are made righteous in the same way,
in the same sense that Christ was made sin, see, with that
flawed premise that I've got to have a righteousness within
me, they go on to conclude that Christ then had to become a sinner
inherently to make the equation balance, so to speak. He had
to become a sinner, they would say, within himself. And that
heresy denies the scripture that so clearly teaches us that Christ
offered up Himself, see, without spot. They deny the truth of
Christ's sinless humanity. A denial, as Winston taught last
week, that would actually disqualify Christ as the one who uniquely
could do for us sinners what we could not do for ourselves.
We need a Savior, not another sinner. They deny His person
and so abide not in the doctrine of Christ. And I pray that God
will deliver men from this God-dishonoring heresy. We know that sinners,
such as all of us, we're all prone to error. But thankfully,
all of God's elect shall ultimately be brought back to abide in the
simplicity of Christ, to abide in the doctrine of Christ. who
He is, and what He has accomplished. God's Word declares that to be
so. Do you abide in the doctrine
of Christ? I pray so, for such hath both
the Father and the Son. Amen.