My Fears

Q: What does the Bible say about spiritual dangers for Christians?

The Bible warns of dangers like worldliness, Arminianism, intellectualism, and legalism that can lead believers astray. In 2 Corinthians 11:2-3, the Apostle Paul expresses his fears for the Corinthians, highlighting the risk of being led away from the simplicity in Christ. He identifies several dangers, including worldliness, where the cares of this life choke the word and render it unfruitful (1 John 2:15). Arminianism represents the reliance on human freedom over divine sovereignty, promoting a dangerous misunderstanding of salvation (Romans 9:16). Intellectualism can divert focus from the simplicity of the gospel to endless questions, hindering true worship (1 Peter 1:23). Lastly, legalism imposes a burden of works for justification, counteracting the essence of grace (Galatians 4). These dangers undermine the believers' assurance and peace, pushing them away from reliance on Christ's finished work.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of grace is true?

The doctrine of grace is affirmed in scripture, particularly in Romans 9:16, which emphasizes that salvation is entirely God's work and not of human effort. The doctrine of grace, as taught in the Bible, underscores that salvation is through God’s mercy alone, as seen in Romans 9:16, which states, 'So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.' This doctrine recognizes human inability and the complete sufficiency of Christ’s atonement. Throughout the New Testament, particularly in the letters of Paul, the concept of salvation by grace is consistently articulated against the backdrop of mankind's fallen nature. Furthermore, Ephesians 2:8-9 emphasizes that we are saved by grace through faith, and this is not our own doing; it is a gift from God. Hence, the truth of the doctrine of grace is firmly rooted in the entirety of Scripture, reflecting God’s redemptive plan for humanity.

Q: Why is simplicity in Christ important for believers?

Simplicity in Christ is essential as it helps believers maintain focus on Christ's finished work rather than getting sidetracked by complex doctrines or worldly concerns. The simplicity that is in Christ, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11:3, serves as a safeguard for believers against being misled by various distractions. Paul’s concern was that the Corinthians might be led away from the truth into confusion, driven by the complexities of false teachings. This simplicity means relying solely on Christ's redemptive work without adding human efforts or distractions. It emphasizes the call to 'look unto Him' for salvation, which is a recurring theme throughout Scripture (Isaiah 45:22). When believers focus on Christ alone, they foster a genuine relationship built on faith, which grants peace and assurance found only in His grace (1 Peter 1:23). Simplifying the message of the gospel counters the intricate arguments that may obscure the truth, allowing for a clearer understanding of God's love and provision.

Let's turn this evening to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Richard Baxter said, I endeavor to preach as a dying man to dying men as though I might never preach again. And I try often to think to myself, what would I preach to you if I knew I would never preach to you again? And that's very difficult to say. But the things I have to say tonight would certainly rank in that category.

I want to talk to you about my fears. Not my fears so much for me, though certainly that's included, but my fears for you. Here in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 2, the apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians and says, I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. Not that kind of jealousy that makes a man envious, not that kind of jealousy that causes a man to be enraged, but that kind of jealousy that's protective, like a father with his child, like a husband with his wife. For I have espoused you to one husband, Now, obviously he's speaking of himself as an instrument in God's hands. He is the man by whom God spoke the gospel to these Corinthians at first. He said, this is the object of my labor. This is why I came preaching Christ to you, that I might present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

There's a day coming. when God's servants shall somehow, at the day of judgment, stand and present those who have been converted by God's grace through the preaching of the gospel, they being watchmen over your souls, as those that must give account, they will present you as chaste virgins to Jesus Christ. Paul said, now that's what I'm anxious for. I want to see Rex and Debbie Bartlett at the throne of God, chaste virgins to Christ. What a labor. What an ambition. But I'm afraid. I'm afraid. I fear.

Lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The simplicity that is in Christ. And that word could be translated from the singleness that's in Christ. It could be translated from the sincerity that is in Christ. But the word simplicity takes in both. And Paul says, I'm concerned for you. I've seen many like Gaius having loved this present world who have gone astray from the gospel. I've seen many like Hymenaeus and Philetus who've made shipwreck of their souls. And I'm concerned for you. lest Satan, as he beguiled Eve through his crafty subtlety, lest Satan might beguile you from the simplicity, the sincere singularity and simplicity that is in Jesus Christ.

You say, well, how could a man make such a statement as that? How could you have such fears as that for us? Because I understand that natural men and women, unsaved, unregenerate, lost professors of religion, as, if I read this book correctly, most professors of religion are. Now, you can do with that what you want to do with that. But if I read this book correctly, most folks are walking in a broad road, not the straight and narrow. Most folks who profess faith in Christ profess faith in a false Christ and their faith is a false faith.

Natural men and women, however, unsaved, unregenerate professors do sometimes become excited and zealous about the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in him. You see, knowing the doctrines of grace and knowing Christ are two different things. They're two different things. You can't know Christ and not know the gospel of his grace, but you can sure enough know the doctrines of grace and not know Jesus Christ. The fact is the natural men and women In a sense, often become even as excited about the doctrines of grace as true believers are. In a sense, maybe even more excited for a while. But after a while, something happens, always does. The luster and the beauty of grace goes dim in their eyes. The glory of substitution somehow is lost in their minds. The lost religionist, after a while, just gets tired of the gospel. Say, preacher, I don't know how that could happen. I've seen it happen so many times. The lost religionist at first enamored with free grace, enamored with substitution, enamored with imparted righteousness. After a while, he's like the children of Israel who had for a few days eaten manna in the wilderness, and then the manna began to taste stale. And they said, we want some quail. We want some meat in our teeth. We would just love to have some of the leeks and onions and garlics that are back in Egypt. Such people may or may not openly deny the gospel. But in time, they just get tired of hearing the sweet message of Christ crucified. They grew weary of hearing about grace, free, sovereign, everlasting, eternal grace, and nothing but grace. I've seen this happen so many times that it frightens me, and I'm fearful for you. You see, Satan is a crafty, subtle deceiver. He doesn't care what issue he gets you sidetracked with. He doesn't care what the issue is by which many women are beguiled. He doesn't care whether you're beguiled with false religion or beguiled with adultery. That doesn't matter to him. He'd just as soon have you sitting in churches, have you in a brothel. That doesn't make any difference to him. He'd just as soon you go to hell with a hymn on your lips as go to hell with an oath on your lips. It doesn't matter to him. He is a subtle, crafted deceiver. He doesn't care what he gets you to embrace, so long as he gets you to turn away from Christ. When the fiend of hell turns anyone away from Christ, he's won the day, so far as that person's concerned. And that frightens me. Now, there are four dangers to which we are all naturally susceptible. Four snares of Satan by which we are all very likely to be taken and deceived unless God himself protects us. Many, many who were once so promising, so encouraging, so hopeful, many who were so impressive, I can think right now just, folks sitting in the pew, preachers, so impressive, so promising, so hopeful, so zealous. But now, Satan has taken them like a bird has taken with a snare, and they are no more. So let me give you these warnings, these dangers, mark them and be warned. You hold your hands in 1 John chapter 5, or chapter 3 rather, and I want to read another text to you. Here's the first warning. It's worldliness. Worldliness. I don't know of anything more dangerous to you and to me. Worldliness. And I'm not talking about the kind of shoes you wear, the kind of pants you wear, whether you wear makeup or don't wear makeup. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about whether you refuse to buy your groceries at a store that sells cigarettes or whether you buy your groceries somewhere where they even sell alcohol. I'm not talking about that stuff that the religious world talks about as worldliness. Oh, no. Oh, no. Worldliness is not that at all. It may or may not include some of those things, but that's got nothing to do with worldliness, not in biblical terms. Biblical terms lay worldliness has to do with the love of this world Now listen to what our Lord said you remember when he gave the parable of the sower in the seed He said some is cast among thorns and the thorns that come up slowly there I'm a stone it's all among weeds and they the weeds they come up slowly and they Twist around that plant that tender plant and they choke out the word and it becomes unfruitful. This is what the master says. He also that received seed sown among thorns is he that heareth the word. And then the care of this world, the care of this world, the care of this world. What's he talking about? He's talking about the legitimate, lawful, rightful cares of living in this world. when they become supreme. When they take over, Paul and Kayla sitting here, still on their honeymoon, lawful cares of a husband and wife, lawful cares. When they become supreme, listen now, the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. Now in light of that, listen to what our Lord says by the Apostle John in 1 John 3 verse 15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God. I'm sorry, it should have been 1 John chapter 2. Back up what? 1 John chapter 2 and verse 15. The apostle says, love not the world. And notice the distinction, neither the things that are in the world. Don't set your heart on the people of this world, and don't set your heart on the things of this world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, The lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world. And all of it, all of it, all the things that you care about in this world, all the riches of this world, all the lust of the eyes, lust of the heart, and the pride of life, all of these things passeth away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Worldliness, its riches, its power, craving its acceptance, its pleasures, have slain many in time, usually very slowly. Almost always, you can see it coming. They can't, but you can. You see gradual, little by little influence, taking a little more ground, a little more ground, a little more ground, and then they're gone. Here's the second danger. Arminianism. Turn to Romans chapter 9. Arminianism generally is taken to refer to that system of theology that was promoted by a man by the name of Arminius. But Arminius simply promoted the religion of the world. He simply promoted that religion, which is common among men. It is found in Judaism, it is found in Islam, it is found in Hinduism, it is found in the philosophies of the world, both Gentile and Jew, and it's found in what's called Christianity. Arminianism is a matter of great danger because all of us by nature are proud Arminians, all of us. No matter how thoroughly convinced we are of free grace, our proud, sinful nature still cries out free will somewhere. We all want to build an altar with which to worship God, at which we will bow to God, but an altar built by our hands. We want to come to God on steps that we have made. We want to come to God and we'll ascribe things to him. We'll say, we'll say, salvations of the Lord. We worship God. It's all together God's work. But we've got something to do with it. We got something to do with it. And I'm telling you, it's damning. It's damning. Nobody is now, ever has been, or ever shall be saved who worships on an altar they have built. Can't be, can't be, no sir. We all want to put somewhere our hands in the scheme of things. We want to think the salvation is at least in some part, at least in some measure to one degree or another our own doing. Now this thing of Arminianism is a monster with many ugly heads. Every time it raises its head, cut it off quickly. Don't endure for a moment any doctrine, any religious system, any religious thought that gives any spiritual, righteous dignity to humanity. We don't have any. We are nothing but fallen, sinful, corrupt flesh. That's all. That's all. Exalt only that which glorifies our God. And anything that would rob God of His glory in this business of salvation, you trample it under your feet, cast it aside, and be done with it forever. Look at Romans chapter 9 here, verse 16. Paul's describing this business of salvation. He says, God said, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. And folks get upset with that and say, well, that's not right. Well, take it up with God, but that's the way it is. That's the way it is. And it says in verse 16, now this is the conclusion of the matter. So then, so then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Now somebody comes along and they say, but where does that leave the will of man? Exactly where it's always been, in bondage. But what does that leave to man? Exactly what man has always had, death and sin. But what hope is there then? This right here! God calls whom he will. So the purpose of God according to election stands. Now here's the third great danger. intellectualism. Being proud, arrogant words. We all have to face this danger of intellectualism. You see, Satan knows how very proud we are of our puny brains. Because we're so very proud of our mental abilities. You know, when a fella gets old and he can't pick up weights anymore, he likes to think he's smart. When you can't do things that demonstrate physical strength, at least I've got a good mind. And we're proud of our mental ability, so much so that we vainly imagine that by much study and research, we can find out everything. We foolishly imagine that a man can, by searching, find out God. We even foolishly imagine that we can show God to other folks if we teach them just right. I even heard, and I'm not giving hearsay, I was sitting in a conference one time, a fellow preaching in front of me, and I, sometimes fellows just say the wrong thing and I have to work at it, and I worked at it when it got done. I was in a conference and this fellow, he said, now, he said, now, in order to be what he called a Calvinist, You got to be a thinker. You got to have some gray matter between your ears. And I got behind him and I said, in order to be a sinner saved by grace, you just got to be a sinner saved by grace. And if you experience it, you know it. It's not a matter of your brilliance. It's not a matter of your intelligence. It's not a matter of what you have studied and discovered. I think it is nothing but this sheer love of self. which causes men to cling tenaciously to the idea that somehow, you know, I was saved back yonder and I went through all this stuff and after I studied and studied hard for years and I looked into the Puritans and the church fathers and I compared the original languages, then I came to know the doctrines of grace. Hogwash. Every sinner who's been plucked from the gates of hell knows the doctrines of grace. Everyone knows. Every sinner who's ever been saved by God's almighty hand and understands that salvation is God's work, as all saved sinners do, he ascribes all the credit to God. That's just as natural as it can be. We like to give ourselves credit for everything. We like to give ourselves to answering questions and studying mysteries and we'll go after one question and then another. And those who give in to this lust of the flesh very quickly make the gospel of Christ a sideline because there's absolutely no end to foolish questions. I received a letter today, a couple of them that fit so well with what I was studying and preparing for tonight. This one lady I've known for a long time, she gets all of our tapes. She said, I don't understand, Don, why brilliant, educated, sincere men, who say they want to do nothing but preach the gospel, can't just preach Christ in the simplicity of Christ crucified. But they have to explain every syllable, every punctuation mark, and miss the whole message, looking for this thing and that. Regrettably, I do understand. The gospel of Christ becomes a sideline to men who outgrow it. And when the gospel of Christ becomes a sideline to any church or to any ministry, Satan has won the day. We all have this terrible propensity to become sidetracked by issues and questions and events. I try my best as we gather here in the office and after the services, I encourage you, let's not get too much taken away from the business at hand. Let the newspapers handle the politics and the events of the day. You know, I'm not saying come in here and always act pious and don't have anything to say about those things, basketball or football or baseball, whatever the case is, or not have anything to say about the politics. I don't mean that at all. But I am saying this. Let's not get sidetracked from business at hand. We got something more important than what's going on in Washington right here. We got something more important than what takes place over in Lexington right here. And the thing that's more important is the worship and knowledge of Jesus Christ the Lord. So let's not be sidetracked. But having said that, we have a tendency to become sidetracked in our various ministries and the various way we conduct the ministries. Some folks get to looking into prophecy. I warn you about this danger all the time because it's very real. You're confronted with it every day. You turn on television, even folks in Hollywood trying to teach you about prophecy. You're confronted with it all the time. Don't fret your pretty head too much about it, because you're not going to figure it out. You're just not going to figure it out. Sometimes folks get sidetracked talking about church doctrine, church dogma. We've got to do this for church. We've got to do that for church. We've got to have this doctrine, that doctrine. Sometimes you get turned aside with politics. endless questions and genealogies about things in the scriptures to which no answer is given. Sometimes with things that seem to be practical godliness, practical Christianity. You know, that's the cry of the day. Let's have practical Christianity. That means don't tell us anything we ought to believe. Just tell us how we ought to live and what we ought to do so we can pop our suspenders and strut around saying, look here, I'm doing what I'm supposed to. And so folks get sidetracked and start teaching about family values and all those things. And that becomes the message from the pulpit. Listen carefully to the word of God. Are you listening? We are born again, 1 Peter 1 verse 23, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. Now listen to verse 25. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Now what on earth is that saying? It's saying exactly what you think it is. There is no preaching of this book unless the gospel of Christ is preached. Any preaching that does not preach Christ and Him crucified. Any preaching that does not set before sinners the way of life in Jesus Christ the Lord is not Bible preaching. I don't care how orthodox it may be otherwise. I don't care how doctrinally sound it may be otherwise. I don't care how practical it may be otherwise. It is a waste of time, a mockery to men's souls, and a disservice to their eternal souls. ought not be done. You men who preach and teach, make it your business, make it your business every time you open your mouth in God's name to preach Jesus Christ crucified. The apostle Paul warns, he says, don't give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than God be edified. I could literally spend 60 or 70 hours a week just answering questions. I'm just talking about the questions I get and telephone calls, letters, email letters. I could literally spend all my time just answering questions. When I got one answer, I thought I'd have 10 more to ask. It doesn't take a brilliant fellow to ask a lot of dumb questions. It really doesn't. And it's almost as dumb to try to answer them as it is to ask them. Just don't get sidetracked with them. Foolish and unlearned questions, Paul said, avoid these things, they just gender strife. Avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable in vain. All right, here's the fourth danger. Legalism. It's more difficult for a person to be weaned from legalism than from any other tendency of human nature. The spirit of bondage and legality is more frequently and more forcefully dealt with in the New Testament than any other. To one degree or another, worldliness, Arminianism, and intellectualism all have their roots in the spirit of legality. Now, let me be crystal clear. Preacher, what do you mean by legalism? Legalism is any doctrine that teaches that we are justified by our works, by our obedience to the law. Legalism is any doctrine that suggests that we are somehow able to sanctify ourselves, make ourselves more holy before God Almighty by what we do. Legalism is any doctrine which teaches that somehow man by something he does can put God in debt to him and merit God's favor. Legalism is any attempt to bring the people of God back under the yoke and bondage of the law. Now, this demon of legality must be exposed and eradicated. The Holy Spirit says, cast out the bondwoman and her child. Man, a lot. That's pretty straight. That's exactly what he said. You can read it for yourself in Galatians 4. Nothing is more harmful, nothing more deadly than this foolish attachment of sinful men to the law. It promotes pride and self-righteousness and it turns you from looking to Christ to looking to yourself. It causes strife and division among God's people because it makes everybody think he's holier than everybody else. It destroys every foundation of true peace and assurance because it makes your assurance and your peace to be based upon something you do rather than what Christ has done for you. and it's in direct opposition to the plainest statements of Holy Scripture. I won't take time to read them again, but the Apostle Paul gives this in many, many passages in the New Testament, and he tells us in 1 Timothy 1 that those who desire to be teachers of the law, and you can send this to anybody you want to send it to, you can sign my name and I'll amen it. Those who desire to be teachers of the law understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. They don't have the slightest idea what's going on in spiritual matters. They just don't know. They just don't know. Legalism in any form, to any degree, is totally contrary to free grace. Law and grace simply will not mix. We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we who are saved by God's free grace in Christ, are not under the law, period. Christ is for us the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. I love the hymn, free from the law, O happy condition, Jesus hath bled, and there is remission. In Christ we fulfill the law. We have no curse from the law, no covenant with the law, no constraint by the law, no commitment to the law. We're saved by grace, justified by grace, preserved by grace, sanctified by grace, and we shall be glorified by grace. And there is no room in the house of grace for the whip of the law. I use great plainness of speech because I want to be understood. Let men call me a foul, base antinomian, a promoter of licentiousness as often, as loudly as they please, I won't be moved. I planted my feet in concrete. There is no room for Hagar in Sarah's house. You cannot rest on Zion's hill while you're trying to scratch your way up the dark side of Mount Sinai. Ishmael can never be heir with Isaac. You can either have grace or works, but you can't have both. You can have Christ or Moses, but not both. You can either rest on Jesus Christ, or you can work, but you can't rest and work at the same time. Any mixture of law and grace is a total denial of grace. If you try to hold the law with one hand and grace with the other, you got to let go. The apostle says, if it's by grace, then it's no more work. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. If it's of works, then it's no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.

Now I urge you, my friends, cling to the simplicity of Jesus Christ. What's that? Look unto me, and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, for I am God, and beside me there is none else. See, that's simple. Just that simple. Just that profound. But that's the message. That's the message. How do we say it? Look unto Him. Just look unto Him. But what about your sin? Just look unto Him. But what about your response? Just look unto Him. Look to Him. That's it. Oh, God help you ever to look to Him. Amen.

My Fears

What does the Bible say about spiritual dangers for Christians?

How do we know the doctrine of grace is true?

Why is simplicity in Christ important for believers?

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About Don Fortner

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My Fears

What does the Bible say about spiritual dangers for Christians?

How do we know the doctrine of grace is true?

Why is simplicity in Christ important for believers?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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