My dear readers,

Questions Posed at CPBPC’s Annual Church Camp (10-15 June 2019) – Part 1

Question: It is preached that those in other denominations are subscribing to wrong doctrines and they are not saved if they do so. However, such a statement is made from our perspective where we are well versed in doctrines that open our eyes to such discrepancies in doctrine i.e. VPI and VPP. Many other Christians however do not have such a privilege and thus will continue to worship God in such ignorance. Is it possible that they can still be saved as they do not have the moral responsibility to right their wrong doctrines as they are not aware of their erroneous doctrines as we are? As such they are only guilty of the sin of ignorance whereas for us Christians who are "enlightened" of such teachings and will not be similarly excused. Thus, as long as they worship God in all sincerity even with such discrepancies in doctrine , they can still be saved. Of course, I am not talking about denominations where the doctrines are obviously unbiblical. [Emphasis added]

“made from our perspective” – The evaluation of all churches and all professing believers is always based upon the perfect Word of God alone and not a church's denominational distinctive. Therefore it is God’s evaluation, not man’s. To make judgments based upon a church’s traditions or any other basis is wrong and most unfair. The warning is for the good of the church and persons concerned as well because it is to show them that their lives are not lived in light of God's truth. This means that they are misrepresenting Christ and walking in unrighteousness. The warning is to help them see the light and hopefully they will repent of their sins. This is the way of “love in truth” as taught by Christ. That is why the Word of God is used. When they obey they are in reality obeying God and not man since the Word of God is used to evaluate their doctrines and manner of life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches this truth:

That is precisely what the inspired and preserved Word of God is meant to do!

The ability to see the truth is from the Lord and not chance or a person’s own “well versed” ability. Every child of God is endowed by God with the mind of Christ at the point of salvation. From henceforth, he is a spiritual person. He is able to understand spiritual things including the perfect Word of God. This is due entirely to the work of God. 1 Corinthians 2:11-16: “ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

This means that every child of God has a responsibility to ensure that he searches the Scriptures to see if what he is being taught is according to Holy Scriptures, the way that the Bereans did in Acts 17:11.

“in such ignorance” – A man who is blind and is unable to see the truth is one who is spiritually blind and dead in his sins. If ignorance is a legitimate excuse for not sinning against God and even to enter heaven, should we then remain in ignorance and refuse to be taught the truth? That is never the way of Christ. He prayed for His disciples in John 17 that God would sanctify His disciples with His truth, for God's Word is Truth. The attack on the perfect Bible has been the diabolical scheme of the devil since the beginning of the fall of man in Genesis 3. Did the serpent not utter, “… Yea, hath God said …” (Gen 3:1)? The attacks are deceptive. The ones who are deceived chose to be deceived.

Think for a moment what these attackers of the perfect Bible are saying. Common sense alone would show that their reasoning is devilish and foolish, for their aim is to cast doubt on the veracity of God’s faithfulness and His holy and perfect Word of Life. These attackers stand from the pulpit and pontificate that there is a mistake here and there. Why do the hearers not simply ask ... HOW DO THESE ATTACKERS KNOW? HAVE THEY SEEN THE ORIGINAL? IF NOT, THEN WHAT POSSESSED THEM TO USE SUCH SACERDOTALISTIC SOPHISTRY AND CONFIDENTLY CLAIM THAT THERE ARE MISTAKES IN THE BIBLE? Why do the people in the pew foolishly believe? Do they really have such a low view of God and think that God is that foolish and myopic, that He would spend more than 1,500 years to inspire His perfect and Holy Word that gives life to all who believe by faith, and not bother to preserve every jot and tittle of it?

God calls the Bible the milk and meat to every child of God’s hungry soul. Why would God feed His children with dirty milk and meat contaminated with mistakes? Would you feed your dear children with dirty milk and meat? Such foolishness of the listeners does not make them innocent hearers. They deliberately choose not to ask and allow these attackers of the perfect Bible to attack God. If these hearers are truly believers and the attackers malign the integrity and faithfulness of their heavenly Father and the Christ who died for them, then they would immediately rise to the fore to defend their Lord and God would they not? But they sit in the pews week after week hypnotized as it were by their damnable heresies. These hearers chose to

(2 Pet 2:2). Would you dear readers who are born again in Christ sit in church week in and week out listening to someone spewing attacks on your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and God who gave you the privilege to call Him Abba Father?

If ignorance is a legitimate excuse before God, then it is also a legitimate excuse for God’s children to be slothful and remain in spiritual slumber so that they need not earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. Ignorance in sinning is just as sinful in the eyes of God as deliberately sinning. The pastors, preachers and leaders of these churches who attack the perfect Bible are not ignorant in their transgression. The congregations who hide behind the cloak of “ignorance” are not guiltless either. They might even be considered as more sinful, for they support and encourage their leaders to attack by their tithes, offering and presence week after week.

It is our God-given duty to reach out to loved ones and friends to warn them of the dire state that they are in just as we warn all who live in ways that are contrary to Holy Scriptures. They need to be told the truth and be delivered and not be excused because they hide behind the veil of “ignorance.” They need help more so today because of the apostasy in Christianity in these last days. Ignorance needs to be repented of. This is clearly taught in Acts 3:17-19: “ And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” The context of this passage is that the Israelites were deceived by their leaders to crucify Christ. They were commanded by Peter to repent and be converted!

“obviously unbiblical” – Phrases like “discrepancies in doctrine” are not to be treated lightly. We are talking about the perfect WORD OF GOD! To say that the Bible has mistakes is not a light and insignificant issue. No one should think so. The attackers of the perfect Bible surely do not think so! If it is a small matter then they would not have taken FEBC to court and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to destroy her for teaching that the Bible is perfect. If it is such a small matter, then just believe it rather than reject it and vilify those who believe and defend the doctrines of Verbal Plenary Inspiration and Verbal Plenary Preservation of Holy Scriptures.

If it is “obviously unbiblical,” few would be deceived. Why do counterfeiters not make counterfeit bills that have obvious mistakes? Instead they try their utmost to not make the mistakes obvious! If the attackers of the Bible say that the mistakes in the Bible are “in Christ’s miracles, birth, death and resurrection” instead of “in numbers and names of people and places only,” how many would believe and follow them? Would you? The devil is a cunning master deceiver. He cunningly deceived the man-centered people by saying that these mistakes are minor but all doctrines that pertain to man’s salvation are “perfect”! All man-centered teachings cannot be of God. The entire Bible is God-centered! Every jot and tittle of God’s holy Word are equally inspired and preserved by God, not some part more or less. The devil is not called the father of lies for nothing. He has been making millions of professing believers think that they are teaching God’s Word and promoting Christ when they are promoting the devil himself! Beware of the not “obviously unbiblical”, for therein lies the deadly poison to deceive and destroy. Pray for discernment to see and the courage to do right in these last days.

May God keep and protect His people from sin and to remain faithful even unto death.