Pastoral Letter 07 Jul 2019

My dear readers,

Questions Posed at CPBPC’s Annual Church Camp (10-15 June 2019) – Part 2

Question: What should Christians pray for with regard to the falling away of the church? Given that the Bible tells us that there will definitely be a falling away, how should we pray for the state of Christianity in general? Can we still pray for revival? E.g. within Singapore. How should we obey 1 Timothy 2:1-4 in light of this?

Reply: Christians should not pray that the church will not fall away because the Bible has already revealed that in the last days the church will fall away, i.e. become apostate. They should not pray against the revealed will of God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4: “ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” [Emphasis added]

First and foremost, Christians should pray for themselves that they will be protected and be given discernment to see and understand the difference between the lies of the devil and the truth of God's Word. False teachers will abound to deceive the naive and ignorant. 2 Peter 2:1-2: “ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

They must also pray for courage to stand and be counted for Christ in these last days, no matter what the cost. Then they must pray for their friends and loved ones who have been deceived into attending these ecumenical churches. They need to share with them the gospel because many of them are not born again having been given the false gospel. In the course of helping their friends and loved ones they must not fall themselves as it is a spiritual battle that they are in. That is why they must pray for their own spiritual well-being before they pray for and help others.

To pray for revival upon a person means that the person is dead or is in spiritual stupor. Of course we can pray for the revival of our own hearts and that of the church as well so that we will be sober and ever watchful for the last days are before us.

Obey 1 Timothy 2:1-4 by praying for the secular leaders to rule the nations with equity and in justice so that the gospel can continue to be proclaimed and God's people can be taught the Word of God and worship in peace. Pray that these leaders will come to know Christ. The apostasy of Christianity means that the leaders of churches and seminaries and Bible Colleges are the culprits.

Question: How do you explain the difference between Charismatics, Catholics and Protestants to a non-believer?

Reply: How does one describe the beauty of the setting sun to a person who is born blind? What a non-believer needs is the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves. Once his eyes are opened and with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit illuminating him, he will be able to understand when he is taught. If he is not born again, even the best and perfect teacher will not be able to help him see the light! We see this in the rejection of the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and priests when they witnessed the miracles of Christ and heard the perfect Teacher teach them the truth perfectly. After salvation, the truth about the errors of Charismatism, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism can then be taught to them.

Question: Is it wrong for someone to not want to be baptized because he does not want to be associated with (or to be the same as) some people in the church? (continued in comments)

- (continued) Not wanting to be associated with certain people because he feels that there are people who put on false fronts in church and try to be “holy” when they are not. In the process, he feels stumbled by this and hence thinks twice about getting baptized because he does not want to be like them, neither does he want to be associated with such people that have been baptized.

- (However, not meaning/implying that there is any issue with people trying to follow God’s Word and try their best to be a godly example and be a good testimony for others, but rather am referring to people who pretend to be what they are not. In other words, to be a “Sunday Christian.”)

- If this person is convicted and has accepted the LORD as his personal Saviour, but is not baptized, is he still considered saved?

Reply: Baptism is a sacrament instituted by Christ. It is to be obeyed by every believer. Every child of God upon salvation must seek baptism as clear evidence that he is born again in Christ. The desire for water baptism is not from the will of man but the will of God. The Holy Spirit who dwells within the new babe in Christ is of one mind and heart with Jesus Christ. He will convict the babe in Christ so that the overwhelming desire to publicly confess Christ through water baptism becomes paramount. He cannot wait to be baptized!

Water baptism to the believer is a public testimony that he is not ashamed to be called a Christian, i.e. a follower of Jesus Christ. He tells the world that from henceforth his words will be the Words of Christ. Therefore it is important that he lets his family know that he is going to be baptized. He should invite them to his baptism. His holy conduct and behaviour will reflect the image of the Holy Christ. His life will point everyone around him to the Lord Jesus Christ and to see the power of God’s love in Christ that is still freely offered to all who would come. He must not be ashamed to publicly confess Christ. Matthew 10:32-38: “ Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

There is no legitimate reason for a truly born again believer to not be baptized except when the believer is a child and is under the tutelage of his parents. Even then, it is important that the child prays for the Lord to move his parents’ hearts to grant him permission. In the mean time, it is important that he bears a godly testimony at home so that his parents see the transformation that God has done in his life in Christ. He ought to continue to seek permission from his parents and reason with them on the goodness of God and Christ who have transformed him into a better child. He takes this opportunity to share Christ with his parents as he seeks their permission to be baptized. He keeps praying and seeking permission.

The local church is made up of sinners saved by grace. These sinners are now children of God. They are holy and not perfect as long as they witness for Christ in this earthen vessel. The sin of hypocrisy will still plague some if not many in the church. For the person to choose not to be baptized because he says that he does not want to be associated with certain people, since certain people in his opinion are hypocrites, is a judgment that Christ condemns. Jesus says in Matthew 7:1-5: “ Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

There will always be believers and unbelievers in a church especially when the constituents of the local church are in the tens and hundreds. The devil will surely send in such “tares” to “stumble” the babes in Christ. The way taught by Christ for the babe in Christ is to be baptized in a sound fundamental church. Then he can begin to have fellowship and study God's Word faithfully. Then he can grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ with every passing year. In this way he becomes a mature believer so that he will not be easily stumbled.

Avoiding the sacrament of water baptism based upon an excuse of “hypocrites” in the church is to fall into the snare of the evil one. The devil has and will continue to plant many hypocrites in God’s local churches. The only time when the church is free from hypocrites is when the church arrives home in glory and all of God's children have received the “building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor 5:1). Until then every child of God who is truly born again must receive water baptism as commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20: “ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”