My dear readers,

Answering Remaining Questions from Calvary Pandan Church Camp 2022 (11)

Question 1: If we are to focus more on doctrinal differences instead of commonalities with other Christians, to what extent are the differences acceptable in order for us to have Christian fellowship with them?

Answer 1: The reason for this approach of examining the differences rather than the similarities is because we are living in the last days. Jesus says that just before the Rapture and the first resurrection of the saints occur, certain signs will be fulfilled. One of these signs is the falling away of Christianity. 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.” The word for falling away is “apostasy.”

The evidence before us is the more than a billion Roman Catholics (salvation by Christian works), 600-million-strong Charismatics (believing in Christ to be healthy and wealthy) and 100 million neo-evangelicals who believe that the Bible has mistakes. These professing believers make up the bulk of Christendom today. The remnant will consist of conservative believers whom the Lord left behind on earth to be the salt and light in these last days. Therefore, it is wise to look out for the differences than the similarities in professing believers’ lives and Christian churches today. The devil is not so foolish as to deceive by throwing out every doctrine of the Bible; he targeted a few that are crucial to the Christian faith and the church’s holy witness.

The devil’s deception usually begins small. He claims an error that is small or even miniscule. His deception works like a bit of leaven that will leaven the whole lump. Professing believers readily accept the lie because they are told it is a minor error. With time, more errors will creep in and the professing believer will die thinking that he is a believer, but he is cast into hell! Was that not what was told to those who believe that the Bible has mistakes; and that the mistakes in the Bible are only 1 to 5 % and these errors are in numbers and names of people and places? To make the deception even more palatable, these attackers of the Bible and God have the audacity to claim that “these mistakes in the Bible do not affect the believer’s salvation”! Many foolishly believe without realizing they have been poisoned. There are 31,102 verses in the KJV of the 1611 edition. 1% to 5% mistakes means that 311 to 1,555 verses are erroneous. Of the 788,280 words in the same KJV edition, 1% to 5% errors are equivalent to 7,882 to 39,410 words.

The differences must pertain to salvation and our holy witness. These differences include doctrinal and practical, i.e. association. The doctrine of biblical separation protects and helps. It protects the believer from sinning by his sinful associations. It helps the people around them including the sinner who needs salvation and holiness. Some doctrinal differences that have been there since the start of the 16^th century reformation include dispensationalism vs. covenantalism, modes of baptism like immersion vs. sprinkling, acceptance or rejection of infant baptism (not baptismal regeneration), sacraments vs. ordinances, and church governance i.e. congregational vs. Presbyterian rule. These differences allow us to have fellowship, but not as members of a local church congregation. For example, how can someone who rejects the doctrine of infant baptism and another who subscribes to it be members of the same church? The differences are serious. The root of the difference is in their understanding of the Bible in terms of dispensational vs. covenantal theology. Many other related doctrines differ. To have fellowship with them such as having a meal together is acceptable as these differences do not affect salvation, but not fellowship as members of the same local church because these differences affect the unity of the church.

Doctrines that require separation, i.e. no fellowship, include those that undermine the gospel message where the gospel preached becomes another gospel that does not save. This includes the health-and-wealth gospel of the Charismatics and the gospel of the Roman Catholics that are salvation by good Christian works. The gospel of the neo-evangelical (who believes in the Bible with mistakes) is also deadly as it is a gospel where God makes mistakes since His holy Word has mistakes. The God of the Bible is perfect as evidenced by His holy and perfect Bible.

Doctrines that require separation include any doctrine that tarnishes the holy witness of a Christian. These include fellowshipping with those who live in open sin without repentance. To fellowship with them is to condone their sin and makes us partakers of their sin.

Question 2: Centuries old theological differences (e.g. covenantal vs. dispensational) and practices (e.g. mode of baptism, systems of church governance) are acceptable differences but not current theological differences and practices? How can truth be time-dependent?

Answer 2: Truth is not time dependent. The basis for accepting these perennial doctrinal differences is not time, but the doctrines themselves as mentioned above. We admit that we do not have perfect understanding of every doctrine of the Bible. This ensures that we are teachable to keep improving and learning. When we say that we do not have perfect understanding of the Bible, it does not mean that we cannot demonstrate what we believe are from Holy Scriptures, for every doctrine has to be Bible-based, either directly or by inference. It also does not mean that we are unsure of what we stand for, especially when it comes to the fundamentals of the faith. What we do mean is that the depth of every doctrine of the Bible is so deep that there is so much more to learn from it. For example, we know that John 3:16 teaches us about God’s love in Christ and that God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. But the depth of the understanding of God's love and Christ’s sacrifice cannot be reached by us whereby we can say we have touched the bottom and know everything about this amazing truth! Man can never fathom how great God’s love is for sinners when He willingly sent His only begotten Son to die for us by crucifixion!

Currently, theological differences that are after more than 2,000 years of the existence of the church are primarily dangerous differences. These differences have to be evaluated against the Bible, and with the last days we are in, we are a generation that is witnessing (and living) for Christ in very perilous times. There are more professing believers than truly born-again believers. Therefore, the LORD also warns us of such a phenomenon of many false prophets (i.e. preachers and teachers of God's Word), and false Christs (many professing believers bearing a false witness of Christ) in the last days before His glorious return. They will also claim to do miracles that are potent so that if it may seem possible for the very elect to be deceived. Thank God it is not possible. This means that those who are deceived are not the elect! Matthew 24:23-24: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

May God grant us the discernment to recognise these subtle errors, and the courage to do what is holy and righteous according to Holy Scriptures to protect our holy witness and to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints for Christ’s glory. Amen.