Nashik Baptist Church

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The Church, Evangelism & Social Concern

“Do you polish the brass on a sinking ship?”[1]This metaphor was made famous, by the 1950s radio preacher J. Vernon McGee. He used this question and others similar, to scare Christians away from charity and social concern. He and other evangelical leaders argued that the Christian’s job is soul winning, and the winning of souls only. Any Christian with any social concern especially in the areas of education, politics, economics, family, business, charity, work, etc., were severely condemned.

The reason for this condemnation was the rise of the social gospel which had its roots in modernism. The social gospel teaches that we are primarily called to follow the ethic of Jesus and to therefore feed the hungry, educate the powerless, heal the sick and alleviate suffering, essentially to make the world a better place to live. The emphasis is not upon spiritual but rather physical, material and economic issues. There is little or no proclamation of repentance of sins and faith in Jesus Christ, and instead promotes a form of prideful self-sufficiency.

The knee-jerk reaction from many evangelicals to this “false” gospel was an either or approach. The two approaches were deemed mutually exclusive. You could not be involved in the one and faithful to the other. Many Christians became convinced that the task of the church is to save souls, not to change society, so they chose to separate the work of evangelism from any social concern.

David Moberg explains the troubling effects of this dilemma, “The question of how to deal with the poverty and the numerous other interrelated problems of our day has divided Christians into two camps. One of them builds a strong case for evangelism as the basic solution, while the other emphasizes direct social involvement. Each accuses the other of being untrue to the essential nature of Christianity. Each feels the other is hypocritical. Each charges the other with being a detriment to the Kingdom of God and the cause of Jesus Christ.”[2]

In an attempt to address this sad situation that the Church found itself in, David Moberg published a book called The Great Reversal: Evangelism versus Social Concern. In his book he explains that at one point, (before 1972) evangelical Christians had a balanced view with regard to evangelism and social concern, “but a great reversal early in this century led to a lopsided emphasis upon evangelism and omission of most aspects of social involvement. Since that time their shortcomings in regard to the fulfilment of Christian social responsibility have been very apparent. Sociological analysis of evangelism can help to shed light on this complex subject. Cultural and religious impediment stand in the way of its solution, but a considerable body of evidence supports the conclusion that evangelism can be a motive for social welfare and can play an important role in social action to change society and deal with social sin.”[3]

John Stott in his book, Christian Mission in the Modern World, asked the very important question, “What . . . should be the relation between evangelism and social action within our total Christian responsibility?” In an attempt to reconcile and unscramble the fear of evangelism and social concern,Stott identified, in the course of his ministry (even especially in India), three positions in relating evangelism and social concern.

Stott’s first argument is that some people regard social action as a means to evangelism which can ultimately be very damaging to the cause and credibility of Christianity.  He writes; “In this case evangelism and the winning of converts are the primary ends in view, but social action is a useful preliminary, an effective means to these ends.  In its most blatant form this makes social work (whether food, medicine, or education) the sugar on the pill, the bait on the hook, while in its best form it gives to the gospel a credibility it would otherwise lack.  In either case the smell of hypocrisy hangs round our philanthropy. A frankly ulterior motive impels us to engage in it…the result of making our social programme the means to another end is that we breed so-called ‘rice Christians’. This is inevitable if we ourselves have been ‘rice evangelists’. They caught the deception from us. No wonder Gandhi said in 1931: ‘I hold that proselytizing under the cloak of humanitarian work is, to say the least, unhealthy…why should I change my religion because a doctor who professes Christianity as his religion has cured me of some disease…?”[4]

Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert comment on this position, “The reality is that people who make [this] mistake see evangelism as no more an act of compassion than the person who sees it as a way to put a notch in his [religious] belt; it’s just that they see the gospel as something they are trying to sell. Neither his good works nor his evangelism would be founded on care for the other person. His good works would be grounded on a desire to get to the evangelism, and the evangelism would be grounded in a desire to make himself look good. Love doesn’t figure in there at all…Christians, are to love the whole person, and therefore it makes perfect sense to love someone by giving him food and at the same time to love him in a different, higher way by giving him the gospel.”[5]

The conclusion above leads to the second position that Stott recognised, regarding social action not as a means to evangelism but as a demonstration or manifestation of evangelism. Social Action no longer opposes the work of evangelism, but instead with a proper motivation, co-exists for the sake of the gospel. Stott explains; “In this case philanthropy is not attached to evangelism rather artificially from the outside, but grows out of it as its natural expression. One might almost say that social action becomes the ‘sacrament’ of evangelism, for it makes the message significantly visible”.[6]

  1. Herman Bavinck agrees with this position, “Medicine and education are more than a legitimate and necessary means of creating an opportunity for preaching. For if these services are motivated by the proper love and compassion, then they cease to be simply preparation, and at that very moment become preaching.”[7]

The third position Stott regards as “the truly Christian one”. Social action must be a partner of evangelism. He explains; “As partners the two belong to each other and yet are independent of each other. Each stands on its own feet in its own right alongside the other. Neither is a means to the other, or even a manifestation of the other. For each is an end in itself. Both are expressions of unfeigned love.”[8]

Stott explained that the Apostle John helped him come to this conclusion when he wrote, “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17, 18).

He concludes with a warning, “This does not mean that words and works, evangelism and social action, are such inseparable partners that all of us must engage in both all the time.  Situations vary, and so do Christian callings.  As for situations, there will be times when a person’s eternal destiny is the most urgent consideration, for we must not forget that men without Christ are perishing.  But there will certainly be other times when a person’s material need is so pressing that he would not be able to hear the gospel if we shared it with him.  The man who fell among robbers needed above all else at that moment oil and bandages for his wounds, not evangelistic tracts in his pockets!  Similarly, in the words of a missionary in Nairobi quoted by Bishop John Taylor, ‘a hungry man has no ears’.  If our enemy is hungry, our biblical mandate is not to evangelize him but to feed him (Romans 12:20)!  Then too there is a diversity of Christian callings, and every Christian should be faithful to his own calling”. [9]

Conclusion

Even if the ship (society) was sinking, out of our love for Christ and the lost and our moral, spiritual and ethical obligations, we should still do everything we can, not to polish the brass, but to repair the breach in the hull. “We should understand that God created the human race with the mission of filling the earth with worshippers [and] that it would be through worshipful obedience that the mission would be completed. Thus, morality and ethics—a life of just behaviour and Christ-like character—is part and parcel of the mission God has in mind for his people as a means to expanding the worship of his name.”[10] In other words, it is through the gospel and through the fruit of the gospel—changed lives and involvement in society—that the world will be changed.

In the midst of all these debates, we should not allow our fear of the social gospel determine our method of evangelism and social concern or lack thereof. We must not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Paul rejected legalism, but not the law (Romans 7:12; 1 Timothy 1:8). Similarly, we should reject the social gospel, but not turn a blind eye to social need.

“If we understand evangelism itself, though, as a deep and profound act of love for [Christ and] other people, we will do it more often, and we will do it with the right motives too (love for people, instead of regard for ourselves). In fact, if we are Christians whose love and compassion is aroused by spiritual needs, then sharing the gospel will always be in the forefronts of our minds. We will naturally and readily move toward it as we are loving other people.”[11]

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Bibliography

  • Bavinck, J.H. An Introduction to the Science of Missions, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Holland, 1960
  • DeYoung, K. and G. Gilbert, What is the Mission of the Church?, Crossway, USA, 2011
  • Liederbach, M. and A. Reid, The Convergent Church, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids USA, 2009
  • Moberg, D.O. The Great Reversal Evangelism versus Social Concern, Scripture Union, USA, 1972
  • Stott, J. Christian Mission in the Modern World, InterVarsity Press, USA, 1975

[1]Quoted in Gary North, Rapture Fever: Why Dispensationalism is Paralyzed, Institute for Christian Economics, Tyler TX (1993), p.100

[2] David O. Moberg, The Great Reversal Evangelism versus Social Concern, Scripture Union, USA (1972), p.13

[3] David O. Moberg, The Great Reversal Evangelism versus Social Concern, Scripture Union, USA (1972), p.26

[4] John Stott, Christian Mission in the Modern World, InterVarsity Press, USA (1975), p.26

[5] Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert, What is the Mission of the Church?, Crossway, USA (2011), p.228

[6] John Stott, Christian Mission in the Modern World, InterVarsity Press, USA (1975), p.26

[7] J. Herman Bavinck, An Introduction to the Science of Missions, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Holland (1960), p.113

[8] John Stott, Christian Mission in the Modern World, InterVarsity Press, USA (1975), p.27

[9] Ibid, p.28

[10]Mark Liederbach and Alvin Reid, The Convergent Church, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids USA, (2009), p.206

[11] Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert, What is the Mission of the Church?, Crossway, USA (2011), p.229

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Judgment Day

lies fearSuppose you were caught for stealing money from a bank and had to appear before a judge in a court of law for the sentencing of your crime. As you approach the judge’s bench you realize that you know the judge as a good friend of your father. You start to appeal to the judge for mercy. You say to him “Uncle, remember me, you know my father! You even came to my 11thbirthday celebration. Please uncle, I know you are a good man, please would you forgive me and let me go free?”

Do you think the judge would say “Yes, you are free to go”? No, of course not, he would have to follow the course of justice if he was a good judge. He would have to punish you for your crime, as the law of the country dictates. Or suppose you were the victim of a terrible crime, and the criminal was allowed to go free, without any punishment or retribution. What would you say? What would your family say? There would be an outcry for justice.

This illustration is no different to the judgment we will all face one day when we all will appear before God (Heb 9:27).  Because God is holy He has to punish our sins, we all stand guilty before him, condemned in our sins (Rom3:23).   We have all offended a holy God and broken his laws (Exodus20), and justice must be done!

There is great news however for the one who sees God as just when he judges; for while God is eternally holy, righteous and just, he is also eternally loving and forgiving (1 John1:9). In love he provided the only possible means of forgiveness in his son (John3:16). Jesus, himself being God, became a man and lived as a man (John1:14). Jesus obeyed and loved God perfectly in the place of sinners who have never loved or obeyed perfectly.

Further, Jesus went to the cross to stand in the place of rebels as our advocate, to pay the punishment of our sins. Jesus paid the price of our sins in order to serve the justice of God and to demonstrate the love of God (Romans3:25). On the cross, being the eternal son of God, Jesus offered up himself as an eternal sacrifice to God for the sins of rebels (2Cor5:21). On the cross God treated Jesus as if he was judging sinners like us (even though he was sinless), that he might treat sinners like they were perfect like Jesus (even though they were sinful). Jesus paid that penalty for us so that we could be accepted by God.

This forgiveness is not automatic like voting when we are 18 however. It comes by recognizing Jesus as king and ruler over your life. In doing this you turn from rebellion (sin) and turn to Jesus (submission). It is this attitude of submission to Jesus as King and following him as Lord, that characterizes the Christian life and gives God pleasure.

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What is Your Passion?

shells-in-glass-jarHave you ever read John Piper’s book, “Don’t waste your life”? If you are one of the few who have not, you should. In the opening pages he shares a sad, stirring story, of a retired couple. John Piper writes, “I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader’s Digest: A couple ‘took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler(boat), play softball and collect shells. . . .’ Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: ‘Look, Lord. See my shells.’ That is a tragedy…

God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives.”

Most people, especially young Christian people, slip by in life without a passion for God. That’s not to say they don’t have passion, but mostly, that passion is for worldly things like, music, movies, television, friends, family, sex, food, studies, computers, cars, bikes etc, and sadly spend their lives on insignificant pastimes, living for comfort and pleasure, and perhaps trying to avoid sin. To often we get caught up in a life that counts for nothing and end up wasting our lives. If you are born again (a true Christian who has repented of their sins and embraced Christ in faith) and believe that to live is Christ and to die is gain, then our lives have to make an impact for the glory of God. Do you live and die boasting in the cross of Christ and make the glory of God your singular passion?

Jesus said to His disciples in John 4:34 “…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.” In this passage, after a long day with Jesus, the disciples leave him at a well, to go find some dinner in the city of Samaria. When they arrive back with the food, Jesus says “No thanks, I am full. I’ve been eating. My food is to do the will of my Father and to accomplish his work. I just spent the last half hour talking to a Samaritan woman about her need for salvation. And I’ll tell you, brothers, I am full.

Jesus Christ had wrestled with the soul of a prostitute and brought her to saving faith in Himself, that was such an exalting joy to Him that He could say it’s like food and drink. My weariness is gone. My thirst is gone. My hunger is gone. I’m satisfied. My food is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work.” What did He feast on? The will of God. Our Lords’ passion was to make the glory of God real in the lives of people he met – yes, even prostitutes. To reconcile people to His Heavenly Father through his sacrificial work he would perform for them on the cross of Calvary.

All through the gospel of John, Jesus says, “For I came down from heaven not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” John 6:38. In John 8:29 “And He that sent Me is with Me, the Father hath not left Me alone for I do always those things that please Him.” In John 10:18, He says, “I’m laying down My life of Myself, I have the power to lay it down, and take it up, this commandment have I received of My Father.” Then He climaxes it in John 17:4 when He is on the cross and says to the Father, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.”

You know what occupied the whole life of Jesus Christ? The will of God. God’s will in His life. And you know, He’s a great example to us of what our lives should be, isn’t He? Our lives should be the will of God, constantly never ending, always doing the will of God.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven for the last time he left his disciples a command which we call the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

What do you feast on? When last did you share the gospel with somebody? When last did you share with an unbeliever about the wonderful saving work that Jesus has accomplished in your life? Is it wonderful to you? Do you cherish and love the gospel? Are you thankful for what Christ has done in your life, or does music, movies, television, friends, family, sex, food, studies, computers, cars, bikes etc, take the first position in your life? Would you rather talk about these things, than Jesus Christ? Are you ashamed of the gospel and of Jesus?

Let me finish with a true story about Mahatma Gandhi, from his book, “My experiments with Truth”. He says, while in South Africa, “I came in contact with another Christian family. At their suggestion I attended the Wesleyan Church every Sunday. For these days I also had their standing invitation to dinner. The church did not make a favourable impression on me. The sermons seemed to me uninspiring. The congregation did not strike me as being particularly religious. They were not an assembly of devout souls, they appeared rather to be worldly –minded people, going to church for recreation and in conformity to custom. Here at times, I would involuntarily doze. I was ashamed, but some of my neighbours, who were in no better case, lightened the shame. I could not go on like this, and soon gave up attending the service.”

What a shame. What a tragedy. What a difference it would have made if the Mahatma went to a church full of passion for Christ instead of a nominal church. Suppose someone from that church had taken the time to share the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ to Mahatma Gandhi, can you imagine what an impact that would have had on India, for the glory of God?

We need to ask the hard questions – how many of our own churches in India are full of “un-devouted souls and worldly minded people”? How many of us go to church for recreation and because of custom or tradition? How many so-called ‘Christians’ have no passion for God or little interest in pursuing His will for their lives? How many of us are simply religious and have no relationship with Jesus? How many of us church going Christians will stand before our creator at the judgement seat of God after our life on this earth and say “Look, Lord. See my shells”, or “Look, Lord at my DVD collection”, or “Look, Lord at how much RAM my computer has”?

Hebrews 9:27 tells us “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 “..whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”. We have one life to live, let us not waste it. Let us make much of Christ in every sphere of our life. Let our food be to do the will of God our father. Let us use every opportunity we have to share the wonderful Saviour, who died for our sins, (that we should have paid for) so we could enjoy eternal life in heaven with Him-our resurrected Lord. Let us live to hear Jesus say ‘Well done my good and faithful servant.”

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Jesus, Asceticism & the Prosperity Gospel.

asceticWhen the word “asceticism” is mentioned, what comes to your mind? If you live in Asia or ever visited, you may have images of Buddhist monks or even Hindu sadhu’s living a sort of frugal lifestyle. The east unlike the west probably has a better understanding of this concept, because in many ways it has been accepted as an alternate lifestyle.

V. Jayaram says the following about asceticism. “Traditionally, asceticism has been the recognised and widely approved means in Hinduism to achieve freedom (liberation). Even today it is the most effective and prescribed path for those who want to escape from the cycle of births and deaths. Ascetic traditions played an important role in the development of Hinduism and its spiritual knowledge. It is the heart and soul of Hinduism.” (www.hinduwebsite.com)

Asceticism means, according to Websters Online Dictionary: – practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline.

Jesus was an ascetic. While Jesus was on this earth, he challenged his followers to deny themselves and not to store treasures for themselves here on this earth. Jesus said in Luke 9:58 “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Unlike Hinduism, Jesus does not advocate asceticism as a path to salvation as a way to find peace and salvation. But Jesus does promote asceticism as a way to protect our hearts from being captured by the love of this world (materialism). In Luke 9 (mentioned above) Christ is calling his disciples to treasure Him more than any other thing, person or relationship that this material world has to offer.

Anything we want, desire more than God, anything we rely on more that God, anything we look to for greater fulfillment than God, is in essence an idol. Christ is not in the businesses of sharing His glory. He will not tolerate hypocritical worship, and that is why He challenges his followers to make sure they count the costs, before they give themselves to Him. He wants disciples whose hearts are not divided. “Before you say you’re going to follow Me, make sure you know what that involves!”

So why then is this concept of Asceticism such a foreign, maybe even a shocking thought to so many professing believers? Did Jesus not clearly say that, “If any man come after Me, let him deny himself?”

Based on my experience, I think what it comes down to, is the question, what’s in it for me? Sadly many considering Christianity, often think what they can get out of this religion, especially in India where the reputation of rice Christian abounds.  And that is why the prosperity gospel is so dangerous, because it entertains and feeds off this very selfish man centered attitude. The “prosperity gospel” teaches the very opposite that Jesus taught. It is a self-serving doctrine, rather than a self-denying lifestyle. This heresy teaches that God wants believers to be physically healthy, materially wealthy, and personally happy. Christians are further encouraged to focus on the blessings you want from God instead of focusing on God Himself.  The blessings you’re hoping for become idols in your life, drawing your attention and worship away from God the Creator and toward your own desires – created things.

Instead of stressing the importance of wealth, the Bible warns against pursuing it. Believers, especially leaders in the church (1 Timothy 3:3), are to be free from the love of money (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). In sharp contrast to the Prosperity preachers emphasis on gaining money and possessions in this life, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). The irreconcilable contradictions between prosperity teaching and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is best summed up in the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

prosperitygospelThe word mammon comes from a Syrian deity, god of riches. If we were to contextualize this verse, we could say “You cannot serve both God and Mahalaxmi.” Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. Professing Christians would balk at the suggestion of worshiping God and a Hindu deity, but in reality under the guise of faith, so many churches today encourage their followers to pray to this created deity, even demand material blessings from this man made god of wealth.  God has been reduced to a good luck charm, a spiritual genie we pray to when we want prosperity.

Creflo Dollar writes, “When we pray, believing that we have already received what we are praying, God has no choice but to make our prayers come to pass. . . . It is a key to getting results as a Christian.” The key to getting results as a Christian is by fearing God and keeping His commandments, by denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him, not by some special “mantra” or formula we use to “speak into existence a better reality”. The prosperity gospel teaches prayer is a tool to force God to grant your desires. Man—not God—becomes the focal point of prayer. This is not Christian, Hindu maybe, but certainly not biblical Christianity.

The pursuit of wealth is a dangerous path for Christians and one which God warns about: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim 6v. 10). If riches were a reasonable goal for the godly, Jesus would have pursued it. But He did not, instead he taught about self-denial, not self-satisfaction.

Simply put, this “prosperity gospel” is nothing more than a satanic philosophy designed to keep us worshiping created things rather than the Creator. The true gospel teaches that following Christ faithfully, means there is a crown at the end, but there’s a cross on the way. Self-Denial and persecution. The gospel is not about what’s in it for me or what do I get when I get Jesus, it’s about being willing to give up everything for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the gospel. Ask yourselves one simple question: “Is Jesus my treasure?” If He is your treasure then you won’t mind giving up anything and everything else that gets in the way of you worshiping Him supremely. If not, your heart is divided and he is not the treasure He ought to be. Repent of your sin, exalt Him rather than yourself, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ.

The real Gospel demands total devotion and offers complete forgiveness of sins. Jesus died to save us from the judgement of our selfish sins, not so that we can become prosperous. Have you been saved from your sins?

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Demons, Angels & the Corruption of the Gospel.

angels_and_demons_by_crilleb50-d5z2q3cDemons and Angels. Tom Hanks made this title famous by acting out Dan Brown’s fictitious novel by the same name. But even before Hollywood existed, the subject of angels and demons has fascinated people’s imagination, across cultures, continents and even the ages. In our day and age it’s no surprise to observe how movies have influenced and shaped many Christian’s strange ideas and views on demons, angels and the gospel.

Sadly we live in a time where there is more attention and focus on “Deliverance” ministries than the Gospel Ministry, so much so you can even go to a “bible” college and earn a diploma in ‘Casting out Demons”.

In the first Century New Testament Church, it seems there was this familiar, unhealthy, excessive and inappropriate preoccupation with angels and their involvement in human life. The Apostle Paul warned the Colossian Church; “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels” Colossians 2:18. The word beguile means to “defraud”. There were false teachers that were trying to defraud or “cheat” the believers of their reward. These spiritual snobs were suggesting that the Christians at Colossae had failed to meet the standards of true discipleship and were therefore spiritually disqualified. They would teach that in order to be spiritual you had to add works, your own efforts, and your own experiences, your visions, worship of angels plus Christ.  These false teachers were basically teaching that Christ was not enough.

This heresy has plagued the church for centuries. This teaching became known as Gnosticism.  The heresy teaches that to become a Christian you have to have a greater, higher knowledge and a deeper experience with God that comes through a knowledge of various means. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? This heresy is alive and well in so many supposedly “evangelical” churches today. The only way Satan can counterfeit grace is with works, and that is why heretics teach Christ plus works righteousness. Paul says in Galatians 5, if you have Christ plus anything, you lose Christ.

Dangers of the “Deliverance Ministry”.

What a better way to distract people from the ministry of the gospel than with a “deliverance ministry”. Nowhere in the bible are we commanded to caste out demons (we are however commanded to make disciples!). In the gospels we see Jesus and his disciples casting out demons, but that was a unique time never to be repeated again. These gifts the apostles had were for a limited time to validate their ministry and their authority (cf. Mark 16:17-18; Acts 2:43; 5:12, 15; 14:3; 15:12; 19:11; 2 Cor 12:12).What most Pentecostals fail to understand is that when the apostles died their special supernatural gifts died with them. With the completion of the canon of Scripture these miraculous gifts ceased.

I suspect, especially in India, people are intimidated by these mystics and think that in order to know and enjoy God, they need to have their own fantastical visions and supernatural experiences that most charismatics claim to have had. I have been told on a number of occasions that a “true” Christian has to experience speaking in tongues as proof that he is really saved. That is nothing more than spiritual intimidation. Even though it may sound biblical, it is not. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:22 that “tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers”.

Biblical Christianity has always taught that true Christians have nothing whatsoever to fear from the Devil or his demons except deception and temptation. Too many well intentioned believers are deceived by the devil through this mystical gnostic heresy. This is why Christians are commanded to be equipped (Ephesians 4:12) with the word of God so that we will “build up the body of Christ” rather than breaking it down by all these strange mystical doctrines. The devil’s tactics have not changed much. These mystical false teachers were (and still are) agents of the devil trying to intimidate people into believing lies. They cunningly prey on immature Christians who are easily tossed to and fro by these supernatural doctrines. Don’t be deceived, the spread of these false doctrines are a deliberate attempt to destroy the Church of God.

Satan, an instrument in God’s sovereign omnipotent hand.

But what about all these stories of exorcism and accounts of deliverances and healings that we hear about? Are they all fake, are we to ignore all of them? In my opinion it is proof of the power of lies and deceit. We are warned that even apparent angelic appearances can be false, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14.

God says in Deuteronomy 13v1-3 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” God states clearly that false prophets are allowed by Him, to test us to see if we are loyal to His word, to see if we really love Him or if we are willing to be swept away by every wind of doctrine.

Is it not interesting that these false prophets indeed have powers? Their signs and wonders were coming to pass. But their intentions are to lead people away from God, not towards Him. Don’t believe everything you see just because it’s on Christian television or radio.  Just because it’s in a book on a shelf doesn’t make it true.  Just because you find it on the internet, doesn’t mean it’s biblical! Paul warned us about listening to ‘another gospel’ or worshipping ‘another Jesus.’  Satan is all about counterfeiting!

The thing that really matters is to get over your fear of demons and stop being intimidated by these false teachers. Charismania preaches a world where the Devil reigns and a weak, useless God stands on the side-lines hoping we will help Him out a bit. The reality is different, the Devil is a tool in God’s hands, and the Bible is clear he can do nothing without His permission. Martin Luther called Satan “God’s Ape.” Compared to the all-powerful God who protects us demons are nothing, and not worthy of a fraction of the un-due attention we give them.

True believers are more than conquerors through Christ.  We have a power source greater than Satan and his angels. I John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world…” We can stand against Satan clothed in the armour of God.  [Eph. 6]

Does God determine the outcome of world history or is the outcome determined by humans, angels and demons?

How you answer that question reveals more about you than you probably understand. If you said God needs humans, angels and demons then you have not grasped the sovereignty of God and the sufficiency of Christ. God does not depend on our spiritual warfare techniques and our knowledge of the supernatural in order to conquer. God has already conquered through the gospel of Jesus Christ, by sending His only beloved Son, who would deliver us from the power of Satan by giving His life as a ransom for our sins, and resurrecting on the third day to prove His victory over death, once and for all.

The key issue is not our knowledge about angels and the forces of evil but our knowledge of God through the gospel. Those who believe are “saved to the utmost” (Hebrews 7:25) and need not fear the spiritual forces of darkness. God uses the gospel to deliver people from the darkness of this world. The gospel effectively accomplishes all God intended to do from all eternity to save sinners. The means of grace provided in the Bible are sufficient to give us freedom and growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

Don’t be beguiled by the worship of angels. The very gospel is at stake. The basic truth of Christianity is Christ.  Christ is sufficient. Christ is all. We don’t need to be delivered from demons, we need to be delivered from sin. Christ has come to save us from our sins! Have you been delivered?