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Volume 5 No. 5
May 18, 2003 |
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This message was first written
by Samuel M. Smith May 18, 2003 ©2003 Up Way Publications.
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“Christian” Unbelievers:
The two words seem contradictory
and opposites and indeed, frankly, they are, but yet it is a reality in
the sense than many hundreds of thousands of people who think of themselves
as good Christians, attend church every service and may even teach or preach
in some church or churches. In fact, according to Jesus, some may even
do mighty works and cast out devils in the name of Jesus and still fall
in the category of unbelievers.
That seems like a contradiction
and frankly it is. But there are several areas in which people who are
good church members, and even pastors, demonstrate clearly by their actions
or openly publicized teachings that they do not believe what the Bible
says or that it really means what it says on some clearly expressed point.
1. Ordinary church members, the
laiety, often show lack of faith and trust in GOD’s promises and provisions
in areas of daily needs such as food, slelter, clothing, money, family
protection or preservation, healing and health and the solving of interpersonal
conflicta and relationships. Anxiety is symptomatic of and synonymous with
doubt, lack of trust, belief or faith in GOD to fulfill all His promises
such as Philippians 4:19; Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:33; and 1 Peter 5:7. Ministers
may fall in this area of unbelief also.
2. “True” Bible scholars deliberately
or accidentally overlook, explain around or even try to discredit plainly
stated doctrinal points or to rationalize around them. A most noteworthy
example of this is Christian Research Institute’s founder, Dr. Walter Martin
and present president Hank Hanagraaff, who prefers teachings of apostates
like Tertullian, Athanatius and the Cappadocian Fathers over the clear
teaching of GOD’s Word and loudly proclaim any who disagree with them to
be heretical and unorthodox, whereas the real unorthodox people are those
who dispute the teachings of Jesus Christ and His immediate followers.
Their unbelief in GOD and His Word is evidenced in two areas: a) that they
do not believe what the Bible very clearly says and prefer to accept and
teach rationalizations that apostate men in the past taught or modernists
teach as their point of reference. b) that they do not believe GOD means
what He says when He pronounces severe woes on shepherds (pastors) and
teachers who would change His word and teach their “doctrines of men” (Matthew
15:9; Mark 7:7; Colossians 2:22) in preference to GOD’s own teaching through
His inspired prophets and teachers.
Among areas in which these “blind
leaders of the blind” [See Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39.] demonstrate unbelief
or outright disbelief of what the Bible clearly and repeatedly says are:
a) GOD Himself, being one
Spirit of GOD, came in the flesh, the only begotten Son to save and ransom
the lost.
b) That GOD is three persons
when the whole Bible is so clear that He is ONE Holy Spirit over and over
and over again [See .]
c) The relationship of Repentance,
Water Baptism and the Holy Spirit Baptism to genuine Biblical Salvation.
d) The Biblical balance bertween
the Doctrine of Grace and the possibility of Backsliding.
3. When the Holy Spirit Himself
directly shows or has another prophet, preacher or teacher shows a Bible
teacher, minister or teacher who is in error, the truth in the context
and setting in which it was aritten and/or applies and that preacher or
teacher refuses or neglects to correct his (or her) teaching it can only
be either unbelief or outright rebellion against GOD’s Word.
And rebellion, itself, is a demonstration
of unbelief in action. It demonstrates unbelief in the wrath and judgment
of God upon all who tamper with His Word. It demostrates unbelief in the
holiness, majesty and power of God. This kind of unbelief is a clear demonstration
of lack of belief and is every bit as deadly to our spiritual life as any
other unbelief.
4. Pastors and other “Christians”
whether co-pastors or assistant pastors or just everyday christians who
are “flip” [flippant] about sacred things demonstrate unbelief in the Majesty
and holiness of God. This kind of unbelief is a also clear demonstration
of lack of belief and is every bit as deadly to our spiritual life as any
other form of unbelief.
5. Those who do not believe
in present day manifestations of the Holy Spirit in areas like speaking
or praying in tongues, hy |
with yg
(Continued
on Page 2)
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