NOTES ON THE REQUIREMENTS OF GOD: SEPARATING WHEAT FROM CHAFF AND OTHER LAST DAYS ALGORITHMS

SCRIPTURE. “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” – DEUTERONOMY 10:12-13, NKJV

KEY TERM: REQUIRE. ‘Shaal’ [שָׁאַל]: “To ask [with intensity]; to demand, lay to charge (as with accusation); to claim; ‘to render necessary;’ as a duty or any thing indispensable; as, the Law of God requires strict obedience; i.e., to make [absolutely] mandatory, imp., ‘by Divine Edict.’”

QUOTATION. “To have Faith in Christ means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying ‘to obey Him.’ But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.” ― C.S. LEWIS, Mere Christianity, 1952; edited

I.  FIRST THOUGHTS

Permit me to begin with another personal anecdote. After I gave my life to Christ on the morning of October 30th, 1979, just short of committing suicide on Halloween the following day, one of my first terribly misguided (yet nonetheless honest) prayers ran something like this:

“Dear Lord, thank You for saving me from taking my own life, I am truly, deeply grateful. But if it’s OK with You, I would like to be a ‘Carnal Christian.’

Mostly I had in mind retaining my “right” to drink alcohol, party, and just have fun pretty much as I had done in my pre-Christian life, but without sexual promiscuity or, you know, the big stuff.

Sound familiar, Church?

THE PERMISSIVE CHURCH. To understand that early appeal for Divine Cover so that I could continue to sin while being ‘Christian,’ we must look at the broader context of an America that by 1980 was well on its way toward moral freefall. Even inside the hallowed walls if the Church. I turn to a compelling report from Arizona Christian University’s Cultural Research Center for the evidence.

In a summary written by Executive Director DR. TRACY F. MUNSIL entitled, “US Christians Embrace Secularism in ‘Post-Christian’ America” (Oct. 6, 2020; edited), she opens her sobering alert this way:

“American Christianity is undergoing a ‘Post-Christian Reformation’— and rather than providing leadership and faithfulness in an Age of Moral Decline, members of the majority of the nation’s major Christian groups are rapidly leaving Biblical Foundations behind and exchanging traditional theological beliefs for the ‘culture’s secular values.’”

I was early on taught by my doctoral Graduate School mentors that research is never conducted in a vacuum. The cultural milieu and social context interpose themselves upon what is studied and what the research results mean. Such is clearly the case here. Let me explain.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT. A number of contemporary scholars, both inside and outside the Christian community, have argued forcefully that America has been in steep decline at least since the year 1830, and in precipitous decline since the turn of the century in 1900. To repeat my personal conviction: I believe the Lord gave America its Noahic “120 Years” at that turn of the century, and our Time of Grace pretty much expended itself by 2020 – the very year of this research publication.

Dr. Munsil reports:

“New research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University finds that members of the nation’s four main Christian groups—Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Charismatics, mainline Protestants, and Catholics—are customizing their beliefs and creating new worldviews that are only loosely tied to the biblical distinctives that have historically defined them.

According to CRC Director of Research DR. GEORGE BARNA, who conducted the research, ‘The irony of the reshaping of the spiritual landscape in America is that it represents a post-Christian Reformation driven by people seeking to retain a Christian identity.’ Barna explained, ‘Unfortunately, the Theology of this Reformation is being driven by American culture rather than biblical truth…

Most stunning in the research is the radical departure by Evangelicals from traditional Scriptural teachings and historical reliance on the Bible. Evangelicals are rapidly embracing Secularism, with a majority (52%) rejecting absolute moral truth, 75% believing that people are basically good rather than the biblical view of humans having a sin nature, and 61% admitting they no longer read the Bible on a daily basis. One-third to one-half of Evangelicals embrace a variety of beliefs and behaviors in direct conflict with longstanding Evangelical teaching, according to the American Worldview Inventory 2020.

The study found that the slide into Secularism is even more pronounced among Pentecostals and Charismatics. Two-thirds (69%) reject absolute moral truth; 54% are unwilling to define human life as sacred, with half claiming the Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion, and 69% say they prefer Socialism to Capitalism. A full 45% did not meet the definition of born-again Christians.”

DK. Beloved, if ever you needed a foundation for understanding today’s American Church now cascading into social and political permissiveness, and even into the clutches of darkest wickedness by its easy alliance with a man who serves the very spirit of Antichrist, this should give you a pretty good start. Pastors who continue to ignore or outright deny these seismic departures from Christ and Canon do so at their own nearly indescribable peril – to say nothing of those who follow them, helter-skelter, toward The Abyss.

II.  ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED, REALLY?

Since I have treated this inarguable bane of American Christianity before at some length, I’ll only do a brief treatment here. But it obviously fits the flow of our conversation today and therefore must be reconsidered at least as a bridge to the final sections of this Commentary.

ORIGINS. Most treatments of this pernicious doctrine trace its origins back to at least AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, and later to JOHN CALVIN. In this short review, I will cull from two investigations I found biblically sound, to being to settle the issue for our community once and for all.

• ST. AUGUSTINE. “[In “Perseverance of the Saints,” c. 400 AD], Augustine showed that the Perseverance of the Saints, by which he meant (in modern terminology) the eternal security of the believer, is not dependent upon the good works of the individual believer [i.e., obedience] which would result from his conversion, but entirely upon the constancy and unchangeableness of God’s elective choice … Augustine was wrong on baptism. He was wrong on philosophy. He was wrong on the Church. He persecuted heretics. He was wrong on the sacraments and the nature of the Lord’s supper. He was also mistaken on the Millennium, hermeneutics, the Resurrection, eternal security, and marriage: Why would anyone think he would be right on election and predestination? One Must: wonder about John Calvin’s spirituality from all of this. Certainly, Calvin knew of these Catholic teachings that Augustine embraced. How then could he so highly esteem him and his writings? Could it be that Calvin shut his eyes to Augustine’s false gospel because he liked the predestination teachings to which he held? No one will ever know for sure this side of the Judgement what the specific doctrinal attraction of OSAS taught a plan of salvation that would not bring salvation to all and John Calvin systemized and made popular this man’s teachings that appealed to him!” – EDITORS, “The Origin of OSAS,” Sunday Stream, ret. Sep. 26, 2023; edited

• JOHN CALVIN. “Using ‘Sola Scriptura’ (Scripture Alone) as the basis for his teaching, John Calvin wrote his Reformed Theology which included the Doctrine of Predestination, and what has become known as the 5 points of Calvinism represented by the acronym TULIP … Point 5 of the TULIP acronym, ‘Perseverance of the Saints,’ teaches that once we are saved, we cannot become unsaved … [The passage in Hebrews 6:4-6] speak of a Christian who was once enlightened, clearly saved, blood washed, and filled with the Holy Spirit as ‘falling away’ and forfeiting their salvation. In this particular case, all efforts to turn this person back to repentance are not possible because of unbelief that has led them to reject Christ as God’s Son and Savior. The Greek word anastauroō means to ‘re-crucify or crucify afresh.’ In rejecting Christ, they are assenting to the legitimacy of the Crucifixion of a blaspheming false prophet named Jesus. In their minds, Jesus got what He deserved and is not God’s Son—putting Jesus to an open shame. Each time they share their conviction it is like re-crucifying Jesus.” – EDITORS, “Once Saved Always Saved?” New Life Exchange, June 2, 2018; edited

• SUMMARY. “The popular doctrine of ‘Once Saved Always Saved’ has a major historic anomaly attached to it. Thorough research reveals that the Doctrine was not taught in mainstream Christianity until the time of John Calvin or later in the 17th century at the Synod of Dort (1618). Some claim that Augustine of Hippo taught it. Others that the Doctrine is Gnostic. Difficult as it may seem to grasp, it appears that the Doctrine of ‘Once Saved Always Saved’ has its early origins in Gnosticism and not Christianity. We know this because Irenaeus refuted an early form of it in Against Heresies. Book 1. Chapter 6. The connection to Calvin being that Augustine was influenced by Gnosticism because of his prior belief in Manichaeism and Calvin relied upon Augustine as an authority on Scripture and quoted him more than any other theologian. However, there is reasonable doubt whether or not Augustine ever taught ‘Once Saved Always Saved.’ But outside of these references, the Doctrine is not to be found. This presents a major problem; ‘Unconditional Eternal Security was not taught by the ancient Christian Church, and is, in fact alien to historic Christianity before the 16^th century.’” – SIMON PETER SUTHERLAND, “The Historic Anomaly of ‘Once Saved Always Saved,’” Blog, Jan. 25, 2018; edited

DK. I had originally intended to go through about a half dozen of the Early Church Fathers to further support my analysis, but I think these tight summaries are sufficient. ‘I wanted to go on record once and for all severely refuting the heretical view that once you are saved, however we might quibble about what that means, that you can never ever do anything to become unsafe.’ From Christ to the Apostles to the Church Fathers, that has never been taught.

Until John Calvin. And then pretty much the entirety of the American Church to this day. Selah.

III.  THE TEACHING

SCRIPTURE. “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” – DEUTERONOMY 10:12-13, NKJV

CONTEXT. “Deuteronomy is a restatement (not merely a repetition) of the Law for the new generation that had arisen during the Wilderness Journey. They were about to enter the Promised Land. In order to enjoy God’s blessings there, they must know the Law and obey it … The Apostle Paul reminds us that the Book has a message for us as well as for Israel. In commenting on Deuteronomy 25:4, he says that it was written ‘altogether for our sakes’ (1 Cor. 9: 10). The Book is rich in exhortation, which can be summed up in the verbs of Deuteronomy 5:1: ‘Hear … Learn … Keep and do!’” – WILLIAM MACDONALD, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 1995, p. 202; edited

COMMENTARY. “We are here taught our Duty to God in our principles and our practices. We must fear the Lord our God. We must love Him, and delight in communion with Him. We must walk in the Ways in which He has appointed us to walk. We must serve Him with all our heart and soul. What we do in His service we must do cheerfully, and with good will.

‘We must keep His Commandments!’

‘There is true honour and pleasure in obedience.’ We must give honour to God; and to Him we must cleave, as One we love and delight in, trust in, and from Whom we have great expectations. We are here taught our duty to our neighbour. God’s common gifts to mankind oblige us to honour all men. And those who have themselves been in distress, and have found mercy with God, should be ready to show kindness to those who are in the like distress. We are here taught our Duty to ourselves. Circumcise your hearts. Cast away all corrupt affections and inclinations, which hinder you from fearing and loving God …

‘Consider the greatness and glory of God; and His goodness and grace; these persuade us to our Duty.’ Blessed Spirit! Oh for Thy purifying, persevering, and renewing influences, that being called out of the state of strangers, such as our fathers were, we may be found among the number of the children of God, and that our lot may be among the saints.” – MATTHEW HENRY, An Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1718-1710; edited

DK. In still another yet much more forceful treatment of the Theme of Obedience, I drive this straight toward the insidious false doctrines that annihilate God’s Command for us to truly obey Him. There’s no wiggle room here except for the Grace granted to all who remain contrite about their failures, recalling always that we are under Grace first, and then the Law if we default in our sincere efforts to truly follow Him in all his ways.

Here is the passage referenced earlier that serves as absolute Anchor for such doctrinal truth, virtually expurgated from today’s pulpits!

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” – HEBREWS 6:4-6, NKJV

COMMENTARY. “‘Every part of the Truth and Will of God should be set before all who profess the Gospel and be urged on their hearts and consciences’ …The Apostle is not speaking of the falling away of mere professors, never convinced or influenced by the Gospel. Such have nothing to fall away from, but an empty name, or hypocritical profession. Neither is he speaking of partial declinings or backslidings. Nor are such sins meant, as Christians fall into through the strength of temptations, or the power of some worldly or fleshly lust. ‘But the Falling Away here mentioned, is an open and avowed renouncing of Christ, from enmity of heart against Him, His cause, and people, by men approving in their minds the deeds of His murderers, and all this after they have received the knowledge of the Truth and tasted some of its comforts.’

Of these it is said, that it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. Not because the Blood of Christ is not sufficient to obtain pardon for this sin; but this sin, in its very nature, is opposite to repentance and everything that leads to it. If those who through mistaken views of this passage, as well as of their own case, fear that there is no mercy for them, would attend to the account given of the nature of this sin, that ‘it is a total and a willing renouncing of Christ, and His cause, and joining with His enemies,’ it would relieve them from wrong fears. We should ourselves beware, and caution others, of every approach near to a gulf so awful as Apostacy; yet in doing this we should keep close to the Word of God and be careful not to wound and terrify the weak or discourage the fallen and penitent.

[True] Believers not only taste of the Word of God, but they drink it in. And this fruitful field or garden receives the blessing. But the merely nominal Christian, continuing unfruitful under the means of grace, or producing nothing but deceit and selfishness, was near the awful state above described; and everlasting misery was the end reserved for him. Let us watch with humble caution and prayer as to ourselves.” – MATTHEW HENRY, An Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

APOSTASY. ‘Apostasia’ [ἀποστασία]: “‘Defection from the Truth;’ a revolt (rebellion); a falling away from the True Religion; a forsaking of Christ and the Gospel; a [willful] departure from the faith.” NOAH WEBSTER (1828) writes: “An abandonment of what one has professed; a total desertion, or departure from one’s faith or religion.” Selah.

By stunning and perilous contrast, those of us raised in the American Church Culture have had it far too easy for at least 50 years and more. We have been told that we are favored, that we are priests and princes and co-rulers with Christ, that we are forgiven from our first sin to our last no matter what may intervene between those two spiritual borders. Further, and I have heard it said literally, that we can do nothing to lessen God’s love for us or assurance of salvation.

And that is the seat of the Great Apostasy of the Last Days: The daring presupposition that once having said the prayer and lived the ‘mimimal’ Christian life, there is nothing more required of us. This Commentary, therefore, is sharply pointed toward the distinguishing and the utter dismantling of that pernicious, arrogant teaching from the True One issued at Sinai, to its fulfillment in Christ the King.

IV.  LAST THOUGHTS

THE GREAT SIFTING. “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.” – MATTHEW 3:12, AMP

If there is anyone here who has the slightest bit of doubt about where we are in God’s Timeline in preparation for the Return of Messiah, this should clear up 90% of the fog. JOHN THE BAPTIST is unquestionably prophesying about the Time of the Messiah’s Coming – both the First and most especially, the Second.

“‘He will thoroughly purge his floor’ — His Church, at present covered with a mixture of wheat and chaff. As if he had said, Though, for the present, the good and bad, the fruitful and unfruitful, are joined together in the visible Church, ‘yet in due time he will sever them’ (Malachi 3:2-3); and rid His Church of all hypocrites and ungodly persons [‘ptuon,’ i.e., ‘spitting them out’]. ‘And gather his wheat’ — The, truly pious, ‘into His garner’ — Will lay [i.e., raise] them up in Heaven as His peculiar treasure. 

‘But the chaff’ — Those who have only ‘a show of religion,’ without the power, and produce not the fruits of righteousness, ‘He will burn with unquenchable fire’ — He will treat them as men do the refuse of the floor. He will destroy them as worthless and unprofitable trash … It seems chiefly to intend the final destruction of all sinners in Hell, which alone is properly opposed to the ‘gathering the wheat into the garner.’ See Matthew 13:40-42. And certainly this ‘burning of the chaff with unquenchable fire,’ is absolutely inconsistent with all views of the restoration of the wicked, nor can it, by any easy or just interpretation, be reconciled with their [mere] annihilation, which, it is certain, no punishment of mind or body can, of itself, effect.” – JOSEPH BENSON, Notes on the Holy Bible, 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

CODA. I can add very little more to this beloved; it is powerfully, even severely, self-explanatory: Take neither Jesus Christ nor His Doctrine nor your Salvation for granted one day more. Not. One.

I have often been accused of being too severe, too urgent, and too strident, too negative. Guilty as charged! I’ve been at this for eight years now and my goal is not to be right as my first priority, but to save lives! If I have to shout from the top the Empire State Building, I will do so if it will ‘snatch even one from the Fire’ (cf. Jude 1:22-23).

Then this: What if Jesus is shouting from His Heavenly Parapet in order to save lives as well? I believe that He is, beloved. I do. And that is why I too shout. I must.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/VlE06_Y5S5U