1. Landmarks that Pertain to Christ Would Be Removed. The virgin birth of Christ, His divine Sonship, and even His resurrection from the dead have been called in question, as are also His miraculous works, by different individuals and organizations. Humanists, New Agers and other modernists would eliminate Christ entirely. Even some versions of the Bible seek to do so.
The Old Testament of the Revised Standard Version (RSV), published in 1952, seeks to get rid of the virgin birth. It changes Isaiah 7:14 from “Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son” to read: “Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son.” That is a vast difference! There were then and are now many young women who bear children and are not virgins. The conception of the Saviour was to be miraculous. Nothing miraculous when a merely young woman has a child. Matthew 1:23 quotes the passage verbatim: “Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being Interpreted is God with us.” In Matthew’s account the word virgin is translated from the Greek word parthenon, which can mean nothing but virgin, and should always be so translated in Isaiah 7:14.
Such words as in the RSV would make Mary a harlot and Christ an illegitimate child. It stands to negate the atoning power of the blood of Christ (Matt.1:21; Heb. 5:9; 1 John 2:2), and discount the possibility of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-21). Nobody should do or accept anything, that in anyway, to any degree, in any shape, form or fashion, reflects upon the Deity of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
2. The Landmarks of the Gospel Are Removed. Liberalism has infiltrated the institutions of higher learning, and some undergraduate schools. The late G. C. Brewer gave a brief definition of liberalism. “ … (1) The liberalist is one who has an ideal or ethical concept, a social system. (He may not even believe in God). (2) He is not under any rule of life except as may commend itself to his conscience. He is perfect and can be saved apart from obedience. (3) He may have no need for Christ and perverts His word. (4) He believes the commands of God may or may not be observed, according as it may please the person, or is convenient or not convenient. (5) He thinks one can be too rigid in requiring obedience to the Lord’s commands; that the law is flexible; that one is governed by the spirit and intent of the law and not by the letter.” This may be equivalent to utterly repudiating the word of God (John 12:48; 1 John 2:3-5).
In some circles the necessity of obedience is questioned, regardless of the fact that the New Testament unequivocally states that Christ is the author of salvation to those that obey Him (Heb. 5:9). Only those who do the will of Christ can enter heaven (Rev. 22:14), and that those who refuse or neglect to obey Christ are classed as foolish (Matt. 7:21-17). In one college where this writer worked for several years, one of the Bible professors espoused the “grace only” idea, that one is not saved by any kind of works. When he was asked by this writer, “What about John 6:28-29, where Jesus said: ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent,’“ and First Peter 1:22, which says, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth.” and other such passages, he refused to reply. Also, Philippians2:12 was brought up, which says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” He replied, “I am so glad you brought that up, for verse 13 says: ‘For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do.’“ He was then asked: “Is that a direct operation or indirect?” After a moment’s hesitation he replied that it is a direct operation.
Though this man was a professor of New Testament Greek, he did not know that First Thessalonians 2:13 is in the Bible: “When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” Of course, few if any of us believe salvation by works of merit, as if God were to owe us salvation, but the works one must do to be saved are the works or commands of God, not works of our own devising. James 2:1-26 emphasizes works, but not of human origin. There he simply means that one must obey the will of God. While one cannot claim perfection in keeping God’s commands, the Lord makes provision for our cleansing (1 John 1:1-10). (More to follow).
-Roy J. Hearn (deceased)
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