Out of love for the truth of God, and true unity of the sheep of His pasture, I have disclosed 97-points in which the Gospel of Grace and Peace is set forth. In a day of darkness and sin, we must unite under the Banner of the Gospel before it is to late, and to see the displeasure of God turn into the pleasure of God by the commitment to divine truth. We to must discover the Book of the Law again (2 Kings 22:8-11), and submit to His divine will. The spiritual treasures of His Word show forth the light of the Gospel of His Son’s awesome righteousness by faith alone. His people are declared righteous by God as a legal or forensic declaration, saying to His justified ones, “You are righteous before Me because of My Son.” The Gospel of Faith Alone has been condemned at the Council of Trent, and yet, the Gospel of Scripture condemns a gospel foreign to the Word (Galatians 1:6-10), for the divine declaration is no legal fiction, because we truly posses by faith the light-glowing garments of His majestic righteousness. Luther approved of the Gospel of Scripture, and yea, Saint John Chrysostom (349-407) wrote, The patriarch Abraham himself before receiving circumcision had been declared righteous on the score of faith alone: before circumcision, the text says, “Abraham believed God, and credit for it brought him to righteousness.” Fathers of the Church, Vol. 82, Homilies on Genesis 18-45, 27.7 (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1990), p. 167. May we live out the Gospel of Scripture by a true obedience rooted in His Word, and daily remember His grace opposed to every lawless way. Amen and amen.
1. Augustine (354-430) wrote, “Perish
the thought, however, that Dr. Christ should lose in those whom he foreknew and
predestined; because they are the ones he also called; and those he called are
the ones he also justified; while those he justified are the ones he also
glorified. Curb your vices, quench your lusts, let the devil and his angels be
tormented with frustration; if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom
8:29-31).” John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., ed., WSA, Part 3, Vol. 6, trans. Edmund
Hill, O.P., Sermons, Sermon 229E.3 (New Rochelle: New City Press, 1993), p.
283.
2. Reformed Theology is the divine truth of God in His written Word. The Last Supper is not a mystery but it refers to a real spiritual presence of Jesus Christ.
3. Do not look down on my youth: 1 Timothy 4:12,
“Let no one look down on your
youthfulness, but rather in
speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” There should NEVER be exalted titles of leaders of God's church. Rather there should be "humble" titles like "elder" or "pastor" or "deacon." Don't exalt yourself like Satan.
4. Do not let it be taught among you that John Calvin or Martin
Luther were spiritual heretics. Be it far from you! These
men were men of God (2 Corinthians 10:18), and devoted to the
Divine Word (Matthew 23:34 like William Tyndale).
5. The Orthodox Church should not view itself above Scripture: "If custom is to be taken in proof of
what is right, then it is certainly competent for me to put forward on my side
the custom which obtains here. If they
reject this, we are clearly not bound to follow them. Therefore let
God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found
doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast
the vote of truth" (Basil, Ep. ad Eustathius, NPNF II, 8:229) .
6.
Neither
the Orthodox Church nor the Reformed Church shall ever unite with reprobates,
pretenders or antichrists (Matthew 10:4), of Rome (3 John 1:9-12), or of false
religion (Mark 7:13), or of those who speak words of life, and yet have hearts
of death (Jude 1:11), and the preeminence of the Papacy has no place in the
life of the visible Church (3 John 1:9-10) and it is under the apostle John’s
condemnation (3 John 1:11, “Beloved, follow not that
which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he
that doeth evil hath not seen God”).
7.
If
the Bible has the Gospel of God, why shouldn’t we listen to it over against Rome who rejects the Gospel (CCC
846)? It is known the Gospel of the
Bible is the Gospel of God (Romans 1:1), but God has revealed through me and
the Reformers that Rome does not possess the Gospel
of God (CCC 1129)?
8.
The
true faith of true Christians is born of God the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:19) and the Word of God
(Ephesians 5:26) in the human soul from the Father through the Son by
His Spirit (Romans 9:11; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9).
9.
The
way we apprehend the God-man (John 1:14) as our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 1:11)
is by the sole means of the grace of faith in His full treasury of heavenly
merit in Himself (Galatians 2:16) and He confirmed His work by His bodily
resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) and He rose for how we are right with God
(Romans 4:25).
10. It is all about the Son’s perfect
life and perfect death that is all-sufficient in how I become right with God
(Philippians 3:9).
11.
The
Son’s unified righteousness alone (His life and death, John 8:46 and Romans 3:21-25) is accounted (or imputed
or reckoned) to the believing ones (like Abraham, Genesis 15:6) by instrument
of faith alone (Romans 4:1-8). This teaching of faith alone has long since
been the teaching of Saint John Chrysostom and Dr. Martin Luther. We are given His most precious righteousness
(Genesis 15:6), and He has taken our sin upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 19:30) so we would become the
righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16). We have been justified by faith, and have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ alone (Romans 5:1; Philippians
3:9) and the enmity has been taken away (Ephesians 2:15), and the just shall
live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11) and by faith alone (Romans 4:1-8;
Ephesians 2:8).
12.
The
true Christian has the personal responsibility by the grace of God to live out
a life in His presence by a faithful, obedient repentance unto life and unto
remission of sin to the Most Holy Trinity (Job 42:6; Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15)
and repent of particular sins particularly (Luke 5:32; 13:5; Acts 3:19) and
maintain true belief (Acts 16:31) by the grace of God in the God-man our Savior
and King and Lord and Head of His Church, and not under the supremacy and honor
of the Pope (3 John 1:9) and not in the instruction of putting them out of the church (3 John 1:10) for the true Reformed churches and Orthodox
churches (that are Gospel-abiding churches
of what is stated herein) bear the Gospel of God (Romans 15:16) and Christ (Romans 15:19) and
Peter (Matthew 16:18-20).
13.
The
aim of the Christian life is God’s glory alone (Jude 1:25), and its pursuit is
all about holiness (1 Peter 1:16), and we are created to do good works
(Ephesians 2:10), and if a faith that justifieth is devoid of good works, it is
a dead faith (James 2:24), being worthless, and it is surely not acceptable
before our one Holy God in assurance (1 John 5:13; 1 John 4:8) by and through
the love of God (1 John 4:7).
14.
The
good works we do in our position with God by and through grace does not add to
the unified work of Christ alone in behalf of the Christian believer but bears
witness to whom we belong, and gives evidence of our spiritual awakening, for
we were made for good works
(Ephesians 2:10).
15.
The
Christ of the Bible is greater then sin, and the true Christian is loved by the
Father and kept by Christ (Jude 1:1), and can never enter into condemnation
(Romans 8:1), but ever works out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) under the grace of obedience (2
Corinthians 10:5), and freedom from sin (1 John 1:8-10; 5:17-18), because of
our election unto holiness not sin (Romans 6:19). We are called to yield to every righteousness
but we should never use our freedom in Christ with God as a cover-up for evil
(Romans 6:1-4; 1 Peter 2:16).
16.
The
Bible calls us to be conformed to the image of Christ by His grace (Romans 8:29), and undergo His gracious chastening power (Psalm 118:18;
Hebrews 12:5-11), that we would no longer yield to sin but yield to Christ
alone against every wickedness (Proverbs 6:16-19; Romans 1:23-32; Galatians
5:19-21).
17.
The
Bible calls us to live out our Christian life in the world but yet not of the world in growing in the grace and
knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18) in all holy faithfulness by
devotion to His Word (Psalm 1; 2 Timothy 3:1-9), and commitment to every right
prayer (Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Timothy 2:1-2).
18.
The
Bible teaches that Christ alone is Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5): was there someone
else in truth that was inherently the God and man? Christ had to be God in order to represent
God to man, and Christ had to be man in order to represent man to God. Christ is the sole go-between as the God-man, and therefore, it is His
righteousness alone that avails because He alone is the divine Mediator. Only God
the Son took upon flesh and fulfilled the demand of the law, and only God could
reconcile us to God the Father. No other
mediator could unite God and man through
His work to take away the war between us.
Christ alone is the Mediator, and no one can compare, or equal the
Unequaled One. Not even the Virgin
herself could compare or equal with the Most High Mediator: the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone suffered redemptively (Hebrews 9:11-22) for the elect people of His pasture (Romans
5:1). Mary suffered (Luke 2:34-36) at the Cross (John 19:27) but it was without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:11-22) and, therefore, it was in
a non-redemptive sense. Hence, Christ alone is the only redemptive Redeemer and Mediator.
19.
A
church is only a true church when it teaches the Gospel of the Solas of the
Reformation: faith alone (Romans 4:1-8),
grace alone (Romans 9:11), Christ alone (Philippians
3:9), the Scriptures alone (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and God’s glory alone
(Jude 1:25). We do not agree with the
perversity of pretenders who would act in the place of Satan: they agree with
their mouths, but speak deceit with their hearts; living contradictions and abominations (Psalm 5:9). We recognize the centrality of preaching
God’s Most High Word (Acts 2:14-36), the administration of
the two sacraments (John 2:4), and church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17). It is understood that the Orthodox Church
practices seven sacraments, but the Bible only
teaches two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
20.
The Orthodox leaders reject an ancient teaching of the Bible alone! The
Bible teaches the Reformation principle of sola
scriptura as meaning the Bible alone is the sole infallible authority for faith, morals and practice. Regarding
authority, the Church must submit to the Divine Word because it alone is
God-speaking (Matthew 4:6, 7, 10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
21.
The
five solas of the Reformation in the Bible is culminated in the doctrine of
God’s glory alone (Psalm 104:31; 105:3).
The only way of the ultimate glory of God is through the doctrines of
the Reformation set forth in the Bible as faith alone (Ephesians 2:8), grace
alone (Romans 9:11) and Christ alone (Acts 4:12; Galatians 2:16) and Scripture
alone in recognition of Christ’s view of in rebuking Satan: if the Church has ultimate authority over Scripture why didn’t Christ
rebuke Satan with Church ritual or tradition instead of using that which is
God-speaking (the Holy Bible)? The biblical doctrine of sola scriptura is not license to
interpret with perversity or subjectivity
but in the abiding presence of God unto superlative
loyalty to the Divine Christ!
22.
Baptism
is by immersion
(Colossians 2:12) for those who have
converted to the Christian faith by genuine repentance (Acts 2:38-41).
23.
The
Lord’s Supper is about the substantial presence
of Christ as a real, true and genuine presence of Christ. The Lord’s Supper is not a real sacrifice
(Hebrews 9:25, 26, 28; 1 Corinthians 11:24; Matthew 26:26, 27) because
the human nature is presently in heaven.
Both the human and divine nature is united in perfect union. The human
nature is in one place, but the divine nature is omnipresent (Matthew 28:20),
and yet Christ remains One person. The
body and blood of Christ is made present by
Jesus’ divine nature although denied in a physical
way. He is especially present according to His divine nature. We are brought into His literal presence
in the Most Holy Eucharist by His divine nature, but He is localized in heaven at the right hand of the only
Holy Father as the Divine Word and St. Augustine taught. His
human nature is never separated from His divine nature. Christ is One Person with two distinct
natures: human and divine. In this, I distinguish between the two natures but
I do not separate them (Chalcedon A.D. 451).
24.
The
Spirit (Matthew 28:19) is given to His elect at the appointed time (Titus 3:5;
Acts 13:48; 16:14) by the divine act of sovereign regeneration (John 3:1-15)
not at the time of Chrismation (Ware,
The Orthodox Church, pg. 278-279). This is the doctrine set forth by the Divine
Word (Ezekiel 36:26-27), and it was rediscovered by John Calvin in the
Protestant Reformation (see 2 Kings 22:8-11).
This dogma of the true Christian
faith is called irresistible grace or
effectual calling (Romans 8:30;
Ephesians 1:7-12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:8-12). This is the only way a person can be a
Christian: he is one who is born from spiritual death to spiritual life
(Ephesians 2:1-3). Regeneration precedes faith as rebirth (Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel
36:26-27; Romans 8:30; Titus 3:4-7).
25.
Repentance
is not a sacrament (opposed to, Ware,
The Orthodox Church, pg. 288-290) but
it is commanded by God (Ezekiel 14:6; Mark 1:15) and if people do not repent
judgment will follow (Matthew 11:20; Jeremiah 15:6-8; Ezekiel 18:30, 32).
26.
No
man can forgive sins except the God-man (Matthew 9:1-8) but the true minister of the Gospel can raise
his hands in the pronouncement of the forgiveness of sins (Psalm 63:3-4; 141:2)
and under its blessing receive the application of the Spirit in forgiveness of
sin and cleansing of unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) by prayer (Psalm 130:3-5).
27.
The
eldership and deaconship are not sacraments but the divine leadership of the Church: who we must submit to, and who
watch over our souls (Hebrews 13:17). According to humility, there is no place for
high titles in the Church, because those high titles belong to the God the Holy
Trinity alone.
28.
The
Bible is the supreme infallible authority
(2 Timothy 3:16-17) and it is the final
decider of all controversies of religion
(Matthew 22:29, 31, 32; Ephesians 2:20; Acts 28:23), and therefore,
the Bible governs the Church, not the Church that governs the Bible. The
Bible alone has authority over the Church.
Did Christ submit to the Pharisaical authority of His day (Matthew
15:1-14) or did He refer them back to
what is God-speaking (Matthew 15:4 cf. Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16)? We ought not to submit to “the Church” that
has gone astray, but to the written Word of God under approved teachers (1
Thessalonians 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:15).
29.
The
Church is called the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). It holds up the Word of God, and if we get
commands in the Word of God that are God-speaking we would do wise to heed them
over mere men. If the Bible is that
which is God’s very words, where has the church produced that? The Church is a slave of the Word of God, but
not the Word of God slave to the Church.
If the latter is true, who can deny the Mormon church that it is the
true church, or the Jehovah’s Witnesses?
All take the same view of a supreme organization, or church. We see them filled with errors, and it comes
from those who have a condescending view of the Bible. The
Church derives its subordinate authority from the Bible alone.
30.
The
Church did not decide what books were in the canon. The early Church said “we receive” because it
was of God alone. God superintended what
books would be in the Christian canon (Ephesians 1:11).
31.
The
infallible rule of the Divine Word is Scripture interpreting Scripture (2 Peter
1:20, 21; Acts 15:15, 16). The Church has the responsibility to
interpret the Scriptures properly. That which is contrary to the plain
testimony of the Word of God is prohibited by the manifold testimony of the
Word of God as God-speaking.
32.
The
London Confession states, “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in
themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to
be known, believed and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded and
opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the
unlearned, in a due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient
understanding of them.” (2 Peter 3:16; Psalms 19:7; Psalms 119:130).
33.
Personal
interpretation is not meant for subjectivism but the correct interpretation of
the Divine Word (Nehemiah 8:8; 2 Timothy 2:5; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrews 1:1-4;
2 Peter 1:20-21). That is, some have left the Reformed church and entered Orthodoxy. It is a hard truth but why are you taking people away from Christ alone?
34.
The
Spirit preceeds from the Father and the Son (John 7:39; Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19; 1 Peter 1:11) and according to the
Athanasian Creed (A.D. 500), “The Father
is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone,
not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the
Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.”
35.
According to the biblical language, it refers to the sameness of
likeness and image in Genesis 1:26-27. I
understand that some Romanists distinction between the two, but the biblical
usage of the terms does not show themselves separate. It is true we are to be icons of God, and
mirror His character.
36.
Mankind
is totally depraved (Romans 3:10-12), and lack the spiritual
freedom to embrace the Gospel by faith, because man is dead in sin (Ephesians
2:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 8:1-11; Ephesians 4:17-19; 1 John 1:8-10) and held
under the law of sin (Romans 7:23).
37.
Free
Will extends to almost all of life (i.e., “I chose to eat turkey and mash
potatoes with gravy”) except that which is spiritually good (i.e., the Gospel),
because we lack the capacity to have spiritual
faith because in the flesh nothing good dwells (Romans 7:18), and nothing
is pleasing to God in the flesh (Romans 8:8) and only God works in us that
which is pleasing (Hebrews 13:21).
38.
The
Bible teaches unconditional election (Romans 9:11).
39.
The
Bible teaches particular redemption (Matthew 1:21; John 17:9).
40.
The
Bible teaches the preservation of the saints, because Christ keeps His people
(Jude 1:1). The Father loves His people,
Christ keeps His people, and the Spirit directs His people.
41.
The
London Confession of Faith of 1689 and the Westminster Confession, and the
Westminster Larger Catechism, are subordinate
standards, and basically regarded as the soundest expression of the
Reformed faith as the Christian faith to the final infallible authority: the
Holy Bible.
42.
All
the elect will stand before the God-man as our Judge, and be acquitted of all
their sins (John 19:30) because of the heavenly garment of the light
of His unified righteousness alone (Galatians 2:16). The righteousness of Christ is extra nos.
That is, it is the alien or foreign righteousness of Christ that
comes from outside of us by faith alone
in the drama of redemption. Human beings
are spiritually bankrupt or totally disabled (Romans 8:8).
43.
Marriage
is not sacrament but a creation ordinance (Genesis 2:24).
44.
The
Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament but believers in Christ should recognize
that the eldership anoints with oil those who are sick, but to understand that
the oil represents the Spirit of God (James 5:14-15).
45.
Although Rome was the alleged
city of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, shouldn’t we base our teachings, and
where it comes from, in the Word of God alone?
Why should we believe the Romanists or Papists who claim to follow Peter
and yet muddle God’s gospel? (Denzinger 714 and CCC841). Is Acts 4:12 of Peter
consistent with this? Is Paul of Romans
4 in conformity to the above teachings?
46.
We see in the Council of Trent on Justification (Canon 9, 12, 14,
23, 24, 30, 33) that the Roman Church anathemas those who believe in faith
alone (Habakkuk 2:4), and that would be the teaching of the Divine Word itself
(Galatians 1:6-10).
47.
Pope Benedict XVI said “Luther was right.” Such is the way to confuse the people of God,
because the Council of Trent cursed Luther’s teachings, and it is only by the trickery
of his claim that he means it as a way to obscure the dividing line (2 Timothy
2:15). He agrees to subdue the weak
minded, and gain converts by trickery (Acts 5:4; 1 Kings 13:18) but the Word of God teaches faith alone (Romans 1:16-17; Ephesians 2:8).
48. Peter spoke of
himself as a fellow elder (1 Peter 5:1), and he never spoke of himself as a
Pope, or a bishop above bishops. If you
remember, James was Bishop of Jerusalem (Acts 21:18), and why isn’t
he honored as the first bishop of bishops?
I think once you lay the foundation of Popery though not acknowledging supremacy,
you leave a door ready for the vileness of Rome by way of
doctrine. If you read Galatians, you
should remember, that Paul rebuked Peter because he was not straightforward
about the truth of the Gospel (Galatians 2:14). Rome has committed
this sin, and neither Reformer nor Orthodox should ever submit under her
spiritual dictatorship.
49. Andrew not Peter was
the first one who came to Christ (John 1:40-41), and by the
means of Andrew, Peter came (John 1:42).
50. Yes, Peter is
first named among the apostles (Mark 9:2), but Peter confessed that Christ was
the Rock (Matthew 16:18) as Saint Augustine stated himself (The Fathers of
the Church (Washington D.C., Catholic University, 1968), Saint Augustine, The
Retractationes Chapter 20.1; John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint
Augustine (Hyde Park: New City, 1994), Sermons, III/8 (273-305A), On
the Saints, Sermon 295.1-3, pp. 197-198). Did you know that Nathanael confessed Christ before Peter in John's Gospel? Shouldn't his confession also be the Rock of the Christian church?
51. The teaching in
the Word about Christ is that He is our Rock, but if a mere man, than sinking
sand (1 Corinthians 10:4)!
52. The Bible also
mentions those reputed to be pillars (Galatians 2:9), but if the primacy of
honor allows a primacy of instruction and fellowship of the Divine Word, then we have one who
is opposed to the Gospel of Christ alone by faith alone (CCC 1479 cf.
Philippians 3:9; Ephesians 2:8).
53. The first Pope was
Diotrephes of Third John (3 John 9-12) not Peter (1 Peter 1:5) because he was a
fellow elder. This is not meant as anachronistic interpretation but as what the
example of the Pope is.
54. He never supported
silver or gold (Acts 3:6) but healed people by the power of Christ (Acts 3:7-8). Do you really see that attitude in Rome (1 Samuel 15:12)? I have seen
such corruption among men, and those of Rome, that it matters
not about a succession of ungodly men (Jude 1:11), but that of a
succession of true doctrine by approved men (Proverbs 4:2; 22:21; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Timothy 6:3; 2
Timothy 1:13). I think it is acceptable to say, “we come from Peter” if you hold to what Peter
taught. John Chrysostom wrote: ‘Where you
have Peter’s confession there you have Peter: ‘for though we do not retain the
body of Peter, we do retain the faith of Peter, and retaining the faith of
Peter we have Peter’ (Webster, The Church Fathers' Interpretation of the Rock of Matthew 16:18; On the Inscription of the Acts, II.
Cited by E. Giles, Documents
Illustrating Papal Authority (London: SPCK, 1952), p. 168. Cf. Chapman, Studies on the Early Papacy, p. 96).
55. There is no reason
why to place primacy of honor because it was its capital and chief city of the
world. What does this have to do with
what the God-breathed Word says? The
Bible says Jesus is the only way (Acts 4:12) but Rome says Muslims know
God (CC841). How can this be when if
someone denies the Son they have no life (1 John 5:12) and if they deny
the Son they deny the Father also (1 John 2:22-23)? Isn’t submission to the Divine Text better
then submission because of geological prominence?
56. Rome disqualifies
itself by Pope Honorius because he embraced the monothelite heresy (opposed to, John 1:14).
It claims that its succession is pure, but he believed a heretical
doctrine. The point is, even by her own
standards she does not match up. I fear
for the Orthodox Church because of her doctrine of primacy of honor. I am trying to reach you by the Word of God:
where, I ask, has it ever failed? I once
trusted men as you do, but I realized that it is in the Word of God. It is fine to have approved teachers, only if
they teach God’s Word. It will never
lead you astray, but corrupt men will. Basil the Great has something to
say on the Bible (keep it in mind as you read this), “Enjoying as you do the consolation of the Holy Scriptures, you
stand in need neither of my assistance nor of that of anybody else to help you
comprehend your duty. You have the all-sufficient counsel and guidance of the
Holy Spirit to lead you to what is right” (Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (Peabody:
Hendrikson, 1995), Second Series: Volume VIII, Basil: Letters and Select Works,
Letter CCLXXXIII, p. 312).
57. Rome did not have jurisdiction over the world but only to a particular
territory in the early church. It was a plurality of bishops like Peter, James and John.
58. The Orthodox Church should not listen to Rome: “If I must write the truth,
I am disposed to avoid every assembly of bishops; for of no synod have I seen a
profitable end, but rather an addition to than a diminution of evils; for the
love of strife and the thirst for superiority are beyond the power of words to
express” (Gregory Nazianzen, Epist. 130).
59. Rome was a true church
according to The Epistle of the Romans
but it now condemns the Gospel of faith alone (Romans 1:16-17) and that freeness of redemptive grace (Romans 9:11).
60. Roman Bishop is a
not true Bishop. Why? I would not call him a “bishop” because he
has rejected the Gospel of faith alone (Ephesians 2:8), and the solas of the
Bible (as cited above), and the freedom of God in spiritual salvation (Romans 9:11). You know
that what makes a true bishop, a bishop, is the gospel. If a bishop falls at that, he is no longer a
true bishop.
61. I call the Orthodox Church out
of the spiritual bondage of the Roman Pope (1 Kings 12:5-11) under the primacy of honor to the divine light of
the Divine Word (Psalm 18:30; 119:105). Do you wish to be under “Pope Diotrephes” (3 John 1:9)
and who will speak harshly to you (1 Kings 12:13)?
62. Mary is the Mother
of Jesus Christ touching His human nature (Matthew 1:23). However, if people want to exalt Mary instead
of the deity of Christ, we would object (Luke 11:26-28). In church history it was used to show the
divinity of Christ. Our ambition is to
glorify the centrality of Christ as Jehovah in human flesh (John 1:14).
63. Robert Hawker
author of The Poor Man’s New Testament
Commentary, Vol. 1, (a devotional study) called Mary’s womb was “the only
scared chamber of formation” (pg. 7). Christ
was in “sacred chamber of formation.”
Let us magnify Christ not Mary as Mary magnified God Himself (Luke 1:46-48).
64. According to Luke
1, Mary refers to God as her Savior.
That is, sinful creatures call God their Savior. The one whom Mary bore in her womb was her
Everlasting Savior. According to 1 John
3:9, it says, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides
in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” If you mean Mary is immaculate in this sense,
I would agree. You see, the souls of
true followers of Christ have their souls clean, or sinless, and yet the body
sins. This is the best I can do in light
of the Word of God.
65. We see the
Orthodox teaching of the Ever-Virgin of Mary.
Hawker said, “Very much hath been
both said and written, in respect to the cohabitation of Mary with Joseph,
after the birth of Christ. But the
Scriptures are wholly silent on the subject. And therefore it becomes the Church of God to be silent also” (Hawker, The Poor Man’s New
Testament Commentary, Vol. 1, pg.11).
66. Mary was obedient
in submission to God by accepting to bear the little Lord Jesus. It should not mean a parallel to Jesus. For example, do we focus on the confession of
Peter over against the Messiah Himself?
In other words, shouldn’t we focus on the Christ, and the centrality of
Him alone, then upon a mere creature? I
certainly do not see anywhere in Scripture where she is co-redeemer, because
she even said “do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). Jesus tells us on the Cross “It is paid in
full” by “It is finished” (John 19:30). Shouldn’t we listen to the Father who said
“Listen to Him?” (Matthew 17:5; Mark
9:7).
67. Saint John Chrysostom taught sola scriptura (the Bible alone, Matthew 21:13, and, NPNF1, Vol. XIV, Homilies on the Gospel according to St. John, Homily 32), “Great is the
profit of the divine Scriptures, and all-sufficient is the aid which comes from
them.” The Reformation teaching of the Bible is about the all-sufficiency
of the Word of God. What is lacking in the God-Breathed Scriptures if it is acceptable for
every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17)?
68. Saint John Chrysostom taught sola fide (Ephesians 2:8) of the
Reformation in the Bible, in saying, “And this he removes, with great skill and prudence, turning their
argument against themselves, and showing that those who relinquish the Law are
not only not cursed, but blessed; and they who keep it, not only not blessed
but cursed. They said that he who kept not the Law was cursed, but he proves
that he who kept it was cursed, and he who kept it not, blessed. Again, they
said that he who adhered to Faith alone was cursed, but he shows that he who
adhered to Faith alone, is blessed. And how does he prove all this? for it is
no common thing which we have promised; wherefore it is necessary to give close
attention to what follows.” NPNF1: Vol. XIII,
Commentary on Galatians, 3:8.
69. The icons are only acceptable if used properly. There should be no
image of God because the Bible forbids it. It give us a greater devotion by the
remembrance of the great saints of old (Revelation 15:3), and by the Spirit of
life to further our faithfulness
(Psalm 31:23), obedience (Psalm 103:20) and uprightness (Psalm 7:10; 11:7) before our Triune King
(Matthew 28:19). Let us not sacrifice to
idols (1 Corinthians 8:1): and turn from idols to God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Kissing is not a command of God for icons,
but a love born of heaven to God.
70. According to the Ten
Commandments, we ought not to make unto us graven images (Exodus 20:4). We ought not to worship in it or by it. This means we ought not to worship it (using
it as a means to worship), and nor shall we worship by it (pray to it in the
mind). It is acceptable if we remember the saints by pictures, but we ought not
to use it as a literal picture of our saints or pray to saints or angels in heaven.
71. Let us dare not pray to
angels. We are forbidden to pray to
angels (Revelation 19:9-10). That is, to
worship them. Prayer is an instrument of
worship. Only God the Son, the King
Eternal, has the right to command elect angels to do a mission for His
glory. If you worry about satanic
attacks: the Bible calls us to trust the Lord (Psalm 4:5). You have greater power because of the Lord,
and the elect angels would command you: pray
to God the Holy Trinity alone.
72. Let us dare not pray to
saints. Peter did not let himself be
worshipped (Acts 10:26). We must direct prayers to God the Holy
Trinity alone. We can do this by
kneeling, prostrating, standing, sitting, or lying down. The most reverential posture is kneeling.
How many hours do you spend on your knees?
73. There is no way to communicate
with saints in heaven. No one should pray
to them.
74. Christ is the Victor (1
Corinthians 15:57), and it was impossible for death to hold Him (Acts 2:24). Christ paid the sin debt to God the Father
(Luke 23:46) not Satan (Genesis 3:15), and Christ was victorious over
Satan, hell and sin as the only ransom for His people (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6).
75. We ought to be learners (Matthew
10:24) of the Christian faith (Galatians 6:10), for Luther said under To the Christian Reader, “I tell these
things to the end that, if thou shalt read my books, thou mayest know and
remember that I am one of those who, as St. Augustine says of himself, have
grown by writing and by teaching others, and not one of those who, starting
with nothing, have in a trice become the most exalted and most learned doctors.
We find, alas! many of these self-grown doctors; who in truth are nothing, do
nothing and accomplish nothing, are moreover untried and inexperienced, and
yet, after a single look at the Scriptures, think themselves able wholly to
exhaust its spirit.”
76. Let us be about the purity of the Gospel. The purity of the Gospel is planted in the
Word of Life where rivers of living waters flow (John 4:10, 14).
77. Let us be about the peace of the Gospel. The peace of the Gospel is found by
justification by faith alone through the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
78. Let us be about the unity of the Gospel. In the Gospel we must be unified as Christ is with the Father (John 17) by the
Gospel teaching of justification by Christ alone (Philippians 3:9) through faith
alone (Galatians 2:16) and the spiritual riches of the Divine Word in all
manner of holy doctrine, because every
true doctrine is about every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
79. The Old Testament Scriptures
call God’s people to a higher standard than sacrifices; therefore, it is better
to obey than to sacrifice. I refer to
the sacrifice of the Orthodox Eucharist.
It is better if Christians obey God than offer regular sacrifices (1
Samuel 15:22).
80. Although no one is a Christian
by himself (Hebrews 10:25), every Christian is called
to personal, private and secret prayer (Matthew 6:6) in the context of the
visible Church (1 Corinthians 2:9).
81. The Church must equip the saints as a work of
service (Ephesians 4:12) by the defense of the divine
truth of the Divine Word (1 Peter 3:15) in the defense and
confirmation of the Gospel (Philippians 1:7).
82. The Bible does not call us to
deity. Rather the Bible calls us to holiness.
83. The Bible does not support
Mary as an ultimate intercessor. Rather God
the Son and Spirit alone are ultimate intercessors.
84. The Bible’s truth is
presuppositional not mystical.
85. Feast days are only acceptable
in light of God’s Word in celebrating Christ and His Word, and they should
reflect His character by us in loyal
obedience to Him in all ways under the understanding of faithful, dedicated
repentance. Remember: you are in God’s
presence now, and live accordingly (Psalm 25:21).
86. It is proper to confess one’s
faults to believers in Christ and/or those who appointed by Christ in the
eldership by faithful prayer so that they may be healed under Christ (James 5:16) but having the recognition
of the Father forgiveness through His Son who cleanses us from all
unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
87. Christians should read the
Divine Word in at least 10 Chapters of it daily surrounding under His Lordship (2 Timothy 3:15).
88. Christians should read the
Psalms, and pray from it as it becomes
their personal prayer in light of troubling days (i.e., Joshua 8:34).
89. Christians should go over the
New Testament Commands of Christ that are over 1, 000 commands, and pray by the
Holy Spirit that He applies them by His grace.
Let us not view it as a bare
obedience devoid of the heart but in loving devotion to what the Divine
Master says in its proper context. One command is, striving together for the
gospel faith (Philippians 1:27). Because of disunity, do you not see the
disobedience against this command (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)?
90. Christians should obey the Ten
Commandments by Moses, the man of God, under God’s Spirit to walk in Him
(Colossians 2:6).
91. Christians should repent daily
of particular sins (Mark 1:15; Psalm 32, 51) and under my book TURN AWAY TO THE LORD, people should obey my writings of on-going
repentance in light of the pleasure of God by using a calendar, and due
homework for the judgment after death (Hebrews 9:27) and under the recognition
of being held accountable for all at the Last Day (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
92. Christians should have a
private life of devotions not neglecting
their concealed life for God’s glory (Psalm 119:38). The Bible does not support baptism of unprofessing infants. Rather it supports only baptism of professors of Jesus Christ. Infants are not saved by ordinary means but by special means of God.
93. Christians should have a knowing-faith (2 Timothy 1:12) under God with a spirit of
discernment (1 Kings 4:29; Psalm 119:66).
94. The Church should instruct its
followers of a discernment (1 Corinthians 2:13-15) that is born of God in light of false teachers and pretenders (2
Timothy 4:14).
95. The mind is a battleground and
must be for practical righteousness
(Matthew 5:10, 20) because it is founded on the imputed righteousness of Christ alone (Galatians
2:16; Romans 3:22) and to fulfill all righteousness
apart from silliness (Matthew 3:15).
96. The Creation of God in Genesis
1 is in six-literal days under the teaching of the Christian Sabbath as Sunday
in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:9-11, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do
all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy
manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and
all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the
sabbath day, and hallowed it”).
97.The "Antichrist" was Nero of the Roman Empire. However, the Bible speaks of "many" antichrists.
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