AVOIDING EXTREMES
Text: PHILIPPIANS 4:1-5
INTRODUCTION:
1. I want to speak this evening
on the subject of avoiding extremes.
2. You will note the word
“moderation” in verse 5. Many
Bible teachers, such as AT Robertson, WE Vine, and HA Ironside, quote the
English poet and critic Matthew Arnold, who translated the verse this way, “Let
your sweet reasonableness be manifested to all
men.”
3. Some Bible scholars tell us
the word means “forbearance” or “yieldingness, gentleness, considerateness,
agreeableness, pliability, and courtesy” (Lehman Strauss, Philippians).
4. Ironside cites Oliver
Cromwell, who wrote to the warring theologians of his day, “I beseech you, my
brethren. Remember that it is possible you may be wrong”
(Philippians).
5. If you know anything about
Oliver Cromwell you know he was a man of strong convictions. He was a Puritan
military and political leader who spoke out boldly against Romanism and the
popish compromises that were creeping into Anglicanism.
6. He served as the Lord
Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the execution of King Charles
I.
7. Therefore, “moderation” does
not mean weak and compromising (though the word is often used this way).
8. “This does not mean that one
need be lacking in intensity of conviction or assurance as to the correctness of
doctrines, principles or practices which one believes he has learned from the
word of God; but it does imply a kindly consideration for the judgment of
others, who may be equally sincere, and equally devoted – and, possibly, even
more enlightened” (Ironside, Philippians).
9. The context here is
important – two Christian ladies in the church at Philippi had a falling out
(Phil. 4:2).
I. CALVINISM
AND ARMINIANISM
1. There are
two theological extremes in Christianity, and these extremes have influenced and
affected Baptists down through the years.
2. On the one hand there is a
system of doctrine known as Calvinism, and on the other hand there is a system
that developed in opposition to Calvinism called
Arminianism.
3. We do not need to identify
with either group, as both are man-made systems. They each contain a mixture of truth and
error.
4. Calvinism comes from the
teachings of John Calvin (1509 – 1564), a Frenchman
who was a leader of the Protest Reformation, a prolific writer, and a pastor in
Geneva, Switzerland.
5. Sometimes Calvinism is
referred to as “Reformed Theology.”
6. Arminianism comes from the
teachings of Jacob Arminius (1560– 1609), a Dutch theologian and professor in theology at the
University of Leiden. Arminius was
the pastor of a Dutch Reformed Church.
7. John Wesley, the founder of
the Methodist movement, embraced Arminian theology and became its most prominent
champion.
8. John Wesley was a great
preacher and greatly used by God. Oftentimes, Wesleyan doctrine simply means
Arminianism.
9. A number of years ago, Bob
Jones Jr wrote a book called, Cornbread and Caviar. He said this, “It has been my
observation that where good, Bible-believing theologians hold to opposite and
contradictory positions on the interpretation of Scripture, such as five-point
Calvinism on the one hand and Arminianism on the other, the truth usually lies
somewhere between” (p. 186).
10. We do not have time tonight
to get deep into these theological controversies. I have said many times that I believe
“TULIP” theology to be unscriptural.
On the other hand, I am not an Arminian and I believe in eternal
security.
11. Total
inability
means sinners are unable to come to Christ unless they are first
regenerated. But the Bible teaches
that a man is born again when he believes, not before he
believes. “But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name” (John 1:12).
12. Unconditional
election
means God arbitrarily chose some people for heaven, and others for hell. But the Bible says that God is, “not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II
Peter 3:9; cf. I Tim. 2:4).
13. Limited
atonement
means Christ died only for the elect.
But First John 2:2 says, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and
not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world.”
14. Hebrews 2:9 says, “that He
by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (cf. also John
1:29; 3:16).
15. Irresistible
grace means
that the saving grace of God is effectually applied only to those whom God has
determined to save (the elect).
Here we can
see the logical connection between “total inability” (or “total depravity”) and
“irresistible grace.” Since total
inability means that man is unable of believing God, and man will never come to
Christ on his own, God must first change a person’s nature before he is
saved.
16. To the staunch
Calvinist, regeneration must precede conversion. But is God’s grace
“irresistible”? We see many
examples in the Bible of sinners resisting God’s grace. Stephen said to the Jewish leaders in
Acts 7:51, “Ye
stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy
Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”
17. Calvinists would argue that
these stiffnecked sinners were not part of the elect and were therefore
predestined for hell. But this is
not what the Bible teaches.
18. The last doctrine in the
TULIP system is the “perseverance of the saints.” This means the elect believer will
continue in the state of holiness and righteousness through the work of the Holy
Spirit, and the elect believer will continue in this state all the way through
till he gets to heaven.
19. This doctrine has been
called “once saved, always saved” and has been associated with the doctrine of
eternal security, though there are some
differences.
20. I must say that while I tend
to agree more with the Arminians on their opposition to the first four points, I
break company with them on the fifth (cf. Romans
9:35-39).
21. Eternal life is for
eternity. It is not “temporary
eternal life.”
22. Before moving on, let me say
we can agree with the Calvinists when they are right – the sovereignty of God,
eternal security, etc.
23. And we can agree with the
Arminians when they are right – man’s responsibility, unlimited atonement,
etc. However, we should not
be forced to take sides in this debate.
II. THE
LORDSHIP OF CHRIST
1. This
is another debate that will never be fully resolved this side of heaven. “Lordship Salvation”
proponents (e.g.,
John MacArthur) insist that one cannot be saved unless he first submits to
Christ as Lord of his life.
2. Let me say that Jesus Christ is
Lord irrespective of what you or I believe. Paul and Silas told the
Philippian jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved” (Acts 16:31).
3. Does
this mean that the Philippian jailer understood what the Lordship of Christ was
all about? No, he simply knew
enough to be saved (cf. I Cor. 15:1-4).
4.
Lordship people are greatly confused and inconsistent. In Acts 10:14, the apostle Peter said,
“Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” Peter was saying “no” to a clear command
from God. And he addressed God as
“Lord.”
5. Does
this mean Peter was not saved? Of
course not.
6. The Bible
teaches that a genuine conversion to Christ will result in a changed life, and this certainly includes
submission to Christ’s lordship.
7. However,
this is the result of regeneration.
An unsaved man is lost and spiritually blind and does not understand all
that is involved in making Christ “Lord of your life.”
8. Even a
Christian (like Peter) does not understand it all.
9. Submitting to Christ’s lordship
and a changed life are the result of salvation, not a requirement for
salvation. Lordship people confuse
salvation with discipleship, and justification with
regeneration.
10.
Charles Ryrie has criticized “Lordship Salvation” and has written a book
about it entitled, So Great Salvation. In this book, Dr. Ryrie states, “Every
Christian will bear spiritual fruit. Somewhere, sometime, somehow. Otherwise
that person is not a believer. Every born-again individual will be fruitful. Not
to be fruitful is to be faithless, without faith, and therefore without
salvation” (p 45, SGS).
11.
By this statement it appears that there really is not all that much
difference between the two positions. “Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are
become new” (II Cor. 5:17).
12.
I think the real issue is over the doctrine of repentance. One hundred years ago, R. A.
Torrey warned that repentance was no longer being emphasized in his day. I am afraid it is much worse
today.
13.
It was Spurgeon who said, “Repentance is the inseparable companion of
faith. All the while that we walk
by faith and not by sight, the tear of repentance glitters in the eye of
faith. That is not true repentance
which does not come of faith in Jesus, and that is not true faith in Jesus which
is not tinctured with repentance. Faith and repentance, like Siamese twins, are
vitally joined together.”
14.
A.C. Dixon said, “In repentance you think of the sin you hate; in faith
you think of the Christ you love.”
Many other quotes could be given, demonstrating that the old-time
preachers stressed repentance.
15.
Repentance means a change of mind.
This leads to a change in direction. The sinner was against God – at
enmity with God – the wrath of God was abiding on him. But now he has repented! Now he has changed sides. Now he loves God and hates sin. Now he agrees with God (cf. Acts 20:21;
26:17-20).
16.
We must teach that repentance and faith are two sides to the same
coin. But on the other hand we must
be careful not to add anything to the Gospel.
CONCLUSION:
1. We started
out with Philippians 4:5, “Let your moderation be known unto all
men.”
2. The second
part of that verse is: “The Lord is at hand.” This could be taken two ways: the
Lord is here with us (though we do not see Him). Surely Paul felt the Lord’s presence in
that cold, damp prison as he wrote this epistle.
3. Also, it
means the Lord is coming back soon.
Therefore we should be gracious and humble. Our judgment of others should
be tempered by the fact that the Lord will soon judge us. Romans 14:10 says, “For we shall
all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ.”
