Instant Coffee and Sanctification - Part 2

In our last issue we saw how a watered-down amalgam of Arminianism, Calvinism and the western consumerist mentality of instant gratification (instant coffee, instant potatos, instant loans, fast food, instant gadgets providing instant messaging and instant news, etc., ad nauseum) has combined to produce the "Instant Coffee and Sanctification" worldview. This pseudo-Christian "instant coffee, gratification and sanctification" worldview is typified in Joel and Victoria Osteen's "me-centered theology" that preaches "God wants you to be happy" - a false god who wants us to be healthy, wealthy and happy forever and ever, amen, and has hooked millions of Americans on this "high."

Along with "health, wealth, happiness and success," the watchwords of this worldview are "freedom" and "choice." This false worldview has smuggled itself into western Christianity. As St. Peter wrote - "But there also arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1). Here is how he describes the situation -

"For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; promising them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state has become worse with them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, 'The dog turns to his own vomit again,' and 'the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire'" (2 Peter 2:18-22).

These are people who have known the truth of the Gospel, but have willingly turned away from it and instead misuse some Christian-sounding words to entice others away from the truth by appealing to their carnal desires. St. Peter mentioned "Sodom and Gomorrah" (verse 6), echoing the prophet Isaiah - "Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!" (Isaiah 1:10) - making an analogy of the rulers and people of Israel to those of Sodom and Gomorrah, as we see in verse 21 - "How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.". Spiritual unfaithfulness is quite often linked to carnal behavior such as adultery, prostitution and homosexuality.

How did we get to this point in history? In reaction to the dogmatic catechisms of the early Protestant Reformation, Pietism's "personal experience" produced a feeling-oriented faith, as described in the blog article, Knowing God's Will -

"But it also produced a reaction. Coming from various directions, the reaction was a rejection of 'dry' dogma and the promotion of a 'religion of the heart.' What mattered was emotional devotion to Christ - religious experience. This 'Pietist Movement' had examples throughout the Protestant world, and even examples within Catholicism. In time, it became the basis of the modern Evangelical Movement (as well as Pentecostalism, Charismatic, and various modern 'Renewals')."

The above blog article concludes with the true way of knowing God's will - "For this is the will of God, your sanctification [being made holy]" (1 Thess. 4:3 NKJ). True sanctification or holiness does not consist of merely reading the Bible, saying prayers or speaking in tongues, but a pure life of doing good to those in need - "Learn to do right. Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:17) St. James echos this - "Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world" (James 1:27). By claiming, however, that social justice has nothing to do with personal morality (as an excuse for their immoral behavior), the liberal humanists have falsely decoupled "visiting the fatherless and widows" from "keeping oneself unstained by the world." But the two are simply aspects of one and the same thing: the righteous living that leads us to salvation.

Lest we begin to think we have attained righteousness and sanctification, David reminds us in the Psalms - "Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no man living is righteous" (Ps. 143:2). We are "called to be saints," but even those whom we call saints continue to pray as long as they live - "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner!" God accepts us just as we are, warts and all, but He doesn't expect us to remain just as we were when we first believed. We are "called to be saints," to sanctification, a life-long process which should lead to the final goal of holiness.

When a certain Pharisee had invited Jesus to a meal, the Lord told him not to invite people who could repay the favor. Jesus said - "But when you make a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind" (Luke 14:13). This goes against the grain, it's not the "natural" thing to do - so run our excuses. So Jesus gave a parable about a certain man who made a banquet, but those who were invited all made excuses. Therefore the man who made the banquet commanded his servant - "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame" (verse 21). But there was still room at the banquet table: "The master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper'" (verses 22-24).

The way to true sanctification isn't instant, the path of discipleship isn't easy - "If anyone comes to me, and doesn't hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can't be my disciple. Whoever doesn't bear his own cross, and come after me, can't be my disciple" (verses 26-27). But it is the only way that leads to life. Jesus said - "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me" (John 14:6). Come, receive the life!

(Linked to www.Hosken-News.info of 07 Sep. 2014.)