“Hodge’s Systematic Theology”, the Means of Grace and TBN & Others, 466-480

Also posted on our Facebook Wall entitled “Exposing the False Prophets—Reformation Christians Against TBN” found at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=308173344359

1. “Hodge’s Systematic Theology” and a few miscellaneous afterthoughts on “The Means of Grace” with help from Charles Hodge, “Systematic Theology, Volume Three” (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1992), 466-480.

2. Our reference point for wider inquiry is certainly ourselves, but also TBN, Pentecostalists, Emergents, Liberals, Arminians, Church Growthers, and Contemporary Evangelicals.

3. By “means of grace” is meant the Word of God, sacraments and prayer, the ordinary and customary channels ordained by God for salvation and nurturance, church growth and preservation.

4. The Word of God is “indispensable.” The Church was commissioned to preach Christ and His Words to the nations (Mt.28.18-20). That’s what they did. If you see how Luke summarizes Paul’s years of confinement at Rome, it’s preaching and teaching (Acts 18.28ff.) The preaching of the Word has a two-fold effect, to save and to harden. The sacred writers under the Spirit’s tuition and sovereign superintendence extol the Word of God again and again. (Ps. 19.7, 119). It is a “lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps.119.105) “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer.23.29). “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim.3.16). Jesus prays, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” (Jn. 17.17). We could multiply texts in overwhelming abundance, but our point is to bring light to darkness. It’s not our point to develop a full blown bibliology or doctrine of Scripture; that’s for another time. It is our point to bring this to bear on this things we see about us.

5. We would add the Christianity flourishes in proportion to fidelity to the Word of God in liturgy, hymns, sermons, abundant lections or read sections of the Word of God, biblical sermons, and biblical prayers. We would add that Christianity best flourishes when congregations are faithfully instructed and catechetized. The same applies for children, youth, and collegians.

6. The Word is what it is, irrespective of response. It is not be adjusted to audience receptivity like Mega-church theoreticians would make it. There are times of drought in the Bible: the period of the Judges, days under bad Israelite kings, the days of our Lord Himself, and other periods of history. Or, Jesus’ time when vast multitudes rejected Him (Jn.1.10-13). With Isaiah might we well claim, “O Lord, who has believed our report?” (Is.53.1) There have been other times when the Word has flourished such as at Pentecost when 1000’s believed. The days of the Reformation represented times of refreshment and enlargement. The “responses” to the Word of God is in God’s hands. Just because Paul before his conversion hated Christ and Christians did not change the identity of Christ and His Lordship or the authority and power of the Word of God. Christ is who Christ is, whether the numbers are 10 or 1,000,000. The Word of God is the Word of God whether 10 believe or 1,000,000 believe. After all, only 8 were left in Noah’s day, but the Word of God was the Word of God. If the majority hates, derides, and denigrates the Word of God, the office of the Pastor, the commitment of any true church, and the position of any believer is not to dismiss or reduce the Word of God in preaching, hymns, prayers and views, but to hold fast. Paul was explicit with Timothy in 2 Tim.4.2: “Preach the Word: Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

7. Re: TBN we ask. Why isn’t there reading of chapters on their programming? Unbelief. Why isn’t there serious, in-depth, doctrinal and expository biblical preaching? $$$-mongering and unbelief. Why the hype and the enthusiasm? Unbelief in the presence, power and necessity of Biblical exposition. From Isaiah 3 and the Money-Grubbers, you may wish to follow some leads at: http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2010/03/isaiah-3-and-tbn-pentecostals-arminians.html

8. Re: liberals, we need ask no further. Their views of the Bible is that it’s man’s words. It still remains the Word of God when read. We call your attention to an audio on this by Dr. Michael Horton re: the mainline. http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-we-should-learn-from-mainline.html

Also, Dr. Carl Trueman at: http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2010/03/dr-carl-trueman-on-decline-of-mainline.html

9. Re: contemporary evangelicals, we ask. Why are there not 3-4 chapters read during divine worship? Why the contemporary music with 7 words repeated 11 times, what we call 7-11 music? Why are we not singing all 150 Psalms? Why are we not sing vast tracts of canonical Scriptures as many Reformed Churches used to do? These same questions could be put to the TBN and liberal crowd. We call your attention to a good series of articles which you can follow-up at:
http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2010/03/summary-of-reasons-to-avoid-rick.html

10. Emergents, we need little more than 8. above. They are neo-Marcionites and neo-liberals, although their background is evangelical. More to follow as the light continues to shine.

11. The Word of God is the Word of God, irrespective of audience receptivity, audience likes or dislikes. Just because leaders give lip service to the Word as a means of grace, but deny it in practice, is no ground for us to follow them.

12. In closing, we pray:

“Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Book of Common Prayer, Second Sunday in Advent.