My dear readers,

Questions Posed at CPBPC’s Annual Church Camp (10-15 June 2019) – part 13

Many non-VPP BP Churches commented that our Church is judgmental. I think we should be judging sin with God's love but not to tolerate sin by keeping silent in order to protect the "unity". Can comment?

Reply – To be judgmental means to judge too quickly without facts and proper investigation. Such forms of judgments are categorically condemned in the Bible.

Matthew 7:1-5 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

James also touched on the same subject in James 4:11-12 “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” However, if we make judgments based upon truth and according to Holy Scriptures then it is obeying the perfect Word of God and glorifying His holy Name.

The fact is that everyone makes judgments all the time. The moment we wake up till we lay down to sleep it has been an entire day of unceasing judgments. If we do not make judgments at all nothing would be done. In fact, the statement “many non-VPP BP churches commented that our church is judgmental” is in fact a strong judgmental statement. The question is: are they committing the sin that they charge others for committing?

When we warn others about the serious errors of these non-VPP proponents who teach that the Bible has mistakes (because they do not believe that God has preserved the Bible perfectly), we protect our own members and help them help others who have been deceived. Perhaps if these non-VPP proponents learn the truth, they might be delivered from the error and thus stop sinning and stumbling others. James 5:19-20 “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” Knowing that the very foundation of the Christian Faith is the Bible, why would these professing believers keep on teaching and preaching that the Bible has mistakes? This is insane and completely inexplicable! It is like a man who builds a beautiful house for his family and then destroys the foundation that the house stands on!

That God has inspired and preserved His holy and perfect Word is the clear biblical teaching throughout the entire Bible and the very first assumption that every sinner believes in when the gospel was first preached to him. Why would a sinner believe a gospel that comes from a Bible with errors? The rejection of the doctrine of VPP is a very serious one. It undermines the wisdom and power of God; God is not a fool to have spent more than 1,500 years to inspire the 66 books of the Bible and then did not or forgot to perfectly preserve the perfect Book! Also, the non-VPP proponents undermine the faith of all those who believe them because every doctrine of the Bible is undermined in one bold stroke when they say that the Bible has mistakes! How can children of God keep silent? They cannot if they love God and are God’s children.

Judgment as taught in Holy Scriptures involves both identifying the sins as well as the sinners especially when the sinners are leaders and teachers who are teaching sin and others to sin. Paul the Apostle had to identify the sins as well as the sinners to warn and help Timothy and all believers to avoid the false teachers who were once on the side of truth and have turned to sin and carnality.

1 Timothy 1:18-20 “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

2 Timothy 2:16-18 “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.”

2 Timothy 4:14-15 “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: 15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.” [Emphases added]

These judgments were based upon facts and not hearsay. We are always careful to guard our motives whenever we judge. It must be done out of love for Christ and for the truth and for all of God’s people and God’s work.

Is it possible that we use faith as an excuse not to do good works and do what our sinful nature wants? Are good works useless?

Reply – The doctrine of good works is one of the clearest evidence of salvation. The good works are not good works in general as defined by man. These are good works defined by God according to Holy Scriptures. Good works are very important in every believer’s life. In fact Christians are saved and have been left behind on earth by the Lord to do good works to show forth the power of Christ’s salvific work on the cross to save sinners from sins. Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” James 4:15-17 “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Good works must be found in every believer’s life. It is imperative and not an option. If he does not do good works he is probably not born again in Christ. The Holy Spirit who indwells all believers will compel them to witness for Christ and live a holy life everywhere they go. If they do not, their conscience will be convicted and their spirits vexed until they repent and submit to the will of God.

The one who says that he has faith and bears no good works, his confession of faith is worthless to him. The nature of a person who is born again is that his sinful nature is removed and the image of God's nature is his new nature in Christ. Upon salvation he died with Christ and he was crucified with Christ which means that he died. Which part of the sinner died when he died with Christ? It was his sinful nature. He now has a new nature. That is why the Bible describes him as a new creature.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

This new nature in Christ is the reason he is living like Christ so that by his life of good works, others will see Christ in him and glorify God. Jesus taught in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

A family member is in a charismatic church but has shown a positive transformation and good testimony for the past 10 years. Does it mean he's not saved despite believing in wrong doctrines?

Reply – A sinner must be given the gospel that must be according to Holy Scriptures. Then the Holy Spirit will take this gospel and convict the sinner’s heart resulting in salvation. The Lord who knows that his confession is true will then baptize him with the Holy Spirit. A false gospel will not and has no power to save anyone. God made that abundantly clear in the warning given in Galatians 1:6-9 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

The ones who preach another gospel are cursed by God. They have no salvation themselves. They are cursed because they lead many to hell by making them think that they are going to heaven. This is the worst deception that a person can do to anyone, for he deceives them into hell. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Here God says that the gospel must be according to Scriptures!

An external form of holiness is only a form. The best form of holiness was from the scribes and Pharisees. Yet their form of holiness, which was the best of the best in terms of salvation by good Christian works, was not enough to save them. Jesus said in Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” A sinner cannot become a child of God by imitation, just as a child cannot be considered a part of your family by imitating your children. He has to be adopted. Salvation is an act of God. Salvation occurs only through believing in Christ alone and not by imitating Christian holiness.

Charismatic churches today have evolved to the third and final wave which is the most deceptive of all. The first wave was called Pentecostalism. The second wave was called Charismatism. The third and final wave is called neo-Charismatism. Its worship and form of Christianity is a Christianizing of carnality and its understanding of the Bible is that of unbelievers, superficial and erroneous. These neo-Charismatics make merchandise of their members, being false teachers. 2 Peter 2:1-3 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” The Charismatic movement is a great contributor of deception of the end time one world harlot church of the Antichrist who will deceive the world.

If you have friends and family members in the Charismatic movement, pray for wisdom to speak to them the truth. It is a great spiritual warfare to help them get out of deception. Pray for the Lord’s mercies to be upon them.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service

Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew, Pastor