articles from the Christian Research Newsletter, Volume 3: Numbers 1 & 2, 1990.
The Editor of the Christian Research Newsletter is Ron Rhodes.
Baptism of Boldness[*]
by Dr. Walter Martin
From the From The Founder column of the Christian Research
Newsletter, Volume 3: Number 1, 1990.
We're suffering from an endemic disease. This disease in the Christian world is known by its Latin name, non-rock-a-boatus. What it really means is, "Whatever you do, don't rock the boat." The cure for this disease is a baptism of boldness.
I was on a national Christian television show once. And the hosts -- a man and woman who shall remain nameless -- were asking me questions. And the lady got a little upset with me and said, "Dr. Martin, nobody can gainsay the work that you've done on the world of the cults. We just praise and thank the Lord for that." (Whenever I hear something like this, I know what's coming next -- I'm about to get shot at.) And she said, "However, I do have a constructive criticism to make." I said, "What is it?" She said, "You don't show enough love. You've got to really love these people."
So I said, "I love Mormons, I love Jehovah's Witnesses, I love the people in the cults. I have given my life to witnessing to them till the day I go home in glory. I'm fighting for their souls."
Then I said, "You've got to tell them more than 'Jesus loves you.' You need to tell them that Jesus is going to judge them. If they're not going to receive love, they're going to receive justice. An old Nazarene preacher said something to me once that I never forgot. He said, 'Walt, I love to hear you preach because you crack all the nuts everybody runs away from. Don't ever give up doing it. And remember something, son. When you get out there, give them Jesus and the gospel of grace and love, but if they don't buy it, be sure you leave them with Moses.' I never forgot that advice. He was right. 'You don't want grace? Okay, let me introduce you to some Law. If you're not going to be saved by grace, you'll be judged by the Law.'"
"Well," this lady said, "I don't want to get into a discussion over it." "Look," I said, "give me thirty seconds and I'll prove my point to you." "Go ahead," she said. So I asked her, "Who was the most loving person who ever lived?" She said, "Why, Jesus." I said, "That's right -- Jesus was incarnate love, wasn't he? Love in human flesh, right?" "Right," she said.
Then I continued, "Okay, listen to this: 'You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean...You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire...You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.' Jesus -- incarnate love -- preached the truth and He preached it boldly."
Now, all of this is preamble. You may be thinking, "You seem pretty uptight about this, Dr. Martin." And I am, because we need to get rid of this non-rock-a-boatus mentality that is so prevalent in this country. The apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2 doesn't hesitate to talk about the things that concern him. He says, "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead and is appearing in his kingdom, preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."
Do you know there are Christians running around today waiting for a convenient moment to "preach the word" that never comes? And the reason it never comes is because God doesn't care about convenience; God cares about obedience. So you preach the Word, whether it's convenient or inconvenient, "in season" or "out of season."
There's a great hymn of the church, but somehow or other -- Christians don't sing it much anymore. I can't close on any better note than this. Listen to the words: "Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war. With the cross of Jesus, going on before: Christ the Royal Master, leads against the foe; forward into battle, see His banners go. Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war. With the cross of Jesus, going on before."
[*] These words from the founder were excerpted from Walter Martin's tape, Baptism of Boldness (catalog number C-144). The tape -- normally priced at $5.95 -- may be ordered from CRI at a special price of $4.00 with the enclosed envelope.
Doctrines of Demons
by Dr. Walter Martin
From the From The Founder column of the Christian Research
Newsletter, Volume 3: Number 2, 1990.
In 1 Timothy 4:1, the apostle Paul said something extremely relevant for our day: "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." Let us briefly look at an example of one of these deceptive doctrines.
In Acts 16, we find the apostle Paul involved in a glorious ministry of evangelism. As he was preaching and carrying on this ministry, it was inevitable that Satan would make his appearance. What type of appearance did he make? In Acts 16:26, we read: "And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling."
In the Greek, "spirit of divination" is literally "spirit of Pytho." This idea goes back to an ancient Greek cult that worshipped a demon-god known as "Pytho" who allegedly appeared on Mount Olympus in the form of a snake. This slave-girl was a representative of this demon-god. And through her occultic powers (i.e., fortunetelling), she brought much material gain to the people who owned her.
Notice very carefully what is said next in verse 17: Following after Paul and his associates, the slave-girl "kept crying out, saying, 'These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.'" Now, here is the important point: the definite article "the" in the phrase "the way of salvation" is not there in the Greek. Many English translations add "the" for smoother reading, but in the Greek it says Paul and the others were "proclaiming a way of salvation." Not "the way" but "a way" of salvation!
Though this young girl was crying out "these men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation," she wasn't really the one doing the talking. We know that a demon was speaking through her, for when Paul reached the end of his patience at her continued harassment, he "turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!' And it came out at that very moment" (Acts 16:18). Clearly, a demon was causing the girl to say that Paul and the others were proclaiming "a way of salvation."
Demons are still promoting this hideous lie today. Jesus Christ is considered by many to be just one of many ways to salvation. Examples of this include the Bahais, who consider Jesus to be one of nine great prophetic manifestations of divinity; Theosophists, who believe Jesus was the fifth incarnation of "the Christ" in the present age; and New Agers, who recognize Jesus as one of many "avatars" or "holy men." The times may have changed, but demons are still promoting the same old lie.
Now, you and I have a grave responsibility. When I stand before the throne of Jehovah, I (like other teachers and pastors) will be more responsible to God than you. I will have to answer for what I have taught (James 3:1). But you will have to answer for what you did with what you were taught. All of us must render an account to God.
Our mutual responsibility is summed up in Jude 3: "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." That's your responsibility, that's my responsibility. You can't get away from it and neither can I. If somebody attacks Christianity in your presence -- if someone espouses a doctrine of demons in your presence -- if someone says Jesus is "a way" of salvation in your presence -- God commands a response.
By "response," I'm not talking about standing there with a smile on your face and saying "God loves you." You come up with some answers, and if you don't have the answers -- then you go get them! Let us never forget the scriptural injunction: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). If you hear someone say that Jesus is just one of many ways to salvation, you be ready to present irrefutable Scriptural evidence that Jesus is the only way of salvation.
These words were excerpted from Dr. Martin's tape, "Doctrines of Demons" (catalog number C-84). It is available from CRI for $5.95.
End of document, CRN0030A.TXT (original CRI file name), "Baptism of Boldness," and "Doctrines of Demons" release A, June 30, 1994 R. Poll, CRI
A special note of thanks to Bob and Pat Hunter for their help in the preparation of this ASCII file for BBS circulation.
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