I have a helpful book in front of me by Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) titled:
“IS JESUS GOD?—AN ANSWER TO INFIDELS IN THE CHURCH AND OUT,” written
in 1948 and published by the Sword of The Lord in Murfreesboro,
Tennessee. Inside the front cover of the book Dr. Rice writes: “Get this
book into the hands of every modernist and doubter possible.” I would like
to share with you some helpful quotes from Dr. Rice's insightful book.
-
What We Mean
by the Term “Modernist”
The false teaching we have been discussing is
modernism; the false teachers so often warned against in the Bible are
modernists. They are also called “theological liberals,” or radicals.
They are sometimes called Unitarians. Sometimes their leaders are called
“higher critics.” All these terms refer to people who deny the great
historic doctrines of Christianity.
They deny that the Bible is infallible
inspired of God, that it is God's authoritative revelation, to be
believed and obeyed in all points. They say it is not God's Word,
though some of it may contain God's Word. They say it is a human book,
full of mistakes, not to be accepted as God's perfect revelation.
Modernists deny that Christ is deity, God in
human form, “the only begotten Son of the Father.” They are Unitarians
which means that they believe there is one God, only one person in the
Godhead. They do not believe in the Trinity, do not believe Jesus is
God. They say He is a son of God only in the sense that we are all the
children of God. Hence they do not believe in the virgin birth of Christ
nor His bodily resurrection, since both of these miracles are proof of
Christ's deity.
Modernists, denying the authority of the
Bible and its infallible inspiration, deny its God-given prophecies,
deny all miracles, deny the Bible account of creation. They try to
provide a natural explanation for all things, to avoid the supernatural,
miraculous explanation. Hence modernists believe man came by evolution
instead of by direct creation by God. They deny the miracles of Christ
and others recorded in the Bible. They deny even the miraculous new
birth, regeneration. Modernists teach salvation by character, by good
works, if they teach salvation at all.
Remember, modernism is a matter of doctrine,
not a matter of how one lives. A modernist, or liberal, may be a total
abstainer, an outwardly moral citizen; may even be a respected preacher.
On the other hand, a drunkard or gambler may not be a modernist at all,
but a believer in the truths of the Bible. Do not call anyone a
modernist because he is worldly. Worldliness is one thing; modernism is
another. One may lead to the other, but they are not the same. Modernism
is a denial of fundamental Bible doctrine.
These unbelievers who claim to be modernists
mean that they do not accept the old historic truths of Christianity.
Instead, they have new doctrines, based not upon the Bible as God's
revelation to man, but based on man's reason and man's partial knowledge
and man's preference. Modernism is a modern religion, not the historic
Bible Christianity our fathers knew. ...
SOURCE: Dr. John R. Rice, “IS
JESUS GOD?—AN ANSWER TO INFIDELS IN THE CHURCH AND OUT,” pages
162-163; © 1948, Sword Of The Lord Publishers, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
I was intrigued when I read the preceding words of
Brother Rice from 1948, because what he wrote is 100% applicable to the year
2019. Dr. Rice could have written these exact words today and they would
have been truer than ever. As I typed out these words by
Dr. John R. Rice, I though about Pastor John MacArthur, who denies that Jesus' physical blood is applied to the
mercy seat in Heaven. Mr. MacArthur also teaches that “There
is no such thing as a childhood conversion” (that is an
exact quote).
I thought again about Dr. MacArthur, who gives
SEVEN REQUIREMENTS to be saved!
Pastor MacArthur is a modernist. Any pastor who
teaches and supports
Calvinism
is incompetent. Any pastor who consults dozens of Bible versions to find the
truth is incompetent. God deliver our churches from apostasy
today! Modernists have crept into the Bible colleges
and churches, pulling on the same rope as the Devil! People have a right to
their opinion, but the Bible teaches for Christians to expose false prophets
(Titus 1:10-13; Ephesians 5:11). The reason why America is going to Hell is
because preachers today are cowards, afraid to call false prophets by name,
afraid to tell the truth, afraid to expose false teachings. This is America,
where we all have a right to our own opinion, and I am expressing mine. Bob
Jones University is hurting people with their apostasy!
Preachers in America have become too complacent,
going along to get along with apostasy, tolerant of the lies of Calvinism
(Lordship Salvation) and Roman Catholicism. 2nd Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye
not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness?” Bible-preachers need to take a stand against false doctrine,
sin and corruption in government. A preacher should be offensive and make
unrighteous people, criminals and liars angry!
As I typed the preceding words of wisdom by Dr. John
R. Rice, I thought about modernist
missionary Garrett Kirchway, who denies the Trinity. These apostates are
dangerous! They look like real Christians. They talk like real Christians.
They are friendly, loving, kind, sociable and by all appearance seem to be
real Christians; but they are NOT real Christians. The Scripture foretold
that in the last days false prophets would come, and that people would no
longer tolerate SOUND DOCTRINE... 2nd Timothy 4:3, “For the time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Jesus told
us that they who do God's will concerning salvation can discern sound
doctrine. John 7:17, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” If you
have been born-again, then you have the indwelling Holy Spirit. John
16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” If you
are saved, then you will embrace the Biblical teaching of the Godhead (aka,
The Trinity).
As I typed the preceding words of wisdom by Dr. John
R. Rice, I thought about modernists
Rick Warren,
Ray
Comfort and
Stephen
Davey, who all teach that salvation requires behavior modification. That
is not “the simplicity that is in Christ” spoken of in the Scriptures
(2nd Corinthians 11:3-4).
I bought the inspiring 1956 movie “The Ten
Commandments” starring actor Charlton Heston (1923-2008). That was one of my
favorite films that I saw on Tv as a child. Most people, like me, love the
scene where God parts the Red Sea. The DVD movie is narrated by Katherine
Orrison (if you choose to turn on the commentary feature). I watched the
entire 2:40 hour movie through, and then once again with the commentary
turned on. I was very saddened as I listened to Katherine Orrison's horrible
lack of faith in a miracle working God. All she does throughout the
commentary is attempt to provide plausible natural excuses to discredit the miracles
of God. This movie is the 5th highest-grossing movie in North America, with
an adjusted total of over $1 billion as of 2010. Miss Orrison is a
modernist.
Katherine Orrison suggests that the waters in Egypt
turned red due to a nearby volcanic eruption that spewed colored lava, thus
changing the water's color. She then speculates that the contaminated waters
drove the frogs and locusts from their natural habitat into the Egyptian's
homes, and that the volcanic rocks were toxic and killed wildlife, making
the rivers to stink. The fiery hail is also attributed to volcanic activity.
It is tragic that people refuse to accept the Bible as literal. The Bible
tells us that the waters in Egypt were turned into literal blood, not just
given a red color. The Bible says that God cursed the Egyptians with painful
boils all over their bodies, which a volcano did not do. Orrison's lack of
faith in a miracle working God is disgraceful in a movie that meant so much
to Cecil B. Demille (1881-1959). Mr. Demille believed that God could do the
IMPOSSIBLE, and He still does today. Life itself is impossible without God.
Look around you and you'll see the impossible. This universe would fall
apart in seconds if God stopped doing the impossible. Acts 17:25 says that
God giveth to all life and breath. Katherine is an unbelieving modernist!
It is not surprising to me that the hellhole of Hollywood would botch the
Ten Commandments, attributing all of God's miracles to natural occurrences.
The truth is that these unsaved modernists have no faith at all in the
miracle-working God of the Bible. They are unbelievers in every way.
Katherine Orrison attempts to explain away God's miraculous power, trying to
appease unbelievers, skeptics, atheists, and naysayers. To Hell with the
naysayers if that's where they choose to go! God is omnipotent!!! Nothing
shall be impossible to God. I love what Luke 1:37 says... NOTHING SHALL BE
IMPOSSIBLE! The Bible doesn't say that all things are possible with God; but
rather, NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE!!! In other words, God can do the
inexplicable, the unexpectable, and the unimaginable!!!
Shame on Katherine Orrison for doubting God's
omnipotence, while narrating a movie about the Holy Bible. She speculates that a volcano turned the water to a reddish
color; however, the Bible says that the water turned into literal blood and
stank because of it. All the fish died because they can't breath blood. It
had nothing to do with a volcano, as the character of Pharaoh in the movie suggests. Katherine
Orrison is no better than unbelieving Pharaoh who doubted God's power and
might. We ought not attempt to cater to the doubts of unbelievers by
explaining away the miracles of God. If a person refuses to believe the
Bible because it proclaims a miracle-working God, then they are doomed in
their unbelief, for salvation itself is a supernatural act of God (John
1:12). She is a modernist!
God
Is A Miracle Working God!
Dr. John R. Rice sure knew what he was talking about
over 70 years ago. Brother Rice's words are as real, applicable and
pertinent today in the new millennium, as they were in 1948. Unbelieving
modernists abound in our society today. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey often says
a kind word about Jesus here and there, but she denies the power of
the Gospel. 2nd Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
That “power” is the “GOSPEL,” the GOOD NEWS of
Jesus Christ crucified on the cross, buried and physically risen the third
day (1st Corinthians 15:1-6). Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also
to the Greek.”
I love that Bible verse! Anyone who talks about the
precious name of Jesus, salvation, God or spiritual matters (we see this a
lot on Tv), but does not include the truth of Jesus' death on the
cross, burial and bodily resurrection, is a modernist! They
have “a form” of godliness, but DENY THE POWER THEREOF. The Holy Scripture
warns to TURN AWAY FROM THEM!!! There is no salvation apart from the cross
of Calvary! There can be no salvation apart from Christ's sacrifice on the
cross for our sins, apart from His burial and subsequent resurrection from
the dead the third day. Run away from anyone who uses the name of Jesus to
help their agenda, who refuses to teach that salvation is ONLY through faith
in Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins, and through believing that
Jesus is bodily risen!
Modernists are everywhere today! Let's read again
the words of Dr. Rice. I have broken down Brother Rice's
paragraphs into a list of 15 warning signs, for simplification, of who is a MODERNIST:
- They deny that the Bible is infallible
inspired of God, that it is God's authoritative revelation, to
be believed and obeyed in all points.
- They say it is not God's Word,
though some of it may contain God's Word.
- They say it is a human book, full of
mistakes, not to be accepted as God's perfect revelation.
- Modernists deny that Christ is deity,
God in human form, “the only begotten Son of the Father.”
- They are Unitarians which means that
they believe there is one God, only one person in the Godhead.
- They do not believe in the Trinity,
do not believe Jesus is God.
- They say He is a son of God only in the
sense that we are all the children of God.
- They do not believe in the virgin birth
of Christ nor His bodily resurrection, since both of these
miracles are proof of Christ's deity.
- Modernists deny the authority of the
Bible and its infallible inspiration.
- They deny its God-given prophecies,
deny all miracles, deny the Bible account of creation.
- They try to provide a natural
explanation for all things, to avoid the supernatural,
miraculous explanation.
- Modernists believe man came by evolution
instead of by direct creation by God.
- They deny the miracles of Christ and
others recorded in the Bible.
- They deny even the miraculous new birth,
regeneration.
- Modernists teach salvation by character,
by good works, if they teach salvation at all.
These unbelievers who claim to be modernists
mean that they do not accept the old historic truths of Christianity.
Instead, they have new doctrines, based not upon the Bible as God's
revelation to man, but based on man's reason and man's partial knowledge
and man's preference. Modernism is a modern religion, not the historic
Bible Christianity our fathers knew. ...
SOURCE: Dr. John R. Rice, “IS
JESUS GOD?—AN ANSWER TO INFIDELS IN THE CHURCH AND OUT,” pages
162-163; © 1948, Sword Of The Lord Publishers, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Now you, dear reader, will be more ready and on
guard what to watch for, knowing when Satan is trying to sneak into your
church family, or your personal family or group. A false prophet is known by
his doctrine! I believe in being kind to everyone, gentle, loving and
patient, apt to teach and understanding. I am not advocating being mean to
anyone. I am simply agreeing with God's Word.
Modernists have been creeping into churches
throughout history. Paul warned about them in his day. Jude 1:4, “For
there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to
this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Martin Luther King Jr. was a famous Baptist minister, yet
Mr. King openly
denied the deity, virgin birth and bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ. King was an unsaved modernist! There is no debate that he was a
courageous pubic speaker, a gifted orator, persuasive and a great man in his
time; but he is burning in Hell this moment in his sins, unless he repented
on his deathbed. Today we see atheists and women becoming church pastors,
blaspheming the Word of God. I found a counterfeit church in Washington D.C.
with a lesbian couple as their pastors, one of which denies Jesus' bodily
resurrection. Modernists are everywhere! The Bible says to identify false
prophets and avoid them. Romans 16:17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark
them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye
have learned; and avoid them.”
I am unpopular with many pastors and churches,
because I am telling THE TRUTH. I met a shallow graduate of Pensacola
Christian College (PCC) on Guam in 2018 (one of their incompetent interns),
who said that I have no right to preach as I do because I am not a pastor,
having no authority. That fella has holes in his head! He even accused me of
thinking I am “AN APOSTLE.” As much as I preach against John MacArthur,
I admire a very
truthful thing that he said, acknowledging that a pastor HAS NO AUTHORITY
in a church! The Word of God is the only authority in any church! Amen!
Romans 3:4a, “God forbid: yea, let God be
true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be
justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
Thank you for reading this.
