Friday, May 22, 2009

2 Thes. 2:8-12 (ESV)
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. [9] The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, [10] and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, [12] in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The Antichrist will be revealed and destroyed with the coming of Christ. Yet until that day the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs, and wonder and wicked deception. This makes me wonder if he isn’t the “prophet” of the Mormon church. I seriously marvel at this. This whole burning of the bosom thing, they honestly don’t think the devil has the power to deceive with that? I’m reading the Book of Mormon right now. You don’t need to ask anything. Anyone with a little knowledge of history and archeology knows that this book is false, all it takes is common sense. The only person who would ask such a stupid question as to whether this book is true, is one who despite all the common sense that tells them it is false, despite the fact that Christ in numerous ways has showed them this to be false, still want to believe it true. Ask a stupid question get a stupid answer, God sends them a strong delusion and hands them over to their own fate. They feel the burning bosom because they want to feel it. They refuse to believe the truth, and take pleasure in unrighteousness, which isn’t the same as drunken hedonism, though that is one form.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

“all power, false signs, and wonders…” As antichristic this applies, I thoroughly believe, in part to Mormonism which is really an isolated false religion, all though I see that application much broader too. Historically even up until today it fits well with the Reformation in and around Rome and the sectarian churches. I use to do a fair amount of study and “evangelism” at one time around the Mormon religion. One of the things we always pointed out was how Joseph Smith bases pretty much everything on a dream or dreams or “visions” he had. Here we see the principle of antichrist to assert this new deceptive doctrine, “I had a dream from god…”, therefore believe me. Yet the ENTIRE basis for the memorial view of the Lord’s Supper which encompasses not the Mormons or the JWs or the Krishnas, but the Baptist and some Reformed, Zwingli is based on what he told Luther, “he had a dream and was told…” that this was true. Same EXACT principle being played out here. The Roman corpus Christi festival, same thing, based on a dream a woman had that impressed a future Pope.

Visions, dreams all false signs and wonder impregnate all false doctrine. 100% of charismatic doctrine in any form it befalls is given this way. The principle being of moving the spirit away from where the Spirit can be counted upon to be and to some other thing. There’s always this move from the revealed word, somewhere in any given false doctrine, even if part roots in Scripture, to some other source for verification. And so Zwingli says, “Christ is not here in the bread and the wine, nor the water”. And the Mormon says, “I know I’m saved because of the ‘burning within the bosom’. Now how different is that than this: (now for the stink bomb)

A step further, some may say perhaps too far, Calvin for example said, “So long as we are without Christ and separated from him, nothing which he suffered and died for the salvation of the human race is of the least benefit to us. And, although it is true that we obtain faith, yet, as we see that all do not indiscriminately embrace the offer of Christ which is made by the gospel, the very nature of the case teaches us to ascend higher, and to inquire into the secret power of the Spirit, through which we enjoy Christ and all his blessings.” And suddenly, now, we must look for the “spirit” in another place other than Word and Sacrament. Now no doubt Calvin would disagree that that is what he meant so crassly put, but as Sasse rightly understood, go wrong with the sacraments and the rest follows.

Thus Calvin would say that how I know I’m saved and the assurance of salvation comes from the direct indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Thus, a believer is to ultimately, because the sacraments are not efficacious without this, look for evidence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and lives and thus hopefully some how obtain assurance of salvation.

How is that functionally different than the “burning of the bosom”? True Calvin does not deny grace alone and Joseph Smith explicitly does. But of what use is to affirm grace alone yet attempt to achieve the assurance thereof as a functioning Mormon?

How are these different. Smith had a vision for the secret things, Zwingli had a dream and Calvin inquires into the secrecy. The only thing I can discern different in these principles is really the state and level of consciousness. All are rising up into secrecy to bring down some secret thing, Smith does so by the energy of altered state of consciousness, Zwingli by the passive energy of an unconscious dream and Calvin by the energy of reason. But all are ascending a ladder to inquire above into secrecy, and I think herein lay the root of deception. And so at various levels lying signs and wonders are sought out for that “assurance” that “I’m alright/saved/elected of God”.

To me here lay the root of both the fall of man from day one and the spirit of antichrist up through today, “what is God hiding from you”, in whatever form this ascension into secrecy takes and whomever takes it.

Larry

Steve Martin said...

Nice one, Bror!

Great comments, Larry!

You Lutheran bulldogs for Christ are a great encouragement to me...and boy...do I ever need it.

That satan character has been hitting me hard lately.

One last thing (I have said this many times before)...

Christ can be present and live in my heart...but He can't be present in a bowl of water, or piece of bread, or sip of wine, accompanied by His Word?

Ha Ha ha ha ha!!!!

Anonymous said...

Steve,

"Lutheran bulldog", I like that one, very good!

There use to be an old saying, still is, in Calvinist circles, because the "arch enemy" of Calvism is Arminianism. When one moves from Arminianism to Calvinism, "There's nothing more EX- than than an ex-arminian", and that is true. But I'd say, for a calvinist turn Lutheran, "There's nothing more EX- than an exCalvinist."

Have a great holiday weekend,

Larry