Far worse slander lurking right behind you

Mr. Spurgeon, you are unaware of a far worse slander 
lurking right behind you. 

There is a far worse slander than the one cautioned by Mr. Spurgeon! This meme on the "Preach the Gospel" page has been shared 1201 times when I downloaded it to put it here.

"I do believe we slander Christ when we think we are to draw the people by something else but the preaching of Christ crucified." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

Dear admirers and lovers of Mr. Spurgeon, 
May I say a few words of caution. It is a far greater and grievous slander, and near blasphemous, if you think the preaching of Christ crucified will draw the people who are still in their native state of sin and death. 

At best such a view betrays a complete ignorance of the TWO distinct drawings spoken of in the Scriptures; at worst it robs God of His glory as the sole and sovereign agent in drawing spiritually dead sinners to Christ, and elevates preachers to be co-workers with God in eternal salvation. Then their grand "solas" are nothing more that shibboleths and empty slogans.

The first drawing is the direct and immediate activity of God, whereby He freely and sovereignly draws an elect out of his native state of sins and death to that of grace and eternal salvation in Christ Jesus.

The second drawing is by the instrumentality of the gospel ministry, whereby those already freely drawn by God to grace and eternal salvation are called to believe on the good news of their salvation.

The gospel ministry brings the good news of the salvation to them whom God Himself has accomplished in Christ at the cross, and has applied to individual elect, thus making them capable of  receiving the gospel message and be drawn to the gospel of their salvation.

John 6:37 "All that the Father GIVETH me SHALL COME to me; and him that COMETH to me I will in no wise cast out."
John 6: 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he HATH GIVEN me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 6:37 has "Father GIVETH" - present tense. This speaks of the effectual calling of each elect unto eternal salvation at God's own appointed and approved time. These are irresistibly and soveriegnly drawn and united to Christ, therefore, SHALL COME to Christ. Only these God-drawn-to-Christ alone can be drawn to Christ through the preaching of the gospel. "Him that cometh" speaks of the coming to Christ in response to the hearing of the gospel.

The gospel can't draw those still dead in trespasses and sins. They must first be drawn out of that state; the new birth from above must happen first. Then they are capable of being drawn to Christ through the gospel ministry.

John 6:39 has "he HATH GIVEN" - perfect tense. This speaks of the completed giving of the elect to Christ before the foundation of the world.

The new school calvinists are gospel regenerationists. Spurgeon's words confirm them in their fable.

Spurgeon was a great admirer of John Gill and owned him as his mentor. But the lovers and admirers of Spurgeon despise Dr. Gill. Can you explain the irony???

The above was posted here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206323501781901&set=a.1182086067794.2026451.1097484914&type=3&theater

These elders have set up idols in their heart

The glitter and glamour of outward forms of religion.

The LORD sees the invisible idols hidden in the innermost recesses of men hearts. Stop playing the fool with the LORD; nothing is hidden from Him.
=======================

Elders had set up idols in their heart,
And they came to inquire the LORD.
What a show of religion without the heart!
Idolatry has estranged them from the LORD.

Ezekiel 14
1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 
5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

"Saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”

"Saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”

To wit, the prophets of Israel
who prophesy concerning Jerusalem,
 and which see visions of peace for her,
and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 13:16

The LORD's diagnosis of the prophets of Israel...
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

Read Ezekiel 13 here http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ezekiel-Chapter-13/

- They prophesy out of their own hearts.
- They are foolish prophets who follow their own spirit.
- They are like foxes in the deserts (i.e. completely self-serving).
- They have seen nothing but vanity and lying divination.(v5)
- They "thus saith the LORD" even though the LORD neither sent nor spoke to them (v6). They speak lies and vanity in the name of the LORD (v7).

The essence of the prophetic ministry in the theocratic Israel has been repeated to Ezekiel earlier...

2:7 "And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious."
3:17 "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me."

Exactly the same in the new covenant: read 2Timothy 4

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
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;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

But many love fables. They love preachers who would tickle their itchy ears. They aren't even aware they are under such undershepherds.

Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary

O the glorious beauty of the grace of the LORD... Eze 11

The self-righteous Jews who were left in Jerusalem mocked and scorned at those who had been exiled to Babylon, saying, "Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession." (11:15)

They despised the exiles as defiled, cast off, God-forsaken, and presumptuously considered them as dispossessed of their inheritance in the LORD.

But how did the LORD rebut and rebuke them, even the "men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city"? (11:2)

Read these stirring words of the LORD's abounding grace to the exiles; try listing the promised blessings one by one...

16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

And these words of just and righteous judgment to the haughty and presumptuous princes of the people in Jerusalem:

21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Rejoice, Brethren!
(part of the things we learned in the Bible study this Wed evening.)

Please note these precious words,
"... YET will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."

But the glory of the LORD departed from the Sanctuary in Jerusalem.
The institutionalized churches that boast themselves as the favoured ones of God are forsaken of God. And those despised by them are shown abounding grace, " YET will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."

Oh, what tender mercies! Justly exiled but not forsaken!

Ezekiel 6 “They shall loathe themselves for the evils...”

Deut 12

1 These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.

Bible study note on Ezekiel 6.

Bible Study – the Book of Ezekiel             09 March 2016

Ezekiel 6 “They shall loathe themselves for the evils...”

Introduction

a. “Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against it.”

- The long days of silent, dramatized messages against Jerusalem and its inhabitants are over. The attention turns to the whole house of Judah, against all the mountains in the land of Israel. 3:27

- “But when I speak to thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord GOD.”

b. The mountains represent the sites for the high places where idolatry is carried out throughout the land.

- These were formerly Canaanites shrines which the Israelites had taken over for their own purpose; how pragmatic! Their own religious activities in those places were soon corrupted with brazen idolatry.

- Once the distinctiveness of Jehovah’s religious is blurred, all kinds of corruptions will inevitably creep in.

- The specific command of Jehovah was to completely destroy all those shrines when they enter the land so that they would not be ensnared. Ex 23:24, 34:12; Deut 12:3.

- The prophets of God, to a man, denounced this abomination, and fought the destruction of such places. Most kings tolerated these high places, and balked at the wholesale destruction of those idolatrous shrines. The two exceptions were Hezekiah (ca 633-604bc) and Josiah (557-526bc) – 2Ki 21:3. 2Ki 23:24.

- The hearts are deceitful above all things... and desperately wicked; and how easily are they ensnared.

1. Prophesy against the mountains

a. “The word of the Lord came to me”: this indicates a new section.

- “Set thy face toward...” set thy face in opposition, a particular irony to the common practice of the exiles facing towards Jerusalem in their prayers.

b. “I will bring a sword upon you” (the high places) found in all those places already mentioned.

- “your altars”, “your images”, your idols”: these places of idolatry shall be desolate, shall be laid waste, shall be broken, may cease, cut down... Your works of idolatry may be abolished, completely destroyed.

- “your slain”, “dead carcasses of the children of Israel” and “your bones” shall be scattered round about the feet of the gods they worship. None of them will be able to protect them from the sword of the Lord GOD.

- “The slain shall fall in the midst of you (high places of idolatry)”. These places of idolatry shall be defiled.

- The scattering of bones is an ultimate humiliation of the ungodly. Ps 53:5, 141:7

- The Hebrew word for idols “gillulim” is a favourite with Ezekiel. He uses it no less than 38 times, in contrast to 9 times in the rest of the OT. Its basic meaning is “detested thing, like a pellet of dung.”

- And turning to idolatry is pictured in such revolting term, turning to pellets of dung!

## How capable are God’s people to sink into abominable idolatry, which the LORD detests and abhors.

c. All these prophesied judgment to what purpose?

- When these things come to pass, then “Ye shall know and that I am the LORD,” the LORD who has

spoken against their idolatry, and warned them against it, and denounced them against it.

- The LORD does not threaten in vain. But He warns and pleads before sending forth His righteous wrath.

2. A remnant will be spared, v8-10

a. Why does the LORD spare a remnant? That they may be witnesses for the LORD’s righteous judgment.

- That those who are spared shall REMEMBER the LORD among the nations.

- They will remember why the LORD scattered them as captives among the nations, because of their

abominable and detestable idolatry.

- “Because I am broken with their WHORISH heart... hath departed from me... their eyes go a whoring...”

- That “they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.”

- That “they shall know that I am the LORD...” That “they shall know that I have not said in vain” that He would execute wrath upon them for all their abominations.

- That they may know that the LORD does not warn or threaten in vain. Be not presumptuous!

3. Rejoice in the vindication of God’s honour in His righteous judgment, v11-14

a. “Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot”: be filled with gladness and rejoice at the LORD’s judgment against the house of Israel. It is celebrating the triumph of God in His righteous judgment.

- “He that is far off... he that is near” is a comprehensive term meaning “all without distinction.”

b. “Thus I will accomplish my fury upon them... I will stretch out my hand upon them” expresses the

certainty and immutability of His purpose in executing His righteous judgment.

- By this “then shall ye know that I am the LORD” ((v7,10,13,14) and that the idols whom they worship and serve are no more than mere pellets of dung that are impotent to protect or deliver them.

- Diblath (Riblath) is located at the extreme north of river Orentes in the region of Hamath, an arid semi-desert region in the north.